WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1244, 2 October 1875, Page 6

WELLINGTON.

Everything is now sent so fully by telegraph that there is very little left to write about. However, a general view of what has taken place since last Thursday, and its probable results, may be of some little interest. The great fight began fairly on Thursday, when Mr O'Rorke took the chair of the Committee on the Bill. The preamble was allowed to be postponed without objection, but on clause 1, " short title," the struggle commenced, and with one or two temporary adjournments for refreshment, it lasted until broad daylight, when Mr O'Rorke was obliged to vacate the chair until 10 o'clock. It was rather hard on him and on the officers of the House, because the members on each side were divided into relays or watches, relieving each other every eight hours, while they had to sit continuously. At 10 o'clock the Committee re-assembled, and with an hour's adjournment for dinner, the fight continued. It was a rather singular fact, that although members were avowedly speaking against time, the speeches made were really very excellent, and altogether appropriate. In fact, I think the speeches through that long night were better on the whole than those delivered during any same number of hours during the debate on the second reading. Great good temper also was shown during the whole night on both sides. At half-past 2 o'clock in the afternoon something very like a scene occurred. The mace always lies under the table when the House is in Committee, and about ten minutes before the halfhour the Sergeant-at-Arms was observed to approach, take it up. and leave the House. Immediately a hubbub arose, and it was going on when, in due course, the Sergeant-at-Arms re-entered, carrying the mace, followed by the Speaker, who at once assumed the chair, and read_ prayers. By so doing, a new day's proceedings were of course commenced ; but, instead of proceeding with the ordinary business, calling for petitions, notices of motion, &c, and then going on with the Order Paper, he immediately vacated the chair to allow the Committee on the Abolition Bill to proceed. Then there arose the question whether it was to-day or yesterday. If it was to-day, mcmi bers wanted to know by what process or authority they had got into Committee ; if it was yesterday, and the sitting was a continuous one, they wanted to know what business the Speaker had in coming in and saying prayers. On this question of prayers, and their requiring renewing every twenty-four hours, there was a good deal of joking ; but the serious question really was, whether the Committee was sitting continuously or not, as, if the sitting had been interrupted, and the House had resumed without the Committee reporting or obtaining leave to sit again, the Bill was off the Order Paper, and lost for the session. Mr O'Rorke and Sir Dillon Bell professed themselves perfectly satisfied that everything was correct and in order. It was admitted, however-. that there was really no precedent. It was proposed that the Speaker should be moved into the chair to give a formal ruling, and then take the sense of the House on the point. Several Ministers and Mr Stafford spoke in favour of this course ; but, in some way or other, as the discussion went on, this point also became a party one, and so, when the division came, those who had spoken in favour of the Speaker talcing the chair voted againat it. Then the original discussion was resumed, and a rather sharp little passage of arms took place between Mi Stafford and Mr Stout, Mr Stafford, in trying to sit on the youngest member of the House, exhibiting more temper than had hitherto been imparted into the debate. During the afternoon, members were observed flitting in and out mysteriously, and it became evident that something was going on in the lobbies. Soon the word compromise began to be whispered about, and it was said the negotiations had originated in a conversation between Sir George Grey and Mr M'Glashan. About 5 o'clock, it was stated that the negotiation had fallen through, and one or two boastful speeches were made from the Ministerial benches. Before the adjournment half an hour afterwards, it became known that fresh attempts were being made through moderate men on both sides to bring about a settlement. During the dinner hour, these negotiations took such a shape that the Government agreed to adjourn the House until Tuesday. This information caused great satisfaction amongst a large proportion of the members of both sides in the House, but some of the ultra anti-Provincialists were furious, and vowed deadly vengeance against those who had, they said, betrayed them. Next day was devoted to caucus meetings. To their proceedings I need not refer in detail, as you have been informed of them day by day On Monday it was talked of that settlement had become impossible, but I never believed anything of the kind. In fact, the Government had gone too far to retreat. Their Bill was doomed if they did not come to a compromise and they knew it. Very little chance, indeed, was there ever of the Bill passing, but once the possibility of compromise, of their yielding anything, was admitted, that little chance vanished. I very believe that, after Saturday, Ministers were, of all men in the House, the most anxious to effect an amicable settlement, and, had their followers allowed it, they would have been prepared to go much further. On luesday, when the House met, things were still unsettled, but settlement was so near that the Jiill was adjourned, and that night everything was arranged. The general idea, I think, is that the settlement arrived at is a satisfactory one, but more satisfactory to the Opposition than to the Ministry. Practically, the Opposition have got all they wanted-that is, at least, the majority of the Opposition— for Sir George Grey, Mr Stout, and one or two others, who are out-and-out Provincialists, do not at £ c 1.1? t erms - However, moderate meu on both sides are satisfied. Ministers were really m a very difficult position, lhe mistake they made was not so much in giving way at last, as in having failed to estimate the difficulties of the position at first, btrong as they were in point of numbers, a single night sufficed to show that the Opposition held the winning cards, and could and would defeat the measure altogether, if the contest was proceeded with. Had the contest been earned on, however, there would have been much ill feeling caused, and many discreditable scenes would certainly have ensued. In fact, the House wxmld have lowered itself in its own eyes and in those of the country. Ministers' seized the only possible means of escaping from an untenable position, and they acted wisely m doing_ it, although 'by their doing so SflvW ll^ broken the b ° nd ° f ™ by which their enormous majority were bound together Ministers are now, I think, really very weak, and I should not be at all surprised to see them come to grief on some question of general policy or administration before even the present session ends. The way in which a Ur* 9 BVD to e f those who htthirtp faftyVgtoJ

them the most loyal support now speak of their policy and administrative abilities is the reverse of complimentary. The only safety the Ministry really haye lies in the notorious divisions upon main principles known to exist .between the leading men on the other side of the House. The Opposition could scarcely form a Ministry with any common policy, even if it had the chance tomorrow. There is sure to be a great deal of talk yet in Committee over the Abolition Bill in discussing its provisions and their merits' and probably next week will scarcely see it through. What its ultimate shape will be of course, no one can possibly say. There will be a great fight over the proposed prohibition of the meeting of Provincial Councils during the recess, and I very much doubt whether the Government will be able to carry it. In fact it is quite on the cards even yet that the Abolition Bill may not pass at all this Session, but this is unlikely. It is almost certain, however that, on the third reading, the majority in favour of the Bill will be much less than it was on the second reading. It is rather a singular fact that the terms of compromise wLich have been agreed to were first in substance suggested by a newspaper, the Evening Post, last Monday week and I believe the suggestion was an entirely original one. I telegraphed the article to you at the time, and it at once attracted considerable attention here, Sir George Giey in fact, going so iar as to allude to it in the House, and say he, for one, would not agree to such terms. However, this article certainly paved the way to settlement, and Sir George Grey was compelled to yield his own opinion's. The Ministry .also, did not like the idea at all at first, but, like Sir George, had to give in at