TARIFF TROUBLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 20

TARIFF TROUBLES.

The Boot Dutiks. Flaying at legislation. ! Ministers in a Misobitv. This Treasurer RhFUSKS TO GO ON. Saturday night sittings do not appear to be a success. When the House met at 7.30 the Treasurer perceived tliit owiDg to the absence of certain members the boot duties proposed by the Government vrero in a fair way to be reduced. The attack Wf.s ltd by MrMassey, who proposed a reduction from 25 to 20 por cent. This moved Mr Ward to suggest that these items should be postponed, but a dozen members were immediately on their feet indignantly protesting. They urgwl it would be better t) adjourn altogether; the House was simply being pliyed with. Eventually the Treasurer was forced to admit that hoclc&ired th.9 adjournment becauße of the abstuee of certain members. TLo Premier took a step further, and, nmid laughter and ironical applau : o, he moved the adjournment of the House. He conteuded thit a section of tlw House had assembled in force in ocrler to retaliato in the the absence of certain others for pomo*liing that had been done at the previous sitting. This assertion was warmly reßented. Mr Gcahr.m was surprised and indignant, and asked in the warmest tone, " Are the representatives of the people here for nothing except to do jusb what they ate told by the Government ? " The Treasurer imw to-rmenccd to stonewall his own tariff. He tsiuutcd his opponents with thirsting for the Government's blood simply because they would gain a temporsry advantage, but even if a reduction was carried the bill would hnve to be rt committed. The dignity of the House appeared to be a diu<iuish : ng quantity as the proceeding!? went on, and one uiprnber de«crihe<l the situation an " a screaming farte," aud Mr M'LachUn was huosiliak'd at the spectacle. He wfs surprised at the Prettier showing the whi*"e feather, and protested ftgainfct Ministers bringing members toge^h^r simply to make fools of them. Mr R. Thompson want«d to ki.ow who had been pulling the wires sines the House di-peraed in thrf morning. Thoy Ccr>"ainly SttpaniV-d nudnr the impresMon thf.t they woro to go on v.-ifch the boob duties, and now they wero Bimply making themselves the laugbiug-stock of the gallmcc Things went on thus until Captain Russell rose and very seriously addressed tho House. He said members were there owing to the insistance of the Premier, s>nd for some tirao p%st they had been playing a farca. But it wag very unfortunate that the business of the country should di'gonerato iuto a farce. They had come to do business but the Treasurer would not let them. The Premier had lost control of the House for some time past, and had shown his utt*r unfit nesa as a leader. Captain Russell wav horrified at the proceedings, and thought thoy k\& been called together to do busint-ss. If they couM noi; go on then " let) us go home and blush for the disgrace we have brought ui,on the colony." These words roused the Premier, who was suvprised that members *ho<ild come together only to play like schoolboys. It wa3 becini-e the House was in this humour thftt he had moytd the adjournment;. The same thing might hnva happened had anyone else been le*d' j v of the Hi>u«e. Ho did nob i believe in Saturday sittings, but he had t3 take this course because he had been threatened with a stonewall the previous morning hut they gono on affer half-past 2. The k-iul-r of the Opposition^iid himself voted for sitting that night. — (Captvin Rusjell : " I votfd against it.") The Premier went on to declare that the proceedings were not to the crp-'ik of members, — (loud cries of "Ha*, ln-ar 1 ), — uid wo. ld not tend to keep the HusoH >uso ia th vf. bigh position it had hitherto occupied among tb.3 Parli'imf-n f s of the Ausliwlvsinn co'otne*. Referring to Captaia Russell, the Premier said, "He tells me I h&ve, lost control of the House. I will ask him to take the earliest oppor uuity of seeing who shall lead the Houtje." Mr Bell summed this up as the Premier's "mock heroics." The Premier asked if this was iv order, aud the Chairman ruled that it was. Then Mr Graham ag*in rated the Government, declaring there were 60 members present, while at rcany divisions at tho previouH sitting the members wt-re convidecAbly lepn, Mr Crowther assured the Treasurer that it was no usu <opo p" 1 "' t-he boot, qnes'ion ofF, for ho had the best rea»on ro htlLvo thsfc whenever the voto was taken the Government would have to submit to a rediic'ion on thi» item. As to the statement of the Premier that the House was a thin one, Mr Mussey pointed out that 72 mem- j bers out of 74 were accounted for. The adjournment wa3 eventually carritd r.y 30 to 24. j Of those available for a division to-night a j mnj 'ii(y are in favour of reducing the duty on boots, but the Governmi nt evidently hopo to bo able to take advantage of tho delay mid "get at " some of their supporters who may be brr u jht over.