PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 34

PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

AN EXCITING SCENE. MEETING OF PROTEST. ■nTITCIIOWD RUSHES TO PARLIAMENT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, June 15. The public meeting of protest in the ' Town Hall to-night against the prorogation of Parliament attracted an enormous attendance. Some 3500 people were

packed into the large hall, and another 3000 failed to obtain admittance. The principal speakers were the Wellington city members. They were attentively listened to, and their remarks in condemnation of the prorogation of Parliament were received with cheers. At the* conclusion of the meeting the great crowd poured out into the streets, and was proceeding its various ways when some shouted, " To Parliament." The cry was taken up by others, and ran like wildfire through the crowd, which at once headed for Parliament. It gained accessions as it marched up Mercer street and turned into Lambton . quay. There were hundreds of women in it, and they trudged along beside the sterner sex, who sang choruses and cheered. N earing the end -of Lambton quay the trains were blocked, and those in the van of the advancing army started off at the double. When they arrivedi at the lower gats giving - entrance tc the grounds of Parliament House they .faund the place locked, and a well-known M.P. on the wrong side of the door arguing the position with some of 'the malcontents and telling them that they would be disfranchised. Meantime the main body had passed on up the street to the main gates of the entrance to Parliament. A few of them got through the small gate,' and some clambered over the fence, but an effective posse of police and some of the parliamentary officials had quickly barricaded the gates with, beams of sawn Limber. ' At the gates of Parliament the crowd as.iir sang son'.n?, cheered the Wellington members, and hooted some of the police who were keeping the great crowd back. Several rushes were made, but the barricades were too strong. One member of tho police, however, got a bad squeezing in the rush. There were loud cries for, Messrs Fisher and Wright, and the former eventually made his appearance and told the crowd that, having made a dignified protest, they ehould go quietly to their homes. I Mr Fisher's speech had the effect of > quieting the crowd, .but they then raised , a cry for Mr Wright, the member for Newtown. After some time Mr Wright made his appearance, and, mounting one 1 of the gate pqsts,. was - received Mvith : cheers. He gave similar advice to the crowd. There were then cries for Mr ( T. E. Taylor, .-but it was intimated that ; Mr Taylor- thought it -was not his _ place ' to <?peak :as he wa"s not 'a' Wellington member. He might, however, speak onthe subject if' he had an opportunity in his own city. The crowd remained for some time, and then gradually melted away. Sir Joseph Ward, speaking afterwards in the House on the second reading of the Loan Bill, referred to the demonstration that had been made. He charged the Wellington members with having gone behind his back on' the eve of his departure by endeavouring to influence the people against him at the public meeting referred to. — (Government cheers). With great force and a perfect torrent of words, which no shorthand reporter could keep pace with, Sir Joeeph Ward went on to criticise the action of the Wellington members. These, he said scornfully, were the men of courage, who urged -that the future of this country should be placed in their hands. Sir Joseph went on to say that j he had been told that they were arranging an adverse demonstration on the eve of Vis departure. " Let -them do it," he said; "let them have the glory of it. Let Mr J. G. W. Aitken tell them to storm this building, and create the impression that this is the voice of the people of Wellington." — (Cries of "Shame 1 " from ths Government benches.) I hope they are proud of it. One ot them (Mr Fisher) had told them that he was coming up to 'make his seventeenth speech. " And, my heavens, we have had it," added Sir Joseph Ward ; "and not a soul in the House listened to it. When he eat down he looked the picture of misery, and so he went down to the gate. There he said to the crowd, "1 have delivered my speech: I have annihilated him; come and see the effect of what I have done." — .(Laughter.) S'n- Joseph Ward resumed his seat amidol loud and continued applause from the Government benches, and Mr Jennings rose in his seat and said he thought the members of the House should rise in their seats and give three cheers for Sir Joseph Ward. — (Cries of " No, no," from the Government benches, and " Shame !" from the Opposition benches). Mr Jennings rose in his seat, moved his hand, and cheered, but there was no response to his invitation, and he was a solitary demonstrator. After Sir Joseph Ward had resumed his seat there was quite a crop of personal explanations. For a time the parliamentary atmosphere had been quite electrical, but after the explanations the House got into committee on the Loan, Bill and quietness reigned once more.

There h_a3-been -erected in Karon Cemetery, Wellington, a handsome monument to * the memory of Mrs Jacobs, late stewardess of the s.s. Penguin, who was drowned at the wrock of that vessel on February 12 Tbo monument consists of a large marble scroll, resting on a base of marble and oor^crete, and is enclosed by & Ucibint; f'niihed ofWn cement plaster. .An apprcniiafco 'nseriptiori cc^ludes with the epitanh. ' Nearcx »v G-.-d to Thee.'-'