OUR PARLIAMENTARY LETTER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2873, 9 June 1882, Page 2

OUR PARLIAMENTARY LETTER.

[From .Gur: : o,.\yn:-Correspondent.]

: Wellington, Juno G, ■ The past week has seen some advance in public business. Tiro Chairman of Committees has been elected,’ .the Education Amendment Act rejected, and the Government Peace Preservation Bill has, after a most, uninteresting debate, passed .the second reading. The conduct of the Government in the matter of the election of Chairman of Committees was by no means creditable, and it gave rise to one of the richest little pieces of acting ever witnessed on any stage. They appear at " the last moment to have discovered that if they resolved to run Mr Hurst, they would undoubtedly have been beaten.- Though defeat would hot have - been fatal to them as a Government, it would have placed them in an unfortunate position, as it would have 1 shewn their inability to command a . .majority, and have decided the wa-vering members to vote against them. Major Atkinson proposed Mr Hurst, and the nomination . was seconded by Sir John. Hall, but .Mr Hurst, seeing that be bad no chance of being .elected,’ very wisely, rose and announced bis retirement. Sir John’s face depicted' great astonishment, or affected astonishment, . at, such a proceeding., It was a clever piece of acting. Had it been tinder rehearsal for a week, the actors could not have boon more* 'perfect in their, parts.-; Mr ■ Hamlin .was ! then nominated- by them, and ’ elected. Mr Hamlin, who has a rather commandihg.presence and deep sonorous voice, is. admirably adapted for the office. He was elected by a majority of three, which at present shews the real-strength of parties- in the House, because three, pledged Government supporters voted for Mr Thompson, and three of the Opposition voted for Mr Hamlin. There are yet three seats vacant, which may or may not increase the majority for the Ministry, but should throe Opposi tionlsts be returned, ' their position as a government will he most unenviable. for though "’at the present there is,not that amount of cohesion on the part of the. opposition which is so necessary to success, yet upon any large question arising, the- voting might behostile to the Government. Readers of Press telegrams , might infer - that breaches exist among the opposition by the action some of the members took in the division on tho Peace Preservation Bill, but I may inform them it was understood that upon a question which has not for the last four or five years been made a political one, each man, as ono of the whips of the party,-" Mr Stewart, stated, followed and voted on his own view of the question. The scene last night after the first division was’ very • entertaining. Mr Bryce, tho Native Minister, extolled Sir George Gray to the skies, while Sir George, in return, exalted the; Native Minister a little higher. It was a sort of “what fine things one man of parts could say of another.” The,Native Minister then graciously informed Sir George Grey of his intentions, and those of the Government on the matter, which your readers with perhaps be pleased to hear are perfectly -honorable. However, Sir George, afterone of those pleasing speeches which the House delights to hear, showed the cloven foot and stated, that unless some amend’inents were made in the Bill he should oppose the third- reading. Of course these are amendments which can be’ agreed to by the Government, yet Sir George has cleverly contrived to show be is master of the situation and can maintain that, which to him is of as much consequence as the welfaromf the country, “his prestige.” I should ndt : refer to the “Education Act;’Amendment,” but for the excellent ! speech made ,on -the.occasion by one of your Southern Members, Mr Steward, of Waimate. He is a, very pleasing and fluent speaker,-and one who can command ■ the attention of the House. .Though , conscious of speaking to an audience, a larger majority of whom were opposed to tho Bill, and knowing that, the result was a foregone conclusion, his utterances made a general impression on several members who -were opposed „ to the Bill. Some! of them will, I am certain, vote in support of a similar Bill on-another occasion. It cannot be introduced -again .this session, .but had the title , of-the Bill been such- that it Would' eemfine its operations to Roman Catholics, very much more support, would have been given to it. The fear was that the provisions of tho Act, if it became law,, would have been taken advantage of by other denominations. You'will have observed by the division list that tho whole of your southern members supported the Bill. As Sheridan says, “When they do agree, their unanimity is wonderful.” In the Peace Preservation Bill there was*a diversity of opinion, and the member for Timaru was found voting with the fourteen who opposed the Bill; and with those who supported the„principles of justice, viz., that Te Wliiti and Tohu, before being sentenced by the House, should be hoard cither personally or by counsel. When I say before being sentenced, I wish it to be understood " that the passing of the Bill really means condemning the men without a trial. At all events’ they are condemned till tho • next session of Parliament, at least. In anticipation of the now loan, members for the different provincial districts arc girding on their armour with a firm determination to secure tho full amounts due, as they consider, to their district, from any loan that might "be authorised to be raised. To-day there has been meetings.of the Auckland andCanterbury members on the subject. There will bo,. I believe, a much greater number than was expected opposed to further borrowing powers being granted, but, I am afraid, when the time comes, they will not resist the temptation, but w ill act in the same way as the celebrated Cornish parson, who, when he could not prevent bis parishioners' 1 from going on a wrecking expedition, bogged of them at least to give him a chance to come down from the" pulpit so: that they might all start fair, i am afraid that when the loan’is obtained it will not be expended on works of the greatest necessity, but will be frittered away on completing some branch lines in some specially favored districts. .. Though it is my business .to give you political nows, 1 cannot; forbear mentioning that an entertainment is to be given hero on ’Monday next. I should say it is ' (o be under the distinguished patronage of everyone iu Wellington who can got entrance to the Theatre Royal, and that the proceeds are to be applied to the relief of the. sufferers by the Timaru disaster. The euterhiinmeut is being got up by tho Wellington Amateur Dramatic Club, assisted by the principal local vocalists, and that on the occasion, an original address will bo given by Mr Thomas Bracken. The entertain-

fnent bids'fair tb be an immense success and .wi11,.1 hope, add substantially to the funds being collec f ed for the widows and Drjibahs in Tfimaru. I must menis somewhat of interest to your part iff the colony,-that there is a movement going on h¥fo to have the next sitting of Parliament in-Christ-church. I have heard that many of the Northern,membersjarc .favorable to the proposal, which will bo brought forward' in afow.days, ■" ' ... , ,