Political Notes and Comments

Southland Times, Issue 13323, 27 September 1895, Page 3

Political Notes and Comments

(By Telegraph.)

(from our own correspondent.)

Wellington, Sept. 25. There was a scene in the House this morning, the central figure of which was the member for Clutha, who, some weeks ago, gave notice of his intention to move that I fencing wire should be admitted duty free. > In this way he had, as it were, pegged off a claim and naturally bad no wish that it should be •• jumped ” by else. However, when the item was reached this was done in effect. The member for Clutha and Mr Steward rose simultaneously, and, notwithstanding Mr Mackenzie’s notice of motion, Mr Joyce, .acting Chairman of Committees, called on Mr Steward, who, in proposing the exemption of fencing’wire, remarked that he moved similarly with regard to cotton piece goods. When Mr Mackenzie’s turn to speak came he admitted that Mr Steward had opposed cotton goods inglobd, but had subsequently voted against his (Mr Mackenzie’s) motion to exempt forfars, prints, etc. He was further showing that Mr Steward was out in his estimate of what the concession on wire would amount to referring to an incident of the Tariff Commission, when the chairman said he was wandering from the subject, on which Mr Mackenzie observed that he was merely replying to remarks made by Mr Steward. Mr Joyce said he conld not allow that. Thereupon Mr Mackenzie charged the chairman with unfairness in permitting a Government supporter to wander from the subject while denying the same latitude to a member of the Opposition, even when it was necesary to tho statement of his case. Mr Joyce called upon Mr Mackenzie to withdraw this, but he refused, declaring that what he had said was perfectly true and that his side of the House received no justice whatever. At this cries of “Order, order,” and “chair,chair” resounded through the Chamber, the Chairman again called on Mr Mackenzie to withdraw, but he defiantly declined, and once more declared that what he had said about the Chairman was perfectly true. For a time the intensity of the position was extreme. The Treasurer was called on to move that the Chair should exercise its most awful authority, but even then Mr Mackenzie resolutely refused to take back his contumacious words. At last Captain Russell expressed a hope that even if Mr Mackenzie felt that he had been unjustly treated, he would conform to the rules of the Chair. This having been done by the member for Clutha the sultriest incident of the session came to a close..

Mr McNab is asking the Minister of Railways if he will at the earliest possible date construct sheep and cattle yards at Stoney Creek railway siding, and also make provision of a better class than at present exists for heavy goods traffic at the same siding. Wellington, Sept. 26. An extremely keen passage-at-arms took place to-day between the Premier and the leader of the Opposition. The Premier had read a report by the Commissioner of Police on what is known as the Woodville cattlestealing case, and concluded by defending'.the constable from the blame sought to be cast upon him in the matter. Captain Russell characterised the Departmental inquiry as perfunctory, and declared that the feeling in the district was that a grave miscarriage of justice had been allowed to take place, inasmuch as the offender, a settler named Gower, through being proceeded against by summons instead of warrant, was thereby enabled to escape. The Premier thereupon declared that he could give the country an eye opener in the case of a miscarriage of justice that had happened during Captain Russell's tenure of office. Whether intentionally or not this implied or suggested that Captain Russell personally had been officially a party to the miscarriage of justice in question, and that gentleman characterised the Premier’s insinuation as a sneaking method of making a charge, and challenged him to state his charge in direct terms. The Premier : You are too sensitive. Captain Russell: I have a sense of honour. The Premier : Your sense of honour is occasionally dull. Captain Russell : My' sense of honour is so different from the Premier's that I do not take his remarks as an insult, and I shall not ask the Speaker to call upon him to withdraw. All this was said with passionate intensity, the Speaker’s were white with feeling but both kept their heads. The language and turn of phrase used in the first instance by the Premier unquestionably justified Capt. Russell’s resentment, but he now inferred that he had not been referring to Capt. Russell personally but to his predecessor. The matter then dropped. The Pastoral Tenants Relief Bill is to remainin operation only till the end of the thirtieth day after the commencement of next session. Its object is to provide relief, for stockowners who have sustained serious losses through the unexampled severity of the past winter. Applications for relief must be made not later than the 14th of November to the Land Board, which is to hold an inquiry and to report, if necessary, to the Minister. Applicants must give full particulars of the losses on account of which they asked for relief, and also set forth their financial position. When relief is granted it must consist in the remission or refund of a year’s rent, the extension of the applicant’s lease and the remission or refund of the sheep rate. The bill contains provisions to prevent frivolous applications. To-night the Tariff Bill emerged from its long and perilous sojourn in committee and having been reported was advanced to its third reading. Before the motion was put Capt. Russell delivered a tellingly humourous and caustically critical speech on the anomalies of the tariff audits persistent protectionism. It had been said that there was safety in a multitude of councillors and they had now absolute proof that there was unmitigated muddle in a multitude of tariffs, for the residual products of those introduced on this occasion by the Government was a bill of shreds and patches,distinguished only by its patch-work character and the evil success with which it added to the cost of the necessaries of life.