Telegraphic News.

Temuka Leader, Issue 3768, 20 July 1901, Page 2

Telegraphic News.

Wellington, July 19. The customary decorum of the Legislative Council this afternoon narrowly escaped being seriously disturbed when the Young Persons Protection Bill was under discus sion. Mr Twomey said the police possessed power to arrest now, but used it discreetly. Mr Shrimski replied : “ They would run them in, the same as they ran you in/ Mr Twomey called attention to this, and the Minister moved that the words be taken down. Mr Shrimski was called upon to withdraw, and said he was only joking. He, however, refused to withdraw the words. Mr Twomey said he did not trouble about what had been said. In all probability Mr Shrimski was joking, but to accuse one member of the Council of being ‘ run in ’ by the police was not language which should be used in the Chamber. The honour and dignity of the Council was involved. The chairman of Committees again called on Mr Shrimski to withdraw, but be refused, and the chairman said he weald send for the Speaker. Several members condemned Mr ShrimskTs action, and urged him to withdraw the words, and after a good deal of pressure he did so. What Mr Shrimski practically said was that Mr Twomey had been run in by the police, and no doubt be was only joking, but when he refused to withdraw, after having been called upon to do so, he was defying the chair, and the matter became serious. He narrowly escaped punishment for it. Mr Flatman and Major Steward are exerting themselves to get money for a bridge across the river at Fairlie, so as to suit people at the upper end of Eaincliff. The bridge will cost £3OOO, and members want the Government to give £2OOO and let the two county councils find £SOO each. There was a lively and interesting debate on Wednesday night on Major Steward's Elective Executive Bill. The debate ran on until after 1.30 a.m., then a general desire for adjournment manifested itself amongst members, and the motion for adjournment, proposed by Mr T. McKenzie, was carried by a large majority. The supporters of the Bill were confident that in a division on the second reading they would make very close work of it, but this was a mistake, for there was a substantial majority against the Bill. The supporters of the measure were calculating upon a block vote from the Opposition, bat in this they would have been disappointed, as the majority of the Opposition are opposed to Major Steward’s measure. Mr Guinness’s Bill providing for compulsory drill in schools was considerably amended in committee. The Bill now provides merely that physical drill shall be compulsory for boys and girls, but not military drill. It was recently cabled that a son of Mr George Fisher, M.H.R., had been killed im action in South Africa. Mr Fisher has since received a letter from his son, which was posted two days later than the date when he was said to be killed. This giyes some slight reason for hope, but of course it is possible that the letter may have been posted by some one else than young Fisher himself. The result of the Christchurch election was a foregone conclusion. It was recognised on all sides that Mr Turnbull’s utterances on the education question killed whatever chance v he previously had. Mr Smith is an Independent Libersl, and his vote will more frequently decide with the Government than against it. and his election is a gain compared with his pre? decessor, Mr Lewis. Mr MoNab contracted a severe cold when he was down South, and to-day was granted leave of absence for a week, but he will probably be in his seat on Tuesday. The Opposition have long had a desire to introduce a system of voting by means of electoral rights, and Mr Pirani by a side wind endeavored to obtain a recognition of that principle by proposing an amendment in the Referendum Bill. However, the Liberal supporters are not to be caught with chaff of this kind, and Mr Pirani’s proposal was negatived by a large majority.

The Patea election is creating great interest in the House. The telegrams that keep coming in show a continual reversal of positions. First Mr Hislop, the Government candidate, is leading, then Mr Haseldean, the Opposition man, is ahead. The latest return gives Mr Hislop a lead of seven votes, but as other results have still to come in it is impossible to say who will win. It is a triangular dual in which two Liberals are fighting one Conservative. Had Mr Remington stood down the Government would have won the seat by hundreds of votes. Debating an amendment on the Lands for Settlement Act occupied the attention of the House all this afternoon. Petitions are coming in against the Shops and Offices Bill.