NEW SOUTH WALES PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 9966, 31 March 1894, Page 2

NEW SOUTH WALES PARLIAMENT.

Unfortunately, says the Press, it would B€em that perfectly decorous language may at times be ruled to be " unparlia-, mentary," while slangy, vulgar and offensive expressions are allowed to pass unchallenged. The reason is that the Speaker is not yet a censor of manners, but only interferes^when the character of Parliament or of any of its members is attacked. Thus it may even be •"unparliamentary" to speak the truth, and perfectly proper, according to parliamentary canons, to indulge in fulsome lying. The status of Parliament in these respects caunot be maintained by increasing the power of the Speaker; it" is for the people, -who elect the members, I to discriminate wisely and choose only men who will worthily uphold the dignity of Parliament. It is deplorable that the Assembly of the Mother Colony of Australasia should continuously have a few members who bring the Legislature into disrepute. The present leader of the Government, Sir Geerge Dibbs, is not famous for his use ot choice English. Here is a sample of his humour, emitted during tha recent debate on charges made against members of the Assembly: —Mr Hindle : " I believe in calling a spade a spade. When I have been in political life as long as the Premier I may learn to ■wrap up my opinions in nicely guarded language ." Sir George Dibb3: "I should call it a sanguinary shovel." After such a " lead" by the Premier it is not surprising to find that in the course of the same debate Mr Crick declared boastingly : " I have been ' tight' before and hope to be 'tight' many times again." Nor does it astonish, however much it may shock, to read that a Minister of the Crown then proceeded to inform the public how many glasses of wine he had swallowed that evening, and to express the opinion that newspaper criticisms upon parliamentary misconduct were written by journalists " too drunk to know whether they were dipping their pens into the whisky glass or the ink bottle." Such elegant phrases and delicate insinuations are worthy of the Parliament which recently '• white-washed " a Minister who humbly apologised, not for having addressed the House while drunk, but for having so far forgotten himself as to threaten to wring the neck of a sobur member who drew attention to his shameful condition.' The woman vote is very much wanted to purify the politics of New South Wales. |