PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2779, 20 August 1883, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

(Fbou otjb own Correspondent.)

Wellington, Aug. 17,

As it happened to bo m Committee, and therefore not recorded m tho pages of Mansard, the gonaral publio will bear nothing of tlio merry evening spont m tho Home on Wednesday laeb over the vote of £6000 for Public Libraries. At first it was thought that the discussion would be a short one and that the matter would soon be settled ; member, however, succeeded member with various proposal?, some for omitting largo towns from the benefits of the distribution and others for reducing the vote, ond very soon it became a tcone of iinmemo jocularity, Mr Shrimski defending bis town of Oamaru as being tho TBOst highly educated and intellectual place m the colony, probably, I suppoae, because its inhabitants had been wise enough to roturn him to Parliament. Then Mr Fish and Mr Dick clothed Dunedin m rhetorical glory somewhat at the expense of Wellington, which brought Mt Hutchison to his feet, when he made a long speech to his constituents generally, and particularly to that port : on of them m the gallery ju«t over his head. Mr Seddon and Mr Moes thon dofended their particular localities and throw stray arrows of sarcasm at the Colonial Secretary on tho question of novel-reading, and it seemed as if every individual member was going to riao and paint m glowing colon the intellectual superiority of bis constituency, until one wondered that so many seals of such immense learning wanted any books at all. All this time too many members were m a hurry to get away to a ball at Government

House, and the clawhammer coat and clean biled rag clothed many a legislative form, not the, least wonderful of which wero two of our colored brethren m their war | ant, (European, not native). If (he Bouse is going on like thia, it is impossible to my when the session will close. It ie no doubt very gcod fun. Government ennnot check a good-humored Houcc, with some of the Estimates not yet through j but at the same time it is very expensive fun to the country. In spite, of Pir George Grey's statement to the contrary, laft night was WBitod over Bir George Grey'a land tax resolutions. Sir George did not movo I hem himself, but for some reason of his own choeo tn absent himself from the Honso and delegated Mr Smith, of Waipawn, to undertake the task for him. Sir George, however, soon returned and " waded m." You have probably had the dettilt of tho speech through the Press Association, but if you have not it does not matter tnueh, as by turning up Hansard and looking at one of this gentleman's speeches on the same question, you will find the. same speech. Ho has made it at least twice before this session, and its epigrams and other flowers of speech are slolo and only provoke piiy m the hearts of his would-be supporters and derisivo cheers from his opponents. Sir George complained that anything tending to the discredit of Government supporters was suppressed, but that every opportunity was taken nf maligning him and his party, instancing tho suppression of a petition impugning the character of tho Native Minister, and the printing of a petition m Hansard, which animadvorted upon a "young friend of his, whoso abilites would m due time bo recognised" (Mr DeLautour) and his Native L»nd Company. SirQoorpewas now getting warm, and next attacked tho Member for Wailemata (Mr Hurst) who was lolling back m his Beat right m front of him and laughing m his face, which was porfectly true of almost everyone m the House. Mr Pearson next came m for a shot, he being accused of making a buffoon of himself, but Sir George had to withdraw the objectionable word. The Government members were characterised as having some of the " worst visageg that he ever saw." (Laughter.) Again " some of the lower orders having risen to wealth considered themselves tho upper orders." This was a cruel shot and rather told I fancy m more places than onr. The irascible old gentleman then went on to speak of the sufferings of unborn millions, etc., and the debate soon

closed. Scenes like this, though enlertuining, aro not such as should take pace m the House, and Sir Grey ou"ht to know by this time that his conduct dnes not improve his position. Having got rid of this Land Tax resolution, tho liou.e went into Committee of Supply, and did sorno real work.

1 forgot to mention that on the House assembling at 2.30 yesterday, a discussion arose on the request of the Committee on tho Roads and Bridges Construction Act for extension of time for ten days, which lasted two hours. This was a bit of retaliation on the part of tbo Opposition for the action of tho Government on the day before ia relation to the vote for Publio Libraries.

Nothing is as yot settled about what Bills will be proceeded with and which will be dropped, but if the Estimates are finished this ovening, it is probablo that something definite will bo announced.