IN THE HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7340, 21 July 1892, Page 2

IN THE HOUSE.

o [from our srnci&k correspondent.] WELLINGTON, July 20. The debate gets possession with a tightened grasp in the afternoon, all other j business being put out of the way ; but i before the debate begins the ironsand of I Taranaki makes its appearance in the shape of a telegram about pig-iron, which the Minister for Works reads. There is a, general flavour of camellia about the j House. The centre of the camellia is ■Mr E. M. Smith, who has brought down a host ot" specimens from that favoured place Taranaki. The rage of camellia goes right round the House, marking many button-holes with red and white. Mr Eugene O'Conor is digcovered in the undisturbed enjoyment of a large bunoh, handed over by the Taranaki gentleman. The reading of the telegram about the perfect success of the process of smelting brings the lattor gentleman to his feet, and being there he buds cut and the Houße applauds. After that MR HUTCHISON (Dunedin) begins to-day's instalment of the debate, keeping the House nearly an hour. Prosy and discontented nnd undecided he is, and suited to the half-light in the dull afternoon. Mr Duthie, who follows, invites old Mr Hutchison to go over, after his words, to the Opposition, and makes a hasty sort of speech, pegging away at the Government for an hour more. Between these two speakers there is not an incident or a lively word, and very few signs of encouraging apolauee, In the evening MB M'LEAN makes ft rather preachy speech on the Government Bide, driving home sundry points ifl Bundry directions, those chiefly of Messrs Fiuher, Duthio and G. Hutchison, the points finding bed in sundry inconsistencies which he holds up to scorn. ; Mr M'Lean is interrupted occasionally by the other side, and he is applauded now and then by his own, as he defends the Government from the attacks of the Opposition. CLUTHA MACKENZIE follows him with tho speech of the day, amusing, vigorous, characteristic and I thoroughly Clutha in every word. He i shouts in tremendous indignation, with j the gestures of a man with a flail. He j comes suddenly out of that mood j and goea along in the most rollicking j state of good humour, pulled up jat times by his own laughter. Tho whole House accompanico these excursions with hearty encouragement. He describes , how the Highlanders flocked to meet, the 'Minister for Lands in the far Clutha dis- : trict, he quotes thoir sayings, he recites I Scotch verse, ho tells a story about an old gentleman who came sorrowfully to the conclusion that all Ministers are "leers." The Hon John M'Kenzio laughs with the House and with Clutha, and for a time it is extremely pleasant. But this does not last the whole evening. Clutha gets back to the field of war, and hammers away till supper. After supper he is once more jolly, facetious, debonnaire ,. says that his friends have told him during the interval that he has been making a good speech. He finishes by quoting the lines which once appeared in the Lylteltan Times before a session, entitled, " Wanted, a policy." It is needless to say that he turns the lines against the Government,, and that he reads them extremely well. Both sides give him applause as he sits down. In the lobbies the comments are that tho speech was too long., (over two hours), that its best part had nothing to do with tho Financial Statement, and that it was disfigured by the unfounded charge that instruction had been given to the valuators to value high. SIR HOGG comes after him with a ej^eech which proceeds amidst the sarcastic comments o£' a small House. Prom the millennium MrHogg gets back to the freehold, and gives a harrowing picture of the state of things in the home of the freehold. At one o'clock he ends a laboured " high faluhn " speech, and the Houso adjourns.