IN THE HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7203, 14 September 1901, Page 5

IN THE HOUSE.

[From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, Sept. 13. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. After dinner, the Premier made bis : longdelayed reply. It was different to any other speech, he has ever delivered—concentrated, rapid, vehement, and distinguished for great mastery of figures. He gave the candid friends a. bad time, upsetting their various financial statements completely, neatly, ands with remarkable clearness. Mr Allen's contention that there ■was no money in the public account was dispelled, and all the increases in. the Estimates were vigorously supported. THE ESTIMATES. The debate over, • the House went into Committee on.the Estimates, and went off on another general debate. As the first in, the (member for Bruce had the- House full-cry into whafe Mr Laurenson, at an earlier stage, termed " a bib of personalities." He charged the Premier with reckless disregard of life in the matter of the Contingents, and thers was a good deal of heat and uproar. Mr Brace's ownership of a coal-mine, adversely reported on by the Coal Commission, on which the Pi-emier had commented fiercely in his speech, was much bandied about. Points of order were frequent, and somebody was nearly reported to the Speaker. Eventually members wandered away, each to his special financial grievance, and the discussion on the first item proceeded on the usual lines, but it returned to the Contingents before long. .AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. The first all-night sitting of the session concluded this morning at half -past seven. The reason was that the Premier was determined to put an end 'to the second financial debate by passing ihe first item of the Eatimates, in spite of the time wasted in discussing the attack of the member for Bruce on the Premier. That discussion came en about 9.30, immediately aiter the Premier's reply, and lasted for five hours. Mr Allen astonished' the House by attacking .the Premier on the poinlb where he is strongest. It is well-known that his care- of the Contingents is the tenderesb ; therefore, to see him charged with something like constructive manslaughter, in the matter of the Tagus men, made one gasp. It made, the Premier do more, and *hings were very lively ior four hours. The Premier's protest was ecjual to the monstrous charge, and Mr Allen was obstinate, dark, immovable. At every moment the danger of serious complication was imminent* while the rank and file of both sides kept up a fierce exchange of amenities. At last better counsels prevailed, and Mr Allen, consented to withdraw all the objectionable words, but the matter had got so tangled that it took a full hour, an adjournment of ten minutes, and a conference between the principals and half-a-dozen others, to get it straight. Mr Allen did his climb down in a way that became him more than his rash attack. His •manly, gentle bearing, under difficulties •touched all who- saw the whole thing. It will be a lesson to a good man not to be betrayed by his feelings into a badi thing. To account for 'the white heat in hia attack "on the Premier, it must be said for him. that he was attacked in the Premier's reply as the owner of a certain mine, mentioned in a certain report, the tenor of which mention may be judged from Mr Allen's interjection about, the workmen — "At any rate, I have killed none of them."^ He had announced in 'his speech, earlier in the d-ebate, that he would make this attack when the Premier was preisent. The fact that his tongue ran away with Mm when he did so is probably due to this mine episode. That he held to an untenable position so long was due 'to the man. Mr Allen does not like turning back. The air clear, the Premier determined to put through the first item on the Estimates. The Opposition remonstrated, but he used the weapon restored to 4v:m yesterday by the abolition of early sittings, the only weapon a- Premier ever possessed for forcing necessary work, and, keeping the House at it, steadily prevailed. Members went away limp and depressed, but the financial debating is over. It <is said that there will be fierce fighting presently in consequence, but there are not enough members up yet- to make a sufficiently big body of opinion. There wa.s a talk yesterday of a compromise of procedure on the basis of midnight adjournments. It is too soon to discuss it.