OUR POLITICAL SPECIAL.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 3666, 21 October 1897, Page 2

OUR POLITICAL SPECIAL.

(From oub Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Yesterday. police administration. The Premier’s band has been so forced in regard to police administration tbat he has at length agreed to the appointment of a Royal Commission to enquire into matters and charges made. The Press of tho colony and so many of the Premier’s own immediate followers were pressing the matter home so assiduously that he coaid hardly do other than grant their request. After the question of privilege was settled in the Hoube this afternoon tbe Premier rose to make a Ministerial statement in reference to the Police, abont whom he said, there had been agitation in the country and ia the Honse amongst bon. members. Tbe Government, he continued, had taken up this position, tbat until after the arrival of the new Commissioner of Police no action should be taken by them, notwithstanding that pressure had been brought to biar by those who supported them in the country, and by members. Well, tbe Commissioner has arrived and the Minister for Dofenoo and he had conferred with him. Tbe fact that for some eight months past the Government had decided to appoint a new Commissioner proved that the Government wero not satisfied. He had no wish to cast refl lotion on the present Com missioner, Colonel Hume, who had oome ont here to look after our gaols, a work which he bandied well, but it would be agreed that a military mao was not the sort of man to take charge of tbe police They needed a man with special know ledge, and with the growth of the colony and popolation the Government deemed it necessary to piaoe in charge of the police a man who bad the necessary experience and that the whole force would look np to and respect. In Mr Tunbridge, be bad no hesitation in saying tbat they bad been fortunate in securing such a man Well, they bad plaosd the position before their new Inspector as far as they oonld. Mr G. Hutchison • “ What are yoa going to do ?” The Premier replied he was going to do what he thought was right and just and proper. The situation had been placed before the new Inspector, and they had decided to give him a free hand and to allow him to act iu any shape er form. Captain Russell : “ Will yon do tbe same with the Commander of the Forces ?” Mr Seddon : “ Well, the last one cost us £15,000 or £16,000 for a class of rifle which I was told last night was only good for old iron.” Coming back to the subject he said they had put it to the Commissioner as to whether there should be au inquiry, and the answer was that he thought that the matter had arrived at tbat stago when light should be let iu on the subject. Therefore they bad decided to have an enquiry. An hon member : “ What sort of an enquiry ?” The Premier : “ A Royal Commission.” Hon members : “ Hear, hear.” The Premier continued that they did not think an enquiry by a Parliamentary Committee necessary. The new Com missioner bad stated that he thought it would be his duty to take part in the Commission of Inquiry and he, Mr Sed don, would not have anyone who was a prohibitionist, or in the trade, or in poli tics on the Commission. He would have an experienced Stipendiary Magistrate. As soon as tbe Commission had settled down, in a week or two, they would go carefully into the constitution of the Commission and he would formally an nonnee the matter to the House. He was glad to find tbat this matter had resulted in the direction he wished himself. (Op position laughter.) Mr Taylor asked did the Premier pro pose to have the Commission of two persons only, the Commissioner and a Stipendiary Magistrate? Mr Seddon said that the acooustic properties in that part of the House must be very bad indeed. He had mentioned tho exp*rieoos of a Stipendiary Magistrate. Now the bon. member coaid Uko it in tbe singular or plaral just as be liked (general laughter). The constitution of the proposed Coro mission and the question of whether it is to hold a public inquiry are already being much canvassed.

Mr Hogg in his remarks on the privi lege question to day, said be was himself a journalist, bat there were men employed by such papers as the Otago Daily Times and Christchurch Press who w re not fit to be journalists, and he accused these paid writers of writing maliciously about the Government and Ministers in particular There wero arti -lee in the Times y written by these snakes in the grass, some of them written there in thai very House Mr Pirani, in referring to the privilege question, said a more deliberate and dis graceful attack on the honour of any member in the Honse had never been made in this country, and no member coaid sit down quietly under imputations

oiil'ie in t'.o ariiole which .ppoard A ew Zealand Times ‘

Mr Fr»«»r referring to the intori,-- I by the Mioi.tor for Limit, that I Freicr) hid poreooal aDimoiitv ...-I Mr McKeniii, refirrid to ■titemaot i f.w diyi back in rep,,j'" u I tha Buiby Park porobna, wbornnnonu 0 ] MoKonzia, who wai raiding tho piper oo the front Miniitarial t,,. 1 '! Main intariaotad. “Too tired ran, “M akin.” Well, .ir, they ar, ,N foes,” retorted Mr Fraser, with em!? sis on the “ are,” ■'“H The question of police admioi, tril ; Rare the Cabinet some anxious oooiid» tion to day and the ultimate deoi»io n - eaid to be Tory different from whit * announced by the Premier to the Hob? Indeed it was aaserted that the decUioJ*J appoint a Royal Commiasion wu OQ | I reaehod at the very lait moment. * Mr Tnrnbridge, the new Police (V missioner, baa lost no time in getting j D J harnea*. Though he only arrived i n Jj lonic yeaterday, he was in attendinoeili hia office to day. He ia of oommindh! presence and eeems a shrewd, praotioiUJ genial man. He will probably trip throngh the colony abortly. 1 (BY TELEGRAPH) Thii day It ia now pretty generally recogoikj that Mr Tom Taylor wai inatramentili! forcing the Premier's hand in regard (a the Police Royal Commission, and it j. known that the Cabinet, that very d»» arrived at a very different decision u what the Hon Mr Ssddon annoanoed. Tho Premier, on receipt of the from Mr Taylor, threatening to ioteroept Supply, with a view of setting up’s Hon] Commiasion, no doabt saw he would bi beaten and wriggled ont of the difficulty with the beat grace possible. ' Yesterday afternoon there was i wbat unpleasant incident in the Hoqh Quoting from the Standing Orden, g, Scobie Mackenzie stated what Captain Raasell had already said—that question should be taken before the orders uf thi day, and asked for the Speaker’s decision on the quettion. Tue Speaker said that custom outweighed the Standing Orderiii tbia respect, bat later on Mr Ssobii Mackenzie again raised the question ui point of privilege. Toe Speaker said hi ooald not hoar him farther, hut Ur Mackenzie persisted, and the Speakti said, “ Sit down, sir, I will bare to reaon to the powers conferred on mo if j 0 | persist in a question of privilege; f j| down, yon mast not interrupt mi,' Whereupon Mr Mackenzie sat dowi with ill boppressed emotion, and Mr Mor< rieoo was called upon to oommence hi debate on the Budget. There it much comment on tho Speaker’s action, and it ia alleged he wai wrong in Bappreaaingi member before he had an opportunity o{ really stating whet bis point of privilegi was. A very unexpected crisis was arrived it at midnight. The Premier moved tk adjiarnment of the fiaanoial debate till the noxt afternoon, thinking this a men matter of form. Many of the Goren> meat supporters went home, but CapUii Russell and Mr Rolleston objected to tin Standing Orders being set aside and private members’ business being indefi* nitely postponed. Had there been i division taken at this point the Opposition would hare carried the dey, bat the Government saw through the tactics of the Opposition and Whips, Ministers, and messengers were busy running bon and there, and while the miosiog sop porters wero being roused out of lh;it beds or being hunted for everywhere, thi Government started stonewalling By 2 30 am. most of the absent ones bid been found and brought to the Hom, and much amusement was caused by the ■leepy and dishevelled appearance of members who had been ruthlessly ton from their couches. The majority forth Government was not after all a very lup one, only eigl t in favor of adjourning thi debate till Thursday instead of Friday. Mr Ssddon was very nearly caught nap ping and looked terribly annoyed and il! at ease. He threw dignity to the windi and went bustling about in tha lobbiei giving directions to have the erring out bunted up. It was a near shave and bid tho Opposition gone quietly to a divisioi at the critical moment, when they van stronger than the Government, Mr Seddoi must bave been defeatod. The Government are making a remark ably poor show in delating the Fineocia Statement. Indeed it is apparent tbE they bave not one solitary man they cu pat up with any success to reply to tbi big guns of the Opposition. ThsdebtU promises to last some days yet. (PIB PBBSS ASSOCIATION.) (by telegraph) This dey After the telegraph office closed lu night tha debate on the Premier’s motioi that the debate on tbe Financial Stile ment be adjourned till 2 30 this afternoon and Mr Lethbridge’s amendment thati be adj turned till 7 30 on Friday was oo* tinued by Messrs Stevens, Symes, Field Hatcheson, Holland, £. G. Allen, mi Duncan. At 2 30 a division was taken on the ii jouroment till to-day. The motion fl agreed to by 37 to 29.