PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12600, 14 September 1905, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

ALLEGED BREACHES OF PRIVJ

LEGE

(By Telegraph)

(From Our Special Parliamentary Reporter).

WELLINGTON, September 13. An if there were not enough business, the House got away on one of those absurd, breach of privilege discussions, which always waste a prodigious quantity of time, and effect an infinitesimal quantity of good. First came the case of divulgence in the Dunedin "Star " of tho proceedings in the Education Committee, and thereupon the "Lyttelton Times/ our respectable contemporary, was added as fuel to the fire—and at the merriest of the blaze it was discovered that the "Times" and the "Post," steady jog trotters, always on the most correct lines of the regular beat, had correctly reported the member for Bruco on Monday night as he told the 'meeting during his lecture on the education question the main lines of tho coming recommendations of the same committee.' This act of medieval barbarism was met by the moving of the previous question, which was the signal iov much banter about '"the gag." Eventually tho motion ot the previous auestion was defeated by the somewhat f arrow■ majority of six, and then the House divided on one part of the main question, viz., that the "New Zealand Times" and ''Lyttelton Times" had committed a breach of privilege. Beforo this the "Lyttelton Times." and "Star" had been adjudged guilty and summoned to appear for publishing documents of the committee.. The1 offenc3 of reporting the breach of privilege is, you will see, different. The 'Lyttelton Time;" and "New Zealand Times" were, as the result of the division, adjudged guilty. Fiuched with success, tho 'Premier moved the addition of the "Christchurch Press," and had tho words read of its breach of privilege in its report of Monday night's meeting. Mr. Taylor took the opportunity of complaining bitterly of the Premier as tho biggest waster of the public time in tho House. Mi. Baume lost no time in moving the previous question, and Mr. Harding seconded, declaring that the House was being made a Punch and Judy show

of This stung the Premier into explaining that he was only doing his duty an leader of the House in taking up the breach of privilege brought forward by the member for Bruce. There is, of course, no doubt, that in doing his duty he turned the tables on Bruce rather neatly. Bruce wriggled out by protesting that ho had drawn attention to. a grave matter, and was not responsible for the ridiculous sequel. Turning to Mr. Tayior ; the. Premier said that his waste of time of the past few weeks in re "hat voucher" had cost £500, and remarked with emphasis that it would pay the country to pay him £3000 a year to stay at jfimbuctoo ov'the Cook islands.

Another speaker or two spoke, Mr. Speakeiv vainly trying .to stop the discussion,''^i&fr^^ wholly irregular 1. Thejri tiio" 'previous question went to division and'avas oast forth by a majority 'TOf four, and the Press was duly iofce<3 thereupon like a* lamb to the slaughter. Serious business followed, with the new Rating Bill, and the House finished tho afternoon with the customary rain-bl-3 round tho question paper.