POLITICAL NOTES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11029, 19 August 1903, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(From Our Parliamentary Special). • (By Telegraph). WELLINGTON, August 18. Another no-confidcncc motion, and over the liquor question. The business of the iiight began by upsetting all calculation^. The Bush Lands Bill- came up through the Lands Committee. Mr Speaker had sent it there, and on its return no alteration could ■be found in it. We fell back on the hope of seeing Mr Speaker on the gridiron, siggling nenr.a grid; af least we should have the Bill for giving Mr Brown a substitute on the Arbitration Court, but I nobody cared for Brown. At 7.30 the Financial Debate and Sir W. Russell, and a polished pleasant speech, which' will repose in Hansard for ages to conio without 'biting anything. | After him Mr Taylor, like a jack-in-the-box chasing a , sly-grog selling publican, I moved an amendment impugning the charncter of the Government in .various ways for interfering with the police in their attempts to prosecute the Newtown publicans. He made a slashing speech, and wound up by challenging' the Premier to take a straight out vote by dropping party • lines. Mr Scddon was wary, began to question lion, members opposite as to whpther they wero supporting Mr Tavlor. Hon. mem--bers were indignant. How did he dare to put them on the rack? The Premier invoked Standing Order 417, and the Speaker sustained hin, but said there was no obligation on anybody to answer. The 'Premier proceeded with questions. A poiut of order was raised, nnd tho «Speaker said that the Premier, not knowing who is leader of Ihc Opposition, had a right to a certain latitude. Mr Massev said he didn't support the amendment. No one else pave safisfjiftioij, and the Premier decided to take the amendment as No-con Science. Mr Aikeu seconded, on tho sanip lines as Mr Tavlor. with more Magisterial force. Then Mr McOowau made a vigorous defence of his Department, traversed Mr Taylor iv tho animated, earnest manner he assumes when ho puts his back into a tliinfiT. read n loltov from CommiwionoT ! Dimrio. and thon it passed" oii'to Sir W. j ItHSKoI). At supper the debate looked wicked, but 1 at 11.30 <he amendment collapsed by 43 i \o 2.3,- and the Financial Debfte had a narrow escape from collapse. Mr Seddon whs actually on his legs to reply when Mr Allen g^ot up. "This is indeed a dissmpoiutment,"' said the right, hon. gentleman, as he threw down his papers with a bane. > % Mr Aljen thereupon gave way to his friend Mr Herdman. , x -Mr E. M. Smith- chipped 'in, claiming Hiat he had ripeu before Mount Ida. ThY Speaker allowed it. and a see-saw ensued with much laughter, leaving E.M. in possession. "Sit down !" roared the Premier, and down went E.M. as if a piln-driver had fome down on that round, hard head of his. Mr Ilordman thereupon took the debate on after flic manner of a lawvor, who. protesting that he has never heard of the case, makes a cut-and-dried speeitHi." . It looks as if all the ' Opposition •*■»■«» ' ready. and as if tho Government side will sit still for anything between a week or a fortnight. THE- MAORI .KING. King Mahntu was brought before the House this afternoon, apparently on the principle that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Under cover of a* report on a Maori petition, objection was taken to the absence of • the honorable and royal gentleman from Wellington lat the present time. The Native Minister wondered, in reply, why he should not go home as other members do, especially when their especial Chamber is not sitting. As he was speaking, one thought of the enormous objection to Mfihuta's coming as a curious contrast to the not less enormous objection to his going, but presently it appeared that the desire to discuss, the whole question of the policy with regUrd to Mahuta was still supreme. Mr Herries gave vent to all the pent-up criticisms that have been straining at the mouth of tlie Opposition. The Native Minister deprecated, turned to the Southern members, praised their conuiHin sense, to >yhieh lip hnd in Maori

affairs been much indebted on many occasions,, oade them not to listen to these biased Northerners, and glided gently into a broad, historical stream, giving the House 'the history of the King- movement as he floated* majestically between tixc scoffing North and tlic listeniue!; Soxitlu Potatau or Tevherowhero had never fought as he had. Mahuta was chosen King by the universal Maori, not for rebellious motives, but to maintain order in the Maori territory. \ Tawhiao had a less intensive recognition ; and Mahuta, who succeeded Tawhiao, had come out of his isolation, and all was well — how well the Native Minister showed in a very exhaustive and flowery manner. The member for Napier chaffed -tho majestic speech just delivered, Hansardised the Native Minister dramatically: "I will reach from the speech of the seconder of the Address-in-Reply in 1881," and he road a fluent condemnation of the terms then . offered to Tawhiao, the father of Mahuta, and while the House laughed told' them that tlie name of the speaker was Carroll. He predicted dreadful things, and went so fur as to say the policy was damnable. Mr Taylor chaffed after his manner, which is devoid of lmmor. Sir W. Eussell gave a nice historical story, based on personal knowledge, going back as far as 1897, the year in whiclr he had seen the very first meeting of the uative tribes about the formation of the Lpnd League. The Premier followed^vindicatinsf his policy in strenuous torifes. He had done what everybody had tried to do, arid he was surprised that everybody clamoured against him. Amongst other things he convicted Sir W. Russell of being 65 years of age. He twitted his friend with having been a remarkably precocious youth in 1837, and Sir William interjected that he. was at the time 19. Add that to thp 46 years that have since, and Sir W'lliam is convicted of false pretences, for he certainly does not look 65. When the galleries had made the little calculation the eve of astonishment was levelled. at Sir William 1 from all sides. Tlie afternoon was absolutely wasted.