A SCENE IN THE HOUSE.

Western Star, Issue 376, 1 September 1880, Page 2

A SCENE IN THE HOUSE.

In Committee on the Estimates Inst Friday evening, Mr Pvke called the nttention of the Speaker to the fa<;t that the member for Hokitika (Mr Sedtlon), who was present in the House, had not recorded his vote en the motion that the item " £ISOO for Wellington Hospital," be struck out. On being wakened up and challenged, Mr Se klon said he voted against, Mr Pyke. The latter insisted that the vote had been irregularlv recorded, and, in defiance of repeated orders from tke chair to resume his neat, persisted in and protested against the manner in which the vote had been recorded. A scene of great confusion ensued, amidst whit.'hthe remarks of both the acting Chairman and Mr P.tko were wholly inuudible in

tbe gallery Mr Pvke was understood to say that lio insisted upon the Chairurm leaving the chair ami spotting what had transpired to the Speaker. Amidst the utmost possible confusion an 1 disorder the Cliai-man left the chair, and on the House resuming he reporte I to the Speaker that the hon. member for Dunstan had been guilty of disorderly conduct and insubor lination, inasmuch as he had refused to resume his seat in Committee after baring been repeatedly called upon to do so. The Speaker said he would take cognisance of the report, and called upon the member for Dunstan to afford the House an explanation and an apology. Mr Pyko, " who was indistinctly heard amidst the uproar and confusion that ensued, was .understood to offer some explanation or justification of his conduct, the Speaker interrupting him with " It has been reported to me by the Chairman of Committee that the hon. member for the Dunstan has been guilty of disorderly conduct, he being a member of this House, while the House was sitting, and I hare called upon him to make au explanation an 1 an apology for so doing. IMr Pvke again 'essavel to speak, and although ho appeared to speak.'.vehemently, his voieewas drowned amidst cries of " apologist." , . . Amidst the uproar and general confusion the Speaker said, " I bave a right to ask the hon. member for the Dunstan, Mr Y.neent P,ke if he is prepared to offer an apology fVr the cLd,,ot P of which he has been gu.lty of in Committee, and *hioli has been reported to me by the Chairman of Committee. * Mr Pvke: Then I say no. Tdo not apologise. I have got nothing to apologise for. Mr Speaker : Then, in that ease, the member having been duly challenged and having refused to apologise for Lis conduct m Committee, I direct that he will at once leave the Chamber. . .... . _ Mr Pyke then rose, and, in withdrawing ejaculated in a loud voice something which sounded like a note of defiance. After he had withdrawn, ,■ Mr Hall said that they must all regret and deplore the painful scene which had just been enaced. The conduct of the House had been outraged, and its authority set at defiance, lo him it was a matter for deep regret, and he had not the least doubt but that all present shared with him in that regret. They must, however, bear in mind that they had a duly to discharge both to themselves andl to the country, and that duty could not be discharge I un- £,* thev took cognisance of the, conduct which had iott no* been enacted. He would move that *hb House, having taken into consideration the insulting and cott duct manifested by the wembe; for Dunstan towards a Committee of the House and its Chairman, and the fact that when challenged bv Mr Speaker in pursuance of his authority, he refused to apologise, therefore this Hotue expresses its disapprobation and censures Mr Pvke for the same. . ~ In the course of the very animated discussion which ensued on the motion the attention of the Speaker was called to the Fact that. Mr Pyke had tnk«* up his position in the Reporters' Gallery. , TheSpe»W :Do I understand t.ut the hon. member for the Dnustan, who has jpis been ordered to leave the Chamber, is still Po T ts£aker: Sergeant at Arms yon will proceed to the Gallery of this Sous*, and !f vou find the hon. member for the Dunstan there you will direct lain t, leave by direction from the Speaker. ... In due course that functionary made hi* appearance in the Press Gallery, and, proceed-in-tc the extreme end of it, wh f r. Mr Pyke was seated, busily employed tracing hieroglyphics on a sheet of foolscap paper, tapped Mr Pvke sently on the shoulder, when the latter, lookin" up with some surprise and consider. ibl inTiignation, wanted to know what he meant by assaulting him while he was n the Seise of his duties The Sergeant having delivered the message e>v*n to him by the Speaker, Mr Pyke replied as follows: I not go. Keep your bauds off me sir, or 111 have you brought up -fore the Court for an assault. Stand out of this. I am reporting for a newspaper. I .in a reporter tor the Association. P Get out.-fthis or I'll have you up ■ for assaulting me. The Sergeant having withdrawn and reported to the Speaker the -tato of affairs in the Gdl-vv, he was directed by the Speaker to proceed to the Gallery, and if needs be have Mr Tyke removed by foiw. dlw Sergeant paid as-con I vi.it to tue Gdlery with, on Ibis m-jvtiou. bis dress coat buttoned to the throat, his wr.stb.mds turned up, and fire attendants at his heels. Tke aspect of affairs was so very alarming that the only other occupants of the Gall ry, two drowsylooking newspaper reporters, deemed it -prudent to talc* back seats. On being again challenged, Mr Pvke, who was still busily emp.oyed tracing what appeared to be a eeriocomie sketch of Mr Sp-aker in his robes, with an equally whimsical representation of a Cabinet Minister en deshabille, protested that this was an unwarranted interference with the liberties of the Press; that he was a newspaper reporter, on this occasion reporting for th* " Otago Daily Times." The Sergeant. Come away, Pyke, and don t make a d d fool of yourself. Mr Pyke: Take your hands off mo, sir j how dare you come here and interfere with me ? I'll have you punished with the utmost rigour of the law for assaulting me in the execution of my duty. At this juncture the Sergeant applied some slight force, when Mr l.'yke rose to his feet, and facing his antagonist, took a working survey of him from head to foot. When his eye lighted on the buttoned up coat and wristbands, he appeared to take in the situation at a glance, aud, without further resistance, followed the Sergeant and his attendants down aluirs. On again making his apperrance on the floor of the House, the Sorgeant reported that he had at last succeeded in ejecting Mr Pyke from the Gallery. An animated debate then eusued on the motion tabled by Mr Hall, which resulted in Mr Pyke being called in, when the Speaker again called upon him to. apologise for his conduct in Committee. Mr Pvke replied that he did not know what he had to apologise for. In calling the attention of the Chairman to the fact that Mr Seddon had not voted, he simply discharged a dutv lie owed to the House and the constituency by whom he had been sent there. If there was anyone to bo blamed it was not him ; it was the Chairman, who persistently called upon him to sit down when he was calling attention to the fact. v The Speaker: I fear you are still unwilling to apologise for your conduct. I have power, if you remain refractory, either to order you into the custody of the Sergsant-at-Arms, or else to impose a fine upon you to the extent of £»• .. i • * Mr Pyke: I decline to ipologise tor an offence of which I am perfectly innocent. Mr Speak*r : Then you will retire. Mr Pyke then left the Chamber. Mr Sheehan said he blamed the Government very much for what hat! taken place. Thev had kept members sitting there for close on twenty-four hours, and it was not to be wondered At that disorder and irregularity arose.

Mr Tolo said that Mr Pyke told him he did not mean any disrespect to the House, and all he intended to do was to assert what he considered to be his privilege. He thought they should be satisfied with that, and allow the subject to drop. He tabled u motion to the effect that the Home take no further notiee of the matter. Mr Hallsaiihehad listened with the utmost attention to what had been said by Mr Pyke, and he had not heard a single word that could be Gonstrued into an expression of regret or apology. He regretted the circumstances as much as any one oould do, but he had no alternative left but to insist upon the Tote of censure, Mr Seddota, after detailing the cii camstances under which he recorded his vote, said that when the hon. member for the DunStan was ordered to sit down, thore was a great noise in the House —members calling out "Chair," "Sit down," and making all manner of noises. It was quite possible the

member for the Dunstan did not hear the order given to him by the Chairman.

Mr Reeves said the member for the Dunstan was quite right not to apologise, and he was glal to see he wis determined to fight it out to the bitter en I. It wts not the member for the Dunstai w'j ■> was to' blarue, but the Chairman. He was the only man in the Eouse to be blam • 1 un ler* the circumstances. He had occasio'i.-d the whole "of the trouble.

The Speaker : I eaon>t allow you to censure the Chairman of Commit tees. You must confine yourself to the member for the Dunstan.

Mr Reeves : Then I hive nothing more to say.

Eventually it was a»reed that the motien should be allowed to'stand over, and that the debate should be resumed at 7.30 in the even ing.

The House rose at 8.30 on Saturday morning

When the House assembled in the evening Mr Montgomery move J that Mr Pyke be heard in explanation. Agreed to. Mr Pyke said he intended no disrespect either to the Committee or its Chairman. The explanation was accepted. The Premier's motion and Mr Tola's amendment were thon withdrawn.