POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3433, 30 June 1894, Page 9

POLITICAL NOTES.

(by telegraph, -special correspondent). Ankllingtcw, LastNißht A MISSING ORDER PAPER. When the House met this afternoon the order paper had not arrived and numerous enquiries were made for the corrected copies. After the preliminary business had been disposed of Mr Reeves, in the Premier's absenco, said that the Government did not propose to answer any questions to-day. Ministers had. he said, been

detained in Cabinet on impjrtant business till 2 o'clock, and they had therefore been

unable to prepare replies to the questions of hon, members. The House at this time

had bean sitting for a quarter of an hour (2.45 p.m.) and the order papers were still wanting. Mr McKenzie, member for Duller, who is a Btrontr Government supporter, rose after the Minister and moved, "That the House should adjourn till

the order papers arrived." He said Ministers would presently force their Bills down the throats of membew whether they liked them or not. He, for one, objected to the House proceeding with any business till they knew what they were doing. Mr Reeves apologised for the absence of the Order Paper, and said the reason was, a 9 he bad stated before, that

Ministers had been so busy in Cabinet all the morning that they had been unable to attend to the preparation of the Order Paper. Several members took part in the discussion, and the Government were handled pretty severely for not haviner

their business in a more forward state. Mr C. R. Mills, the Government whip, came to the rescue of the Ministers, and said'they-'were only human like other honourable members, and he knew for a (act that they were so busy yesterday that they had no dinner on that day. He thought the House might for once excuse them for not having the Order Paper ready. Dr. Newman said members were all well aware that when the Premier sat on a select committee of the House an orderly came to the committee-room with the Order Paper a? early as 11 a.m., and the Premier ; signed the paper as being ready for the printer.. (Mr Reeve?: •'He can't sign till he consults the' Cabinet.") Dr. Newman responded, amicbt laughter, " Oh, the hon, member in referring to former Premiers who used to consult their colleagues, not to the present Premier who never does consult them."'Captv Russell regretted that Mr McKenzie had moved the adjournment of the House. He thought they nhould rather put the Government in a corner, proceeding with the work when there was nothing before them. The Government whip had told them that Ministers were only human, but he (Gapt. Russell) did not agree with him, inasmuch as the Government brought down their Bills on the shortest notice and forced them down their throats frequently in the' early hours of the morning. After some further discussion; Mr McKenzie withdrew his motion for the adjournment of f the House, but said he hoped the 'Government would in future conduct their business in a methodical and systematic manner.: -The matter then dropped, the Order Paper having arrived in the meantime, just half-au-hour after the'.Home met. ,': >. \ ■).'' ; ! THE ELECTORAL ROLL.

Major Steward yesterday referred;to the who 1 had voted at the General Election had been wrongly struck 1 off the' rolls, 'and he asked that the' Government would take "steps,for

the amendment of the Electoral. Act so as

to provide* for amore satisfactory method ,' of marking off, therolls, and.also that pro- ; vision would be ,; made for a compulsory restoration of the na.iies illepfally l struck off, He understood one registrar's explanation of the names being wrongly struck off was • that in" marking the /ria'iries l ;of .those;who voted the mark tvas in some cases put beween two names and as it would not afterwards be ascertained. which of .these two had voteT both were struck off. This ca ised S'ime laughter for the hony members. The Premier -said that' the Statutes Revision Committoe to whom Hie Bill had been

referred would noidoubt rectify the matter complained, of by the member for Waimate. SHIPPING AND SEAMENS' BILL.

Mr Bell, the member for Wellington,

spoke strongly this ; afternoon against the Shippin&and'Seamens'Bill brought down by Mr Reeves. He > stated emphatically that the Bill; was,brought in., to injure the Union S.S. Company and; provide that in case »f a strike that company should get the worst of it. , Mr Reeves denied that this was'the object of the Bill' 'Mr J. A, Millar, the member for Port Chalmers, also asserted that Mr Bell's opinion of the Bill was incorreet. He declared he had no feelin? whatever against the Union Company. The Bill is the same as that of last,session and it was read a second time sn the voices.