SESSION AND SOCIETY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XVIII, 2 November 1895, Page 546

SESSION AND SOCIETY.

CHIT-CHAT FROM THE CAPITAL. IBV OUR PARLIAMENTARY FLANEUR.) MR PATRICK O’REGAN, the stalwart young member for Inangahua, is a bit of an orator. Oratory is a fine thing in its way, but little slips and pauses sometimes take off terribly from some of its finest effects. Your orator sometimes pauses to take breath in the wrong place, and then the results are occasionally peculiar and distracting. For instance, Mr O’Regan the other day stood up in his place in the House and in earnest tones informed hon. members that ‘ to-morrow I will ask the Premier the following question : —ls he aware that in Wellington young women make gentlemen’s shirts ?’ —he was going to add ‘ for a shilling apiece,’ but unfortunately halted to draw in breath after the word ‘shirts.’ Consequence, a ripple of laughter, which gradually swelled into peal upon peal interspersed with cries of * why shouldn’t they,’ and prevented the qualifying words being added for quite a minute. Mr O’Regan, though a politician, is youthful, so is not too hardened to blush. He did so on this occasion.

Parliament is dull and dreary in these, its dying days. We listeners are thankful for the smallest mercy in the way of humour, consequently the two hours’ discussion on Thursday on the Undesirable Immigrants’ Bill, and the chaff to which it gave rise, may be classed as almost a bright spot in our life. The Minister for Labour managed to chaff Mr ‘ Marsden ’ Thompson rather effectively. ‘Marsden’ was opposing the Undesirable Immigrants’ Bill with vigour, just as he opposes numberless other Bills ; for ‘ Marsden ’ may be defined as a Government supporter who passes most of his time in opposing Ministers. During a pause in his torrent of opposition, the Minister of Labour solemnly arose and appealed to the House as to whether a gentleman could be consistent in opposing the Immigrants Exclusion Bill who in former years had been author of a touching poem which he would now proceed to read. The metre might be uneven, but the sentiment was undeniable. For instance, take the following lines .—

’ United New Zealand, our dear home so tree. New Zealand for New Zealanders from sea to sea. Stand shoulder to shoulder, let this your watchword be. Our dear home, our free home New Zealand.’ Yet the gentleman who could express so beautiful an aspiration could still oppose the Undesirable Immigrants’ Bill. What would the House say when he—Mr Reeves —assured it that the words of the noble ode from which he quoted were by R. Thompson ? Needless to say that when the member for Marsden jumped up to explain that he was not the R. Thompson who was responsible for the poem, the disclaimer did not diminish the laughter of hon. members, who were laughing as loudly as did the spectators at the Parliamentary cricket match on Monday, when our representatives were so horribly beaten by the boys of St. Patrick’s College. We always seem to be just about a fortnight from the end of .the session. Having now broken the record, there seems no reason why the session should ever come to an end. No one wants it to go on, except, perhaps, the lodging-house keepers, and yet it does continue in spite of sittings from half-past eleven in the day till any hour the next morning. Mr Pirani made a new request the other day. He wants a room where private members can entertain their lady friends. Mr Seddon seemed to find the wish reasonable, and has promised that a ladies’ tea-room shall be at members’ disposal next session. In the old days ladies were allowed to dine at Bellamy’s on certain nights, and suggestions have often been made to revive this custom, but have always fallen through. Balls and dinners have been scanty enough all this session, and they have now actually ceased to be. Actually a benighted few are still bidding their friends to afternoon teas. It is a sign of a great want of originality that we should go on with this insipid form of entertainment. Its only merit is its cheapness. The Rev. Haskett Smith has caused a little revival of teagiving. Being a parson I suppose he must expect it, but from what one hears of the reverend gentleman, I should say that he would appreciate something a little brisker. His lectures have been crowded, and I daresay that when he goes to Australia on his way Home, he will, on being interviewed, remark that New Zealanders are an enterprising race of people and very intelligent. Our last lecturer, Mr Villiers, the war correspondent, not being well received here, chronicled in a Sydney newspaper his impression of how dissatisfied and dull the people of this country seemed. Possibly, he judged us by his audiences. A delicious petition was presented to Parliament the

other day. A Maori who killed his wife on the West Coast here, and was tried before a jury of his own race got the very inadequate sentence of ten years, owing to the fact that people of his tribe chiefly compose the jury The Maori friends of the defunct wife are, however determined not to let the matter drop. The foolish pakehas have seen fit to let this man off with ten years in goal. That is their affair. In their * petition,’ they calmly announce that if the convict Maori is allowed to return when his sentence is up * we, the Maori people will kill him.’ They give fair warning of their determination, and go on to state that they expect to be exempt from any punishment for polishing off the murderer when he shall appear among them. Such a simple act of justice must be allowed them free of penalty. They are kind enough to suggest a way out ot the difficulty, namely, for the Government to send him to another country or keep him in gaol for ever. It seems a simple plan, and a reasonable one when looked at from a Maori point of view. The cricket match between an eleven of Members and an eleven of St. Patrick’s College boys came off on Monday. The Parliamentary team went in, and despite the admitted skill of some hon. members in ‘stonewalling ’ and ‘ blocking, ’ was disposed of in their first innings for 24 runs. Thereupon the boys, much elated, went to the wickets, and finding the bowling comfortable, they spent a most enjoyable morning. When their score was 160 it struck a clever boy that if the Parliamentarians were allowed to go in and make another 24, the victory would be a one-innings affair. This was accordingly done. However, in their second attempt the hon. members made a much better show, though they could not avoid the sad result looked for so hopefully by their opponents. I believe they have been subjected to much chaff in the lobbies in consequence. It is suggested that a Ladies’ Gallery eleven should challenge them next week. The Chairman of Committees, who got up the match, and was looked upon as one of the strongest of the team, distinguished himself by making two round O’s, and missing a catch. (Another catch was dropped through a violent collision between two honourable and over-eager gentlemen.) Nor was the Minister of Education at all a heavy scorer. It was generally felt that he was a distinct disappointment. Those members who took part in the match have been recognisable all this week by their stiff movements and humble demeanour.