Parliamentary Notes.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3036, 27 July 1893, Page 2

Parliamentary Notes.

(FBOM OUR OWX CORRESPONDENT.)

Wbllinoton, July 26. Just before the House rose for the dinner adjournment 'hte afternoon, a repetition was threatened of" thp incident of 1891, which culminated in Mr Bry/?e'# expulsion from Parliament. The trouble arose in this way. In speaking in defence of the Labor Bureau the Hon. W. P. Beeves referred to a letter containing some statement with respect to the member for CJntha, which the latter characterised as uatroo, T/ha Minister for Labor appealed to the Speaker &* to whether this was a Parliamentary txEre&sion, upon which Mr T. Mckenzie aatedly observed, "If you,»restrain yourself, and behave with more .decency." —The Premier immediately rose, and moved that these words be taken down by the clerk. It was precisely half past five, and irir John Hall, having called attention to the clock, Mr Speaker Steward saft chaf he could not vacate the chair while such an imppjftanf; matter was pending. Mr Bollesto^ urged tfoe member for Clutha to withdrawn his remarks, but on being appealed to by Mr Speaker he declined. Things were beginning to wear an uglj aspect when Major Steward felt called on to ask Mr Mckenzie whether he wished to make any statement before being requested to withdraw from the Chamber. The member r for Olutha then explained that the Hon. Mr Beeves had been quoting from a letter which stated that he had requested that five men should be employed by the \ Labor Department. His interjection I that this was untrue was not intended to mean that the Minister was stating an untruth, but* had reference to the assertion in the letter. Some interrupti m had occurred at this point, and as he considered that Mr Reeves was stonewalling in order to prevent him from replying to the question under consideration he had been impelled to use the words •' Jf you restrain yourself, and behave with moro decency, I »hntt tejl you all about it." He nosr regretted having used those words to the Minister for Labor, and he begged to withdrawn them. Tho House thereupon immediately rose for the dinner adjournment, a feeljng of relief being apparent that the pro? mised oonflict with tht ohair had been averted.