AUSTRALIAN.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 13 February 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

[Per Bingarooma.] A WILD SCENE IN THE VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT. , VICTOBIA. The Opposition party consider it useless to further criticise the debatps or acts of the Government, and eon«equently no obstacle will be place 1 in the way of the prorogation and an almost immediate dissolution. An angry spirit prevails in the House, hut the leaders will probably restrain their supporters from the initia* tion of useless discussion. Both sides are actively organising, and the elections in almost every eonstitijpncy will be keenly eontestpd. Tlie Constitutionalists appenr more sanguine tban the Government party. During the discu«sion on the etnbass* vote on January 22nd, the AttorneyGeneral called attention to the presence of strangers in the H use.' The Oppcni* tion resented the exclusion of the press, and Mr M'lntyre, member for Sandhurst, interjected in reply to Mr Fereuson, member for South Bourke, who has recently dyed vis beard and whiskers. "We will give you a wig, old man, to match your whiskers." The taunt infuriated Ferguson, who strode to the fable and endeavored to wrench off the wooden stand from the mace, but failing in this, he seized a volume of Hansard with both hinds anj struck a blow edgeways at M'lntyre, jr do se'zed his wrists and caused the blow to fall upon Mr Bent wln> had rushed forward to prevent the en» counter. M'lntyre overpowered Fergusson, who was seized by seyeral members, but he struggled desperately, crying out, " let me at Litn," but he was held until he was quieted. The Chairman of Com* mittees reported to the Speaker the gross disorder, and the Speaker intimated that he should insist upon exemplary pun ; sh« ment if he was officially informed of the details of the disturbance. M'lntyre pleaded for the lenient treatment of Ferguson, and the House agreed that the matter should be settled and not be re» ported to the Speaker, whereupon Ferguson apologised; The outrage is keenly felt by both sides of the House, and the lenient treatment is resented by many.