Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 80a

An "Exhausted" House

An "Exhausted" House.

They had been told, and almost with parrot-like reiteration, that the important business of the session had been kept back to the last, and that it was legislation by exhaustion. "Oh!" said Mr Seddon, "Ido smile when I read that. Did any of you, ladies and gentlemen, who were in the galleries and looked down at the fights going on towards the end of last session, see any signs of exhaustion? What is to exhaust these unfortunate legislators, I should like to know? There is a beautiful library; there are well-furnished rooms, settees, and so on; there is a place called Bellamy's—(laughter and applause)—there are tea-rooms—(renewed laughter)—in fact, they never have such a time during the whole year as they have then. A member touches a bell, and a messenger comes. 'what can I do for you? 'he asks. 'I want a book from the library—So-and-So, and So-and-So.' 'Thank you sir,' and away he goes. Or 'I want a cup of tea,' and away he goes. The increased length of the session, ladies and gentlemen, may be accounted for by the fact that members do not like to leave Wellington." (Laughter). If anyone would read the history of the bills introduced during last session, he would find that in debate after debate the members of the Opposition—aye, and some of the members on the Government side of the House—who complained of this exhaustion had said that these measures were so important that they needed further time to consider them, and had asked him to defer them until a later period in the session. He had thought they were sincere, and had deferred them. But those members had been trying to kill the Bills with kindness. They had hoped, by getting them held over until towards the end of the session, to block them, and thus prevent them from ever getting on the statute-book. If, under those circumstances, the Government had been able to pass legislation which the colony almost unitedly declared was for the good of the colony, even a few hours late did not matter. Those who stayed during the late hours were not the members who were complaining. They had in the House those whom he called "Midnight homers." (Laughter). They talked to the galleries in the afternoon and in the evening, and then when it came to about eleven o'clock or a little after, they were running all over the House to get pairs, so that they might go home, the result being that other members had to stay and do the work of the country. He was afraid that if it were not so, there would not be much work done.