POLITICAL NOTES

SIR FRANCIS BELL CONGRATULATED. Congratulations wer# tendered the Hon. Sir Francis. Bell in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon on." the honour recently conferred upon him by His Majesty. The Hon. Capt. Baillie (Marlborough) warmly eulogised the Council's Leader upon the majiner in which he had carried out his duties, and , referred to the fact that Sir Francis Bell's father, an early colonist, had filled various important offices, including that of Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Hon. G. Jones (Otago) expressed the opinion that Sir Francis, ■who came from a family distinguished in the history of New .Zealand, had won his spurs. Although he was not on, the same political side as Sir Francis, he felt that they could aJI meet on a common platform to congratulate him on the distinction he had won. The Hon. 0. Samuel (TaranakiJ, as an. old member of the Bar, expressed the gratification, felt by the legal profession at the recognition by His Majesty of the services Sir Francis had , rendered. The Hon. C. H. Mill* (Blenheim) and the Hon. Dr. W. E. Collins (Wellington) also endorsed the sentimeaite expressed by the previous speakers, the latter remarking that he had known Sir Francis for thirty-five years, and he was the worthy son of a worthy father. Sir Francis Bell responded with a good deal of feeling. He said a great honour had been conferred, but it was the Leader, of ik& Council that had been honoured. It was a political accident that he happened to be Leader at the present time. The honour had not been sought by him, ,and it was largely due to the work of his fellow members that he had, beep singled out for iknighthood. He thanked them all for the congratulatory references they had made to himself. HON. JAS. ALLEN'S BEREAVEMENT. The deepest sympathy was expressed by various members of the House Of Representatives with the Hon. 1 James Allen (Minister of Defence), whose son, Lieutenant J. H. Allen, was killed in the recent fighting in the Dardanelles. In moving a resolution of sympathy with ths Minister^ Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the Opposition) said that- Lieutenant Allen, who was an officer of the Imperial Army, had died fighting for the Empira He was a young man who had achieved distinction in more ways than, one—a man of the highest scholastic qualifications, who had had a very high career at Oxford. In the strictest sense of the word, he was an Imperialist, and was one of those associated with a journal of very -wide circulation — The Round Table. He had died a noble death — tho most noble' death a- man could die. After Mr. G. W. Rnssefl had spoken in sympathetic strain, the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey) replied on behalf of .the Hon. Jamea Allen, who was absent from the Chamber at the timeMr. Massey said that the late Lieutenant Allen was a man of great promise and intellectual ability, and his parents naturally looked forward to the distinguished career before him. His career had been cut short, but (as his father had expressed it) he would sooner his son died while doing hie duty than to have shirked his duty, and remained at home in safety. The resolution was carried in silence. STANDING ORDERS. The Legislative Council yesterday afternoon appointed the following Councillors as a Standing Orders Committee : — Hons. W. H. D. Baillie, J. Barr, W. C. F. Carncross, J. Duthie, C. A. C. Hardy, G. Jones, A. T. Maginnity, Sir Francis Bell, and Sir C. C. Bowen. It was resolved that the committee be instructed to consider and report at next sitting any proposed alterations to the Standing Orders as far as the Speaker and the Chairman of Committees were concerned. Sir Francis Bell, Leader of the Council, explained that the committee would meet the following morning to report to a special sitting of the Council on Monday. This would be necessary aa under the present Standing Orders written nominations had to be made three days in advance. FILLING VACANT SEATS. \ A' Governor's Message in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon conveyed intimation that the 6eats rendered vacant by the retirement of the Hon. C. Louisson and the death of the Hon. E. C. J. Stevens would be filled by the Hon. Sir Walter Buchanan and Hon. J. A. Millar, who had been summoned to the Upper House. , CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES. The Hon. ~W. F k Carncross (Taranaki) is to continue to act as Chairman of Committees until- the Legislative Council gives further direction with reference to that office. ■ DEFENCE COUNCIL. The constitution of the Secret Committee which the Minister for Defence yesterday moved be set up to deal with defence matters with power to call for persons, papers, etc., is to be aa follows : — The Prime Minister, the Hon. .James Allen, the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, the Hon. A. L. Herdman, Sir Joseph Ward, Messrs. D. H. Guthrie, A. H. Hindmarsh, E. P. Lee, R. M'Nab, A. M. Myers, and G. W. Russell. This committee is representative of the three sections of the House, and is to all | intents and purposes a Council of De- j fence. The Premier, speaking in the House later upon a contingent matter, 'j I said that some of the war measures that were to be brought down would first be submitted to the Defence Committee. NEWSPAPERS FOR TROOPERS. Mr. J. H. Escott has given notice to Ask tho Postmaster-General if newspapers for troops at the front can be despatched free, or sent as cargo.