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Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 9

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DAY OF SMALL THINGS. DISSOLUTION gewekally MENTIONED. (Ey Telegrapb.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON", Friday. The stonewail over the second ballot repeal dragged aion? Li-day in a complexly c(i:..iiirless fasiiion. Member?, kept their ffi-t. if tiiey could not ahvays keep to the -iiLi.:,.u order?, the talk on amendments «-.i- ir-vlv int-Tlarded with poic:s ■!■ oni. i .;-..! motion* to report prog-re.--, a whole day passins without disposing r.f ,i single line of clause 2 of the ].(■:,-'it;ire Amendment Bii!. which was ::r...r consideration in comruittee when t , '" -tor.cw-ill commenced last Friday. That the Chairman leave the Chair." wn.- a motion moved a; 3.30 p.m. Ist Mr. !'..-■■,. Forbe-. who pointed out that only tvii words of the hill had been adopted. Possibly a conference of the lpadpr- would bring calmer counsels to bear ar.il secure a compromise. Similar .--peerhes by other Oppositionists were interrupted by a point of order from the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, who said on motion of the sort having been dispose.! of, surely the use of the same arguments again amounted to "tedious repetition?" The Chairman asked for time to consider what he regarded as a fine point. THE REAL ISSUE. The Hon. D. Buddo late in the aftercoon swnr.~ the minds of tired legislators back to consideration of the cause of all the trouble. He accused the Government of placing in abeyance important national questions affecting the Dominion, such as naval defence, so as to make paramount a scheme for preventing minorities grouping (heir votes against the Government. The Chairman (Mr. Malcolm): That, is not relevant to the question "'That I do -lea-re the Chair." DISSOLUTION CHANCE?. Mr. Corrin discussed the chances of a. -dissolution. He -was inclined to believe the Government -wanted to dissolve ParßaineiiiHanar: They can't ge.t a dissolution. Mr- Colvin: Men as wise, as yourself say -they can. In any case. Mr. Colvin said, he -wanted to hurry away to hunt np meat and flour for his constituents, who- are short of -these commodities. A QUESTION" OF DEPT.TTES. At 4 pjn- Mr. W. H. D. Bell relieved Mr- Malcolm in the Chair. Mr. Russell immediately asked by ■what right Mr. Bell took the Chair. Mr. Bell said he took the Chair at the request of the Chairman of Committees. Mr. Russell contended that the procedure -was to elect a Deputy Chairman at the commencement of each session, and that had not, been done. Mr. Bell had no right to he there. Mr. Bell said the Standing Orders provided that during a prolonged sitttmj the Chairman might withdraw, and be replaced by another member -without the qtrestion beins put. He rnled that he wr-.~ properly in the Chair, and advised '!■■'■ member for Avon to take the ruli:;:« of the Speaker if he was not satisfied. Mr. Russell, therefore, moved to take the ruling of the Speaker ns to the right of Mr. W. TI. D. Roll (th« member for Welling:on suburbsi to occupy the Ch-air. he not having been appointed in accordance with Standing Order '201. as one of three temporary Chairmen. This ■was agreed to on the voices. The Speaker. niter hearing Mr Beli and Mr Russell, ruled that the Chairman of Committee:- was right in the position lie took up. A H-IT FROM f;RF.Y LYNN. The House went into committee. Mr W. D. S. MacDormJd I Bay of Plenty) continuing t i , " dohnl." , on the motion to report progress. He blamed t !, e Prime Minister for holding up the House because be i.i-.v fit to try and pass a nipa.-n-- that, was of no moment and no importance to any section of the community. In regard to his promise made earlier in the day lo give a ruling on the j question of repetition of argument, Mr Malcolm said lie could not allow too frequent ropetitims. lv.it he would remember tha! they were upon separate motion--. ! Mr ■:. Payne lOrev Lynn i said if th» | Ch3irm.i:i wv.iid not l-n.,- ilie .-hair they could nr-l. pas- r,n h., r -M Supply Bill, j and the Civil :-:-'.in*s would not get, their riv: l=ul tint •'-oiilrl not matter, I becau.-f tie Civil servant> lind bppn act-1 mr af. sn-riiil conhie-, a:-.(] would In' ] paid f..r'-.!.nt. !f" hope! the Chairman | won't! r.m ler.vc the chair for two year?. i GOOD INTENTIONS. i Mr ( 1. \V. Kusspll carried on the debate ! after tl.c dinner adjournment. I >;r .i. C. Thomson urged th" dignity of | Parliament a.- a. reason why progress j should he reported. ■ "i did ii with the hep! intentions in! the. world." protested the member for WVliin:;', Sou".;, I Mr A. Hi:idmar-bl, vr'cn ■■eb-.1.-d mr referring in piitliefic Birain to <"-, ■ ,li-.ger b. .-••tliritr !'■■■•■ r , ha ! reanV liralth. ' will do it a.iniji."' j Mr llii.dmarpli. rju'-iki'ij; within tho liniite.-; ■■■■.«■ "\ .:r!!i!'i-t>!ii* -n.-•. leriioiis. tra>'.s£T-r.=>.-.i thr."— rini». iva* warned, and. ii njrain. v- o'-.icrrd to, Tt'.<- i M.-iiii:.m at this flag- read out j ten ar-ii:i"-m~ v:!ii.'li. through us", were ; nfiv d' ■; rr ,i !r"!"i I'cinjr further ail-i van •■<■■] : \voor;i:\ 'inns with on voicks, I Mr T. I'nrnl.i (Southern .Maori) I urged. ;.:• .\ luitliM reason, th.it the OoWTr.mei-: me-nher- were not assisting the OppiiHti.-..i in disci:.-:-ing tins matter. "They sit there" he said, "ilk, wooden gods without voice.*." ' The question. "That the Chairman leave the chair," was pur at 5.0.3 p.m.. and was ili'iPutpil on a division by "3 | votes to 24. j RILED OCT. : The qiir.-tion was tin-!! ;.ia on err ,-,f the acicii.'.m-i.t- t.i ■■:> ■:■ :;:•■ lit!.-' i.i the Act _TK- J :■--■:-■, '■•'•• ;■ : ' ■"•- t.-i •■ ■.! "'•■ ' ' r-trtVrn-Tier'.----ment. r> « .-■ ■ i.i -• ■ !•-''■■• •'"• -ii , !!.- , ill the third word ir, ' '■<" 'iauv. "may."" -.vi;':i the olijoci .-f sto-i iluting "shnll." 11 ; complained thnt the term 'may" was, meek, and should not be employed. ' The- rtonpwn.ll watch on deck were jitst I Bettlinp down to advance a bunch of j more or je.-.s ingenious reasons why "may" should give place to the man-

j datory "shall." when Mr Malcolm announced the hrrf r n spi(? of the supper j adjournment. A WIN FOR "MAY." At half-past eleven the Chairman (who had been considering the point) consulted with one of hie deputies (Mr. Bel!) as to the acivieability of the amendment to replace '■may" by "tshall." j Both being agreed. Mr. Bell, upon relieving Mr. Malcolm in the chair, ruled that the amendment was out of order. -Mr. .1. C. Thomson questioned the nilI ins. and on his mcitinn the mutter was 1 referred to Mr. Speaker. A good deal of i argument was krminen: on the rc;pec- , tive ruMlitif* of ""may" and "Viiall." but ■ , Mr. .-•■r'cakcT nippe I it in the bud by ; | declaring ;l:e annn.iTttent to be a frivoli 'oils 'one. and not c.lnul-ated to make any i I difference t-rt the meaning of the- short . 'title ci the bill. ; I "I consider the Chairman was ■perfectly , i right in his r'!<vieion. and 1 also wish to ! |eay that, while .-very -posslble latitude ' --'loud be allowed in debate, it is the : duty of the Chairman to see that the I business at the country is carried out 'in a proper ra.inncr. , ' added the Speaker. i SUPERFLUITY. ! Mr. Forbes then moved to insert after [ I the word "may" the wonis "for all pur- | j pesos," in order To bring the Act into I line with the Acts of other countries. Mr. Beil declined to accept thie (Une-ndTOent on the ground of superfluity. I The Opposition promptly disagreed I with the ruling, and demanded a division lon the question whether Mr. Speaker J should be brought down for his opinion. I The committee decided in leave him alone, however, by .'!4 to 10. BRIEF RETURN TO SHORT TITLE. I At midnight -a return was made to the I debase on the short title clause, -which ! had ■practically been out of action for ■two days while the committee had been I discu.-sing amendments, points of order, I and the advisa-blenpss or otherwise of ■ the Chairman leaving the chair or re- | porting progress. The return was brief, however, fur twenty miniutco later ■Mr. Russell moved the deletion of the word '■legislature" from th-e title of the bill, with the vip.w. he la.rge.ly explained, of snbsTitiitrnj; ''other •words." FIEST PAST THE POST." Mr. Poland, in the course of discussing the amendment- ventured the opinion that some, .people no-t gifted with a mind for niceties of expression might, think tb'ai an excellent sutwtitute for the pree°n.t. Title -of the bill would be "First Past the Past, Dill." He himself didn't like the term any more than lie liked the Tepeal of the second ballot, without a reasrraablp eubs.ntiite. The member for OhinemuTi very adroitly introduced sundry observations on various elect-oral methods, with fntritive commerrte on the referendum and ihe "recall" system in vogue in certain of .the States in the American Republic. -He had contrived to fill in most of his ten minutes' turn in skirmishing round the second ballot clause before the. Chairman ruled him out. • OTHER WORD" GUESSES. Mr. 'W-ncy used his imagi-natioii us to the "ct'heT words" which could be substituted for "legislature." Some of his suggestions -were the "Keciping Office At I Any Cost Act" uid "The Broken Promise Act." At 1 •a.m. the member for Ricoarton was still exercising his ingenuity in suggesting substitute .titles.