POLITICAL TURMOIL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 December 1926, Page 7

POLITICAL TURMOIL.

STORMY SCENES IN N.S.W. LANG'S NEWSPAPER TAX. MINISTRY MAY BE QUASHED. (By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright.) SYDNEY, December 23. The debate in the Assembly on the Budget proposal to tax newspapers was at times extremely bitter and was characterised by lively scenes. One Opposition member was removed by a sergeant-at-arms for the use of an un-Parliamen-tary expression. Member after member of the Opposition denounced the bill in unmeasured terms. "Disgraceful," "damnable," "iniquitous," "extraordinary" and "retrograde" were a few of the expressions used. Mr. P. F. Loughlin, a former Minister of the Government, added his voice to the denunciation of the measure. He declared that his attitude was the same as when he left the Government, and he would continue to maintain that attitude. The Government had intended to close the debate at noon, but for some reason allowed it to continue. Mr. E. L. Saunders (Opposition) expecting to find the Government napping, moved the previous question, but this was negatived by 44 votes to 41, and the debate was resumed.

Mr. F. A. Chaffey (Opposition) moved an amendment providing for exemption from the tax for the first 10,000 copies of any publication. Other members of the Opposition claimed that the bill was aimed at the metropolitan papers, which opposed the Government. After further discussion, in which Mr. W. Scott Fell (Opposition) prophesied that the bill would sound the death knell of the Labour party, Mr. Chaffey's amendment was negatived by 45 votes to 41. Mr. Scully (Government) moved an amendment providing for the substitution of 15,000 copies as the exemption limit in place of 10,000 in the original motion. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. T. R. Bavin, protested, but did not press for a division and the amendment was carried on the voices. Mr. M. A. Davidson (Government) moved the exemption from the tax of all newspapers the price of which was threepence or over. The Opposition entered a strong protest, declaring that the Government's action was scandalous and contemptible. Mr. J. D. G. Arkins (Opposition), for using a strong expletive, was removed from the Chamber by the sergeant-at-arms. Mr. Davidson's motion was carried by 45 votes to 40, and the bill as amended was rushed through the remaining stages. Mr. Lang informed the House that he did not intend to succumb to the importunities of the Press yet awhile, or to oblige his political friends opposite by relieving them of his very necessary presence here by paying a visit to London. UPPER HOUSE ACTION. WAY TO DISMISS MINISTRY. SYDNEY, December 23. The Redistribution of Seats Bill aimed at giving country districts greater representation and providing for single-seat electorates was introduced in the Legislative Council to-day. A bombshell against the Government was launched by Sir Joseph Carruthers, who, by 41 votes to 36, obtained leave to submit a motion recording the Council's protest against the holding of the present sessions of Parliament on the ground that it was unconstitutional and involved a breach of faith on the part of the Government. Should this motion be carried, as is anticipated, it will then be forwarded to the Governor and will enable him, if he desires, to exercise his powers and dismiss the Ministry for having given him wrong advice. ADDRESS TO GOVERNOR. (Received 12 noon.) I SYDNEY, this day. Sir Joseph Carruthers' motion, which will be presented by address to the Governor, states: "The House submits that the course taken by the Ministers is a breach of the understanding given by the Premier, and further submits that the summoning of Parliament before the expiration of the period it prorogues is not only a breach of the Premier's undertaking, but also contrary to the law, and constitutes a grave menace to the working of our system of Parliamentary government." GOVERNMENT DEFEATED. (Received 1.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, this day. Sir Joseph Carruthers moving his motion quoted Acts of Parliament passed in Victoria and Tasmania requiring 14 days' notice when Parliament was summoned before the due date of the expiry of a prorogation. He said that in all his 40 years' experience of public life he knew of no instance where a Premier had broken his word like Mr. Lang. The motion was then carried by 41 votes to 39. The Government later sustained a vital reverse, Mr. Hobson moving that the debate on the Appropriation Bill be adjourned until January 11 the date on which it was originally intended Parliament should reassemble. This was carried by 40 to 39 votes. This has the effect of postponing the Budget until that date. The Council then passed the first reading of the Publications' Tax Bill. A recent message stated that a motion of censure on the Government in the Assembly was defeated, the allegation being that Mr. Lang had been guilty of a breach of faith in calling Parliament together in the face of his promise to Labour dissentients that if they voted four months' Supply the House would adjourn and a general election would be held in March.