STONEWALLING THE BILL.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13596, 3 December 1909, Page 8

STONEWALLING THE BILL.

HOW IT WILL BE DONE.

' (SPECIAL TO "THE PREBS.") ! WELLINGTON, December 2. It is generally agreed by members that the lively debate which took place to-day on the Government's land proposals (is only a mild prelude to |thei discussions which will take place before the Bill is disused of for this session. The leaseholders insist that it will not be passed. The discussion on the committee's repoTt, which was interrupted to-day by the adjournment at 5.30 p.m., may be continued to-mor-row* afternoon. The leaseholders are quite prepared to carry on the discussion of the Teport for several afternoons yet. Then when the Bill comes to its second reading, the leasehold members intend to speak their full half-hour on it. When the Bill is in committee, if the Government decides to sit long hours with a view to forcing through the Bill, i% has been determined that twenty of the leaseholders shall "hold the fort" in relays of four hours, each of them taking full advantage of a member's privilege in .com-, mittee to make four ten minutes' speeches on each clause. If these formidable resolutions are jptersevered in, the House is likely to get very tired of the' Land Bill before it has done with it, and Sir Joseph Ward, to all appearances, will be unable to bring this considerable refractory section of his party to heel.