NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16882, 9 July 1920, Page 7

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

DEBATE collapses. " I bI G GOVEBNMBNT MAJOiUTT--45 TC 23. (SFf.CIAL TO "'THE -UESS. ') WELLINGTON, July ?- Tte ocoato on the H » n - ®; in.,ld's —«»V»S£T * lUnscd this afternoon. The Hon. C,. I Parr *vbo had last night moved the iounir.-nt. oi the debate, said he unLood there was u general dos.ro to fl e a division —(hon. members: Hear ( he did not wish to speak ° The Sreakcr was about to put the Question when Mr J. Cn,ig.e (Tnnaru; 0 i and said he wished to tell t,ie Honse his attitude in regard to tno amendment. Ho had boon returned at the last election as an Indeper.ck.-i He hod a free hand to vote as he l.ked " a vote of no-confidence, and ho was going to exercise it. He had condemned the party spirit in the House, and -ould do all he could still to condemn i" t and to try to stop it. Ho considered the amendment which the Leader of the Opposition had moved was a continuation of the party spirit. At no time m the history of New Zealand was it more necessarv for them to join together in the general interests of the country, m inducing the people to be thrifty, and in an endeavour to get more brotherhood than had hitherto been displayed in the House and the country. He did not see that any good could bo done by this amendment. Later on he mightbe in a position to vote on some principle against the Government, and he would do so as lie intended to vote against the amendment. = lfter 31r .Craigie had spoken, the (juestion v.as put, the bells were rung, and members trooped into the lobbies to vote. Before the doors wero locked, Messrs S. G. Smith (Taranaki), Kellett (Dunedin North), Statham (Dunedin Central), Mitchell (Wellington Soutli), and Veitch (Wanganui) walked out of the Chamber end did not vote. Thus the Governnfent majority was considerably larger than was generally expected -45 votes to 23.

The following is the division list: — For amendment (2-3). Atmore Mac Donald Bart ram blasters Edie Xgata Forbes Parry Hanan Poland Holland Savage . Horn Sf'ddon Howard Sidey Isitt Sullivan Jennings Thacker McCalluni Witty McCombs Against amendment (1-5). Anderson J-uko IJitchoner Lysnar Bollard McLeod Burnett McXicol Campbell Malcolm Coates Mander •O'raigie Massey Dickson, .1. M. Nash Dickson, J. S. Newman, A. Iv. Field Xoswortliy Glenn Parr • Guthrie Po marc Hamilton, A. Potter „ Hamilton, J. R. Powdrcll Harris I'eid Hawken ' Rhodes, R. PI. Henare Rhodes, T. W. Herrics Stewart Hockley Svkes ■Hudson Lru • Hunter "Wright Jones Young Lee . Just before the votes were counted there was an -amusing incident. The Hon. Mr Parr was talking to somcono in the Opposition lobby, and an attempt was made by some of the Opposition members to liold him there. Thero was a shout of laughter from the "Ayes" lobby as members there realised the position. Mr Parr, however, escaped just in time to record his vote in favour of his leader. On the Opposition side there wore three absentees \vlio would certainly have voted with Mr Mac Donald, viz., Messrs Myers, Wilford, and Vigor Brown. Mr R. Smith. (Opposition), ivho also was absent, was paired with Mr Edward Newman (Government). Mr P. Frasor, the Labour member for Wellington Central, was absont. Thus 63 members voted, four were absent, two paired, and five walked out and did not vote. With Mr Speaker in the chair, this accounts for the whole of the 80 members. The result of the division was not received with any applause, as it was regarded as a foregone conclusion. Mr Statham's Amendment. The excitement came later, when Mr C. E. Statham (Dunedin Central) moved that the following amendment, by way of addition, be made to the Address-in-Reply to his Excellency the Governor-General's speech:— , r e feel it, however, to be our duty to submit to your Excellency tnat, m the opinion of this House, Excellency's Government should, if not elected by this House, at least be elected by members of dominant party in this House. Mr Statham.explained his reasons for cutting adrift from the Reform Party, and proceeded to gire the inner history of the "cave" formed by several members of Mr Massey's party in his absence in Europe. .Mr Statham explained that ho had, after full consideration, crossed the floor of the House ta ken his seat among the Liberals, although he was not of the Liberals, t was not easy, lie said, for any man to take the course he had taken. It was not easy to break away from old P y ties, and he might also say from- ®, Phonal friendships of members ** whom he had been associated for T° last eight years in that House. But tho time had come when he felt that o should sacrifice his old connexion aad strike out for himself if he wished tunit'v £ood. He took that opporf ? r tnanking his old frienu s in kinil , art i" f°r the continued ha shown to him since ! is declaration of indo tin™ +k"- ope , d tu °y would contW, i lr P ersoua l friendship, even „2- t! ; e y might look upon him as c^.? nNye ™ y - iie B P° ke «iso of fla fneadship indeed of ni s affection, 2m fc lat6 , oade '-, -Hr Massev and Mid he would take for his motto, Stathn x D , one 411(1 charity to all. Mr tatham then proceeded to criticise , •. sevel ! e 1 1 y the Reform Govern-mtei-jcetions and deniiils , r Massev and other Ministers, MW also to maKe an attack on the Members of the Reform "cave," several - wllom ' lu> said > had since dnJ ai' ° . m U ' Government of tho ■nrl,™* ® there had been a solemn I*;*? 118 ? 1,0 one would take office 1 * lou , '| rst consulting the other memv „ the discontented nartv, which, m VC o. y l iad not do«e.' v„JT r Statham's remarks under this \f a ?c re P ortL '<l elsewhere.] ' Massey announced that he was compelled by precedent to take Mr in» 1° 8 amen dment on tlie Address--Keply as a motion of want of confidence m tho Government, and he would 51 treat it.