THE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXI, Issue 1042, 13 July 1894, Page 3

THE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS.

* In the House of Representatives on Friday, The Premier in proposing that the appointnent of sergeant-at-arms be deferred until the first day of December next, and that in the meantime Colonel Fraser perform the duties, but without fee or payment of any kind whatever, either as salary, fee, or expenses complained that the Government had been placed in a false position by ' the publication of a newspaper paragraph that Mr Bracken had been appointed parliamentary reader by the Cabinet and that Colonel Fraser had been appointed sergeant-at-arms by them. That was incorrect, inasmuch as Mr Bracken's appointment was immediately gazetted, while 'that of _ Colonel Fraser was not, and had not since been. As a matter of fact no promise of appointment had been made to Colonel Fraser before he left Auckland, and when he came' to Wellington prepared to undertake the duties of sergeant-at-arms he was informed that he could receive no pay till December, when the term of 12 months prescribed by the Disqualification Act would have expired. Captian Russell asked how it was that Colonel Fraser came to Wellington and assumed the duties of the office 1 ? The Premier replied (amid laughter and cries of ' Too thin ') that the exmember for the Thames, having the instincts of the old war-horse strong within him, has come down in company with the Auckland members for the meeting of the new Parliament. Sir Robert Stout made the most scathing spepch he has yrt made this session. He said that he would not discuss the qualifications of Colonel Fraser for the appointment. He had done that before and had not been answered. It was an exceedingly sorry sight to see t.h« Premier placed in the position he had just been in. It was not creditable in these days of the Democracy to see a Premier floundering as he had been doing that afternoon. Last session the House affirmed that the parliamentary offices were to be appointed by the Govprnment withconsulting with anybody. That had been carried out, even down to the appointment of a charwoman. The power of the Government had descended into very minute details, and he did not think it was to the dignity of a Premier to interfere in the appointment of chairwomen. In stating that Colonel Fraser had come to Wellington unasked, the Premier had placed him (Colonel Fraser) in the unfortunate position of appearing that he camo begging after the position. He thought the sergcant-at-arms should not be under that imputation. The Government had found themselves unable to legally appoint Colonel Fraser, and so now came down and endeavored to : throw responsibility on the House by asking it to confirm a proposal to evade the law — to get behind the statute, in fact. The proper and right course to have taken would have been to bring in a special Act to remove the disqualification from Colonel Fraser ; but they had no right, as long as the Disqualification Act remained on the Staute Book, to attempt to evade it by a trick. The Democracy of New Zealand — the Liberalism of New Zealand — was asked to take this burden that was to evade the statute law of the realm. One of the dangers or. the times was the non-observance of the law. That lay at the bottom of Anarchy. It was the anti-social members of Parliament who should be examples, yet here were they trying to get rid of their own statutes by evasion by a trick by subterfrge. It was said that young people lacked reverence. A nice example in want of reverence and morality they would be setting to the youth of New Zealand if they carried this motion ! He appealed strongly to members to obey the dictates of their consciences. Dr Newman also protested against what he characterised as a flagrant breach of the Disqualification Act, and reminded members that when they entered Parliament they took an oath that they would observe the law. Mr Button said that the principle involved was that the Ministry should not have it in their power to reward their friends who had supported them in the House. It was one of the highest principles that men should not enter Parliament with any view to personal aggrandisement,

Mr Bell said the presrnt difficulty was the result of the late Parliament having surrendered traditions which it liad held dear for forty years — viz., thai its officers should be appointed by. the House itself or by Mr Speaker, who has ':he guardian of its honour. If the parliamentary officers were, to lie drawn for the future from the nominees of any Government, this was only one incident of what was to be i-xpi j «ted hereafter. Speaking with warmth, the hen. gentleman proceeded : 'So long as J hold a seat in this House, should this? resolution be plnced on its journals to-day, T declare that it shall not bind me, whomsoever it binds, and that no effort shall be wanting on my part to have it expunged, no lapse of time nor length of tenure of office will lead mo to say that I am bound by what I regard as a trick, a dodge, and a scheme to escape the provisions of the Disqualification Act,' Mr Bell went on to say that he had no personal feeling towards Colonel Eraser. When contesting the Wellington electorate he had been told he was on the wrong side, of politics ; but he reminded the House that there was a policy higher than all politics — common honesty. — (Sensation.) He ventured to say that no such proposal would ever have come from the member for Hawke's Bay, the Leader of the Opposition. Was there one hon. gentleman on the Ministerial side who, if put on his oath and asked ' Is this a juggle, a trick, or a scheme f would fail to answer • Guilty, upon my honour.' Mr E..M. Smith said that he himself was sent to Parliament to uphold its dignity, and he appealed to all honorable men to go into the lobby in support of the Premier's motion, which was in accordance with the law. Mr Collins complained that the time of Parliament was being taken up with insignificant questions. He characterised the speech of Mr Bell as parliamentary oliptrap. Mr G. J. Smith spoke strongly on the matter of the principle involved in the Premier's motion, which he considered was a distinct evasion of the Disqualification Act. As a Liberal, he appealed to the party to insist upon the pure administration of the affairs of the colony. Captain R-ussel taunted the Ministry with the fact that none of their many supporters had got up and straight out supported thera on the morality of this question, and although there were four Ministers in the House none of them had got up and supported the Premier. The whole question resolved itself into this : were they not circumventing the provisions of the Disqualification Act and interfering with the purity of the Parliament 1 As to the suggestion by the Premier re Mr Moss's appointment to Raratonga, ifc was not on all-fours with the present case. Mr Moss was th«? only man in New Zealand with any experience of the islands, and they did not appoint him a Civil servant of New Zealand. He was an Imperial officer, not a colonial one. Besides, Colonel Fraser had been a Government supporter, whereas Mr Moss was an opponent of the Atkinson Ministry, and his appointment had nothing to do with an election, as Mr Moss did not intend to stand*again. The Minister of Lands denied that members of the Ministry outside of the Premier were dummies, as had been alleged by fhe Leader of the Opposition, nor were they guilty of cowardice The Speaker said had he heard such an expression used he would have ordered its withdrawal. Captain Russell said that he was not surprised at Sir Maurice's remarks, seeing that he (Captain Russell) had never used such a word. The Minister sf Lands assured the Leader of the Opposition that there were no differences of opinion among Ministers, and that they did not take off their gloves in Cabinet, as their predecessors had. They came to a decision and stuck together as one man. Mr Bell claimed to be a highly moral man, but he forgot how Conservative Ministers rewarded their friends. It was all very well to raise the cry of 'the spoils for the victors,' but could the Leader of the Opposition point to a single instance of an individual holding j Liberal opinions getting office when hisI party were in power 1 Captain Russell ; I would suggest j the name of Mr Moss. The Minister of Lands said Mr Moss was appointed British Resident at Raratonga, not because he was an opponent or supporter of the Atkinson Ministry, but in order to make the seat he held safe for one of their supporters. — (Laughter.) The present motion was sitnplj got up as a party move, and Sir R. Stout had been made a catspaw of. The Opposition ought to take up some big question on which they could go to the country, and not waste time over frivolous motions. Mr Earnshaw charged the Premier with having raised a question of party in connection with this matter when he called on his supporters last week to follow him into the lobby. The action of the Government on ' this question would do more to break down the Liberal party, and more especially the Labor party, than any policy question they could bring before the country. No more, important matter could come before the House than one affecting its own honor and that of ijs members. He pledged his word to.^Mr Bell that he wQvtlcl always assist him, should this

resolution be passed, to have it expunged from the journals of the House. The secret, of Colonel Fraser's appointment was this : The Government had promised him a seat in the Upper Chamber as a consequence of his re.tir<->-. vnent from the* Bay of Plenty contest, hut when they were, advised that that ! body intended to give way oh the Bills they had opposed in the 1-ite Parliament rlie bottom feil out of that iden, ;ind they hud to rind some other salve for Colonel Fraser. That gentleman was not a true party man, and there were 50 others who had done, more yeoman service to the Liberal cause, and were more deserving of reward by the Government. The Premier, howj ever, was not only desirous of rewarding a party man, but a personal friend. He for one would never swallow the statement that Colonel Fraser was going to discharge the duties of sergeant-at-arms without fee or reward, because he did not think Colonel Fraser was built that way. In an } impassioned manner he appealed to the Labor members to see to it how they , acted, and not, from a mistaken idea of 'loyalty, follow the Government blindly, and take on themselves this responsibility and allow the Ministry to go scot free. Mr Hogg said that Mr Earnshaw seemed to be like a snake in the grass. In dealing with the Labor party he always rose to extol his own virtues and to attack those around him, especially the Labor party. Mr Crowther thought the Govern- ; ment ought to have appointed one of ! their own messengers temporarily till they could have filled the vacancy to the satisfaction of the House. Mr Lang said that as a Ministerial supporter he found himself in a difficult pozition of haying to vote against his convictions, or to desert his party. He sincerely sympathised with those, who found themselves placed in that position. Messrs Massey, Fraser, Duthie, Buchanan and Pirani spoke against the motion* and Messrs R. M'Kenzie, Duncan, and Major Harris supported ?t. Mr Allen accused the Premier of having sent out the whip to lash his followers, after having promised that this was not to be a party question. The Premier - replied that he had never promised this. Mr Morrison declaimed against the Opposition for blocking business. Mr J". Kelly said the Government had been playing into the hands of Sir R. Stout during the recess, and the attack of the senior member for Wellington that night pleased him immensely. An error of judgment had been made by the Government, but it was not of sufficient importance to cause him to cast his vote against them. Mr Geo. Hutchison said it was a flagrant case of trying to evade the Disqualification Act. This was the first occasion on which any Ministry, whatever their delinquencies, had the assurance to come to Parliament and ask it to evade that Act. Mr Graham regarded the motion as an evasion of the law, but he would give his vote to the Ministerial party to which he was pledged. Mr Macintosh, like Mr Kelly, admitted that the Government had committed an. error of judgment, but he would be no party to harassing them on that account. Sir X,. Stout was constantly hammering at the' Government instead of biding his time till he found the apple was ripe. Mr M'Lauchlin admitted that the Premier had got into a terrible mess j over this question, and that it was the i worst piece of administration that the Labor Government had been guilty of. But the continuance in power of the party was of infinitely more importance, to the electorate he represented (Ashburton) and to himself than the question of the sergeant-at-arms. Even at the expense of being branded as a man without honor or principle, he should go into the lobby with the Government. — (Derisive laughter from the Opposition.) The Premier, in replying, complained of the want of consideration to himself shown by the Opposition. No previous Governments had been assailed while two of their number were stretched on beds of sickness. Tf there was to be a warfare, let them fight their battles as men, and not have an advantage taken as was taken that night. — (Cries of ' Whose motion was it f) He denied that there had been any trick, dodge, or subterfuge: The division was taken at 12.' .50 a.m., the motion being carried by 3i to 13. Tt will be noted that Messrs Pirani, Montgomery, Saunders, and G. J. Smith (Ministerialists) voted with the minority. The following is the division list : — Ayes (34).— Messrs Buddo, Cad man, Camel], Carroll, Collins, Duncan, Graham, Guinness, Hall, Harris, Hogg, Houston, W. Hutchison, Joyce, J. W. Kelly, W. Kelly, Lawry, Mackintosh, Maslin, M'Gowan, J. M'Kenzie, R. M-Kenzie, M'Lachlan, Millar, Mills, Morrison, O'Regan, Parata, Pere, Pinkerton, Seddon, E. M. Smith, Stevens, Tanner. - Noes (13). — Messrs Buchanan, Earnshaw, Duthie, Fraser, Green, G. Hutchison, Lang, Montgomery, Pirani, W. R. Russell, Saunders, G. J. Smith, Stout Pairs. — Ayes : Messrs Reeves, G. W. Russell, Ward, Willis, Buick, Qarn-

cross, Flatman. Noes : Messrs- Bell, Mitchelsen, Massey, Newman, Wilson, Button, Allen.