MR PAYNE SUSPENDED.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLI, Issue 1, 10 July 1914, Page 2

MR PAYNE SUSPENDED.

'———-♦*♦ i REFUSAL TO WITHDRAW WORDS USED. ADVICE PROM THE SPEAKER. WELLINGTON, July 7. The incident in which Mr John Payne, member for Grey Lyn,n, was chiefly concerned occupied the attention of the House of Representatives for a few moments this afternoon. During the no-confidence debate on Friday night Mr Payne, referring to the Prime Minister, said, "He sits there by bribery and corruption." Mr Payne refused to withdraw the words, and, on the motion of the Prime Minister, they were '' taken down." Mr Payne, at the Speaker's direction, withdrew from the Chamber, and Mr Massey moved that the member for Grey Lynn be suspended for the remainder of that day's sitting. Mr Massey agreed, however, at the request of several Opposition members, to with- ! draw his motion for the time being and I to give Mr Payne another opportunity :of withdrawing the words. Mr Payne i had left the precincts of the House and therefore could not be found, and the matter was adjourned until to-day, when the House assembled, with full galleries.

The Speaker in re-opening the subje'e explained the position to Mr Payne, and asked him if he was prepared to withdraw the words. Mr Payne: I want it to be clearly understood that my words had no personal erference to Mr Massey as a private member of the House.

The Speaker: I think the honourable member should withdraw the words first.

Mr Payne: I wish to have another opportunity of explaining myself. My remarks referred to the Government, and to Mr Massey as the head of the Government.

The Speaker again informed Mr Payne that he must in the first instance withdraw his words, and withdraw them unreservedly. Mr Payne: i am, quite aware of the fact that the honour and dignity of this House must be upheld. At the same time— The Speaker again directed Mr Payne that before making any other remarks he must withdraw the words. Mr Payne: Under the circumstances you leave me no alternative but to unreservedly refuse, to withdraw the words. I have made myself clear on the point as to what my words meant. J meant no personal reflection on the Prime Minister 2>ersonally; J applied the words to the Government. The Speaker: I understand the honourable member refuses to withdraw the words? Mr Payne: With all due respect to the Chair, Sir, absolutely 1 refuse. ADVICE FROM SIR .). G. WAED. The Leader of the Opposition (Sir Joseph Ward; said he. thought the member for Grey Lynn would be well advised to withdraw the words. "I say so," he continued, "because if the words, 'he sits there,' are intended to have a personal application to the Prime Minister, then T think there is no lion, member of the House who could uphold a personal application of that kind." Mr Massey: Or political. Sir Joseph Ward: If a charge is made against a Government that is quite a different thing, and there is a proper way of doing it; but I want to say to the lion, member for Grey Lynn that he must withdraw the words, which are bound to be taken by the House in exactly the way in which they are spoken and not as he meant them to apply. The hon. member will sec that the words have a personal application, and T would recommend him to withdraw them. I cannot support any member in making a personal charge of that kind, unless it was a definite charge in the form of a resolution.

LAST CHANCE TO WITHDRAW WORDS.

The Speaker: 1 will give the lion, member for Grey Lynn another opportunity to withdraw the words. He must do so unreservedly. Mr Payne: When the words were taken down 1 endeavoured to make myself quite clear. The Speaker: The lion, member-must say whether he will withdraw the words or not. He has been given a great many opportunities, and he must not take advantage of them. Mr Payne: I again unreservedly refuse to withdraw the words. The Speaker then called upon Mr Payne to leave the Chamber, and he withdrew. SUSPENSION OP MR PAYNE. Mr Massey said that he regretted that it' became his duty, as Leader of the House, in consequence of the refusal of the member for Grey Lynn to withdraw the words to move that he be suspended for the remainder of the sittings. Ho was simply following the usual custom in adhering to precedent. As far as he was personally concerned, the hon. member was at liberty to use any words he cared with regard to him, as he was quite prepared to deal with that; but he was thinking of the dignity of the House. If this sort of thing was to go on he would like to know where they were going to draw the line. ("Hear ) hear.") The Speaker proceeded to put the motion, when Mr Webb (Grey) rose to speak. The Speaker: There can be no debate on this question. Mr Webb resumed his seat, and the motion was put and carried on the voices, Mr Webb's being the only dissentient voice. Sir Joseph Ward asked if the hon. member should not be called in and informed of the resolution. The Speaker: I take it he will be. Sir Joseph Ward: Should you not intimate it to him? , The Speaker: That has never been done. SPEAKER'S ADVICE TO MEMBERS. The Speaker said it was quite in order what had been done. He wished, he added, to take this opportunity to bring

under the notice of -member/! the question of interjections and interruptions. The present opportunity was a suitable one. He was sure that interjections were not more frequent than they had been for some time past; but hon. members he felt sure, would agree that they occurred far too frequently, and that they were highly disorderly and contrary to the Standing Orders. He asked hon. members to set an example to the younger members, and to refrain from interjections. He wished to point out also that very frequently hon. members were in the habit, instead of addressing the Chair, of addressing members personally, and were in the habit also of asking questions of other hon. members. This was a practice that enticed interjections. He would also like to point out to younger members that interjections made, and not replied to, were not inserted in Hansard. There was no excuse for interjecting continuously, because an hon. member was always afforded an opportunity of making a personal explanation if he had been misrepresented. He repeated that interjections were not worse than formerly, but this was the start of a new session, and he would ask members, as far as possible, to refrain from the practice.