Parliamentary.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2286, 26 February 1912, Page 5

Parliamentary.

NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE. SIR JOSEPH WARD WILL RESIGN FROM OFFICE. The debate on the Address-in-Reply opened on Tuesday afternoon, the motion on the Address being moved by Mr Reed and seconded by Mr J. C. Thomson. Mr Massey moved the amendment to the Address, to add : "In conclusion we deem it our duty to report to your Excellency that your Excellency’s advisers do not possess the confidence of this House. The amendment was seconded by Mr J Allen (Bruce) In reply to the various critics who followed, Sir Joseph Ward said : *• No one will accept the decision of the House at the present juncture more cheerfully than myself.” There is an idea that if they could get rid of me 1 would disappear from the scene so far as my present position is concerned, but I believe that we are going to win. I believe it would be a bad thing for the country if we do not win. I have, quite enough common sense to realise that there is a fictitious cry, especially in the North Island, of —Put Ward Down. — At the game time as this cry was heard, a cry was not raised to put Massey in. ’ Mr Hurries : That is what wo are here for. Sir Joseph: Yes; you have been there for that purpose all along, and you are still there. lam not going to cling to office on a narrow majority to please anybody. (Ministerial cheers.) The Leader of the Opposition can try that sort of game if he likes, and take the consequences, but he can’t carry on. Mr Massey : I have said so myself. Sir Joseph Ward : 1 believe the natural allies are the Labor-Liberal sections, and one of the greatest mistakes at the present juncture would be to allow their natural opponents, because the latter are responsible for the present position, to triumph. I have made it quite clear that the country gave the Liberals a majority of 50/ 00 votes over the Conservatives. As far as I am personally concerned, if 1 win this division, as I honestly believe I shall, J do not propose to continue in the position, nor to hold it after that division takes placein other words, I am not going to bo put in a position into which the other side through their friends in the country, seek to force ire. lam not going to be used as a butt to injure the LiberalLabor patty of this country. (Loud Ministerial cheers.) They have used me as a butt, raising cries of every conceivable kind against me—personal matters which were not misrepresentations, but deliberate, wilful falsehoods. (Cheers.) What I say to the Liberals and workers of the country is that I am prepared to go into the rank and file of the LiberalLabor party, and to stand by and help them to the utmost of my ability. (Renewed cheers ) But I undertake to say that as a free man I will be more dangerous than with my present responsibilities. 1 have now to curb my tongue— (Opposition laughter)—and am unable to do what the' Opposition Leader and his band of peripatetic kangaroos have been trying to do lately. (Renewed laughter.) But Ido not care for their attacks. As a matter of fact J have been responsible for saving this country from a crisis three times during my political career. (Ministerial cheers.) And you will not find one unsuccessful flotation, large or small. Whether the Opposition or the Government Press criticise the Governor’s Speech, or whoever carries it out, 1 have had the satis-" faction of indicating a policy which will enable the men carrying it out to drag the Opposition Leader at their chariot wheels. (Cheers) That policy cannot be carried out in one or two sessions, hut it is the groundwork for those who want to stand by the farmers and workers of this Dominion. The Liberal-Labor parties have nothing to thank the large land-owners for. The people of the North Island may be my temporary enemies, but I shall never be theirs. In my private capacity, after we win this division—and we shall win it—(Ministerial cheers)—l am prepared to assist my party to the utmost in my pow<r, and to have a happy time at Bellamy’s along with Mr Massey and his lieutenants, but 1 shall help the Liberal-Labor parties to check the large landed gormandisers of this country, and to sweep them out of existence. (Prolonged Ministerial cheers.) LABOR’S ATTITUDE. WILL SUPPORT THE LIBERALS. During the debate, both Messrs Payne and Hindmarsh signified their intention to support the Liberal Party on the noconlidenee motion. Mr Payne said that at the time he made his pledge he, in common with many people in the north, believed that certain inconsistencies were going on—certain extravagance. He did not say that these stories had been spread by members who were on the Opposition benches, but they were certainly not circulated by friends of the Liberal party. Since he had been in Wellington lie had had an opportunity of hearing fully various matters and innuendos discussed, and he had had a most remarkable experience None of the statements by the Opposition, that the Government party could not possibly carry out the matters dealt with in the Governor’s Speech, would have any effect on him. Any attempt to influence him by specious arguments would be futile. He stood for measures and not for men, and having been promised measures he believed that from his position—the Labour section—te would be able to force those masurcs, and so serve the interests of the labour people whom he represented. He did not suggest that any member of the House was responsible for rumors that were current at election time. He was glad that ho had heard Sir Joseph Ward’s repudiation of those rumors and base slanders. He had heard nothing from the Opposition to the effect that the Prime Minister’s denials were incorrect. nor had he heard a single fact that would substantiate the charges of reckless and plunging finance with which the Government was indicted by the Opposition, Mr Payne declared that he had entered the House with an open mind to listen to the arguments from both sides of the House. Never in all his experience had he heard such dish-water arguments as those advanced by the Tory parfy to substantiate the statements circulated b y Tory partisans during the last few months, lie said lie had not heard anything he could pass pn fp the electors of Grey Lyuu to justify him

in voting out the' Liberal party cn a no-confidence motion.—(Ministerial Applause.) He had now heard both Leaders in the House, and, bearing in mind the electors of Grey Lynn, he did not propose to fly in the face of those electors. He would put himselt in a position he could not maintain if he voted against the Liberal party that had done so much for the workers- “ Pledge or no pledge,” said Mr Payne, I will not vote against the Libera! party on a noconfidence motion.” He admitted that the Liberal party was not perfect, but there would be a combination of Liberal, Radical, and Labour interests, and with such a combination Labour could hope; to obtain a majority in the House. The late elections would be a salutary lesson to the party —(Ministerial applause.) The workers would be ready to throw their weight with the Conservative interests if need be to bring about a reconstruction of a Government which showed a tendency to become autocratic when it should bo democratic. The election would also be a lesson to the workers, and whilst it might be expedient for them to oust an autocratic democracy, they had not strengthened the capitalistic and Conservative interests. That so-called Reform party would be known in future by its true title of the Toryparty. The position he took up was one of strength for the Labor party. If they kept the {Liberals in power they 7 could look with reason to making them keep the pledges given in the Governor’s Speech. If the Liberal paity retained office, as he believed it would, he, as one of the Labour members, would be in a position to compel it to pass Labour measures for the benefit of the people he represented. He was at liberty to vote against the Government on a future no-confidence motion if Labour interests were not conserved. The coming division would show that the votes of the Liberal, Radical, and Labour parties were against capitalistic interests and in the interest of the general good. The discussion on the no-confidence motion developed a sensational incident on Friday, when a statement by Mr Dickson referred to a rumor in circulation that Mr Payne had been offered £IOO to change his vote. Mr Dickson said that Mr Payne had stated to him and the leader of the Opposition that he was going to support the Opposition on the no-confidence motion. On the following Thursday he saw Mr Payne again, and told him that a friend of his had sent a letter down that a betting man in Auckland was certain that Mr Payne would break his pledge and oppose the Opposition on a no-confidence motion, and that the man was making bets on it. The member for Grey Lynn met the Loader of the Opposition and the speaker on Friday last and he (Mr Dickson) put the question to him. At first Mr Payne did not acknowledge it. He then told Mr Payne that there was a rumor going about Auckland, and he asked him to contradict it. Mr Payne then said, “ I have been offered a sum of money. I was called into an office by a gentleman in Auckland, and I have been offered that sura of money to vote for the Government.” Sir Joseph Ward: Why don’t you say what office and who the people were. Mr Dickson : I did not ask him. Mr Payne can explain who offered it. Mr Payne (excitedly): You know. Mr Dickson : I don’t know. Mr Payne : You do. I told you so.— (Sensation), Mr Dickson: I will be very glad if he will tell who was so contemptible as to endeavor to get a man representing a respectable constituency to change his vote because a hundred golden sovereigns were dangled before his eyes. Mr Dickson said that he did not say for one moment that it was any member of the Government that made the offer. He was not accusing it or any member of the party. He added that he had every reason to believe that Mr Payne was not the only member of the House who had had an inducement offered to him. After a long debate lasting all day it was eventually carried on the voices that a breach of privilege was contained in the letter of which a copy of some of the statements were read by Mr Massey, and on the motion of Sir Joseph Ward the appointment of a Committee of Privilege to take into full consideration the writing and the publishing of the letter, and the truth or otherwise of the charges contained in it, was agreed to, the comittee to be Messrs Allen, Fraser, Hanan, Nosworthy, Lee, Russell, Reed, Robertson, G. M. Thomson, Veitch, and Hon. J. A. Millar, the committee to report within three days. Mr Massey said he had very little fault to find with the committee. Only one of its members had shown any 1 ' personal antagonism towards himself. He said he intended to take full responsibility for what had taken place. He intended to face the music, and if he had made a slip he would take his punishment either before the committee, or if it became necessary for him to hand in his resignation and face his constituents he would do so. He intended to get witnesses from Auckland to substantiate what was in the letter. He had not brought this matter up by way of a charge, but because he had been asked to repeat a conversation between himself and the member for Grey Lynn. The extract which he quoted was part of that conversation. Probably he should not have quoted the extract. He did it without thinking, and he took the responsibility for what he had done.— (Applause, m which some Government members joined.) The motion was carried on the voices. It is now thought the debate will not finish for at least another week.