SECOND BALLOT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 47, 24 August 1911, Page 2

SECOND BALLOT.

NO CHANCE FOR DISCUSSION.

MR. FISHER'S PROTEST. A certain amount of heat characterised the final moments of last night's sitting of the House of Representatives, .fl'roro. ?.3O till 11 o'clock members had been wandering through the mafcea of a discussion on the Land Agents' Registration Bill. Next on the list was Mr. Newman's measure prohibiting the gTftnt. ing of hereditary titles in New Zealand. Mt, Newman indicated that he did not desire to go on with his Bill till Sir Joseph Ward returned to the Dominion, and the Leader of the House (Sir James Carroll) then moved, (it was after 11 p.m.) "That .this House do now adjourn." Matters, however, did not end there. The next Bill on the list was Mr. Fisher's Bill providing for the repeal of the Second Ballot Act, and he entered afi emphatic ptotest against being deprived of his right to put his views before the country on such an important subject. Incidentally he remarked that the evening's proceedings were an ab« solute indictment of the party system; it showed, he argued, that the House was being ruled by a comparatively small handful of men who had handed over the reins of power to those who had deprived them of" the tight to promote legislation or give expression to their opinions. What had happened that night, he declared, wa& an illustration of the necessity of introducing some other system than the one which now obtains. It was a g^eat pity that the House, was forced, owing to the party system, to adopt th»se means of preventing debate on questions which the House would benefit by discussing. Mr. G. W. Russell raised a point of order. Could a member., on a point of order, take opportunity of discussing the details of a Bill? Mr. Speaker : The hon. gentleman cannot discuss the provisions of the Bill, but he can discuss the reasons why the adjournment should not take place. Mr. Fisher contended that his Bill was of great interest to the members of th» House, Whith ihould be given ah opportunity to discuss such niatteTs, which were vital to the interests of the country. Member after member had been put dp to speak. He wa* not blaming the members. It was one of the evils of the wretched party system to delay discussion. It "was a great'pity the House did not try to get away from that system. Mr. G. W. Russell took the member for Wellington Central to task for tho "exceedingly bad grace" of his remarks. "He it p'jijat^titlj j>c-sin£ !i». this House," he said, "and witli a small band of Wellington members he takes up more time than members from any other province." For a few brief moments the House discussed the questiah on these lines, buy eventually bj 35 votes to 15, it decided to go home, and at 11.20 p.m. the adjournment was carried into effect, ; | | ■ - I,