EXTRA EDITION. PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 153, 28 June 1912, Page 8

EXTRA EDITION. PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr* F. M. B. Fisher gjive notice to move for a return of travelling allowances #nd expenses drawn by Ministers from |he date of their, appointment up to 2flh June, also travelling ..expenses 1 of ex-Ministei» from October to December. Mr. Wilford gave notice to ask whether the Minister of Railways proposed to complete the duplication of the Hutt Railway line ac far as Upper Hutt. At present traffic on the line waa very j much congested. Mr. Buchanan gave notice to aek the Prime Minister whether he would lay on the table all the correspondence connected with the resignation of Mr. Harold Beauchamp as chairman of the Bank of New Zealand and the appointment of Mr. D. J. Nathan to the directorate. The following Bille were read a first time : — Land Agents' Bill (Mr. Witty), .Workers' Minimum Wage Bill (Mr. Payne), Public Service Reform Bill (Mr. Herdman), Workers' 1 Right to Work and Wages Bill (Mr. Payne), Marriage Act Amendment Bill (Mr. Fieher), Prevention of • the Acquirement of Unearned Increments Bill (Mi*. Payne), Legislature Act, 1908, Amendment , Bill (Mr. Eindmarsh), Limitation of Distress for Rent Bill (Mr. Hindmarsh), Arbitration Act Amendment Bill (Mr. Payne). LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. John Rigg gave notice that it was'his intention to move cfi next sitting day for leave" to introduce a Bill entitled the Workers' Compensation A ! et Amendment Act, 1912. The Hon. Sir W. J. Steward gave notice to move the Address-in-Reply. Nolicfe of his intention to ask for leave, to introduce a Bill to amend tn© Marriage Act was givea by the Hon. Sir W. J. Steward. The Acting-Leader of the Council (tho Hon. O. Samuel) suggested at 2.40 p.m. that the Council adjourn until 4.30 to receive the Imprest Supply Bill. This was agreed to. CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION 1 / The .subject of a dissolution is not being lost sight of in discussing the political'situation, and there is much speculation as to what is the constitutional position. Questioned on the subject by a Post representative, Mr. T. M. Wilford said he had made careful investigation, and had arrived at the following conclusion : — l i The responsibility of deciding whether in any particular case a dissolution should be -granted must, under our Con*' stitution, rest absolutely with the Tepresentative of the Sovereign. In the words of Sir MicWl Hicks-Beach : "Id discharging this, responsibility he will, of cdurse, pay the greatest attention to any representations that may be made to him by those who, at the time, are his constitutional advisers, but if he should' feel himself bound to take the responsibility of not following his Ministers' recommendation there can, I apprehend, be no doubt that both law and practice empower him to do so." This view Mr. Wilford supports with several illustrations from British Parliamentary history.