POLITICAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 151, 28 June 1915, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

♦ ELECTION OF SPEAKER LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Much interest has been aroused in connection with the election of Speaker of the Legislative Council. The present Speaker (Sir C. C. Bowen) is retiring, and it is persistently rumoured —with what appears to be a good degree of authoritativeness—that the Hon. C. J. Johnston is the Government nominee. The Hon. W. C. F. Carncross is the present Chairman of Committees, and was Acting-Speaker for some time last session. At the present'time the Standing Orders provide that any member may be nominated, with his consent, for the Speakership, but there is a move afoot to have the Standing Orders suspended, so that the old system of election without nomination may be reverted to. The special sitting of the Legislative Council this afternoon was called for the purpose of considering the report of the Standing Orders Committee as to the course to be adopted. GOVERNMENT CAUCUS. For nearly three flours this morning the Government party were meeting in caucus. At 1 o clock an adjournment was made for lunch, and the meeting was continued at 2.30 p.m. The Chief Government Whip, Mr. D. Guthrie, informal a Post reporter at the adjournment that the meeting had been most successful from a party point of view ; all small considerations were all put aside for the general good. There was solidity and unanimity throughout, and important questions were under., discussion. Amongst those present it might be mentioned, was Mr. Tau Henare, the member for the Northern Maori constituency. This fact is of interest in the lobbies because some opponents of the Government have continued to express disbelief of the Native member's intention to join the Government party even though he might vote with them upon a division. Mr. Henare's attendance at the caucus will probably serve to dispel this idea. TO-MORROW'S BUSINESS. The Loan Bill is ready for the House, and the Government is hopeful that this measure will be' put through to-morrow in time to permit a start with the "Address" debate in the evening. Otherwise this discussion will be deferred till