THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 168, 1 July 1912, Page 5

THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

LATEST FROM WELLINGTON

[BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL.]

(Own Correspondent). AVellington, July 1. The Address-in-Reply debate, on the result of which the fate of the present Administration hangs, will be commenced in the House at 6.30 p.m. to-morrow. In the afternoon members will be occupied with miscellaneous business, and there will be little interest taken in the proceedings. It will be merely a question of a " talking-out ” session as a preliminary to the more serious business of the evening. The first speech after the dinner adjournment will be delivered by Mr. McCallum (Wairau), who will move the customary motion " That a respectful address be presented to His Excellency in reply to His Excellency’s Speech from the Throne.”

This will be seconded by Air. Vigor Brown. Each member is allowed an hour, and if the mover and seconder occupy the full time the supper adjournment will be taken as soon as Mr. Brown concludes his address. Mr. Massey will be the third speaker, and he should be on his feet at 10 p.m., and Mr. Alackenzie will follow.

As far as can be gathered, the Opposition prospects of winning are still exception ally bright.

PERSONALISING THE PRESS

The Legislative Amendment Bill introduced by Air. Hindmarsh, ALP. for Wellington South, provides that all political paragraphs and articles published during an election campaign shall be signed by the writer, who must state Iris occupation and address. The Bill will be modelled on the Commonwealth Act which recently came into force, and which has been most adversely criticised by the whole of the Australian press. AT SIXES AND SEVENS. A caucus of the Government party was reported to have been called for Saturday, but it did not eventuate. It is likely that the Government thought of convening the caucus, and then thought better of it, as it is a matter of fact that the “ Liberal ” Party is at sixes and sevens. One of Air- .Mackenzie’s leading supporters informed a reporter on Saturday that, so far as he knew, no caucus of the party would be summoned prior to the no-confidence division. The members of the party who attended the caucus in March last, he said, bad indicated their approval of their leader and a* certain course of action. If members had since changed their minds, that was their own affair. Government would go ahead and accept the decision of the House.

The latest report however, states that a Government caucus will be held this week.

BOTH SIDES CONFIDENT.

LATEST OPINIONS.

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL.] (Own Correspondent.) Wellington, July 1. So far the Cabinet does not contemplate holding a caucus of the Golernment party, evidently considering the pledges of loyalty given by the members at the conference in Alarch last still hold good. Both sides are confident of success at the first division, particularly the Opposition. Intriguing is going on among the ranks of the Government party but it appears that whichever side, wins the verdict can only be obtained by a small majority, and subsequent developments will probably be far more interesting. PLANS THAT ARE VAIN. Experienced politicians declare that more intriguing and wire pullling are going on at the present time than ever before in the history of the New Zealand Parliament. Mr Massey and his party arc not responsible produce of disturbed politics. They stand together loyally, listen, and say nothing, says a Wellington correspondent. . One of the proposals which I emanates from disappointed mem-1 bers who have no hope of gaining ! their ends by ordinary straightfor-i ward methods is to let the Macken- i z'e Govermm nt win by a bare majority, ami on the casting vote, of I the Speaker, if possible, and then ■, to sav to Air. Alackenzie. as head of' the Coo eminent. "You cannot possibly carry on ; you must resign and I give other men a chance.” Then, i as the proposal runs, a new Cabinet! will be formed including such, men I as Air. AVilford, Sir James Carroll.! Air. Myers, and having among its j supporters several members of the | Reform Party. Such a combination. ; it has been urged, would he able to set the Labour members at defiance.

Another proposal of the same character is to let Mr. Massey win by one or two votes, and then take up a similar position with regard to him. Mr. Massey and Mr. Mackenzie being provided for by being given in one case the leadership of the Legislative Council and in the other the High Comniissionership. It is a fact that members of the Reform party have been approached with proposals of this kind, but needless to say they smiled and said nothing. It is significant that in these proposals there is no mention of Sir Joseph Ward, although there is no doubt that, he aspires to be in the running for the party leadership. The underground work of these political intriguers appears to bo doomed from its inception, but it. shows to what desperate straits the remnants of the so-called Liberal party are reduced.