PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 2027, 17 September 1913, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY'S SESSION. THE COUNCIL OPPOSITION WINS STONEWALL. (Preu Allocation.— Bj Telegraph. Wellington Last Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m The Perpetual Trustees Estate and Agency Company Act Amendment Bill was read a tuird time and passed. The Land Drainage Amendment Bill was read a second time. The Public Trust Office Amendment Bill was to "the Statutes Revision Committee, and the Council adjourned at 3.E5.

THE HOUSE. In the House of Representatives after luncheon, the debate was continued. Mr Massey stated the reports desired by the* Oppositi n wee now available for members. He hopel the waste of time woul 1 now cease. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that they should report pro.ress in crier to allow members to peruse the reports, and t ;en po back into Committee. His si -e of the House would not offer any obstruction to again going into Committee. Mr Massey (Premier) said the reports tad been laid on the table of the Legislative Council at 2 30 p.m. that day. He also wanted to make a statement to the House

Sir Josepu War said that it was the first time in the? history of Parliament ti at sr.c i a proce ure as stated by the Premier had been carried out The reports shoul i not go before the Council, bat before the representatives of the pe -pie. Mr Massey repeated that the reports had been circulated, and were available for the members He stated that in 1911 w: en Sir Joseph Ward's Government was on the Treasury Benches, the reports were not laid before t e House until after the Estimates had been disposed of. He would offer to ask the Speaker to resume the c air in order that t .e reports could be lai before the House if »ie had the assurance of the Opposition that the report would not be i iscussed on presentation.

Si Joseph Ward wanted f) know when he would have an op:ortonity ot discuss the reports, He ha<i a most important statement to make oi, one of the re oits. He could not get an opportunity of doiug so because the C.airman woul pull him no. it seemed as if an attempt was being made to gag members. ALLEGED ILLEGAL PROCEDURE. Mr Massey said that what he had done had been <;oue dozens of times. Sir Joseph Ward said he tia,. received O' inions from two of the ablest lawyers in the country, w ich he i esire to place before the House. They were from Mr C. P. Skorrett, K 0 , and Sir John Fin lay, K.C. If the Prime Ministe% after hearing those opinions, woul i not report progress, he woul be taking more responsibility on his shoulders than he (Sir J se h\ would care to take.

Sir Joseph Ward, continuing, stated that the Estimates, as th«jy wera passing t em, were illegal. The Public Service Commission fixed salaries and they could not be aitere except by Act of Parliament He then quoted the opinioi s mentioned, which set out in tie terms of the Public Service Act passed last session that the Estimat< * were absolutely illegal, beaause tin J had not been br ugtit befort Parliament in the proper form, not having been prepared by the Comniisjioners as laid down in t e Act. He contendei that Parliament had no right to increase or decrease salaries except by Act of Parliament. As the law ne-ded altering it was not proper to drive ou, but to report progress and set matters right Mr Massey said t e opinion was one of very eminent lawyers and be had not taken an opinion himself bat the opinions lie »ad i eard differed from those which Sir Joseph Ward had quoted. The lawyers differed and j dges differed. The Estimates t ey were discussing wero submitted to the Parliament by t'e representatives ■ f the people f r the time being. T;.e position was exactly the same now as prior to the coming into operation of the Public Service Act. If those leal gentlemen submitted that Parliament could not reduce the Estimates as brought < own he submitted, with all due deference that theywere wrong an: he quoted from t e Constitution Act in support of his argument. It was not possible for the Public Service C.-minissiouer to submit Estimates to Parliament. The Estimates could not be bro ght into effect until the Appropriati u Act comes into law. if anyt ing was wrong it could be set right in that Act; He woul 1 take the opin ion of the Solicitor-General on the point, but he could not agree to report progress. Mr T. M. Wilfor! contended that if t>ie salaries were statutory they could not be altered by the House. The Act set out t at the Public Service Com ission "shall set out Estimates and forward them to the Govtrnor" ai*d from hicu they went to the Ministry and on to the House.

The Hon A. L Her man said the Estimates wero on account: Supplementary Estimates must te broug ,t dow'j later on

Mr Wiii'or pointed out that t'e Public Servicß salaries were paid under the Public Service Act just as judges were paid under the Civil List and never came before the House