PARLIAMENTARY NEWS AND NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14924, 23 February 1912, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS AND NOTES.

EXCITEMENT AND SUSPENSE.

THE OPPOSITION CONFIDENT. MORE MINISTERS TO RETIRE. [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, 'lhursday. One of the main characteristics of the political situation is the tenßC excitement that prevails. There is no change in the position, and there is still every indication that the Reform party will win by four votes. So far as can be ascertained there is only one member who is at all likely to break his pledges to his constitute nts. The debate is being prolonged by the Government, apparently in the hope of influencing the votes of Messrs. Atmore and Robertson, but more particularly the latter. The waste of time this afternoon over formal business, about which nobody cares an atom just now, wa3 most noticeable. The Opposition were ready and willing to take a division, but not so the Government. The Opposition did not bother to put up a speaker to reply to Mr. Russell, who spoke last evening, so Mr. Sidey followed him, and Mr. Macdonald, the Government Whip, followed Mr. Sidey. Thus there were three Gov ernment speakers in succession. The public, and members themselves, are already tired of the debate and of the suspense that is being so long drawn out, but the Gov ernment party must needs keep it going in the forlorn hope that by some means or other they can influence a couple of votes which at best would give them a win on the casting vote of the Speaker. Meantime there is a great deal of intrigue going on with a view to getting members to break their pledges, and it is even stated that bribes have been offered to induce members to change their votes, though it is not suggested that these bribes have been offered by anyone in Parliament.

The fact that both Sir Joseph Ward and the Hon. Mr. Millar are to stand down in favour of others on their side, leaves the Liberal party in a parlous plight, and it is now stated that there is a possibility of similar announcements from other Ministers. The only man whoso i name is mentioned as the new leader of ! the party is Mr. Thos. Mackenzie. The i two main features of the situation aro that i the Reform party is absolutely solid, harmonious, and enthusiastic, whereas the Government party is far from happy, and there aro on every hand signs of disrup tion in its ranks. When Mr. Macdonald, the Government Whip, to-night said the Opposition had not a majority in the country there were Opposition cries of " Take a division! Take a division!" and Mr. Massey smilingly threw the' challenge across the floor, "Let's go to the country." The Government Whip, however, evinced no eagerness to accept either challenge. The sensation of the evening was the extra ordinary speech delivered by Mr. John Payne, the new member for Grey Lynn. The opening statements about breaking his pledge must have been received with astonishment, even by his new-found friends on the Government side of the House. MEMBERS WASTE TIME. There was a deliberate attempt to waste time in the House of Representatives this afternoon, members of the Government party co-operating for some reason that was not explained to delay the resumption of the debate on Mr. Massey's no-confidence motion, and consequently to postpone the division. The sitting commenced with the usual batch of notices and then a large mimber.-*r*npapers and ordered last session were presented by the Prime Minister. One of the returns related to advances to settlers, and upon this the member for Lyttelton (Mr. Laurenson)' initiated, a debate that was continued to the point of exhaustion. Meantime the afternoon was passing, and further delay was caused by the member for Christchurch East (Mr. Davey), who asked a question regarding the hydro-electricity .scheme. The Minister for Public Works showed an unusual willingness to be communicative, and a, vigorous discussion was started upon his reply. A few minutes before four o'clock the Leader of the Opposition interrupted the presentation of a contentious point by the member for Grey Lynn (Mr. Payne), by drawing tho attention of the Speaker to a ruling by Sir Maurice O'Rorke, that, "A _ want-of-confidefice motion ia always considered to supersede every other matter until it is disposed of." Mr. Massey said it \vas quite evident that there was an intention on the part of a number of members to waste time. (Ministerial denials.} Parliament had been summoned for a specific purpose, and the people of the country wished that purpose to be fulfilled as quickly as possible. He asked whether the discussion was not out of order. Hon. R. McKenzio said it was usual for formal business to take precedence of a no-confidence debate, and he could not understand why the Leader of the Opposition now objected to that practice. The Speaker said that the rules wcto quite clear. Ho ruled that formal questions and matters could be dealt with, but no debatable matter could be introduced. Shortly afterwards the debate on tho Ad-dress-in-Reply and on Mr. Massey's amendment was resumed by Mr. Sidey (Dunedin South). It is now anticipated that the House will divido on the no-confidence motion before tho adjournment for the week-end, probably in the early hours of Saturday morning.