NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14925, 24 February 1912, Page 8

NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

UNEXPECTEDLY INTERRUPTED MORE ABOUT BLACK PAMPHLET. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL COIUIESrOXDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The debate on tho no-confidence motion proposed by the Leader of the Opposition was resumed this afternoon,. Threequarters of an hour was occupied with formal business, and it was again necessary for Mr. Massey to appeal to the Speaker to rule against a discussion that threatened a postponement of the debate on the no-confidence motion. Tho first speaker was Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North). He raid one reason why he could not remain silent was that a member of that House had been most cruelly and malignantly slandered. The Reform party had gone about the country creating a specie:; of " Wardphobia." Ho accepted, without' reservation, the statement of members of the Opposition that they had not themselves been guilty of the "shameful charges hurled against Sir Joseph Ward, hut while they might make this plea with nil truthfulness this did not free them from all responsibility in connection with the matter. He knew that sectarian bias was being used in his own electorate. The statement had been made that Sir Joseph Ward had lent the Catholic Cathedral authorities £10,000 without interest. Mr. Isitt admitted that there wore some actions on the part of the Government that he could not approve. There was the Dreadnought, He condemned not only the gift, but the manner of giving it. As to the title, he believed that the only aristocracy was the aristocracy of brains and of character, but if tho Prime Minister accepted the appendage ho really had done nobody very much harm. Mr. Isitt strongly condemned the Government for the initiation of compulsory military training, and continued with a wordy tirade against tho Reform party. Towards the conclusion of his speech he referred to tho hard work the Prime Minister had to undertake after he came back from England with a boil on the back of his neck as big as a pigeon's egg, and a heavy cold. He wanted to see the Prime Minister one day at 4.30 p.m., and was told "for pity's sake leave the man alone, he has had nothing to eat or drink since this morning." He charged Mr. James Allen with having in his criticism of the Budget, talked of Sir Joseph Ward as if he were a criminal. Mr. W. 11. D. Bell (Wellington Suburbs) said members had been summoned not to debate the issue but to vote upon it. He did not think the country expected any speeches beyond those of tho leaders of the two parties, and if the result of the debate was to be such speeches as that of the member for Grey Lynn, that debate was serving no useful purpose. Mr. Bell devoted his speech to an explanation of remarks made by him in a campaign speech, which was the subject of a debate in the House last session. Objection had been taken to the use of the words "pickings" and "jobbery" in connection with loan flotations. Members had interpreted these terms as an attack, upon the Government, the Prime Minister, or the Agent-General, but Mr. Bell clearly explained that he had intended no such attack.

Sir Joseph Ward said he acquitted Mr. Bell personally in every possible way of the impression created by his remarks at the time. But an unfair impression was created in the public mind. In spite of the fact that he had furnished information regarding the five million loan at the earliest possible moment, there hod been a general impression at the last election that he had deliberately withheld information about the loan for an ulterior purpose. Referring to a debate of last session, Sir Joseph Ward said he had not then referred to Mr. Bell, but to members who were present. Mr. Massey interjected " Black pamphlet charges." ' --. . . " . ■ Sir Joseph Ward said "that if he raised the question of the pamphlet again he would do it outside the House. He was in a position to compel a man to commit perjury or admit his complicity. Mr. Massey said he also had become possessed of information, and that the man who supplied it had said he would send the same thing to the Prime Minister.

Sir Joseph Ward replied that he had had information from two sources, and ho could name the man who was responsible.

Mr. Massey: So can I. '■ Sir Joseph Ward' denied that he had said the man responsible for the pamphlet was a member of the Opposition in the House, but he said now that a strong supporter of the Opposition had prepared and supplied information for the pamphlet.

Mr. Massey: He . was not an Oppositionist at all.

Sir Joseph Ward: Then you have not got the information that I have got. Mr. Massey repeated that the Prime Minister was wrong in attributing the pamphlet to an Oppositionist. The Prime Minister: I am not wrong. Mr. Fisher: Why do you not name him ?

The Prime Minister retorted that he knew what ho ought to do, and would do it. He was not romancing. He had the whole thing in black and white, arid could put one or two men in gaol in connection with it.. He had never intended to refer to the matter again, because even his opponents looked upon it as such a cowardly, contemptible thing that no action on his part was necessary. MR. ROBERTSON'S VOTE. MAY BE FOR GOVERNMENT. The no-confidence debate has been interrupted by a debate on Mr. Payne's privilege motion. Mr. , Robertson, "it is understood is now practically certain to change his attitude towards the parties, but so far Messrs. Veitch and Atmore have not given any definite indication as to how they will vote. MR. BROWN APOLOGISES. EXPLANATION ACCEPTED. During the debate last evening remarks were made by Mr. Brown (Napier) against which the member for Hawke's Bay made a strong protest, as he considered thorn an unjustified reflection on his late father, and on himself. This afternoon Mr. Brown,- in a personal explanation, said he had no intention of making a personal attack. He paid a warm tribute to the character of the late Mr. Campbell, whom, lie said, he knew personally. Mr. Brown added that ho accepted Mr. Campbell's statement that his estate had not been returned under different names to escape the land tax. Mr. Campbell replied that he accepted the explanation. In his opinion the attack had been made owing to ignorance. Mr. Brown had talked of matters about which he knew nothing. WORKERS AND THEIR MEMBER. A NEW PLYMOUTH RESOLUTION. tBT TELKGBArH. —I'RESS ASSOCIATION. J New PtmctfTH, Friday. At a representative meeting of workers in the Town Hall a resolution was carried, by which the Labour representatives of Parliament were respectfully called on to support the Liberal party's humane programme by supporting Sir Joseph Ward in the no-confidence motion.