THE WARD INCIDENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15132, 24 October 1912, Page 8

THE WARD INCIDENT

TWO PRECEDENT CASES. MB. BEYCE'S DRAMATIC EXIT. SIR W. RUSSELL AND MR. SEDDON. [JIT TELTOBAPH—SPECLU. COIUIESrOKDEXT.] *,- .Wejceington, Wednesday.. There have been several incidents in* the House similaih: to the one that has been. 'engaging . attention during the past., two days, but the most famous;oi these in the I annals of New Zealand Parliamentary his-, ! toiiy ■ is that which :: ended m ;the:| dramatic exit from the-House of the Hon, Mr. Bryce. ■■■:■.■' ' '-"'":' V. •Mi'. Bryce had merely.remarked,thatan. honi-member should be ashamed of.him- | self. ,These words --wer* , ruled % Sir Wtf* i Kam> Steward, who was Speaker ;at the j time, [to be unparliamentary. ! It will be | noted that the words used by Mr. Bryce J were very/much milder than those -used by Sir Joseph Ward.. Mr. Bryce;. too, .was stopped in the middle of a : sentence that he was hot flowed to finish. : He after-. wards explained that the sentence he had, in his mind was this: "The hon. member should be ashamed of himself in relyhig upon a' technicality to prevent ,an ■ inquiry into a disgraceful;charge against a member of: this House." The House, by 35 votes to 24, carried the. following motion :—'' That this House regrets .thatv the words/taken down wore used- by the hon. 'member for WaikatO;Yalthough qualified as they were by 1 tho sub- : sequent used by the hon. member. ; . Mr. Bryce, .having returned ■to th© Chamber and having been, informed, of the resolution, made brief speech, concluding with these words : • " After ;I; sleep; upon this matter I? shall consider my own posi-; taon. > I regard the censure of the House as a most grave one to me, and I shall, with yoar N peimisrion, now leave the I House. : Whether | enter it again will a* matter? for my- own consideration." Mr. Bcyce then left the _Houbj> and never entered it again, the incident closing his "Parliamentary career. ' .- 'i Anothei" well-remembered incident was I that in which Sir William Russell and the I late Mr.. Seddon were the principal aciore. 1 I Sir; William Russell had said : <J The Pre-, ! mier has deliberately said what he knows to ; be untrue." In that case the resolution, passed by ;•: 36. votes; to 26, was: "That this House expresses its ropjet that th\9 hon, member for Hawke's ; Bay lias not thought proper to withdraw the Words that have been taken;down \ and reported to, the -House by the Chairman .of . Committees." . "' 7 -■ William Russell, on bciihg called in and' hearing■ the resolution of the House, commenced a brief speech,. Very: much as I Mr. Bryce' had commenced his, but he j made, a different ending to it." ' In ex- } tenuation of my :conduct,'' .he said, "I i must add that the statements of the Right I Hon.: the Premier ' have .continually ! strained my powers,' even•'; of Parliamentary ( credence, to the; utmost ; ';to-day they i snapped.'' He went on to. say that he ndI mitted the -offence;' and idid,.not '/pretend I that the censure was undeserved. ; . '.. ■ Unlike Mr, Bryce, Sir William Russell did not take the; censure seriously. , .On i the contrary, he took it smilingly, and' had iip thought of allowuig it 'to end ; his Parliamentary; career ,- indeed, was in/his placa in. the House ' next day, and voted ottthe Old Age Pensions I Bill in committee, I