MEMBER SUSPENDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16035, 29 September 1915, Page 4

MEMBER SUSPENDED.

INCIDENT IN HOUSE.

MR. WILFORD AND MINISTEB,

[BY COH^spo^ Wellixgtok, Toesday ' Ax interjection and a refusal _ '" Anally withdraw certain w or £ £** to Mr. T. M. Wilford. membe7fo?HJtf being suspended by the Home «T ££ tentative, to-day until the terminal this afternoon sitting. * When concluding a replv to - nM ,r asked by Mr. Wilford whether g?£ll not be better for the Government to£? ' pleWy equip the Marama instead O fT " pending upon voluntary subscription, £#: this purpose, the Minister said he woS be loth indeed to take aw £J*gi country this opportunity of making J? ' otic contributions. 5 * m *

Mr- Wflford: Dirty answer, ag am! ' ',#: Mr. Speaker: I must ask the hon. «„. tleman to withdraw that expression. U is unparliamentary. ' "3m Mr Wilford: Then I do withdraw iiM I will say uistead that thev are tvni«J H nethods of the Minister for Defence l ? t Mr. Speaker: The hon. gentleman* still not. in order. He must withdraw hi * remark unreservedly. He must withdraw bis latter remark. "»«*»-1 Mr. Wilford Declines. Mr. Wilford : I decline to do so Mr. Speaker: Then I must warn toe' Z hon. gentleman and call. upon the Prima ' Minister. *^

Mr. Massey said he regretted the incident but the ruling of Mr. Speaker had to be obeyed by every member of the House. The member for Hutt was like many other members, rather nnpeloom % occasionally bat he (Mr. Massey) hope* that he would withdraw the objectionable "-' expression. - • r.

Mr. Speaker said the member for Hot* • had made use of an expression that he'"." thought objectionable. He bad withdrawn §1 that expression but had substituted some- •": thing else for it. Mr. Speaker ordered £ that the objectionable expression should be « withdrawn «nreservedlv. iS§6

Mr. Willord : Thank you. Mr. Speaker, for the consideration yon have given me. |r I made use of the words " dirty answers "SSI on the spar of the moment and I withdrew them unreservedly. I substituted "typical " for " dirty," and I decline to witlt I draw " typical J^SS

Mr. J. T. ML Hornsby (Wairarapa): Hear, hear.

The Prim© Minister said he -was sorry B to hear the member for Wairarapa supporting the member for Hut-t. All mem. '. bers of the House felt annoyed at time*'.".'• but the right thing to do was to obey |•' Mr. Speaker. ■. Tpii||| Mr. Jennings : Not right or wrong.'-.* 5L* Hon. Members : Order! ':'«"> Mr. Jennings : I won't be in order. '?? Prime' Minister's Motion. .

Mr. Massey moved that the member for ;;. Hutt should be suspended for the remainder of that day's sitting. -'. :- Mr. Wilford withdrew from Sw|| Chamber. '- , , Mr. Witty sought to justify the stand taken up by Mr. Wilford, and asked that %£■ he punishment proposed be modified.

Mr. Hornsby said that such scenes at the possibility of such scenes w£uldl!s»jll obviated if. the Minister in replying; questions were a little less harsh sad uncompromising in his manner. •|| Sir Joseph Ward said that this was a time when private friendships in Parliament must be forgotten before the necessity of upholding the Speaker and the. rules of the House. Such a position as had arisen was most regrettable, bat the duty of the House was clear, and the Speaker , must be supported. 'Vijßelll suggested, however, that the Prime Minister modify his' resolution to provide that the House expresses regret at the attitude taken tip by the member for Hutt. or that the .member for Hutt be suspended only for that afternoon's. sitting. : There Jwwl|| very important business to 'come- before _ the House that evening, and he would not wish to see Mr. Wilford prevented from being present. The Prime Minister said that he would modify his motion to read that the member for Hutt be suspended until he with drew the words and apologised, or until the termination of that afternoon's sitting. Personally, added Mr* Massey, he did not | think certain members were justified in stating that Ministers in replying to '■': questions were not courteous. He (Mr. ' Massey) always tried to be " courteous when replying to questions not courteously put, and he did not think that 3 the Minister for Defence had been, discourteous. He could see nothing that f| could be so described in what Mr. ABmi - had said. . ,'i Mr. Hornsby: It was the innuendo. '•' The Prime Minister said he did not think there was any innuendo. r J^^lll Mr. Wilford was called in and given ~ another opportunity to withdraw his ■.->' remark. *' '•

Suspension Agreed To. .-J Mr. Wilford said he regretted that he had been placed in a position he had" " never occupied before, and he thanked the Prime Minister fcr the consideration" ' he had shown in altering the motion. ' " But I never give in when I have made ; up my mind that I am right," he said. "< "With all due respect to this House, and ;: with the greatest deference to you, sir, 'I'<i decline to withdraw the words I used." ": Mr. Wilford then left tile Chamber,-', and the Prime Minister's motion was pA. A division was called for, and the motto* was carried by 40 votes to 17. »- r t