THE MEMBER FOR GREY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16823, 13 April 1918, Page 6

THE MEMBER FOR GREY.

REQUEST FOR HIS RELEASE.

ATTITUDE OF PRIME MINISTER.

[BY TELEGRAPH.PBESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Friday. A I,ABont deputation waited on Mr. F. W. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward, Sir James Allen, and Mr. T. M. Wilford to-day, with a request that Private P. C. Webb be released from prison.

Mr. A. Walker, M.P., in introducing the deputation, said it represented 60,000 trade unionists.

I Mr. J. O'Brien, speaking for electors . I in (Jrey, and for the Miners' Federation, , ' presented a resolution carried at a raeet- ,; ing at Greymouth, protesting against the . I imprisonment of Private Webb, and call- >. lug upon Parliament to preserve the right "' of the member to attend to his Parlia- ' > mentary duties. According to the Crown i 'law officers, Private- Webb had commit"i ted no crime within the meaning of the 1 ; Legislature Act, and they protested most I strongly against martial authority denyI ing political expression to an electorate , of 8000 electors, backed up by the deter- ! mined effort of 20,000 industrialists, of j whom Private Webb was only the direct 1 and practical political representative and ; expression. ! Sir. Hiram Hunter, of the United I Federation of Labour, said that in a democracy Ihey. had the right to.dioose their own representative. In England members of Parliament were liable to thelaw, but they had not been conscripted, and those who had volunteered were allowed to attend Parliament. The Prime Minister : I want to know exactly what you want. Are you suggesting that he Bhould be liberated to attend the session of Parliament?

Mr. Hunter indicated that they made the latter request. The Prune Minister: Then your request means that a& soon as the session ends Private Webb would return to prison. Mr. H. E. Holland said the request he made on behalf of the Grey electors was that Private Webb should be released from prison. They emphasised he should never have been put into prison because of his objections. That destroyed intellectual method and left no alternative but physical force. The Prime Minister, in reply, said the Government was here to administer law as enacted by Parliament. The law provided for no exemption for members of Parliament. Four had gone voluntarily, with the consent and approval of their constituents. Two of these members were married men with families,. Private Webb had been called up in tho ordinary course, and his appeal had been decided by a Military Service Board. He had been given every opportunity, but when he went into camp he nad persisted in disobeying the law. and no alternative was left but for him to be tried by court-martial Did they suggest that a distinction should have j been made? |

A member of the deputation mentioned the Marist Brothers, and the Prime Minister again replied that no instructions had been given to Military Service Boards by the Government. If Webb had committed any other offence, would they have asked for his release ? In the present crisis disloyalty was the most serious offence of which any man could be guilty. » A Member: He has not been disloyal. The Prime Minister: He has refused to obey the law. This is a matter that will come before Cabinet, but no recommendation in the way suggested by you will come from me.

A Member: So much worse for yon The Prime Minister: That may" be." I am going to administer the law fairly and impartially. In reply to Mr. Walker the Prime Minister said that no opportunity could be given this session for an amendment of the Military Service Act to provide for the exemptiui of members of Parliament.