SESSION FORMALITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21113, 22 February 1932, Page 11

SESSION FORMALITIES.

SWEARING-IN TO-MORROW.

OPENING ON WEDNESDAY.

LONG SITTING HOURS LIKELY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—O\"N" CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Sunday. Tho opening of tho special emergency session on Tuesday will mark the first meeting of the 24th Parliament. For that reason the procedure will be different from that observed at the Opening of an ordinary session anc tho formalities will bo more involved. Members are summoned to be in attendance on Tuesday, but tho official opening ceremony will not bo performed by the Governor-General. Lord Blcdisloe, un:il Wednesday afternoon.

A commission from the Legislative Council will direct t :io House of Representatives to elect its Speaker on Tuesday, and the Clerk of the House, Mr. T. D. H. Hall, will conduct 1 lie swearing-in of the 80 members.

The present Speaker, Sir Charles Statham, is already in residence at Parliament House, and Jie will receive Government nomination. His ability for tho position is beyond question, and ho will be reelected, probably with tho support of tho Labour Party, with which he is as popular as with other sections of the House. The opening of the new Parliament also necessitates the election of a chairman of committees. Mr. SI. G. Smith, Government member for New Plymouth, who was elected to this position when Mr. W. A. Bodkin resigned toward tho end of last session, will again receive Government nomination, Mid his election is assured.

On Wednesday the Governor-General will deliver tho Speech from the Throne, which is not expected to,be lengthy, as the Government is awaiting the interim report of the Economy Commission before framing the iinporiant part of its legislation.

Following tho official opening, tho House will adjourn until Thursday afternoon, when tributes will bo paid to about seven ex-members of tho Legislature who have died since the last session. On Thursday evening the Address-in-Reply will be moved by Mr. A. J. Murdoch and seconded by Mr. J. Bitchener, the two Government Whips. For some years it lias been tho practice for new members to initiate this debat;, but it has been decided to adopt, ths same course as that when the Nations! Government was in power during tho war. After tho mover and seconder have spoken the House will adjourn until the next day. It is proposed by_the Government that long sitting hours should bo observed during the session in order to push ahead with tho work as quickly as possible. Although the House will not sit next Monday it will do so ,in succeeding weeks, as is ordinarily done toward the end of the session.