A PAINFUL SITUATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6326, 28 September 1907, Page 6

A PAINFUL SITUATION

To treat seriously the ludicrous motion moved by the member for Wairarapa on Wednesday afternoon to the effect that the “Lyttelton Times” should be held to be guilty of breach of privilege for publishing a certain paragraph which hurt the dignity of the honourable member would be to perpetrate an absurdity as ridiculous as the motion itself. Unfortunately, however, Mr Hornsby, apropos of nothing at all, used the occasion to hold up to reprobation and contumely one of his fellow members, and, furthermore, a member of his own party, the victim of a deplorable weakness which has caused infinite distress to his friends and has with reason given offence to those who are concerned for the dignity .of Parliament. We are fully impressed with the gravity of the circumstances, and are very strongly of opinion that measures should have been taken long ago for removing what has been a scandal and a reproach to the present Parliament. We do not wish to relieve the Premier from any responsibility that may rest upon him in the matter, though we can well appreciate the chivalry which prompted him to throw the cloak of his charity over a fellow member whose unfortunate failing was, with very doubtful propriety and taste, made the subject of public discussion in the House- By one member of the House, and by one only, was it in our opinion seemly that public action should have been taken in a matter of this kind—and that member is the Speaker of the House, one of whose chief responsibilities it is, we should suppose, to take whatever stops are necessary, however painful to himself and to the House, to preserve the dignity and decorum of Parliament. We should consider, however, that it showed a singular want of j"savoir faire,” either on the part of the speaker or the Premier, to proceed publicly in a matter of this kind until less extreme means had first been tried; and unless private members had urged upon the Premier the necessity of taking steps to end the soandal and had had their representations ignored, it seems singularly illadvised for any private member to have dragged the matter in on an occasion when it had no sort of relevancy to the subject under discussion. Taken thus at unawares, the Premier no doubt followed his natural instincts of generosity and loyalty in protecting, as far as that was possible, a member with whose many good points he was acquainted and whose weakness he deplored, no doubt, as much as anyone in the House. Whether the Premier is justified in disclaiming responsibility in regard to ] the morals and manners of members os exhibited in the House we cannot say We cannot suppose that it is right for him to shut his eyes. But we should hope that it Is not Impossible to save the situation in such a case as this without giving an afternoon to such a public washing of dirty linen as one or two members seemed to think it incumbent on them • to engage in on Wednesday afternoon. If the matter oould not be effectually dealt with without such an exhibition; the House certainly cannot be complimented on its resource.