TORIES EXPOSED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8588, 26 November 1913, Page 6

TORIES EXPOSED

In view of the astonishing and unwarranted manner in which the Chairman of Committees, Mr Malcolm, abused his high position on Tuesday night, by preventing representatives of the people from expressing their opinions concerning a most important change in tho electoral law of the land, it ! is interesting to recall tho history and circumstances of a stonewall conducted by the Massey party—the party to which Mr Malcolm owes tho position that he hab degraded. In X909-—only four years ago—-the Tory party, then appropriately in Opposition, so obstructed a single item on the Supplementary Estimates that the House had to reassemble after Christmas. The item was £4OO for financial adviser to the 'Government in London. The main subject of objection was no doubt the fact that the advisor was Mr W. P. Reeves, who in days gone by took a worthy and prominent part in destroying for over the one-timo dominant power of the Conservatives. Mr Massey complained most volubly, and started a stonewall that lasted thirty hours. Thirty hours on lour words, compared with the recent Liberal blockade of fifty hours on a hill of two clauses. Was there no “irrelevancy” then? WVsre the Tories guilty of none of those “tedious repetitions” concerning which we have lately heard such a storm of wrath and indignation from those intent upon defeating the popular wall? Let us see. The following is a record of the actual programme, of the motiocos moved and their fate:—

Mr Massey moved to reduce the item (£400). by £399. —Lost on division by 18 votes to 27. Mr Allen moved to reduce by £398. — Lost by 18 to 27. Mr Maeeey moved to reduce by £397. Lost by 19 to 26. Mr Dive moved to reduce by £396. Lost, by 16 to 25. Mr Dive moved to reduce by £395. Mr Horries moved to report progress.— Lost by 12 to 29. Mr Dive’s motion lost by 17 to 26. Mr Horries moved to report progress.— Lost by 12 to 28. Mr Dive moved to reduce by £394. Mr Anderson moved to report progress. • Lost by 10 to 38. Mr Dive’s motion lost by 9 to 37. Mr B. H. Rhodes moved to report progress.—Lost by 9 to 37. Mr Phillips moved to reduce by £394. Here the question was raised as to whether such a series of amendments was in order. The Chairman of Committees did not try to stifle discussion, to close the mouths of the Opposition, to gag representatives of tho people by an arbitrary exercise of authority. He ruled the amendments in order—. and was upheld by the Speaker. But to resume the record: — Mr Phillips’s motion lost by 11 to 33. Mr Herries moved to report progress.— Negatived. Mx Massey moved to reduce by £392. Amendment withdrawn. Mr Massey moved to reduce by £l. Lost by 27 to 38. There is the record of the party that now has the impertinence to talk about tedious repetition. The record of the Liberals then in power is that the right of free speech was maintained and protected. The Chairman did not use the guillotine, although the provocation existed in a far greater degree than on this latest occasion, for, as we have said, the Tories spent thirty hours over one lino on the Estimates, whereas the Liberals were but fifty hoars on a measure of two clauses, on material far greater than was at the disposal of the Tories in thoir stonewall —their performance of “tedious repetition” and “deliberate obstruction.”