"GNASHIONAL" POLITICS

NZ Truth, Issue 539, 16 October 1915, Page 4

"GNASHIONAL" POLITICS

SOME HOARY TORY TRICKS OF THE TRADE

THE "TRIUMPH Of THE CHAIR" TROUBLE

Impeachment of Speaker Gully Recalled

When Mr. Massey was angling for a National Ministry, m order the better to secure and Insure for himself a longer term of office as Premier of God's Qwn than seemed possible were the old conditions of party warfare to continue, he promised the sceptical members of the Opposition that, the National Cabinet consummated, contentious legislation would be consigned to Coventry. "When the contemplated combination was accomplished nnd the House assembled and looked for the first time on its National Cabinet, it was indeed a sight for gods and men. Men (and women, too. aplenty) came and marvelled. The gods, so far as "Truth" is aware, discreetly stayed awaj\ There sat Bucolic Bill flanked by suave,. Sir Joseph Ward; "Rlcketty" Russell, and Hanan backed Hcrries and Allen; Myers and Mac Donald sat behind their old leader like watchful ungela seeking to guard him against the machinations of Massey; and last, but not least, the "Neroic" Herdman and the Hon. Rab MoNab, cheek by Jowl — surely an incompatible mixture indeed!

Party from that night onward was to be taboo, contentious matter contemned and Its concooters condemned and cubX without the pale of all true patriots. Dloderus tells of one Charondas, a law-giver to the Sybarites (an ancient people who sojourned m the land of the fourth party to the Quadruple Entente), who was so averse to all innovations (especially such proceeding- from particular suspect persons) that he provided a statute that whosoever proposed any alteration to be made, should mount the Rostrum and do so wilh a halter about his neck. If tho matter proposed was approved, then it became law; If It was negatived, that event was celebrated by the hanging of the proposer! To listen to Mr. Massey's cautious cooing during that first night and for a week or two following, one would have fancied that Wily William was ready to invoke just such a measure and apply it to any person m Parliament who proposed anything likely to fracture the general political peace. And so lazy Liberals were lured further into the mesh and party paralysis assured — until it suited the Baton Brigadiers to break it on behalf of the boodle brigade. And that came much sooner than even the most sceptical among the Radicals and Labor men expected.

Many Liberals, while agreeing to the coalition, were not enamorod of the turn events had taken, and were convinced that sooner or later the Mnssoylies would allow the clovenhoof to protrude overmuch. Most of thoni, however, thought that, for the sake of decency, the present short session would be allowed to pass without any attempt being made by their erstwhile opponents to ring the political changes. But a Tory for trickb, and the older the Tory the trickier he Is sure to prove. But William was watchful and wily. Ho prepared the way by giving It out that the session would bo a short one. Only business that could not possibly stand over would be brought down by Cabinet, and that dispensed with, they could all co home and tend their flocks and herds, or otherwise employ themselves: — their honorariums would bo duly forthcoming; although.. Parliament, for a longtir term than usual, would be a shut shop. Then, 1 Just In what was supposed to bo the closing week of the abort session, bill after bill, of a most particularly contentious character em* anated from the Tory side of a House m which "sides" were supposed to no longer exist. The first hint of the dog's return to Its vomit, was made manifest by the several recommendations emanating from the Committees of the House, on all of which there oro still a majority of Mausoyites. All petitions on behalf of perrons or district* or a true blue Tory color, were recommend - ed for "favorable consideration." whllo those obviously from supporters of the late Opposition were turned down with a resounding clash. Fight after fight was put up, but, as the Liberals, who are now members of the Ministry, felt that It was their duty to support the findings of Committees, apparently without regard to the merits or de. merits the same, Mossey always found himself at the he&d of a good working majority. Growing bolder from repeated successes, he, contrary to his own personal, oft repeated and unsolicited promise and pledge permitted the introduction of, and himself introduced, several contentious measures. • • ■■• • If there In one matter more contentious lhan another, it h too question of leasehold versus freehold. Not less that three measures having for their purpose tbo partioe with the foe simple by thu Ktuto of land In various parts of tho Dominion, wore brought down last week, Only by the most lynx-eyed watchfulness, able organising and husbanding of \ ho opposing fortes were the iniquitous intonUonn of these measures exposed und tho full and foul finnoodllng of the freehold fleecers fruatmted. Ono bill dealt -with the. endowment Uvn4» of the wild wet West Coast, another w}th tho reftcrvca of tho township of Inglowood. and tho third with the To Aroha township «•<;■ llano. Tho greedy, gloating ayoti of tho Itvnd h bar km huvn boon rU'ottod upon thvtte delectable domain* for somo time. These gentry hoped to uecuro the Inglewood reserve* and divort the money accruing iberofro )» for ih«» relief of the rates. Battdo tills they expected to "wtrlk« llo" In v. double HOiiae. Tho Hwdlcal and Labor members wora able to extract v sutauuitUl compromise on iho West Con*'. *t\<X Inglowood mott&urt'H lwfor<« thcio finally puaatvl tho House: while (tpy compell*

pany. but -OwinbUt" llkou iho. idea. For oho thlntf. th<« r.O. HtivluicK bank PAYS INTBRBHT rpQ.V T»B DEPOSITS. The umoimi Ivtt In clmrKu of the SUito In £<517 i«h 3d. nn«l accrued Interest thereon wobanwio 1:1s 7« I id. To chow iho contract: tho company had £1721 »t Us credit In tho Hank of Now Zeultind nt Ma»t«rton. und on thl* Hem thi-r« U no accrued Intercut whatever. The prorti und lo*a account «thow« ihtU after paylntr working- expeimei* (which »ro very h«-avy). £$700 wan mode t*r i«« V****. Houifhly, ll took half "f ihr turning* to pay th«» t>xlH>n*»'». Of iho profits, £3760 went In dividend*: £1900 w«» written «ff th" old claim. whH« UIOSO lv <thc amount carried forward to n«w uccount. J'a>*> jnif for tho n<?w <!r«<1««, nnd oponlnK »)»<> n«sw claim will xnkv most of th<> mon«y In hand. I'nlM* tho gold I* found m paying quanutl^n, It would not Ift-H« lone »•> foiiw to a flnlnh. It J* ?t> b<> huprd that «ood luck will bo (he* vordlct for tho future Thr rompft.ii>' ha* lo {w»y £J2.C00 back to nhrti-pholder*. And that 14 a large turn to dr^dgv from

ed the Government to withdraw the To Aroha Steal for, at least the present session. •♦' " . • This exhibition of avatisJi on the part of Premier Massey is but helping to hasten that develo'pmaot m th« House which "Truth" forecasted a few weeks ago. There la now no doubt whatever that a new Opposition Is about to be born. Whether it -will prove to bo Btill-born or a goodly child very much alive and kicking, is appropriately enough still on the lap of tho gods, but this will become more clour should the session be prolonged, and all the best men m the Liberal Party, together with all the Laboi; men aro m It, and, It Is likely also to include one of the Masseyites. After listening to the opinions expressed by Dr, Newman during the present session, 'Truth" is at a loss to understand how on earth he strayed into the Masseyito wimp, or having got there, how he naa been allowed to remain m it so long,, even If he did not hlm&elf desire to get out, and into a party whose political opinions were more m harmony with Ms own. * • •' Of course, m the eyes of certain pointers on the Plute press, tho polU tical truce has been a hollow mnkebelieye from the first. This was made palpably and painfully plain by the wny certain "patriotic" penpu&hcrs lit the Press gallery laid themselves out <o misrepresent, belittle and bewmiroh certain members of the House. Mr. Wllford, who has perfected hlmse.lt so In the art of "hecklin* " as ta nhnbit pass I for a Scotsman, Hornsby, WittY, Dr. Thacker and the whole job lot of Labor i members havo been denounced severally and collectively, if not as antl- | patriots, at least, as non-pitrlots. All tho subtlety of which the English lan- ; guage is capable, has been used to make them each and all appear In tho worst possible light. Thsir opposition to the tricky tactics of the Tory Pre-' mler was held up as an evidence of disloyalty. When the Inglewood Steal was before tlio House Dr. ThaCker, playfully referred to tho land owners of Turanakt as "fat and greasy citizens." There was ,a howl of resentment from the Tories, and Mr. Malcolm chairman of oonmlt- | tee, called upon Dr. Thacker to withdraw and apologise. The genial medico was so upset at the storm his facetlousness had raised, that he almost believed he had been very, very naughty, and ho had a somewhat scared look on his face vh«n he rose to reply to the chairman. There were orios of "withdraw! withdraw I" and counter cries not to do so. The mo. tuent of respite these gave the member for Chrlatchurch East, enabled htm to "come to himself," and so ho said he j would withdraw, but, added tlrmly, "1 will not apologise." Mr. Malcolm sum - i tnoned tho Speaker and reported the . Hon. gontlomnn to the House, Mr. Massey suggested that the Dr. express regret, and Dr. Thackor. who had used the Shakcsperian phrase, merely m fun. said ho would withdraw, and he regretted If his words had oaased any member opposite to feel hurt, but h» could not apologise. Tho> Speaker vory tactfully replied, saying that to oxpres* regret was to apologise, tho matter was then closed. : • • • . This Incident, and the similar one the i week previous, when Mr. Wiltonl «r«» suspended, together with tho statement made by the Premier, 03 both occasions, that "the Choir must bo obeyed, whether right or wrong," called In. British Parliamentary circles the "triumph of the Choir," has bro tght back to '"Truth's" mind the impeachment of Speaker Gully m the House of Commons by tho Irish Parry a goodly number of years ago. The House waa packed and the excitement waa even more tense than when Parliament la opened by the Sovereign m person. Kelr Hurdle's good grey hood was con- • splcuous on the extreme loft Mister John Mooney. the young representative of County Dublin, S., In a temperate, but forceful manner, moved tho vote of censure on the Speaker. John Redmond seconded, and his effort was as flue a pieoe of clear and logical oratory aa ever has booa delivered within the walls of Westminster. Bilfeur and Bannerraon defended Speaker Qnlly, Baliour In cobwebby dialectics, and . Baanerman In a hoif*hoartud ym*oo manner. Then several Irishmen emptied the viola of their righteous wrath on tho Speaker's be-wlgged bead, but neither Tory nor Liberal rose to retaliate. At last John Dillon rose and drove the nail of censttro home. No goch vote of censure had baen moved In the British House of Common* for over a hundred yeara. The Liberate remained mute: the Tory howls gradually died away an one by oao tfwy foU undor tho spell of Dillon'* ntwn and tnorolloss eloquenoe. Hla voice ran* with a burning Indignation aa bo concluded: ' No drilled and whipped majorityvote can twicuro tho triumph of tho ! Chair. Tho triumph of tho Chair I consists not m commanding tho conndenco of nny majority, how.' over great, *>ut 1» «n»urlnfl tho eon* \ lldonco of tho onwlleut rolnprlty In this Mouao— thuit Is tbo truo triumph of the Choir, a triumph no votu cuu compel this Qvaaing. When Dillon ceased, there worn loud orW of "Chamberlain," "Jo©" (It was "Joy" who had caused tho trouble), but the mombor for Went Birmingham did not deign to rise, but sat with a face unusually pallid, Uko tho mask of death, clone drawn, tuition. livid. Tnore wore no other Bpeokont and tlio division was token, whon sixty- throo m«mbers of tho Uousfl guvo it an thair deliberate conviction that they h/»ci no confldenco m Mr. Bp<sftk«r Quily. Ktftyseven of tho Hlxty-throe woro Irbjhmen. tho other bAlf-do*«n constated of throo Liberals nnd three Labor mom Bryn Roberts, Corrlo Grant and MAritham. Hnrt John «urn#, Waltor Cromw, oad Koir Hartllo,

"Why dod«o the Truth?" wm iho intorrogativo ero««h*«id to a polltiOAl article In n mornlnsr contemporary lii«> ■ other day. Thafu nn c«*y on«, Bo- ■ cuu»« Maiwoy und hi* monltom know 1 that If be could dodgw "Tmth/ 1 mo« of th* clclaon* of NVw S^eaiand would ronuUn lenornnt of th» d«>p laid BchemcM he hiut bfen «p lo In the clouinp dayii of thi? parJuunoatAry ««#«ion. An Kn«H<»hm»n dropped Into aSeoUhyt«?rlnn kirk for tho rtrm ttme Jum a/tor lh« MSnUt^r had not undtr «cay with th# ##rmon. Afl«r About throe«iu»rt«»rii of an hour, ht> htgnti to ftdycL I^jtnlng «»v«r to «!»<• whl4«7.hAJrmil man at hi« *Ul*, «*vid«Mly an old m«m!«,r ot th<j c»j»i<rr^«»t<on. hi» whinprT^d— "How long im« htt h*?"n prvachtntf?" "Thfriy or forty ycurn, I think," tho old man «n*w«rr*d. "I don't know exactly." "I'll flay than" decided the airtuifaß ~U« mwit b« o««rty 4o&« bow."