THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1912. THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15385, 23 February 1912, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1912. THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Di-ring the progress of tlio debate on the Addrcssiu-Reply, which has now occupied three sittings of the House of Representatives, the Ministerialist have professrd a cheerful willingness to go to a division mid a profound confidence conceniin;; the result, Their gaiety lias been distinctly forced, and their confidence has been entirely assumed. The whole thing has been a mask to conceal their anxiety as to the issue of the debate. If they really believed that the result of the division would bo favourable to the Government they would, as will generally be realised, be eager to go to the vote. It' became perfectly evident yesterday that the main object of the Ministerialists at the present time is to spin the debate out. Tim first indication oi this was afforded when, obviously as a consequence of prcarrangeincnt between the Government and its followers, a considerable amount of time was ronsnmed by the Minister of Public Works in answering questions that were put without notice respecting the State water ]>ower schemes. And an additional indication was afforded later on, when, the Opposition being evidently desirous of bringing the debate to a close, the Government put up three members from its own side in succession to prolong the discussion. Now it is quite plain that tactics of this description would not have been" pursued by the Ministerialists if they had lieen as sure a.s they professed to be tlr.it the division would result in tho defeat of Mr Massey's amendment. It is indeed highly suggestive that they slvmld have resorted to them. A probable, and, we fear, the only, explanation of the prolongation of the debate by the Ministerialists is that it admits of the pulling of wires to influence the votes of member* who have been returned as Independent members or as Labour members pledged to vote against the Government. I'acked meetings are heir.,; held in some.of the district.-) that arc represented by these members, at which cut-and-dried resolutions that express the willingness of those who are present to release the members from their pledges to oppose

the Ministry aro being proposed and carried. The desperate straits to which the Government w reduced ;ire exemplilied .by the adoption ot a device of this wirt. The .meetings at which these resolutions are being passed arc certainly attended by only an insignificant fraction of all tho electors, and are probably attended in large measure by Ministerialif.ls who gavfl their support to defeated candidates at the election. It should be evident, however, that no meeting, even though it were a large and representative ■necling «{ the electors, is entitled to release a member from his plcdpes. li a memlwr wishes to he released from hi.; pledges the only honourable, course for him to adopt is to resign his seat, state his position frankly to his constituents, and submit himself to them for re-election. II would be a sorry day for the Parliament of New Zealand il it ever included many members with the easy political conscience of Mr John Payne, the.elect of l!rey Lynn, who last nijjht laboured to defend the violation of the solemn pledges lie gave prior to his election. Mr Payne, who litis apparently no small sense of this own importance, and interlarded his maiden speech with autobiographical details of no interest to the public, professrd to see in the Governor's Speech a proposal for the realisation of some crude and mysterious scheme of hit; which lw describes, as "Scheme Forty-live." And, further, lie assured the House that he saw in that speech the germs of a [wlicy that would be promulgated by the Liboral-cumdtadical-eum-Labour party of the future. But certain it is that there will be no political future for Mr John Payne, and in all the circumstances it is not to be regretted that this will be tho case. Influences, however, other than those to which we have referred seem to k> at work to procure if possiblo a temporary reprieve for the Government. The air in Wellington, we understand, is thick with rumours of the offer to certain meinliers of iiiauec-nionts of a particularly discreditable kind to secure their votes kr the Government and to cinble it to win on the decision by tho casting vote of tho Sneaker, this Ijeing apparently tli« best that it can hope for. The members of the Ministry themselves would, we arc sure, not descend to the uw of intriguing of the kind thai is alleged. Hut if all or even much or wliat is being said just now regarding the blandishments which are being employed to secure vote is true, political life in New Zealand is being shamelessly degraded.