OUR MELBOURNE LETTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2882, 16 June 1909, Page 58

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER

iFfIOM OXTB OWK COBEBSPOHDENT.) MELBOURNE, Juno 2. The Fisher Ministry, after a" six months' fceiiure of office on sufferance, has "gone down." As soon as the various sections of the Opposition agreed on a basi8 v of fusion last week, a combined meeting was held and Mr Deakih was elected leader. Mr Reid proposed Mr Joseph Cook, but Mr Cook asked iinat his name be with*drfi.wn and he himself proposed Mr Deakin, who was unanimously elected. Immediately Mr Deakin wrote a polite note to Mar Fisher announcing that his party would no Iqnger supjport the Ministry. That was to fiever the string by which, the Fisher 'Ministry was suspended precariously in office. When the House met on Thursday Mr Deakin continued the debate on the 'Address-in-Reply. He said frankly that the Governor's Speech was intended more for the hustings than for Parliament, and it .would not be profitable to discuss it. A debate on the issues raised in the Speech, he declared, would 'be futile, and withdn 10 minutes he sat down. Mr Fisher followed in a fiery speech in which he condemned fusion as " absolutely immoral.'.'. But the thing whdqh appeared to be troubling Mr Ksher most was the fact that the fall of the* Ministry meant titoe cancellation of Senator Pearoe's selection to represent -the Oommonweal'th at the Naval Conference in London. Rumour has it that the berth for [London had actually been, booked by the Minister ior Defence. Mr Fisher almost appealed to Mr Deakin to know whether lie objected to Senator Pearce representing the Commonwealth. Mr Deakdn said he bad no objection -to Senator Pearce, but fee objected to a Government in & minority' sending representatives anywhere. " It was. in vain that Mr lusher 'pleaded thai the conference was not for party purposes. Mr Deakin refused to recede from his point. ■.When Mr Fisher resumed Mr Kelly, on© of tihe younger bloods of the Opposition, moved the adjournanent of the debate. This .was the method adopted for defeating the Ministry. There were loud ories of " gag " and " closure, " but the motion was put and cannied by 39 to 30. The only outside members who voted- with the Labour party were Sir William Lyne, Mr "Chanter (New South Wales), Mr Wise (Victoria), and Mr Starrer (Tasmania). Mr Fisher announced that he took the vote as a motion of no oonfidenoa, end moved the adjournment of the House. The -debate on this subject lasted until 11 o'clock, and was then agreed to. THE PERSONAL ELEMENT. A featuie of the debate was the extraordinary outburst of Sir William Lyne. He .was against the fusion proposals from the outset, for Hhe reason that if Sir William Lyne faae not a tariff discussion on which to. feed he has nothing left to sustain his political life. And the fusion of - parties means a-fiseal truce. When Mr Deakin vo&o to qpeak Sir William's pent-up feelings bwßb ou6. " Judas ! Judas ! Judas ! " he shouted at the top of his voice, until called to order by the Speaker. Previously he , had announced that not only politically, i>ut personally, were_the old ties severed. ; 'He 'never wished to take the hand of his \ old leader again. When, later, he got «n opportunity of speaking he alternated between a fiery 'but almost incoherent attack on Mr Deakin, and emotional refer- , epoes to tihe -part, which • brought him to th© Teirge of .tears. "In my long political Kfe,f he said, " I never sold a colleague ; I never sold my principles. I would rather cut >ny tongue out; I would -rather cut off any hand; I would rather lose my seat 50 times and go down with honour than live in politics and. history with dishonour." On one occasion Mr Redd likened Sir iWilliam Lyne to the " rogue elephant*!' ' of his (party. On this occasion he very mniah resembled the angry elephant in his fury. Another fiery outburst was made by Mr Hughes, the- -mtgoing Attorney-general. He too devoted all his invective to Mr Dea'kin, saying- that he had betrayed everyone .who trusted him, and had been true to no politicd party but himself. "He has always borne a, reputation for politeness, generosity, and fair play," the AttorncygeneraJ said, " which, I regret, to say, an examination of his career would hardly justify. I have , heard,!' he continued, - from this side of the. House some ories Of 'Jnd«a.'." "Order!" called the Speaker, tor -Sir William Lyne bad been compelled to withdraw the remark. "It is. not fair," {interjected an hon. member. " I say it is not if^T"* 0 J * w^ 3 '" Continued Mr "Hughes. -There is thi« to be. said for Judas, that «« did not betray the Man he gagged, nor aid he afterwards fail to hang himself." SEEKING A DISSOLUTION. Hia, House adjourned on Friday, fclr Fisher wanted on the Governor-general tuid reported to him the situation. He rotted that the Cabinet had decided to ask for » dsssolution, and asked his Excellency, J^por© deciding the point, to await a writfe» memorandum that was being drawn up b} the Attorney-general setting out the gfrwons why a. dissolution should be granted. U\hsß Lord Dudley agreed to do. The «Traation was similar in some respects towwt in the State Parliament when an adverse -vote against the Bent Ministry was carried. There was this difference, however, that while two distinct parties having nothing in common voted against the Bent Ministry, the party which voted against .Mr Fisher had been welded into unity. Sir Thomas Gibson Garmichael was roundly trttabked for conceding a dissolution to Sir iOhomas Bent, and Lord Dudley had less ground, for the reasons stated, for giving o, dissolution to Mr Fisher. However, his awaited the written statement. *nd asked- time to consider it. Yesterday he informed Mr Fisher that he could not JJonsent to a dissolution. Mr Fisher, therefare, resigned, and advised that Mr Deakin .be sent for. Mr Deakin at once under"4cok to form a Cabinet. THE DREADNOUGHT QUESTION. When the proposal to present a Dreadnought was first mooted i* had the advanVuge of a whole-hearted backing from all bhe .leading- papers .in the Commonwealth, ta great deal of factitious enthusiasm on if of the movement wsas worked up in country. But Mr Fisher refused to c from his attitude in favour of his defence proposals. All the other political parties in the House pronounced in l&vour of the Dreadnought, and it was said Vhut when the House met, the Ministry

I would be instantly defeated on the question; In the meantime the fusion wias brought about, and when it came to displacing the Ministry, that was done by a vote which simply took the conduct of business out 6'f. Ministers' hands, but did not directly challenge them. Not one word .was said of a Dreadnought. Why this change of front, and this failure to challenge the Government on a clear-cut question of policy? Well, there is no disguising the faot that in spite of the newspaper Wook headings, the proposal met with a great deal of deepseated opposition, which did not find prominence in the press. Had the Government been defeated on the question, tihe new Ministry would have beefi committed to it, and members had meantime come to ese that the cry would not have been, a good one on which to go *o the country. It is easy to brand those opposed to the pr3ieot as - disloyalists or migrates, but the fact is that a great body" of solid thought, with no taint of disloyalty, is strongly of opinion that no better service can be rendered' to -the Mot/her Country than by preparing for our own defence. This view has been voiced in the Old Country by no less influential a journal than The Times, and; by /?reat naval and military experts. DEATH OF MR T. PRICE. Much reigret has-been occasioned in political circles - throughout Australia, by the death, at the age of 57, of Mr Thomas Price, the Prime Minister of South Aus : tralia since 1905. Mr Price was the first Labour member- in Autralia to hold for any term worth mentioning the position of Prime Minister. He was bom in Wales, and followed has father in the occupation of a stone cutter. In 1883 he was threatened with a lung trouble, the scourge of his trade, and, on medical advice, he sought the more congenial climate of Australia. It is rather curious that his first important job in Adelaide was on the Houses of Parliament then being built. He always took' a keen interest in the Labour movement, and in the early 90's he was elected 1 to ,tho State Parliament. He enjoyed good health and a great personal popularity in Parliament until- 19C6, after he had attained to the Premierehip. In October of- that year, after delivering a policy speech, he broke down, and was ordered a lorag rest. At the befjinninff of last year he went to the Old Country fl s representative of the Franco-British Exhibition, though really at the request of his colleagues to have a rest. However, he was too active temperamentally to rest much, and ho was not greatly benefited on his return. The nature of his last illness was not definitely stated, but ; from the fact that" he has latterly lived in a tent in the mountains it is assumed that his old trouble re-ourrad. Mr Price .was a prominent Methodist and temperance ' advocate ' ' " " In the midst of the political excitement in the House of Representatives yesterday .party feuds were forgotten, while the Prime " Minister ' 'moved that the. House place; on- record ■" its' feeiin«r- of profound 'regret" at the death, of Mr Price.. The j motion, was seconded by Mr Deakin, and !.supi>orted by the Speaker (Sir Frederick j. Holder), who spoke' as an old colkajyue of the deceased Prime Minister. Mr Fisher, too. spoke under emotion, for, as he said, he had had a personal acquaintance with the deceased gentleman for a number of years, and 4 , had been peirsonally andi politicailv associated with him. Numberless messages of sympathy have been received by Mrs Price, including one from the Governor, who enclosed a message tco late from the Earl "of Crewe expressing regret that Mr Price had been compel lod to lay down the reins of -office.- Lady Dudley also sent a message of sym.pa.thv. OLD TRAGEDY REVIVED. An old sensation ha 6 been revived by the application of Richard Denis Meagher in Sydney to be reinstated on the- roll of solicitors. Meagher was connected with the Dean case in Sydney about a dozein years a,go. Dean 3 was charged with having poisoned his wife, and his trial oreated an immense sensation. He was convicted before Mr Justice Windeyer, who was hostile to him throughout, and said, in passing sentence that he was as cure Dean was guilty as if he had seen him doing the_- deed. However, the public was not satisfied, and a Royal Oomimiiesion was apI pointed, and it recommended Dean's re- . lease. But it so happened that Dean had I admitted to Meagher, his solicitor, that he was jjuHty, -and Meaeher admitted to Sir Julian Solomons that he had made the confession, and Sir Julian considered it, his duty to inform the Chief Justice, but as Dean had been .pardoned he could no longer be punished for the main crime. However, he was tried for perjury, and sentenced to a lonjr term in gaol. Meagher had attacked both Sir Julian Solomons and/ Sir Willianj Windeyer, and his name was as a consequence removed from the roll of solicitors. About 190* Meagher moved for his reinstatement, and he repeated his application in 1906. He- was then practically told that if he continued an exemplary life, end) if he apologised to the represeiratatives of Sir William Windeyer and Sir Julian Salomons, the court would later consider favourably an application for reinstatement. The application was renewed on Monday last, when Mr G. H. Reid appeared for Meagher. Mr Acting Chief Justice Simpson asked whether the apologies, as suggested bv_J3ir Frederick rVn'Jey, hod over | been made. Mr Reid said he und«d-stood they had been, but at anyratc th«n- would be. They were published on the following morning, and the Aotinv Chief Justice I Faid he \w».s satisfied with t^m. Mr Shand, I for the Law said +bey had no j vindictive fe?lin<rs a^ain^t M<?a.?her, but I they thought, in view of the offences he • bn«i eomimitfrerl. the profee&icm r>u«rht not to be expected io mix up with him. The jud'zes seemed all to be of opinion that a practical promife was mad/* to Meaaher in 3904, and tho-r o'v?ht not to ro'back on it. However, Mr S-handi wns still areirinisr ao-ainst the rcadmission when the court adjourned.