N.S. WALES ASSEMBLY

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 27

N.S. WALES ASSEMBLY

' AN EXCITING SCENE. SYDNEY, December 19. When Mr Wade left the Chamber yesterday the Oppositionists gathered round the Speaker's chair and hooted and shouted uncomplimentary remarks. The Speaker tried to call the Sergeant-at-Arms, but -was unable to make his voice heard above the din. The 'Minister of Mines gave him his hand, and assisted him from the chair and escorted him from the Chamber. The Oppositionists then gathered in the lobby, and as several had their coats off a free fight seemed imminent. All were wildly excited. . . A solid phalanx of Ministerialists gathered round the Speaker, and escorted Mr Willis in safety to his room. The Premier played a prominent part in preventing violence. He coolly pushed his way to the front and fosced the quarTellers apart by the exercise of his great physical powers. INCOME TAX BILL PASSED. SYDNEY, December 19. The Legislative Council passed the Income Tax Bill, which, the Government stated, would be repealed\ before long, and introduced in a different form. The House then adjourned till February. THE LAND PROBLEM. SYDNEY, December 20. Speaking at Urana, . the Minister of Lands delivered a significant warning to the big landholders. He said that the Government intended opening up the wheat lands by means of railways. If the landholders had not realised the situation, the Government had no option but to apply the screw in the Rdverina district, which was at present tied up by large estates that should support ten million people. Under a system of resumption it would take £50,000,000 to provide farms for 20,000 settlers. It was therefore evident that some other system must be adopted. THE SPEAKER AND THE GOVERNMENT. SYDNEY, December 22. The relations between the Government and the Speaker are becoming strained. Recently Mr Willis took upon himself to suspend Mr Robinson, the chief «f the Hansard staff, for alleged insubordination, and applied to the Government for an endorsement Of the suspension. This Mr M'Gowen refused. The Speaker, he said, was unable to suspend an officer without the concurrence of the President of the Legislative Council. There was a large amount of correspondence between the heads of the two Houses on the subject, and this has now been made public. It shows that the President regards Mr Robinson as a faithful and competent officer. Mr Willis also heavily fined two parliamentary messengers for alleged insubordination. His authority to do this is being questioned by the press. December 23. The action of Mr Speaker Willis in suspending Mr Robinson, chief of the Han6ard staff, has met with the combined opposition of the Labour members, many of whom are joining with the Liberals in openly denouncing the so-called "despotism " of that functionary. The peculiarity of the present position is that nobody knows exactly how to remove Mr Willis from the Speakership, the point never having arisen before. The general opinion is that the House must dissolve. December 24. At a lengthy Cabinet meeting at which Mr Willis was present the question of the Speakership was discussed. Neither the Ministers nor Mr Willis would disclose the result of the proceedings. December 25. It is believed that as a result of Satur-

day's meeting the Cabinet has given Mr Willis to understand that the present position of affairs in the Assembly must not continue.