MR PAYNE SUSPENDED

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 81

MR PAYNE SUSPENDED

REFUSAL TO WITHDRAW WORDS USED. ADVICE FROM THE SPEAKER. (Feom Oub Own Coeeespondent.) WELLINGTON, Judy 7. The incident- in which Mr John Payne, member for Grey Lynn, was chiefly concerned occupied the attention of the House of Representatives for a few moments this afternoon. During the no-confidence debate on Friday night Mr Payne, referring to the Prime Minister, said “he sits there by bribery and corruption.” Mr Payne refused to withdraw the words, and, on the motion of the Prime Minister, they wore ‘taken down.” Mr Payne, at the Speaker s direction, withdrew from the Chamber, and Mr Massey moved that the member sJor Grey Lynn be suspended for the remainder of that day’s sitting. Mr Massey agreed, however, at the request of several Opposition members, to withdraw his motion for the time being, and to give Mr Payne another opportunity of -withdrawing the words. Mr Payne had left the precincts of the House, and therefore could not be found, and the matter was adjourned until to-day, when the House, assembled, wi't.h. full galleries , . The Speaker, in reopening the subject, explained the position .to Mr Payne, and asked him if he was prepared to withdraw the words. Mr Payne: I want it to bo clearly understood that my words had no personal reference to Mr Massey as a private member of the House. , ~ The Speaker: I think the honourable member should withdraw the words first 1 referred to the Government.” Mr Payne: I wish to have another opportunity of explaining myself. My remarks ■ referred to the Government, and to Mr Massey as the head of the Government. Tho Speaker again informed Mr Payne that he must in the first instance withdraw his words, and withdraw them unreservedly. Mr Payne: I am quite aware of the fact that the honour and dignity of this House must be upheld. At the same time —— The Speaker again directed Mr Payne that before making any other remarks he must withdraw the words.

Mr Payne; Under the circumstances you leave me no alternative but to unreservedly refuse to withdraw the'words. I have made myself clear on the point as to what my words meant. X meant no personal reflection on the Prime Minister personally; I applied the words to the Government. The Speaker: I understand the honourable member refuses to withdraw the words ? , Mr Payne: With all due respect to the Chair, Sir, absolutely I refuse. ADVICE FROM SIR JOSEPH WARD. The Leader of the Opposition (Sir Joseph Ward) said he thought the member , for Grey Lynn would be well advised to withdraw the words. “I say so,” he continued, “because if the words ‘ he sits there ,’ are intended to have a personal application to the Prime Minister, then I think there is no hon. member of the Hmtse who could uphold a personal application of that kind. Mr Massey; Or political. Sir Joseph Ward: If a charge, is made ao-ainst a Government, that is quite a different thing, and there is a proper way of doing it; but I want to say to the non. member for Grey Lynn that he must withdraw the words, which are bound to be taken by the House in exactly the way in which they are spoken, and not as he meant them to apply. The hon. member will see that the words have a personal application, and I would recommend him to withdraw them. I cannot support any member in making a personal charge of that kind, unless it was a definite charge in the form of- a resolution. LAST CHANCE TO WITHDRAW WORDS. The Speaker: I will give the hon member for Grey Lynn another opportunity to withdraw the ■ words.. He must do so unreservedly 1 . Mr Payne: When the words were taken down I endeavoured to make myself quite clear. * , The Speaker; The hon. member must say whether he will withdraw the words or hot. He has been given a great many opportunities, and he must not take advantage of them. Mr Payne: I again unreservedly retuse to withdraw the words, ' The Speaker then called upon Mr Payne to leave the Chamber, and he withdrew. SUSPENSION OF MR PAYNE. Mr Massey said that he regretted that it became his duty, as Leader of the House, in consequence of the refusal of the member for Grey Lynn to withdraw the words to move that he be suspended for the remainder of the sittings. He was simply following the usual custom in adhering to precedent. As far as he was personally concerned, the hon. member was at liberty to use any words he cared with regard to him, as he was quite prepared to deal with that; but he was thinking ■ of the diginity of the House. If this sort of thing was to go on, he would like to know where they were going to draw, the line. —(“Hear, hear.”) The Speaker proceeded to put the motion, when Mr Webb (Grey) rose to speak. The Speaker: There can be no debate on this question. . Mr Webb resumed his seat, and the motion was nut and carried on the voices, Mr Webb’s being the only dissentient voice. Sir Joseph Ward asked if the hon. member should not be called in and informed of the resolution. The Speaker: I take it he will be. Sir Joseph Ward ; Should you not intimate it to him? The Speaker; That has never been done. SPEAKER’S ADVICE TO MEMBERS. The Speaker said it was quite in order what had been done. _ Pie wished, he added, to take this opportunity to bring under the notice of members tiro question of interjections and interruptions. The present opportunity was a suitable one. He was sure that interjections were not more frequent than they hod been for some time past; but hon. members, he felt sure, would agree that they occurred far too frequently, and that they were highly disorderly and contrary to the Standing Orders. He asked hon. members to set an example to the younger members, and to refrain from interjections. Ho wished to point out,, also that very frequently hon. members were in the habit, instead of addressing the Chair, of addressing members personally, and were in the habit also of asking questions of other hon. members. This was a practice that enticed interjections. Pie also would like to point out to the younger members that interjections made, and not replied to, were not inserted in Hansard. There was

no excuse for interjecting- continuously, because an hon. member was always afforded an opportunity of making a personal explanation if he had been misrepresented. He repeated that interjections were not worse than formerly, but - this was the start of a new session, and he would ask members, as far as possible, to refrain from the proctice.