A BUSY DAY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 151, 1 August 1914, Page 12

A BUSY DAY.

.SOME STRANGE INCIDENTS. JBNTHCJSIASM AND RECRIMINATIONS. \ - Iffrora our ova Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON", July;3l. -.This has been a remarkable day. the House lias been engaged on all kinds, of business, important and, unimportant, interesting and uninteresting. Nearly all the afternoon was spent on a discussion, if such wrangling can be dignified by such a name, on the action of the Government in requesting the resignation of a certain member of a very small harbour board, when it had ,been sj|und out that the member had no legal right to his seat. The fact that the member concerned had sat for a considerable period in the House, as a supporter of the Liberals, gave, rise to tlie allegation that political J feeling had probably actuated the Minister in taking action. The manifest absurdity of 'the statement did not prevent the House from wasting a valuable afternoon. The aggrieved harbour /board member was petitioning for the reimbursement of legal expenses incurred by him itf having the-legality of ;his position tested before the Supreme Court, a ssn of about £ls 15/-, and to discuss the question * the House squandered about £IOO of the country's money; for Parliament in session costs the State tome £3O odd :an hour. ~'.,. ,v* The eVeninpwas remarkable >f the most unique scenes in- the Partamentary; history of New Zealand. \ Phe Prime Minister stated that the Doninion would stand by the Motherland

"in ; the case of war, and immediately there ensued an outburst of great enthusiasm, not at all usual in a Parliamentary assembly. ' -Then, getting down to more prosaic, bit still highly important, matters, the Prime Minister entered upon a lengthy statement on the Government's policy with regard to loans the Advances to Settlers Department, and Other matters connected with the Lands Administration, his speech being a tellbjg and effective reply to the speeches niiide by the Leader of the. Opposition g-Anfl his henchmen the previous afterThe last dish.on the day's menu was the Licensing Bill in committee, and very solid fare it proved. The most important subject discussed was that of the cancellation of licenses owing to the alteration of electoral boundaries. Mr W. H. D. Bell-'- (Wellington Suburbs) brought down a comprehensive list of amendments, but they were negatived on the grounds, that they were ■ retrospective. Mr r Bell then brought down a'much shorter proposal dealing only with the future/ and this was adopted.