NO AGREEMENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1161, 31 October 1917, Page 3

NO AGREEMENT.

■■ ■ —■ .ii ■■ i THE EXEMPTION CLAUSE COUNCIL STANDS FIRM. BILL ABANDONED BY HOUSE. irrem Our Own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, October 30. The Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill has been abandoned by the Government, on account of the deadlock reached with the Legislative Council on the exemption ! clause. ! There has been rather a tense 'atmosphere in the House and Counted during the negotiations. The strong majority in the Council ' against the clause suggested that j there would DC a real difficulty in arriving at a compromise, but no ! fewer than three conferences were held. With the failure of the third came the decision of the Govcrniment to drop the entire measure. I The announcement was made to a I silent House in the evening, after ! the dinner adjournment. '1 he Prime Minister announced in formal i phrase that the Government did I not intend to proceed further with I the Bill this session. , No one spoke for or against, ami thus the danger of as pretty a political row as could be conceived was l averted.