PARLIAMENT OPENS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1923, Page 5

PARLIAMENT OPENS.

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. BRIEF SITTING OF HOUSE. ADDRESS DEBATE NEXT WEEK. NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION TABLED. Parliament opened yesterday afternoon. After the Governor-General’s Speech reviewing the suggested legislation the House held a brief sitting. The debate on the Address-in-Reply, for which the Leader of the Opposition will move a no-confidence motion, will begin on Tuesday night. By Telegraph —Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The second session of the twenty-first Parliament of New Zealand opened today with the usual formalities. The weather, which had been showery during the day, was still drizzling, with dull skies overhead, when the actual opening ceremony took place. The usual salute was fired from the Mount Cook barracks as the GovernorGeneral, Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa, left Government House, and on arrival at Parliament Buildings the band of the first battalion of the Wellington Regiment played the National Anthem. His Excellency then inspected a guard of honor furnished by a hundred Wellington College cadets, under Captain Renner. In spite of the unpropitious weather conditions, a fair assemblage of the public watched proceedings outside Parliament Buildings. Inside Parliament a warmer color prevailed. Since last session the furnishing of the building has been carried on, and the corridors had warm red carpetings and a general air of finish which was absent in former years. The Legislative Council Chamber’s galleries were crowded, ladies predominating, while on the floor of the chamber only twenty councillors were present. The wives of Parliamentarians occupied a portion of the space to the left of the Speaker's chair. SCENE IN THE CHAMBER. The buzz of conversation came to a sudden hush as a movement near the main door indicated the approach of the King’s representative, and as the Gov-ernor-General and his suite entered all stood till. his Excellency, having taken the Speaker’s chair, bade all'to be seated. Lord Jellicoe was attended >y Captains Curtis, Mundy and Southey, A.D.C.’s, and by Major-General Sir Edward Chaytor, A.D.C. to his Majesty the King, and members of the headquarters staff. Owing to indisposition her Excellency Lady Jellicoe was not able to be present, but the Hons. Lucy, Prudence and George Jellicoe were included in the vice-regal parry. The Black Rod having summoned the representatives of the people from the lower House (which had met formally at 2.30), Mr. Speaker (the Hon. C. E. Statham), in a flowing full-bottomed wig, which hai not been used since the days of the Hon. A. R. Guinness’ occupancy of the chair, attended by the ser-geant-at-arms and the clerk of the House, appeared, followed by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition. Cabinet Ministers, and members generally.

The Governor-General’s Speech, which was of unusual length, was read In a clear vdice, and was audible in all parts of the chamber (the Speech is published on page fl). The reading occupied twenty minutes, after which the viceregal party departed, and the members of the. House of Representatives returned to their own place.

SITTING OF THE HOUSE. The House resumed at 3.5 p.m. The Speaker announced that Mr. John Andrew Macpherson and Mr. Charles Edward Macmillan had been elected for the Oamaru and Tauranga seats respec-<-:vi»ly since the House last met, and that petitions against the return of the Hon. C. J. Parr and Sir M. Pomare had been dismissed, and these gentlemen had been declared elected for the Eden and Western Maori electorates respectively. These members were then sworn in and took their seats. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) gave notice that on the motion that a respectful Address be presented to his Excellency in reply to his Excellency’s Speech to members of both Houses, he would move the following amendment: — “We feel it, however, to be our duty to submit to your Excellency that' your Excellency’s Government does not possess the confidence of the House or the country, and, further, we submit to your fcxcelleney that this session of Parliament should not end until there be placed upon the Statute Book tse legislation urgently needed In the interests of the- country dealing with electoral reform, revision of taxation, revision of the whole of the pensions system, land settlement, housing and unemployment, revaluation of soldiers’ lands, the establishment of a State Bank and agricultural bank, provision for medical and dental treatment for backblock settlers, and legislation dealing with trusts and combines; and, further, that as the Government has not declared any policy in regard to defence or in reference to other Imperial questions, which will be discussed at the Imperial Conference, we submit to your Excellency that full and ample opportunity be given to this House to discuss in detail various matters which may come up for consideration at such conference, and that the Government should take the House and country into its confidence in regard to its attitude on several matters which will coifte up for discussion at such conference.” NOTICE OF BILLS.

The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) gave notice of his intention to introduce an Election of Ministers and a Party Government Reform Bill. Mr. Wilford gave notice of his Intention to introduce an Agricultural Banks Bill, a Land and Income Tax Bill, a Justice of the Peace Amendment Bill. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) gave notice of his intention to intro* duce an Unemployed Workers Bill. Mr. F. J. Rollestoii (Timaru) gave notice to move that a respectful Address be presented to his Excellency In reply to his Excellency’s Speech to members of both Houses. On the motion of the Premier the Expiring Laws Continuance Amendment Bill was read a first time uro forma. ' 111 reply to Mr. Wilford, Mr.. Massey said he proposed to take trie debate on the Address-in-Reply on Tuesday, at 730 pm. To-morrow’s’ sitting, he said, would be devoted to paying tributes to the memories of deceased members and ex-members. _ The House rose at 3.35 p.m. till -.30 p.m. to-morrow. 1 After the formal opening ceremony,

the Legislative Council held a brief sitting, at which three of the recently appointed members were sworn in and took their seats. These were the Hons. Dr. A. K. Newman, Edward Newman, and Francis Mander. The Council then 1 adjourned till 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.