THE DISSOLUTION INCIDENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13395, 19 September 1907, Page 6

THE DISSOLUTION INCIDENT.

POSITION SUMMED DP. ■ SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS. Special—By Telegraph. WELLINGTON, September 18. Considearble applause , greeted the Minister 'of Customs shortly before 7 o'clock this morning when the Speaker put- the question for the third reading of the Tariff Bill. The Minister, contrary to expectations, Aid not call for a division and the concluding stage of the measure was carried on th« voices. Members on both sides of the House took the opportunity during the debate of congratulating Mr Millar upon the excellent work lie had done not only in regard to the preparation of thei tariff, but- also upon the manner in which he had piloted it through the House. The closing scenes saw the dissolution incident brought up again the Leader of the Opposition evidently trying to draw the Premier on the point, and he succeeded in getting Ministerial announcement on the ipiestion. There had, said Mr .Massey, been talk of a dissolution as the result of cej'tain votiug on the tariff, and members had been coerced. It was, however, one thing asking for a dissolution and another thing getting it before all the possibilities of the House had been exhausted. To this Sir Joseph Ward replied that the granting of a dissolution was entirely the prerogative' of the Representative of tlie King, but -whoever was the head of the Government had his rights and lie (Sir Joseph WaAl) was prepared to exercise them in such a- way as he believed to be right; and not one .could stop him—if he believed it to be-in accordance .with the maintenace of th-2 traditions of the high office he held—nobody could stop him from relinquishing his position or prevent him exercising ir's constitutional riglft, and there must be justification for a. refusal. The party he headed was returned to power under another Prime Minister, his distinguished predecessor, and unhappily through death it had lost its leader. He now held that, position, and if he was to be overshadowed by a portion of the party saying that they had not been returned to support him and that they would desert him, he. would have the right to ask for the same recognition which would have been received by the late Prime Minister had he lived. As a- new leader brought into the position by the hand of death, lie had an undeniable right to ask, the people of the country if he possessed their confidence. He had neither asked nor been refused, but lie knew what his rights were. He was nof. thinking of his personal safety, hut of the ihaintenace of the high traditions of. his office. He was not going to be trodden upon by any members of the. House whether they were supporters or from tlie Opposition benches..