WEEK IN PARLIAMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 22 June 1926, Page 3

WEEK IN PARLIAMENT.

THE OPENING CEMEMONIAL.

NEWS FROM PRESS GALLERY

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Time and tide wait for no man, and even though gubernatorial dignities suttcr from lumbago, or other maladies ot a less exeruciauug nature (except* that of listening to speeches by members of Parliament), Parliament has to be opened. Not that the doors cannot be opened at any time, but it is necessary to have some amount ot iormal display and pomp in order to be able to properly digest the Government s legislative policy, as it is most often dim \ adumbrated in what is commonly known as the “Speech. Hence it w as that on Thursday there was a hm i ltd rush in the search for precedents to learn how Parliament could he sent on its wav rejoicing without tho imprimatur ot Sir Charles ' ergusson s bright red coat and gaily plumed hat. Dim up from the. misty past, the recollection of what happened once on twice in Queen Victoria s regal stop was brought to light, and it was discovered that when Her MajesQ vas unable to deliver her Speech in person the Lord Chancellor made a veiy appropriate deputy So it came about that Sir Walter Carncross SpeakLi of the Legislative Council, or the Lmd Chancellor” of New Zealand, did his best without the aid of a woolsack to acquaint the faithful Commons pi M hat would be required of thorn during the next three or lour months, m ov.i whatever period it pleases them to linger within these precincts. Ro'ibcd of the presence of the Party, the ceremony was " ithout it. accustomed glamour and splash ot colour, and until the evening paper came out tho crowd ol spectator with in and without the Chamber mo at a loss to know what was the nmttci with the Governor-General except that ho wasn't there. So what with tho ■formal opening by Commission on Wednesday, which procedure is alwa.vs nccessarv in the case of a new I ar lament as there is no Speaker, ami the absence of the Governor-General on Thursday for the f,ill-dress wromony, the opening of Parliament fink >iui was not so interesting as usual, and m the fact that His Excellency was unable to attend it provided a circuinstance which has never belore occuiltd j in the. political history ol New Zeai Sir .lames Carroll, one ol the venei- : able members of the Legislative Coun- ; oil provided some slight- diversion in ; the course of the ceremony in the i Council on Thursday. On such oci fusions as the opening ol 1 arilament ; and the delivery of the Speech lrom the Throne, it is customary lor the Louis I to put- on evening dress and be seated i in their ('handier well belore the time I the ’Vice-Regal Party is due to put i in an appearance Sir dames was a i JiiiV hilt* in arriving on this occasion, : and he was also minus evening “glad I rams." Nothing daunted, he entoied the Chamber while Sir William Carnross was carrying out the duties ot His Excellency's deputy. and essayed to make bis way to. a seat- in the front row amongst Ids felloyv-t'ouncil ors and I he niniiv fine ladies who were also seatmi in the vicinity. The portly Sergeant-•it-Arms standing behind the Speaker of the Lower House, who was seated iust in front of the faithful Commons, did his best to hold the Marc on his shoulder and at the same time keen l-'.ir .Tames Carroll hack by “elhnnie pi-essiirr- on Sir dames's abdominal leeions. In the language of, font hall .•.crihi's. Sir da men was-, not ha defied. and. s 11 eeesxT u 11 y count ei'ing the Scrgeaut'# tactics, he shot past as the

Mace swung a point or two to flic right wing, and glided with the utmost dignity to the only vacant seat in the front row. Tho Sergeant may have felt like cracking him with the Mace, the symbol of authority, but it was a case of artful dodging of which any ordinary man would hare been proud to he the hero, yet Sir James’s demeanour did not betoken that ho thought anything more of the incident than' he would have of lighting his pipe. . , . The Speech no doubt contained some idea of what the Government's legislative programme for the session is going to be, hut it was so clouded in two and a-lialf columns ol words that all the Loader of tho Opposition could do so soon as the Commons returned to their own Clinmbcr w;is to aiinounm that lie intended to move an amendment. Parliament would not be Parliament if it did not have a no-oonfl-denec motion, and though tho Labour Opposition is small ill numbers, it is hut doing its duty in being as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals when it comes to a question of saying wlint it thinks about the Government’s policy as outlined in fire Speech. One of the first things which struck one on the House meeting for the despatch of business was the preponderance of the Government Party. It is hard to visualise the strength of the Reform Partv until one actually sees hoiv its members surge over other parties in the popular Chamber, filling two-thirds of the available accommodation. To an old Earliamentarian the sight of the Labour Party occupying the Opposition benches was not exactly terrifying, hut. it gave one. furiously to think of what may happen in the. next three years, if the Prime Minister .should so act that his towering majority dwindles away to vanishing point. Tiio Reform Party’s majority is majestic and sweeping, and gives one an impression of immense strength. Is it a giant with feet of clay? A striking figure in the Chamber on opening day was that ot Sir Joseph Ward. All eyes were centred on him as he entered, and it was noted that officials and messengers treated him with all due deference. One and all ,seemed glad to have him hack there ,'again, anil although lie might not have been strictly in the best of taste in cracking jokes over the tremendously serious and dignified business ol tho election of a Speaker, yet at the samo time it is fitting that someone should act as a sort of political joker, and Sin Joseph's little quips about his own strong and independent party of ono man, which docs not require any Whips or caucus meetings provoked merriment, ll.v the way. Mr Alniore is challenging Sir Joseph’s claim to ho the only independent party in the House.

A rather humorous incident happened while members were being sworn in on Wednesday. It is customary to perform this ceremony with an open Rible., but at one stage the attention of the Clerk was diverted for a moment or two, and he got- something in the nature of a shook when he found that he was administering the oath of fealtv to one batch of members on a Rook of Rules and Procedure.

AYell. tlie session lias opened, and already the question is being asked: AVh'on is it going to end?