House ot Representatives.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12581, 30 September 1908, Page 2

House ot Representatives.

WELLINGTON, September 29. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Premier moved that the House disagrees with the amendments made in the Second Ballot Bill by the Legislative Council and appoints a committee of Sir W. Steward, Mr Lethbridge, and the iiiover to draw up reasons for so disagreeing, i Mr Massey regreUfid^that the Minister had not given his ra^ns for moving the motion, lie had hoped that the Bill would bt> (hopped, Lut- apparently that is not to be the cade. Members in»«* realised better than ever that the electors were entirely opposed to the measure, and they should have an opportunity to express their opinions on the question. He moved that the debate be .adjourned for twelve months. The Bill should be dropped, but instead of this it was to be placed in all its hidcoushees (•n th 2 Statute Book, reminded him of the did saying-— "T^ffitee whom the gods wish tc destroy they first made mad." The effect of the principle, or want of principle of tho Bill would lead to all kinds of political engineering. Mr Massey went on to quote statistics to show that the second ballot workjsd badly in Germany. Ho was glad that the Press throughout the length and breadth of the country had protested against the "gag" clause. Liberty of speech, the freedom of the Press, were the constitutional prerogatives of the people. Neither Mr Asquith, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, nor Mr Deakin would dream of gagging the Press. Eternal vigilance was the price of liberty and the worst tyranny was possible under a Democratic Government. Sir Joseph Ward 6aid he had adopted, the usual constitutional course, and that Mr Massey had adopted an unusual one. If Mr Massey 's motion was agreed to the House would be stultifying itself. His (the Premiers) object in bunging the Bill down was to ensure majority rule. In suite of the clamour raised over the Bill, he had. received assurances from all over the Dominion that the people approved of the measure. As for the "gag" clause, the grossest misrepresentation had appeared in the Press. The clause "was intended to help the poor man. He wae not afraid of the Press, nor daunted- by concerted action on its part. The Opposition was against tho Bill because they thought it would bo against their party interests. Mr Wilford was strongly opposed to the Bill and utterly so to the "gag" clause. In the first place it would not be effective, but if it were, 'it would strike at one\of the most effective safeguards of the public and of members of Parliament themselves. He made a powerful appeal to members to maintain that liberty which had been hardly fought for in the days of long ago. Mr W. Fraser strongly protested against * the Bill, which he said, did not meet with the approval of country districts. Mr Fisher was certain the majority of the members did not favour the Bill. Referring to the "gag"; clause, he said the talk about the "gag" was all humbug. He proceeded to make a violent onslaught on the newspaper Press, of the Dominion, which he called "guttersnipe press," declaring that he would have to spend half an hour to enumerate ajil the names by which, he would designate it. It was ;; piece cf machinery set up to protect vested interests and picked men, misleading, misrepresenting, and lyjng about those opposed to them. Mr Hogg did not think the majority of the Pr&w" could be called "guttersnipe." lie supported the principle of the Bill. Mr Poole expressed i the opinion thai there was undoubtedly "guttersnipe press" in the Dominion, though many papers had done good work. Mr Massey's amendment wae lost by 48 to 18. On Ihe original motion being put, Mr Baume supported the principle of the Bill, but thought the clause" 1 allowing 1 the publication of statements of fact during the in-