OBSTRUCTION STILL GOING ON

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14831, 24 November 1913, Page 9

OBSTRUCTION STILL GOING ON

NO PROGRESS MADE

TEDIOIJS REPETITIONS RULED OUT. (BTBCIAI. TO "THE rBESS. ,, ) WELLINGTON, November 23. Tbo stonewall on ,tho Legislature Act Amendment Bill, in which the Government proposes to insert a clause repealing the Second Ballot Act, which began on Tuesday last, and was resumed on Thnrsday afternoon, was continued up till midnight last night, when the House adjourned until 3.30 p.m. to-morrow. The whole of yesterday afternoon was spent in "discussing" » motion to report progress. This "discussion" was continued at 7.30 p.m. SPEAKERS IN DIFFICULTIES. The Stonewallers, as the evening procrossed, found themselves in difficulties. The Chairman of Committees (Mr Malcolm) intimated that speakers must refrain from tedious repetitions, and

he rigof° us, y enfo . rced this rule. Tho list of -subjects which had already been worn threadbare, and which tho chairI man stated could no longer be referred to, includes tho following :—Members' health and pleasure, private business, bills, tho question of an understanding between parties, home ties and obligations, and the length of tho session. Mr i Malcolm flko stated that ho would no I longer permit members to discuss his intimations as to forbidden subjects, i The stonewallers had been filling in ' considprable time in discussing these inj timations, and when this method of I warfare was taken from them, they I wore soon in sore strait*, and in many ' casp- they were unable to keep talking i for the full ten minutes (the limit of 'speeches in committee-). Speaker after ■ speaker was repeatedly called to order : for trespassing on forbidden ground, I many of them being up four or i five times in tho course of their ton I minutes ''turn." I At a quarter past nino the available J speaking powers of the stonewallers was i exhausted, and tho motion to report ! progress went to the vote. It was lost by 3-5 votes to 22. Tho discussion on tfie short titlo was then resumed. NEW POINTS RAISED. Mr Russell, speaking at 11.15 p.m., broke new ground and introduced an ■interesting contention. He said that the Bill purported to create the office of deputy-clerk of Parliament, but as a matter of fact there was no such person known to our law as tho clerk of Parliaments, and there were no statutory duties for that officer to perform. The' Bill had been passed through the other Chamber for the purpose of sneaking into it an important amendment of our Constitution, which could not be passed in any other way. When tho Bill was returned to "the other place" the members there would only be able to deal with the amendments made in it, and by this trick tho Government were able to obviate the discussion which would have taken place on the second reading, committee, and third reading stages, had the amendment been brought down in a separate Bill. He defied tho Minister of Justice to deny the accuracy of his contention that there was no such officer as clerk of Parliaments. The Bill was one of the most scandalous flukes and shn is ever brought beforo Parliament. Tho Bill had come down from the other place on tho 10th of September, anS had been kept in suspense so that it might bo used to promote this surreptitious and backstairs method of repealing tho second ballot. Hon. members: They can't deny it. Speaking directly to the Hon. Mr Herdman, Mr Russell challenged him 'to show where the office of cle.rk of Parliaments existed, except in the clause of this Bill, The proposal was an outrage on the people, and was nothing but a shallow humbug. Tho stonewall was still proceeding at 1.52 p.m., when the chairman left the chair and stated that he would resume it at 2.30 p.m. on Monday. Tho stonewall in its latest stage has so far lasted for about 50 hours. It is impossible to say how much longer it will last. The Opposition declare that they can go on till Christmas, but this declaration. of course need not be taken seriously.