STRONG MEASURES THREATENED.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14832, 25 November 1913, Page 9

STRONG MEASURES THREATENED.

WARNING FROM THE CHAIR

BILL ADVANCED A STAGE

SECOND BALLOT REPEAL.

2fEW CLAUSES INTRODUCED.

(special to "this r__ss.") ' WELLINGTON, November 24. The consideration of the Legislature Act Amendment Bill (to which a new clause providing tor the repeal of the second ballot has now been added), which was stonewalled for about- -0 hours last neekf was advanced a stage in tho jfoose to-day. The stonewall, how+j ever, is not yet at an end. "When the Chairman of Committees (Hr A. S. Malcolm) resumed the chair at ,2.30 this afternoon, he made a statement in regard to the position. He said tho Committee was occupied almost continuously during the whole of last week with the Legislature Act Amendment Bill. Although the debate was tho longest on record, no progress was made. There had been occasions in Parliamentary history where tbe chairman, in order to deliver the Committee from a deadlock, had disregarded the Standing Orders, and itusisted on the business of the country being proceeded with.

Mr Malcolm then read thc extract from tho speech made in the House on September 2nd, 1881, by Mr Speaker O'Rorke in regard to the historic stonewall on the Representation Bill. [This extract was published in "The Press" vestcrday morning-1

Proceeding, Mr Malcolm said:—"We all know that the majority must rule aad that the minority must sooner or later: submit to superior force. lam not prepared just at this stage to follow the precedent quoted, in which the Standing Orders were ignored, but I shall from now on use to the utmost limit the powers t__ Standing Orders give—and they are very wide powers — to bring this deadlock to an end. I trust this intimation will be received in the same friendly spirit in which it 'is' given, and that members will support do in my efforts to maintain tho reputation and efficiency of Parliament. STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARD. * Tho Leader of the Opposition (Sir Joseph Ward) said that the present position had been anticipated by the Opposition. Ho, however, contended that tlie position now difforod materially Irbm that of 1881. There was no time Jimit to members' speeches in 1881, cither in the House or in Committee. In ISSI tho Standing Orders did not rcquiro that fresh business must bo done between two motions to report progress. The deadlock of 1881 wa_ due to a series of motions to report progress, and that the chairman leave the chair, and in the then position • , tho cours* taken by the then Chairman .of Committees M: A,.P. Seypoar,a_d .Mr Speaker . 6'liorfee; though an e_tremo'orte, was' reasonable. The case was a very different one from the drcumstances in which the House was now placed. The Standing Orders had been revised since •1881; Now a second motion to report progress conld not be moved imtil fresh biwiness had been takon. He presumed that the Chairman had given full consideration to tho Standing Orders, and hewished to ask whether something different to th* Standing Orders was to be adopted,. ' Under Standing Order 307 jt wm provided that a motion might beiaperteacd by the "previous question. ■ This had no doubt been framed deliberately, to meet a case of long discussion. •.■•■ Ihttt has nothing to do with Committee proceeding-.,' Sir Joseph Ward said that it was expressly provided: that the "previous question" could not be moved -.Committee. The object of this no doubt was,to preserve freedom of discussion in' Committee.; therefore, nothing in tho form of the guillotine could be brought into force. WHAT THE OPPOSITION OFFERED. Sir Joseph Ward went on to state thai on Friday evening, and again on Saturday morning, an offer was mado to the Government to adjourn at midnight until 3.30 p.m. oa Monday, and as a condition attached to that proposal it was agreed that tho short title (clause 1» of the Bill should be passed. This after was not accepted. Th© Opposition members were anxious to avoid n conflict with the Chair. He asked the chairman whether he proposed to set aside the Standing Orders. THE WARNING REPEATED, Mr.'.Malcolm repeated his statement that ho waa not prepared at this stage to.follow the precedent made by Sir Maurice O'Rorke, but that ho would use all the powers allowed to him under the Standing Orders to bring the deadlock to an end. ; This meant that memberswould retain undiminished all their privileges. Ho had "been anxious not to curtail -unduly the rights of free speech, but the Standing Orders gave the chairman the right to limit discussion without infringing the Standing Orders. He woiild remain in the Chair personally—-if that wore physioally possible—so long as the House remained in Committee on this Bill. He hoped, therefore, that the sitting would oome to an end that day. Sir Joseph Ward said members were boimc to obey the rulings of the chairman unless they were to take the course of refusing to obey the rulings and to pay the penalties for so doing. Jhe Opposition had decided to allow «_* 1" r lle short titl *> - na clause 2 of the-Bill to go through without fur-' ther_ discussion. . Then, he sn---rested, the Minister in ehorge of the Bill (the Hon. _. M. B. Fisher) should submit his new clause in regard to the second ballot. The future course would be gujded by circumstances.