NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18421, 30 June 1925, Page 8

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

MOVED BY LABOURITE LIBERALS WALK OUT OF HOUSE. GOVERNMENT WIN BY 19 VOTES. (SPECIAL TO "TH» P8K33.") WELLINGTON, June 29. This evening the Labour" Party sprang a no-confidence- motion on the House of Representatives, when tho Government proposed to go into Committee of Supply on the Imprest Supply Bill. The Liberals did not vote, and the Government defeated Labour by 36 votes to 17. Tho debate was short and snappy. Mr M. J. Savage, tho Labour member for Auckland West, was the mover of the no-confidence motion the words of which contained no political embellishment, but said merely that there was "no confidence in the administration iof tho Government."

"I don't want to go into the thousand and one sins of the Government," said Mr Savago. "In these days of political courtship and possible marriage it is just as well to knowj where one stands." Mr Savage added that to be candid, ho was just a little bit at sea on that point, and ho u as sure the country would like to know the,' position, so he would leave it at that, taking it that later on the House would have an opportunity of discussing the big questions of the day. Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South), in foconding the amendment, said: "I don't intend to delay tho House. Eperyone understands wny we are against the Government." The Liberal Leader (Mr T. M. Wilford} safid that healing that this amendment was to be moved, ha had put his reply into writing. At llio present timo the Party led by him —the Liberal Party—and the Government were in negotiation to see if a working arrangement to have one Pnirty could be evolved. Wliether those negotiations would bo successful or would fail no one knew at present. No one could say yet whether the Government would havo as partners the Party which ho (Mr Wilford) had tho honour to lead. It was quite impossible for the Liberals to vote with thai Government on a motion of no confidence, or to vote with the Labour Party, and ho proposed to follow the course recently taken at Home, and decline) to vote. The Labour Leader (Mr H. E. Holland) said he did not propose to discuss the Leader of the Opposition's decision to retreat at this stage; he merely wanted to make a quotation which he thought was applicable. The quotation, which was from a passage Disraeli hurled at Peel, ran as follows : "Something has risen up in this country as fatal in the political world a.s it lias been in the landed world of Ireland. We have a great Parliamentary middleman. It is well known what a middleman is; he is a man who bamboozles one party and plunders the other, _ till having obtained a position to which lie is not entitled, he cries out, 'Let us have no party questions, but fixity of tenure.' " (Laughter.) "I think," added Mr Holland, "wo will leave it at that." Mr "Wilford 1 : You will be quoting Mr Massey next. Mr P. Fraser: "Got no home, got no friends; thankful for anything the good Lord sends." While the division bells were,ringing, the whole of those who sit on the Liberal side of the House, except Mr Hugh Poland, retired from the Chamber.

"The only one," said a Labour member amid further laughter. "The last of the Liberals," called another. '

"I never saw the Liberal bench©* look so well," said Mr Fraeer. He had to say it twice—louder the second time —to make sitro the joke was heard. . Then Mr Atmore came in and took his usual'seat on the Opposition side of the Chamber. Mr Atmore, however, voted with the Government, and Mr Poland voted with Labour, otherwise the voting was Labour versus the Government and Labour was beaten »3" 36 votes to 17. When the voting was over, tiio Liberals returned to tho Chamber.