FISHER DEFEATED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 7

FISHER DEFEATED.

• &—: DRAMATIC SCENE.

DEAKIN-COOK COALITION SUCCGSSFUL SIR. m LYNE'S WRATH. - CRIES "JUDAS" TO HIS FORMER CHIEF. (Hi TELEGIUI'H—FHESS ASSOCIATION—CorTIUOHT.) (Bee. May 27, 9.45 p.m.) Melbournej May 27. In tho House of Representatives, when Mr. Doakin, loader of'the new Deakin-Cook Coalition, rose to oontinuo tho debate on tho Addross-in-Rcply to tho Governor's Speeoh, a dramatic sceiio occurred. Mr. Doakin Was mot by a vehement cry 'of "Judas I Judas I" from Sir William Lyno, his erst lieutenant, who was Fedora-l Treasurer in tho last Deakin Government.' There was at once a loud uproar, and cries of "Shame," but Sir William Lyno again shouted "Judas 1 Judas 1" amid renewed disorder. .■'■'• The' Speaker called on Sir William Lyno to. withdraw tho remark. Ho was understood to withdraw it. , Mr. Deakin, continuing his speech, said it was no use to discuss thepolfoy of tho Fisher Government in detail, as most of it was obviously meant not for the business of tho session, but for the hustings. A Sudden Coup do Graoa. Mr. W. H. Kolly, M.P. for Wentworth (Now South Wales), and a member of tho newly-formed Opposition, moved tho adjourn' ment of tho debate. ...... ' On the division being taken tho Government was dofeated by nine votes, the voting Doing: ~ ...... .•■ ,'■.■'.. For the motion „. „. 39 Against tho motion ~. ,„ .„ 30 Opposition majority , 9 In the division Sir William Lyne voted on the side of tho Government. Sir William Lyno and Mr, W. M. Hughes (Attorney-General) had prepared speeches, but Mr. Kelly's moving of tho adjournment of the debate prevented their being delivered bofore the fate of the Government had been decided. ~-■ ■ Mr. Deakin Reproached. The division was taken amid considerable excitement. Subsequently tho Prime Minis-; ter, Mr. Fisher, said -that tho Government accepted the vote of the House as an expression of n'ant.of confidence.' lie added that •Mr. Deakin had made, a change, of front which had astounded. and disgusted many of tho citizens of.tho Commonwealth. He moved the adjournment of the House. . Sir William Lyne referred .to "the diabolical actions", of Mr. Deakin. He was checked by the Speaker. Sir William Lyne olaitned to havo been consistent. Ho Vould rather cut his hand off than act as Mr. Deakin had acted after the generous treatment that had beon accorded by the Labour party to tho Deakin i,Government, Such an action was incredible. | Mr, Deakin had betrayed the, Protectionist party. He. (Sir William) had been grossly deceived by Mt. Deakin. He would never shako .hands with or speak to Mr. Deakin again. ~ Dcaklnltcs Sought Labour coalition.- ' Mr. Hughes "said: In March of last year proposals were made by Mr. Deakin to'tho. Labour party'for a coalition—not a loose alliance, but. a definite.coalitioa; Mr. Deakin: Of which' I was not,to be amembor. Mr. Hughes: But you. wcjb preparod to allow.the Leader of tie Labour party to bo Prime Minister.' There were to bo four portfolios to Labour, four to your party. That that coalition, was not/consummated was not the'fault of the Deakin party. That party nt the time was prepared to swallow not only our principles but also our methods. MR, DEAKIN'B TASK. . TO FORM A LIBERAL PARTY OUT OF MODERATE ELEMENTS. (Reo. May 27, 10.36 p.m.) ' • London, May 27. "The Timea" trusts that.the Deakin-Cook coalition will eventually oauso an approximation of views between the coalescing parties. The-'development of Australia would be seriously impeded by the instability that is inevitable in government by group. Mr: Deakin,.it is argued, should Unite tho more moderate mombers of the. Labour party with the more Liberal among the many sections that are opposed to Labour in a combination strong onough to defeat the' extremists of either side. : "The Times" adds that it would bo regrettable if the Australian delegates to th« July Conference on Imperial Dofence' were not representatives of a united Parliament. V POINTS OF DIFFERENCE. ATTEMPT. TO REPRODUCE TWO-PARTY - \ SYSTEM. , . Under the three-party system, the last Deakin Government hold office with the support of tho Labour party. That support being withdrawn, the Deakin Government fell in November last, and the Labour (Fisher) Government succeeded. Now the Labour Government has fallen, but bv a new process—the fusion of the other two parties, which aims at reducing Parliament to a two-party status;, that is to say, the ohango, if enduring, is radical. The burning question in Australia for weeks has bean whether Messrs. Deakin and Cook can reconcile their differences to the extent of running in double harness with any prospect of permanence. What are the points of difference? According to the "Age" of May 17: ' "It is understood that the points of polioy which must be settled on lints laid down by Mr. Deakin if he is to take office relate to protection generally, the new protection} compulsory military training, and Federal and State financo relations. Mr, Deakin cannot sink the fiscal issue in any manner that would prevent him from remedying (in a protectionist sense) the many anomalies in tho Lyno tariff of 1907. Ho insists on a genuine new protection amendment to the Constitution, enabling some Federal authority to harmonise wages boards, regulations affecting protected industries,- and to snpply a codo where no States'wages boards exist. Ho does not propose to go beyond protected industries, but ho declares that on the principle involved there is no room for compromise. On tho, compulsory training Mr. Deakin insists that any schemo which ho is to support must include the training of young men between eighteen and twenty-one, instead of stopping short with the.cadets, as Mr. Cook's friends propose. Here, again, there is little room for oompromieo. t As-to the -Federal, finanoe differrnc"s, it is diffioult to give precise pnrticulors. Generally speaking, Mr. Joseph Cook is a i "State rights man," and ,according; to some members, he would make concessions to the < Premiers in connection with the future distribution of the Customs revenue which Mr. , Doakin could never endorse. Mr. Deakin deems it his .duty to conserve the supremacy of the ' Federation by every legitimate means." Dissolution Prospects. It may be oxpcoteil that the Fisher Government,, in fact of tho hostilo vote of the House ■ sf Representatives, .will take advantage of .the situation to claim a dissolution and go to the ' country on the various new is-snes which have nrif-on since the last general election. . In the circumstance:*, it is probable that ;i dissolution will be, granted. The possibility of a Lyne-and-Labonr MinisIvy was spoken of,last ywr,.*o Sir Wm. Lvno'n present attitude is sot altogether surprising.

His dramatic tendencies are also well known. It was Sir Wm. Lyne who had the honour of being the first man called upon to form a Commonwealth Ministry. When tho Federation enmo into existence, ho was Premier of the Mother State, and though ho was a prominent anti-Federalist, tho rules of precedence dcoreed that the Governor-General should call upon him to take command of the-new Government. After some, days of fruitless negoi tiation, Sir William Lyne handed over tho task to Sir Edmund Barton (then Mr. Barton). PAST FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS. The present is the Ministerial crisis that has occurred since tho establishment of the Commonwealth in January, 1801. Tho short-lived first Government formed by Sir Wm. Lyno ) was followed by that of Sir Edmund Barton. Tho Barton Ministry was comprised chiefly of the Premiers of the different Stateo, and included men who political views ranged from the Conservatism of Sir John Forrest to tho ' whole-souled Radicalism' of Mr. Kingston, of - South Australia. On tho tariff, which was tho 3 most Important question beforo tho first Parliament, the Government had a majority of li, ) The party grouping on other matters was uncertain throughout. The first Ecssion lasted . from May 9, 1901, to Ootobfr 10, 1902, and tho measures passed iuoluded the toriff, the Im- > migration Restriction Aot, and the Kanaka .. Act. ■■'■..-. In the second session, which opened in May, 1903, it became obvious that 'considerable frio--3 tion had arisen in the Cabinet. Mr. Kingston i resigned in July in consequence of the refusal of his oolleaguos to extend tho jurisdiction " of tho proposed Arbitration .Court to the crews of oversea vessels trading 'on tho Australian 3 ooast, In September, a Labour motion to extend the benefits of the Arbitration Act to the - railway servants of tho- States was carried against the Government by 20 votes to 21. Sir t Edmund • Barton thereupon dropped the Bill, and a few days later resigned to take a position f on the High Court Bench, handing over the - i?"} 9 , 1 ,? ? lr - Deakin, Attorney-General in tho first Ministry, Deakin, Watson, and Reld Cabinets. The elections'' in December, 1903, resulted in 'the return of a.House of 20 Ministerialists, 2t l Oppositionists, and 23 Labour members. Par. 3 liament opened in March, IOOi, tho Govern, ment again brought- in tho Arbitration Bill, ' and In April. was defeated on precisely tin same point as in the previous session. Mr, k Deakin at once resigned, and Mr.-Watson, the leader of the Labour party, was called upon S to form tho first Federal Labour Ministry, After three months Of office, Mr, Watson was dofeated on tho Arbitration Bill, in connection with the question of preference to unionists, tho voting in this oasc being 38 to 34. ,Mr. Watson-tried in vain to secure a dissolution, but tho then Governor-General held thai the resources of tho House wcro not exhausted, and called upon.Mr. G ,H. Roid, leader of the Freetrade ani anti-Socialist opposition. Mr, i Heid had previbusly spent somo timo in on dcavouring to arrange a ooalition with Mr, -Deakin by calling a truoo on the fiscal .question. On August 17 he took office as head oi i the Rcid-M'Lean coalition. The two parties j had come to an agreement of a temporary I nature, but Mr. Deakin himself refused to take a portfolio in the Ministry. The Government i put through tho Arbitration Bill as it 6tood, passed a few non-contentious measures, and went into recess.; Second Deakin Ministry. ' ' A few daVs before tho opening of the next .- session, Mr. Deakin declared tho fiscal truce . at an end, as the Ministry had appointed a Royal Commission to investigate the anomalies ■ in the tariff. .The Reid-M*Lcnn Cabinet immei diately prepared for its decease, and a few . days after the opening of Parliament was do- ' feated on a' no-confidence motion. The second ' Deakin Ministry then (July, 1905) camo into , office, and carried en more or less with the support of.the Labour corner. The general elections m. Deoember, 1908, resulted in' the re- ■ turn of three fairly e<|u«l parties, and the eonj ditions'.were substantially the same as in the former Parliament.,-"The Times," in its estimate after those elections, gave the Deakin- . ites 19 members, Labour 20, and Opposition 20; but admitted that many members olasscd ' Opposition would support Mr. Deakin in the ' bulk of his programme.' The result showed , that Mr. Deakin was able to carry the tariff, old age pensions, and the Surplus Revenue Aot, but Labour split wltlThitn last year as to tho temiß*f tho amendment to'the Constltu- , tion, whioh ho proposed to submit to a referendum, in order to make: the New Protection constitutional. Second Labour Government. Thus the Deakin-Labour compact was broken, and in November last the secohd Deakin Ministry, was defeated, the Labour party and tho Reld-Coek Opposition voting together. Tho second- Labour Government .followed. Now the { Deakinltcs and ..Cookites have destroyed tho • Labonr .Ministry., .Politics in a three-party ohambor is a whirligigi'