PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 636, 13 October 1909, Page 4

PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE.

|. PROTEST AGAINST CUKTAJLMENT. Tho Prime Minister's hostility to what ho calls a defect of tho Standing Orders, in alloying; members to mako nn explanatory speech on tho motion to introduce a Bill, was revived by nn incident which happened in; the House of Hepresontativos yesterday. Mr. Craigio (Timaru) had movoot to introduc'o a Bill in connection with Canterbury Collcgo, and had briefly outlined its objects. Mr. Kusscll (Avon) ,nskwl tho. Speaker if this was "a local Bill, and the Speaker replied that ho could not say if it was a local Bill or not, as he had not scon tho mcasuro. , This led Sir Joseph Ward to call attention once atfain' to. tho aspect of the Standing 'Orders 1 which he liad previously.'condemned when Mr. Herdmnn nlndo his speech'on the Public Sorvico Dill. Hero was a case, Sir Joseph said, in which the Speaker himself could not say whether a Bill was, or was not, A loC(l ] S iH > ttnrt «P°n its introduction, before any of them, including the Speaker, was in a 4>osihoa to;know anything about'it, a debate could take place on'the BUI. He did not'

think that any other Parliament in the world would allow of suoh'a'' position, and if the otaudinE Orders were altered; every member would -still hnvo 'every- opportunity of' explaining a Bill and getting it debated on the second roading, aud in committee, without thoiv having a long introductory explanation, and other members, who had not Been the Bill, ; beating the an- in reply. If tho latter was to be called a common-sense procedure, it appeared ™ l" n > ,& very extraordinary stato of affairs.' let that, applied.to every-Bill— ' Mr. Fisher: It always has uppliod. bir Joseph Ward:.,l don't card if it has 'applied slnco Methusaloh. .It ..was,1. , ■ co i> tll ? n ? d * " a stupid procedtlro, which afforded no protection to anybody, cpnsels n L o^°',s r %hts outside the .'flouior and eficred.. to members no advantage -. whatever. It impressed,on his mind that what was'a' weakness in tho : Standing" Orders' ought to receive- the consideration of members, with a view ,to" improvement. Mr. ...Massey said ho -was glad that the attention, of. the.. Prime, Minister had been called to what had happened, and that he had seen tho absolute necessity that the member in charge of .a/BUI should be able, on tho occasion of moving' its introduction, to got up and make an explanation. Ho did not think any incmber could deny that Mr. Craigio had been within his' rights, and that tho explanation ho hrtd'giren'was a necessary one. Ho had hoped, in view of-what had just.happened, that the Pnmo Minister would have gono back on tho Statement he had mado tho previous day with 'regard to altering the Standing Orders, and he hoped, that ho would do so yet. Ho' was glad that ho (Mr. Massoy) was a member of tho Standing Orders Comniittoo, and ho would block the proposal for alteration at every stage, because' he;.was ; quite euro , that it. was not consistent with tho privileges that were supposed to belong to the members of the.House! :' Air. Wright said'that, what was needed waa not an alteration-of tho Standing Orders, but to have'tho-Bill printed from tho beginning. Then they would know all about it, and tho Speaker 'would be ablo to -rule if it was a' local Bill or not. .-..;■; !

-, Mr. T. B. Taylor (Christchurch. North) said that tho right, of a. private mombOr in this and nearly all representative assemblies had' be-' come so slight that ho thought they should guard most jealously against any proposed alteration of the Standing Orders that suggested further ourtaibrnent of his power. The Government had a complete monopoly.'of all 'proposals - that involved? tho expenditure ci money.. That might be necessary,■■ but a right Of that kind carried with it a great many things that were objectionable, and ho would watch with the greatest care any proposals to curtail further the powers of private members fn that.HoU6e. The action that was suggested on. the part of the Government wbr autocratic, it Was contemptuous of: the .rights of. that Assembly,.and of the whole, of the people of this ooontry. He'thought that to. give the Government further power to' limit dismission.and interfere with the right .of members to bring forward matters, of '• importance', to the country would bo a retrograde proceeding. It was the power of tho Cabinet that.should bo curtailed. : - V/..- JOTTINGS.. ■-• . Several names are mentioned, in connection with the election- of: Chairman of Committees -in the Legislative Council,--which '-will- takoj place on October 20. ' The Hons. Reeves and-, bmith are almost certain to be candidates, whilst it is .also bolioved that tho Hons. Thompson and.'Rigg will also bo nominated for tho position/. ■•".';■. ■.-:■'. ■■'■'■ FoUr days' leave of absence on: urgent' pri-' 1 vnte business was granted -to tho Hon. C. H. Mills by. tho Legislative Council yesterday. ''There-is great need for further labour legislation,-which will embrace provision to' meet tho unemployed difficulty, an many respects this country is'now. resting on its oars' with respect to labour legislation, and simply taking credit for what it lias done."—Hon. J. Barr. ..,-.-"-' .-'' ■' ' .-■ -.- , ,