NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 6

NEWS AND NOTES.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. THE KO-COXFIDEXCE DEBATE. The Speech from the Throne, which is clue to be delivered to Parliament tin's afternoon, is being looked toward to with the keenot interest. AVhpii the House resunici after listening .to the Governor's Speech, notice will be Riven of the Ad-dress-in-Iteply, 'unci notice may be given by Ale. Mus-ey of his intention (o'propose an amendment. The usual adjournment will then be made luitil Tuesday afternoon, iiiul from the moment that Mr. Massey move* his nq-coniidence motion at the conclusion of his speech, the third i'n the course of the debate, the procced- • iiigs«-will , ';bo- , of , tri6st inters* •interest;""At present it is impossible fo say how long.:the debate will last, or when iho crucial division 'will be taken. Jt will largely depend upon the attitude and speech of the .I'rimo Minister. 'So far ils tho Opposition are concerned, they will be ready to take the division at once, or (o debate the'poiut at issue as long as the Government wish. Tho general opinion is that two days should cuflicc for the dedate. ' '

MR. PAYNE'S PLEDGES. Just, at the present moment Mr. Payne, the new member for Grey Lynn, is very much talked about both in the lobbies anil out of them. The reason of this is because of the uncertainty that exisU as to how his vote will be cast on a lincontideiice motion against the present Government. After Mr. Payne's tlectiou pledgee to his constituents, awl his subsequent assurances, there, should, ef course, bn no doubt whatever on the subject. He is pledged up to the hilt 'to vote against the 'Government. Jt is,' however, being freely stalerl by certain members of the Government party that "Sli". Payne will be, found voting lu krep Sir Joseph' Ward in office, or, at all event?, that he can be depended upon to absent himself from the crucial division by pnirinp with ilr. Wilford, a Government supporter, who is not at present in New Zealand. The latter contingency would, of course, be as much a breaking of his election pledge as the former. Air. Payne seems unable for the present to make up his own mind on the subject. .Some of the honourable gentleman's prominent constituents at present in Wellington have interviewed him on the subject, and have expressed anxiety regarding his attitude in connection with the present political crisis. WILL THERE BE ANOTHER ELECTION? Though there is now practically no doubt about the defeat of the. Government, it does not follow that in subsequent divisions Mr. Jlassey's majority will bo sufficiently large to prevent another appeal to the country sooner than most people contemplate. If the statemeats now being made by members of the Government party ■ are correct, and Mr. Massey is not given a sufficient majority to carry on with, there will eertainiy bo another general election about the middle of next winter—say, in July or August—because it is quite clear that there is not tho remotest possibility of a party being formed on the other side of the House with sufficient members or sufficient strength to carry on the business of Parliament.

MR. ISITT'S "INDEPENDENCE." Spontaneous laughter arose on all sides of the House w)wv Mr. 1,. .VI. Isitt fCliristchurch North) rose and remarked that he had been asked to congratulate, the Speaker on behalf of the Independent, members of th« House. "Sir," said Air. Isitt, "that smile. Irani the members of tho Opposition is agnostic." And again s>ll sides of the Jlouse laughed heartily. Members hr.d not forgotten that Mr. Isitt faithfully attended the Ministerial caucus at Chi'isixhurch a teff weeks ago, and it is believed that that was not the only caucus ol' the same party whore he lias been present. Ortc.in nf Hie. Independent members were very iniu-h annoyed at Mr. Isill's taking it upon to speak on their behalf.

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. Inquiries last night failed (o elicit the names of the memU'iJ who will move and second the Addie-s-in-M'.'ply. The usual custom i.i for Iwo r.ev.iy-ck'c-ted ineniliers on tin , t.iovernment side to perforin this function. The unly three members who answer (o t.lii-i description ale \y. J. Dickie (Kehv.vn), I!. .Vi'Callum (Wairnu), and Parata (Southern Mauri).

DUPLICATED NAMES. There are twenty-five iieiv members in the House of Kopresentatives. 'J'here arc six instances in which a name occurs fcivice in the roll of members; last session there were only three duplications of this character. "One of them is a duplication of .«onnd oiily, in the t*;i-■«.■ of the .Minister lor Afjrieulture ami the Minister for I'liblii: former spoils the initial sellable of his niiine with a medial vowel, and every .Mackenzie claims a wide i!ifl<.|cncc between his name and thai of tin- idnn that i.- nam.'d M'Kpnzie. Mr. 0. M. Thom-oii (Dundin North) and Mr. .1. C. 'J'hoinsun . Wiillat») are .-till iu Parliauieat. Sir. B. \\~.

Smith (Waimarinri) lias now ;i iiuntt-sakc in the new member fur Wailaki (.Mr. I". If. Smith). Mr. .John Hcdhird IKih-n) li:is bfon joined by his son, Mr. 1, , . r". H»l----lard iliaglau). 'I'lif olhcr ilupliciil ions arc. J)r. A. K. Newman (Wellington K.ist) miul Air. K. Newman (Kangitikei). ami Mc-rs. R. 11. lihodes (HilcMiicrc) and 'I'. \V. Rhodes (TllillllOs).

THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. In nml nrninul Parliament. llou?e at the presfnl limp the Inlk i.s all of how vole? will go, and, if appearances do not lip, morn thought is l;i'ing given In tlio fate of parties than to I lie interests uf the. people whom * lie parties rcpresenl. A message which came In Mr. Alassey last evening indicates that 1 lit* people themselves do mil tn.ke ibis lop-sided view of the situation. 11 runs a.*, follows:—

"Ilunlerville Reformers lire with you to-ilny in thi> great liiitional duly you and your plucky bund have uiifk-rlnkeu on behalf of New Zealand. Kia oru." 'The message is signed by Alessrs. I'. I'. Flix-kly. .lohn .1. Jiurlliorpo, Alexander Ross, Henry K. Addenbrooke, Svdney Alair, A. G. Simpson, J. Wilson, T. f Walt, JI. Al'Afanaway.