THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1488, 10 July 1912, Page 6

THE HOUSE.

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. THE FINANCIAL POSITION. ' STATEMENTS BY MR. T. MACKENZIE • AND MR. MASSEY. Coming after the stirring events which ■liavo taken place lately in the world of politics yesterday's sitting of the House of Representatives. was extremely tame and dull. The House met at the-usual hour of 2.30 p.m., arid sat for itn hour,, but most of that time was devoted to matters of commonplace -routino -and the formal announcements of- the retiring and incoming Prime Ministers, which the members had primarily assembled to hear, occupied only a minute or two at the end of the sitting, By that time the interest of the occasion had to a great extent evaporated. Every, member was present Houso met, except the Hon. J. A. Millar, who was absent owing to illness, and Mr. W. 11. Herries, who is to arrive froib England to-day by the lonic. All tho galleries were crowded, and available seats on the floor of the Houso allotted to strangers were filled. Many people who desired to witness the proceedings had to be turned: away. : It had been expected that the House would proceed tit once'to the principal business of the day, but instead a number of members presented petitions and gave notice of . questions., About ten minutes having been spent In this, way, Mr. Speaker made an announcement in Tegartl to the presentation of tha. Address-in-Reply to tho Governor and his Excelleny's reply thereto. On top of this Ministers laid on the tabid a large number of papers and reports and one or two questions were answeredwithout notice;: . Interest in the proceedings began to wane, and It showed no tendency to Tevive when tho Hon. G. W. Russell entered into a fairly lengthy explanation of a report which had been received from New South Wales in reference to the administration of local government in that State. Even - this, did not exhaust, the delays of tho afternoon. A one-sided financial debate irose when tlw Ho% A. M. Myers, prcsent-

Ed a printed-memorandum showing the state of the Dominion's finances up to the end of last month. Mr. Myers, detailed also a list of unexhausted loan authorities. The retiring Minister for Finance and Sir Joseph_Ward agreed in declaring that the financial prospects of the Dominion in tho', immediate future were extremely bright. No member ,of the Reform party joined in the discussion, but some interjections .by the member for Bruce indicated that he did not take such a roseate view of the financial position as the retiring Minister for Finance and his immediate predecessor. When the important business of the sitting; was at length taken in hand, it was disposed of: in two or three infinites. Mr. Mackenzie stated that he had re-, •signed, and that Mr. Massey had been 6ent for by the Governor, and moved that the House adjourn until the following day. Mr. Massey was equally brief. He stated that he hoped to meet the House to-day, and make known the names of his Ministers.

■At half-past three the House adjourned until 2.30 p.m. to-day. The Legislative Council is to meet today. \ The Hon. 0.. Samuel has offered to lead the Upper Houso at to-day's sitting, pending the appointment of a representative of the new Ministry.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. The House met at 2.30 p.m., and, contrary to expectations, some time wasspent in the transaction of routine business. Various reports "were laid on the table, kand a number of members gave notico of questions. :.■••■-. • >. 'The SPEAKER announced that on Saturday,'accompanied by the mover of the Addiress-in-Reply and other members, he had presented the Address to' his Excellency the Governor. The Speaker read his Excellency's reply, which is as follows.— . ."I • thank you for the loyal address' you have just- presented to me. I 1 ■receive with pleasure the assurance it contains that you will give your oareful consideration to the' measures which may bo 'brought before you. With regard to the last paragraph of your Address, I fully recognise that it inessential that my Advisers should possess the confidence of the representatives of the people', and I am now, therefore, taking measures for the formation- of a new Administration."