REFORM GOVEREMENT IN OFFICE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1489, 11 July 1912, Page 6

REFORM GOVEREMENT IN OFFICE.

CONGRATULATIONS AND SOME CRITICISM.

PRIME:-MINISTER REPLIES.

CLEARING THE GROUND.

f LAIN WORDS ABOUT PARTY NAIEB.

( When l the House of Representatives assembled .yesterday afternoon, parties had [.changed; ground, for tho first time in I some' twenty-one years. One. day, as it iproved, gave Mr. Massey sufficient .time in which to bring his preparations to 'such a : stage'as enabled him to meet .the House'and lay definite proposals before it in regard to continuing the session. .iJis'.'on.the previous'.day Messrs. Millar landiHerries appeared .to be the only ab- , eehtees, and the. galleries and spaces allotted'to strangers had seldom been more «ro\vdcd; ..The new Prime Minister waa ui Sir 'Joseph /Ward's old. seat,' on tie front : .Treasury bench, with Mr. James Allen, ■beside him. On. tho Prime Minister's left jvas Mr. Fraser, who will probably have }as his bench-mate, Mr. Herries. Mr. Il'isher' aad-Mr. Rhodes were in the bench •behind Mr. Fraser.'and'Mr. Herdman and Dr. Pomare in tho bench behind Mr. .'Massey and Mr.'Allen. -Across the floor, on the left of tho Speaker .were grouped yhat will now be the Opposition.' The principal, interest, centred in the occupancy of.-, the front benches. The Jlon. Th6s. Mackenzie was in the seat formerly occupied-I?yMassey, with Mr. Ens-; cell beside him. The occupants of the, bench .to! the. left were Mr. Myers and Sir Joseph. WarcL The other ei-Mi'nisters occupied seats immediately behind. j 'Little time .was wasted' in prelimin- ■• tries... Notice was given of a few questions, 'and' one" or .two members in■jtimated.] their intention ! of introducing iißillsrOno member, Mr. Craigie, essayed to i put a question without notice to Vhe Min- ' ister. for-Defence, but the Speaker politely choked him off with the remark that 'it would .'be best to first of all whether 'there "vvas a Minister for Defence'or not.

Ejj minutes' /after the House met Mr. Ifassey jae to announce tho names of the new' /Ministers. His . accompanying .remarks'.were veTy brief. Tho Hon.- T. Mackenzie," who followed, contented himself ■' with: • extending friendly congratul tr tionsi' to''the''new'.Ministry. ..

Sir' Joseph WaTd, ill a.' longer utterance, also offered his congratulations, emphasis-? _ ing Vthe point that in his opinion. Mt. " Maesoy was the only possible leader of the . Reform Government. Speeches were , also'y'deliv-nred.'by'.a number .of ex-Minis-ters and nwpibers of tho party opposed to the new' Government. The Prime Minister. replied at some length"; expressing hearty appreciation of the congratulations ■ extended to himself 'and his colleagues, and retaliating with equal vigour and. effect on those who had assailed- his party. The Legislative Council met in the afternoon. Mr. V»v C. P. Garncross was Te-elected Chairman of Committees: The Samuel having announced that the -Hdin; "H. *D. Bell had been' appointed to- lead the Counoil, the new leader was sworn in, and was welcomed' and congratulated by a number of Councillors. At-its rising the Council: adjourned-Until 7.30 p.m;-,,Meeting at that hour, it adjourned until July 31. , '

j THE COUNCIL. THE NEW LEADER. ' HON H D. BELL HEARTILY ■ . WELCOMED. MR. CARNCROSS ELECTED CHAIR- . MAN OF COMMITTEES. The legislative Council met at 2.30 yes-, terdav afternoon, the Hon. T. ThompSra taking the Speaker's chair in. the absence of' Sir Chaa.;Bowen. ; \ , " : -- The' Hon. J. E. JENKINSON gave notioe of his intention'to movo for a return showing the names of members of the Legislative, Council from 1851 to 1912, the dates of their appointments, dates when the seats became vacant, the periods during which they salt, and the electorates they represented.- , ROAD BOARDS AND COUNTY COUNCILS. , The Hon. Sir M. O'RORIvE gave notice of his intention to ask if it was the intention. of the Government to proceed -with a Bill submitted in February last, Enlarging the powers of road boards and ccunty councils, or, failing that, whether they would be willing .to introduce a Bill restoring the powers conferred on them by Mi Act of 1852;

office held by Mr. Bell would be well and worthily upheld. The Hon.-Captain BAILLIE endorsed "tho remarks of the Acting-Leader of the Council and added that he had known Mr. Bell as a boy and had been, associated with that gentleman's father, Sir H. Dillon Bell, in the . Council years ago. Ho was sure the Council would give their new leader every assistance. , The' Hon. .G.. H. MILLS .characterised Mr. Bell as a "man of undoubted merit who would always consider the rights and privileges of the" Council. He was proud tq see a native'of New. Zealand occupying the seat, and he was proud of - their leader.

The Hon. Geo. JONES remarked on the change which, had taken place and added •that he was sufficiently patriotic to de--sire that tho reccnt change might be for tho benefit, somehow or other, of the people of this country. He could promise Mr. Bell that so far as he (Mr. Jones) was concerned he.would place no vexatious opposition in the way of. any of those great reforms which had been promised and ho hoped that other members would do the same. His only desire was to see the crfuntry governed well! It mattered not to him who so governed.

. The Hon. I?. A. LOUGHNAN, in congratulating Mr. Bell, said he would have' 1 preferred to see the carrying the portfolio of Attorney-General, fie congratulated the Council on having been properly treated on this occasion- Its dig-: nity had been properly, recognised by the: Government.'- '' ; The Hon. J/B. CALLAN said he rejoic-., ed to. see Mr.'Bell; teking the'position'ofLeader of the Coundil. Mr:' Bell was an: eminent lawyer'and-it was'-important; that the Council ' should'-' have such aman as its leader, to.'master, engineer,' and fight every Bill which came from the Lower House. He was glad the Government of the day had sent to them a man of,the eminence of Mr. Bell. A Strong Government. . The Hon. J, IMGCr, in extending -his congratulations to Mr. Bell, remarked that he had known that gentleman since he was a boy. Mr.. Bell had always been a strong man for party, but he was also a strictly honourable one, and one who counted amongst the Liberals of the country some of his most' sincere admirers. ; He was sure Mr. Bell would" have every support from the Council without exception. The new Leader was representing what he (Mr. Rigg) thought was a strong Government, and if Mr. Massey brought down a sufficiently progressive policy he was likely to have a long term of office. The Hon. C. M. LTJKE, in congratulating Mr. - Bell, referred' particularly' to the part he had played in the civic life of tho Dominion. Mr. Bell's name, he said, 6tood 'for all that was best, n6blest, and cleanest in civic life. ■ The Hon. J. E. JENKINSON expressed the opinion that Mr. Bell would get assistance'and help from every member of the Council in the conduct of the business, and his reputation should assuro him of success. Ho was proud that they had a;man with such a reputation as Leader, amd glad that the new Government had' taken tho earliest opportunity of putting ,a Minister with a portfolio in as Leader of tho Council. In passing, Mr. Jenkinsori paid, a tribute to the work done by the Hon. 0. Samuel as Acting- 1 Leader of the Council. ; The Hon. T. PARATA congratulated Mi; Bell on behalf of the Maori people, Tho Leader-in Reply. The Hon. H. D. BELL expressed his gratitude for, the welcome tko/ had ex-

v THE TATUM TRUST. The Tatum Trust' Revocation Bill was ' explained by the Acting-Leader of the Council, and. .rend 'ft second time. : . ... ~V ——. '; '• THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF COMMITTEES. The ACTING-SPEAKER' announced that the Hon. W/ C. IV, Carncross had been re-elected to the Chairmanship of Committees without opposition. Th§ H0n.,0. SAMUEL congratulated the Hon.' Mr. Carncross on his re-eleotion without opposition to the position he has held for three or four terms. He read a telegram from Mr. .Carncross expressing his,-thanks for his re-election, and stating that only exceptional circumstances had kept him away from'. the Chamber that day. ' NEW! LEADER SWORN IN. CONGRATULATORY SPEECHES.' The Hon. 0. SAMUEL briSily outlined the/happenings of the past few days, and announced the names of the new Prime Minister and his Cabinet,' stating that the. Hon. H.. D. Bell would lead the Council and hold office of Minister for Internal Affairs. The Hon. H.' D. BELL entered the Chamber after the reading of prayers, and was: sworn in, his supporters being the lion. 0. Samuel, Acting-Leader of the Council, and the Hon. Captain Baillie. In offering Ms congratulations to the new Leader of the Counoil, The Hon. 0. SAMUEL said he thought the appointment waa a most satisfactory one to them all—(hear, hear)—as they knew that Mr. Bell possessed those qualities which would bring dignity to the Council audi the best fruits to the Dominion. His qualifications rendered hiin most fitted.' to lead the Council. Their new leader had been recognised as one of the leader's of the Bar in New Zealand and his honourable conduct,-and his great application to every subject whioh came before him, had won for him the respect of the legal profession. There was no one in New Zealand who would do more readily , appealed to as to what waa right and proper in respect of equitablo and honourable conduct than the hen. gentleman who now led them. The Oounoil had been fortunate in tbo and he had no doubt whatovos thai) tbo ttaditfona of th»

tended to him. It. could not bo without real and unfeigned diffidence that a mail should undertake the duties which ha would endeavour to perform. He was a stranger to the standing orders of the Council, and he hoped that ho would havo the assistiinoe of hon. members to prevent mistakes of a technical character. Ho stood there nlono, being the first- man appointed to tlio CoMicil other than by the Continuous Government, and that' sense of isolation mado him the more grateful for what.had been said by those gentlemen who had been appointed by other Administrations. Ho would do his best to conduct the affairs of the Council in such a manner that they should not have a sense that its dignity was lowered by his conduct. (Hear, hear.) If he had to advocate measures for the Government of which ho was a member,.which might be in some details distasteful to those who had ' legislated under the 'Administration* of the last 20 years, lie .would always try to recognise that he. might be running counter to long prejudices, and for his part would endeavour to show that what he had to advocate was right and just. The Hon. Cnptair. Baillie had stated that he had Kit with his (the speaker's) father, and - lie might' he pardoned recalling the fact that, his father .was. a member of'the'. Council''in' tho first .•■■Parliament after the Constitution Act, mid to-day lie (tho speaker) held the office his father had held in the first Parliament. In conclusion, Mr. Bell thanked, members for their welcome, and assured them that their words were far more than anything he could have anticipated. ' (Applause.) Subsequently, the Council adjourned until the end of the month;