THE DOMINION. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1912. PARLIAMENT ASSERTS ITSELF.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1578, 23 October 1912, Page 6

THE DOMINION. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1912. PARLIAMENT ASSERTS ITSELF.

The House of Representatives yesterday wasted practically the whole day in further discussion of the conduct of the member for Awarua before the Public Accounts Committee. Tho matter was one which should have been disposed of in half an hour and no.doubt would have been had the offending member been anyone other than Sir Joseph Ward. No ono else, wc venture to think, would have presumed to take lip the attitude adopted by the member for Awarua in defiance of the Standing Orders of the House; and whatever excuse may be put forward for the use of the unparliamentary 'language he was guilty of, the > fact cannot be ignored that he refused in cold blood to withdraw what was admittedly said in the heat of the moment. It is easy to forgive a hasty remark uttered under a sense of irritation when an' amende is promptly made, but. it is quito another matter when the offence is do-' liberatoly _ persisted in, in defiance of recognised authority long after the passion of the moment has passed. Very improperly some members of the Opposition attempted to argue that Sir Joseph Ward s lonrr Parliamentary service and tho fact that he has filled the office of Prime Minister entitled him to some special privilege at tho hands of the House. We should have thought that' it would be quite clear to everyone that what might be excusable in a young and inexperienced member is much less so in an old member of Parliament; and where it is a case of a member who has filled the highest office in the gift of the people it is impossible to find any excuse at all when the offence is admitted and porsisted in. c _ No ono should bo in a better than tho ex-Prime Minister to realise the importance, nay, the absolute necessity, of a strict enforcement of the rules of order and decorum in the conduct of the business of Parliament. No ono is under a greater obligation to sot an example of .ready _ obedience to tho rulings of the Chair, and to assist in upholding the dignity of Parliament. To attempt, therefore, to justify or excuse the action and attitude of Sir Joseph Ward on the ground of his past or present standing in politics is to merely aggravate his offending. _ It says a good deal for the generosity of the Prime Minister and for the good nature of members generally that the motion of censure passed on the member for Awarua was couched in such mild terms. The. circumstances would certainly have warranted much mure serious action had the House felt so inclined. Sir Joseph Ward's attempt to justify his attitude throughout, this unpleasant affair cannot add to his political.standing in or out of tho House. It was not merely an affront to Parliament, but it was petty and in the manner of a spoilt child. He placed himself in the wrong in an outburst of anger and he persisted in keeping himsolf there after he had had every opportunity (o cool down and . to soo the error of his conduct. He

would have been in a much stronger position to-day had lie shown the breadth of mind and moral courage requisite to admit his offence and withdraw his objectionable reference to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. During l)ie course of the debate some bitter and quite unjustifiable reflections were aimed at Mil. Hine, Chairman of the Committee in question. The purpose behind these attacks was, of course, to attempt to minimise as far as possible the offence of Sir Joseph Ward by making it appear that he had received some finite exceptional provocation. As a matter of fact, the report of the proceedings on the occasion of the use of the offensive remark by the member for Awarua, shows that Mit. Hine, in his capacity of Chairman, merely exorcised a quite proper discretion in attempting to keep a witness to the point in replying to a question put to him. Mr. Hine's manner is blunt and straightforward, but Sir Joseph Ward must either have a very exalted idea of his own standing and of his right to immunity from the restrictions imposed on humbler folk, or he must bo very thin-skinned indeed to imagine that the remark of the Chairman of which he complains warranted the use of the unparliamentary language of which he himself was guilty. The_ House, while supporting the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and upholding the authority of Parliament, has shown extreme leniency to Sir Joseph Ward, a fact which, judging by his closing speech; he is incapable of properly appreciating.