MR. WILLIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1639, 4 January 1913, Page 6

MR. WILLIS.

f. THROUGH HIS OWN SPECTACLES! a "WHYI BECAME'' SPEAKER." J , Ihroonverßation. of Parliament Horn a this morning, (said tho Sydney "Sun" r t cently), Mr. Speaker Willis discussed tl v present position, of Parliament and pa j ties. ... •■:. ' ■~:. ■ Incidentally lio mentioned that it ho • come to his knowledge t4at the Liber' » party had employed an organiser to wor r against him/in tlie Upper Hunter eleeto: • ate—a'course which,, Mr.. .Willis 6ays,.: quite'contrary to.the usages of the Hr tisb... Houso of Commons, whose • Spcakt . is strictly regarded 'as a noii-party inai ; and is accordingly always allowed to hoi L his .'seat without a contest. ; '-: ' ■ In this: connection tho Speaker explaii ■' od his position to-day, and the evolutio ! of Parliamentary affairs'which has,crer i ed that position:— , : , ;•.'.. "On tho eve of prorogation tho Ecdistr , hution of Seats resolution wasVadopte by Parliament, and tho object for whic I had accepted tho Speakership was a< coinplished, Mr. Willis said; t "The invitation to accept nomination^ '•' the. Speakership wob accepted," be,car tihued, "to prevent a doublo dissolution l .to obviate ian appeal to tlie oonstituencie J within a few months of tho previous ar. , peal to tho electors. ' Morcovor, to en ; franchise the great body of people wh , were not ■on the old rolls; furthermore to delimit the boundaries and distribut . the electors ""proportionately within tu electorates. ,' :' ; "Precedent warranted-by viewing tib ■ situation from tho constitutional stand 1 'point. . ■';'. ■' ■ ~; ■ ■:■ >\ , "It would be most reprehensible If Sneaker was known to resign ftorn th Chair.:to give the Ministry his vote as partisan. . Likewise a basic principle o responsible government would be shatterei if tho leader of the Opposition could with hold from Parliament a Speaker to com •pel tho Lieutenant-Governor, to, dissolv tho Houso which he had a few hours be foro informed the leader of tho'-'Opposi tion he would not do. The Oppositioi party, that would wreck a Ministry mus comp'.to the lung's assistance to carry 01 government,' ■ • ■'"But Mr.; Wade, being sont for,and ask . cd-I>y tho administrator if ho would fori a Government refused the commission un less he w.ero given a. dissolution of th< Legislative Assembly. "If Mr. Wadecoulc dominate members so as to causo a crisii the King's prerogative would pass and th< dissolution of Parliament would be the shuttlecock, of party manoeuvring ■' ."Let ushopo that tho. King's roprcsenta. hve may bo fairly treated. Any attempt to waylay, tho Lieutenant-Governor or taproot , of our Constitution should bo exposed and tho culprit put to .confusion. "My _ action in accepting l nomination prevented the ; usurpation of tho Lieuten-ant-Governors authority. ' . "While Parliament was in : session I havo refrained from parte speech-making. Attacks upon mo .from' nlotives of spleen or ignorance of constitutional procedure have remained unanswered, believing that it was the duty, of the House to defend the Speaker, from wanton attack. ' • Ivow.that tho redistribution of seats has .been effected,, the general election should, follow at tho earliest date practicable. Tho goal that was beforcune has been.reached; nil that was. essential has been, accomplished■ in the redistribution of scats; Liberalism has triumphed over Wadeism—though on the way I was daily pierced with arrows dipped in gall. If it has shown what an Australian will suffer to defend the institutions of a free psoplo from the selfishness of a rabblo, tne n the. example may not be in vain. Tho abuse had no good purpose to serve; I had but dono my duty to principles and to country. Precedents will show that Mr. Speaker Abbott' was taken from the Protectionist party on tho invitation 'of Sir Henry Pnrkos, the Freetrader. In his position as Speaker ho found tho House'evenly divided -on a motion of 'No confidence' in tho' Freetrade Government, and Sir Joseph Abbott' gave his casting vote to the Free-trade Government. "Sir Jenkin Coles, ono of tho ablest Speakers of the Houso of' Assembly, .Adelaide, was a Liberal. When tho Labour Government was returned in the last Parliament with a majority of one, the Liberals (as in my case) asked Sir Jenkin Coles not to accept the invitation of the Labour Government to accept election to the.Speakership, but Sir Jenkin Coles refused to heed tho unconstitutional demand of this party. • "'.'.■■■■ "My case rests on all fours with theso two precedents."