NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1857, 17 September 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

If by any chance anyone should have been deceived by the pretence of the Opposition that they were obstructing the business of Parliament because certain Departmental reports had not been presented to the House, there cannot be the slightest shadow of excuse now for any unbiased person remaining .in cvror. The report on the Mental Hospitals of the country was made available on Saturday morning, but the obstruction on the Mental Hospitals Department Estimates continued unabated all Saturday afternoon and evening, all Monday afternoon and evening, and at time of writing is still proceeding. Further reports relating to Departments tho Estimates for which have yet to be considered by tho House were laid on tho table of the Legislative Council and circulated amongst members of the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon at 2.30 o'clock. Notwithstanding this the obstruction has not slackened in the least. The Opposition began their obstruction of the Estimates on Friday without excuse. Some hours later they found that certain reports had not been brought down, and they then jumped 'at the idea of making this their excuse. Now they have got tho reports they still continue to obstruct. Those arc the facts, and on these facts Sin Joseph Ward and his followers must answer for the cost they are putting the country to in an endeavour to servo their party ends.

It has been noticeablc that tho Leader of v the Opposition has carefully avoided _ participating as a ' talker against time in the present obstructive tactics of the party in the House of Eeprcsentatives. It would seem that one of the conditions which he imposed when he took charge of the party, was that they should carry the burden of tho work while he directed their efforts. This is very pleasant just now for Sir Joseph Ward. He can spend his leisure away from tho_ heated and stuffy Chamber, where his docile followers are wearily talking against time at a cost to tho country of little less than a pound a minute. They sit up night after night, and right through the dull, drab round of the clock, fraying their nerves with the strain • and worry of keeping the flood of useless and meaningless talk flowing; while he looks in only at odd moments, and then saunters off to bed or where his pleasure wills. It is easy to understand that he himself does not care to descend to the level of folly to which he has committed his followers. It is one thing to plan obstruction, it is quite another to carry it into effect, particularly when it means such personal discomfort and loss of dignity as are being suffered by the Opposition obstructionists just now. It is plain that Sir Joseph Ward has exacted terms from his party which will not entail any great hardship on himself. His lack of interest in the business of the House since his return from abroad has been very marked: but it. had been expected that when he consented to take tho leadership of the party he would devoto closer attention to the proceedings of Parliament, and leave less of the burden to his subordinates than he is doing.

The suggestion that the King should call a conference of representatives of all political parties with the object of arriving at a settlement by consent of the Home Rule problem is not looked upon with favour by the Times, and Sir Edward Carson also thinks it would be an unwise procedure. His Majesty _ could possibly intervene by refusing to give his consent to the Bill when passed by Parliament, but it would be a very serious matter to exercise the Royal veto (if such exists) even upon a proposal to dismember tho Kingdom. A precedent would be Eet up which on some future occasion might prove very dangerouß, and possibly result in a conflict between the will of tho King and the will of the people. The mere act of calling together a conference at the request of all concerned might not be attended with any evil consequences, but it is urged that on tho whole it is better that His Majesty should not be entangled in political controversies, especially when there is no reason why a conference should not be held without his intervention. Some time ago it was suggested that the following petition signed by the public should be sent to tho King: —

"I respectfully ask your Majesty to withhold your Royal Assent to the Bill to amend the provision for tho government of Ireland until after the electors of the United Kingdom have been consulted."

Referring to .this suggestion, the Spectator pointed out that it assumes that the right of veto still belongs to the Sovereign, that the giving of the Royal Assent to Bills is still a personal and not a merely formal act, and that therefore tho King, by signing a Bill like the Home Rule Bill, upon which' the electors of the United Kingdom have not been consulted, would be aclcnowledginga personal responsibility for that Bill. This, it considers, is a dangerous view, and places on the King a responsibility which does not belong to him, for the King's acts are the acts of his Ministers and not his own. The Spectator goes on to thatthc fact that the Government's action is entirely wrong is no reason why the Unionists should act as foolishly as their opponents are acting wickedly. This is sound sense, and as Sir Edward Carson has stated, the only sure ground of settlement is an appeal to the people.