The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1913 THE STULTIFYING OF PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1914, 24 November 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1913 THE STULTIFYING OF PARLIAMENT.

If the prolonged and systematic obstruction of the Legislature Amendment Bill, and the farcical methods by which the whole business of, the House of Representatives is being deliberately blocked continue much longer, effective steps will have to be taken in the interests of the country to put an. end to a situation which is degrading to Parliament and an outrage en the common sense of the whole community. If the Anti-Reform party'under the leadership of Sir Joseph Ward, aided by their Labour-Socialist allies, are to be allowed to make all legis-, lation impossible because the majority of members favour the repeal of the Second Ballot Act, it will mean the stultification of Parliament. The chief actors in the farce are themselves well aware that they are playing an utterly unworthy and childish game. In one of his speeches on Saturday night, Dr. ' Rangihihoa, who has taken a prominent part in tho campaign of obstruction,: frankly admitted the futility of tho whole proceedings. He reeognised that'the Bill must become law, be-; cause there was a majority on the ' Government sido of the House, andhe declared that the attempt to block it was an absolutely. futile waste of energy and of the country's money. This open, confession was by no means agreeable to the AntiReformers, because it laid bare the extreme foolishness and insincerity oi their methods; and the interjections of some of Dr. Hasoihiroa's colleagues indicated that they did not appreciate tho manner in which he was exposing their tactics. When a minority in Parliament, because it cannot have its own way, threatens permanently to block all business, drastic action becomes necessary, as acquiescence in such a position would be equivalent to the admission that Parliament is unable to perform the -functions which exists to fulfil. The rules of Parliament were framed for the purpose of enabling the business of thc_ country to be transacted in. a businesslike manner, and to provido every reasonable opportunity for the legitimate expression •of opinion; but when the rules of debate are deliberately misused for the purpose of throwing the Parliamentary machine out of'gear, reason and common sense must be made to prevail, and the spirit of the Standing Orders given effect to. At least_ two very striking precedents exist for breaking down organised obstruction when it has degenerated into a mere obstinate refusal to allow Parliament to exercise its essential functions. This stage has now been reached in the New Zealand House of Representatives, and it has become necessary to act on the great fundamental principle that the House itself is superior to its own rules. In the Bri-

tish House of Commons on Wednesday, February 2, 1881, 'Mb. Speaker Bjund took upon himself the responsibility of closing a debate. The House had held a continuous sitting from the previous Monday—a period of 41 ho«rs--and he put the question on tho motion for leave to. bring in a Bill, • although some members wanted to continue the debate. On that occasion, as on'ttie present, the House had been occupied with tedious discussions upon repeated motions for adjournment, and the Speaker declared that the usual rules had proved powerless to ensure orderly and effective debate; that- the dignity, the credit, and authority of the House were seriously threatened; and that its legislative powers were being paralysed. In these circumstances he decided to put the question without calling upon any more members to speak. In the same year (1881) a memorable incident occurred in the Parliament of New Zealand, a-"stone-wall" on the Representation Bill which had lasted 48 hours being terminated by the intervention of tho Chairman of. Committees '(Mb. Seymour), supported by the Speaker. On that occasion the Cha-irman of Committers expressed the opinion that- the limits of fair discussion had been overstepped, and that it became his duty, in order to uphold the proper conduct of business, to put a stop to proceedings which had become obstructive. He went on to say that for tho present ho wcrald not accept an..y further motions to report progress or to leave the Chair. He would only submit to the consideration of the Committee" clauses and amendments which might bejwna fuh offered and be in order and would then strictly confine the deliberations of members to the point under consideration.

Tho Chairman s ruling was ot once .challenged by Mb. Gisßohne, ana the incident was brought to a close by a_ statement of grfcat importance bv Mr. Sniin O'Rorke, in which he declared that he fully concurred in the view taken by" the Chairman. The Speaker then proceeded to make tho following historic 'pronouii6Binen.t:—

Times will wise when thi House must show itself bo master within its own. house. It is true that'it is difficult for the Government and honourable members to eijrrcss the authority of the House on swell occasions; but there Js a "personification of th<j powers of tho House -within, its walls, and that'personification in Comimtroo i e the Chairman of Committee' and m tho. House the Speaker. Honourable- members .must jot suppose that branding Orders wore framed for tho purpose of tying the hands of the House, and prevent it from dealing with tho matters that the prihlio has sent its ta-o for. I feel ashamed that tho people's name should be prostituted by -saying Hint suoh obstruction of business as we hnve witnessed, is an. cshihitieu on behalf of the people's liberties. Tliero are far other services that the people remiire at our 'hands—neniely, wo should give- dwo and mature consideration to the matters submitted to us, and not so abuse the forma of the House as in a great meagre to paralysei' its powers, demoralise its members, and bring it into contempt, 1' mention these tilings in order that there shall he no mistake that there is a power to releaso this House from a deadlock, ii' it should bo attempted to bring one about. In the exercise of that power it ■vill be found that I, for otto, \rill not flineh from the duty entrusted to me.

As regards -the present deadlock on the Legislature Amendment Bill, and the gross abuse of the forms of Parliament by the Anti-Reformers and their Labour-Socialist friends in order to keep alive the opportunities for political scheming fostered ;by the Second Ballot system, the time has . quite come "when the House must show itself to be master within its. own house," and the necessary steps to do this will certainly have the support of public opinion. It is to bo hoped that SiR Joseph Ward will himself see that the proceedings of the past few days are, bringing Parliament into contempt. The obstructionists cannot any longer keep up the pretence that their_ action is capable of justification in view of the admission of Dr. Rajhmhiroa that the attempt to block the Bill is an absolutely futile waste of energy a.nd of the country's money. It is now high time that the interests of the "great third party'' —the .public—were considered, They have to pay for all the frivolous motions and tedious repetitions by means of which the progress pi the Legislature Amendment Bill has systematically blocked, and the consideration of other important measures indefinitely postponed. Let us hope that, to quote once more the words of Mr. Speaker O'Rorke, the people's name will no longer "be prostituted by saying that such obstruction of business as we have witnessed is an'exhibition on Behalf of the people's liberties."