THE WORKS AND WAYS OF PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2192, 3 July 1914, Page 3

THE WORKS AND WAYS OF PARLIAMENT

fAt the wcoWy meeting of tfoo y.M,C.A, Literary and DebatkK.Olub, Mr. Ohiis. B. Wheeler delivered a lochli-e oft the subject of "I'arliamont,. .Us Work and Ways," Mr. .Richard Brown presided over a largft Kfithermg of nseaiberg, who listened wßb keen interest to- tte lceturer's aceovmt of Parliame-ntary procadure and pwuliantips, M.r. Wiicßler said that u.fe wished te show that Periiameiit was a humaa iiistitution. From his *»■ penenco of the dener&l AssamWy, lie wad couie to the condusion that there wet© as jnauy sides to a political qnostwn as there wete earntst advoeates, For many yeirs thoro Imd iecn wily two- parties in the. House, but now WW was p, third factkn— the Labour Part*-- t>ll a public wisrfrs qaiestian, however, there always seo-rtj-fed to be «xtie% .eigtity different points of view. Xbft speaker tlie party system oi' iha Dominion with that 'of Great Britain, over which ho dcelaxed owr mtthod h»d some ijnpertaftt atlVkutases, Tlic patty system generally possessed ajore merit- than the group. W-siem in vogue in certain ceuntries. In New Zealand a political party .re-main-fid in pow<jr for a coasiderablo TJffriooli «-b»fcas in. France, Ullde.r -Vbog_foap sy-s-fein, t-ksre bad fleon several ■changies of Government witiiin guito recent tmjes.

: '.Eho prefo«skws of. New Znalund Pa.rliamchtiiirift.ns were- varied. Farmer? W.fire really -in- the majority. 'Twenty* sm'cu membes «£ the present Parliament We.ro ln-rme-rs, nnd at nr> tiKi* mnec> JBB6 had thufo been, ftw-or than twenty Te : pr4»seM-ta:iiives of the farming eeKttoun-it-y. Jotima.lism Was not so well re-'Kres-ented as in : b-y=-gono fl : ays t while fetors, jy-s a rale, kept absolutely ahai of I'arliamflh-l;. The Bouse of Jteiirdseittatke* was the happy buatingfeTOijiid of liwvj'ers, there bekg elevpn .members of the: legal prO'ScsSion in the Hou"sc at the time. . Thfl htiurs of Par]ia.tnent Were -pecHliar, and tlo members worked for Jong periods- without eessatiou. Probably th<? most us©M work ivas done in cejn* Biiitee, bcfoi-<-! the niemfe.Ts appeared in pii.blfe- ParliiittCiitairy pTooedtirc, st»nj*e_ta say, still retained wifty ol the prejudices of eariier times against the.iaubiic and tlie Press. A Ai6»ting ■of Pij-rlianreat differed greatly from an otdteri' public nieeting. Duriiig denates members did; almosi aftythifig Miey wished. Pifrf-iaOient was place for orfttwy, beea;ti-s6 tlie Jiitdielice was most iiuKlFffircnt.

Mr. Wlvoelfif gay?, an interesting acscount of the o:p«nig of Parliament, and stressed tho itiiprirtar.ee of ParVanicjii ns an in* fit»l ion. All the spsecli-ftakinj; in tho Monso was, lie contended. iei>%, it great safety-valve for soeicty as a wlwjo. this ffieafis it tvas possiW" to ventilate and rptruxiy grievances wHlvoai roee-insc- to revolutian aii'i assassination. Sir. Wli color was accorded 8- hearty vote of tliaiilcs fat his interesting a:;d iusuvietivij a'Wress.