POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2498, 26 June 1915, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

EVENTS OF THE FIRST DAY THE "NATIONAL GOVERNMENT"' It has been suggested that the affairs of this country in tliis time of national crisis ought to be directed by a "National Government." As a reason why the usual constitutional practice of tlio Government being controlled by the party having a majority in tho Representative Chamber 6nould' he departed from, it is argued that there can bo no difference of • opinion between parties on matters pertaining to tho defence of tho Empiro at a time of crisis such as the present. The do;cnco question is the only one put forward as being of sufficient importance to justify the "National Government" idea. Tho demands of those who have clamoured for coalition under its new namo ought to bo satisfied in a measure by tho Government's proposal, embodied 111 a motion of which the Defence Minister has given notice in the House, to sot up a Defence Committee, a secret committee to which may be referred fny question which has to do with defence, and this will include certain of the emergency War .Bills to come beforo the Rouse. Tho Committee is a particularly strong one. The Prime Minister will be chairman, and . the Defence Minister will be a member. Sir Joseph Ward, tho Leader of- the Opposition, and his first lieutenant (Mr. 1 usse ")j Mr. Myers, Defence Ministerial tho Mackenzie Cabinet, and Dr. M'Nab, an enthusiast in national service, and a' member very orach interested in defence, will represent the Opposition. Labour will be represented by Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh. Otter members will be the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, & capable military ofßcor, the Hon. A. L. Herdman, Attorney-General, Mr. E. P. Leo, and Mr. D. H. Guthrie. Probably no better selection of the members of the Houso could have been made. The Loan Bill. In all probability the Loan Bill will be introduced in the Houso 011 Tuesday. The Prime Minister informed a reporter yesterday that 110 did not consider it probablo that any considerable part of tho loan would be raised locally. The bulk of it ■would bo raised in England, under the arrangement already existing with the Imperial Government. Members on Active Service, One of tlio war measures of ■which tho Attorney-General notice yesterday, the Suspension of Disqualification During War Bill, is of considerable urgency. The "disqualification" in the title and in tho Bill refers to members of Parliament. Under the law as it is any member of Parliament who accepts a position under the Crown ceases ipso facto to be a member, and this applies to members who go on active service. A soldier is a servant of the Crown. Last session Mr. W. H. D. Bell served ■with the Samoan Expedition, and later went to England to join King Edward's Horse, but in his case it does not, seem to have occurred, to anybody that this action on his part vacated the Suburbs seat. Colonel ■.Collins, V member -of the. Legislative Council, is to command the Hospital Ship, and Mr. W. Dowmo Stewart aud Mr. T. K Y. Seddon, members of tho House of Representatives, are going into camp shortly at Tretitliain. Tho Bill will be retrospective in so far as it will refer to Mr. Bell, and possibly to Colonel Collins, and it will also protect from disqualification Mr. Stewart and Mr. Seddon and any other members who may clccido to go to the front. LIQUOR IN BELLAMY'S. Tho first petition of the session which was presented to the House yesterday by Mr. A. S. Malcolm (Clutha) has reference to the question of the continuance or otherwise of the supply of alcoholic liquor at Bellamy's' during the war. Tho petition, which is signed by Mrs. R. Don, president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and five other officer-bearers of that organisation, asks that in view of tho example set by the King, "alcoholic liquors shall be banished from.Bellamy's during tho course of the war." The petition wdl probably be roferred to the House Committee, which has not yet been appointed. It is interesting to note that in accordance with tho provisions of tho Act a poll of the members of Parliament will shortly be taken on the question of the continued supply of alcoholic liquor at Bellamy's. Tho Act provides that the poll shall be taken on the fourth Tuesday after the close of tho debate on the Address-in-lleply in the Houso during the first session of each Parliament. Bv & rather remarkable chain of circumstances there has been no such "fourth Tuesday" in the first session of the three last Parliaments. In 1006, 1909, and again in 1912 the first sessions of the newly-elected Parliaments were very brief, that in 1906 lasting only-' three d.ays, that in 1909 a week, and that in 1912 about a fortnight. Thus the poll which it may be expected will be taken in a few weeks time will be the first that has been taken for twelve years, viz., since August, 1903. On that occasion tho voting for and against the retention of alcoholic liquor at Bellamy's was as follows: —Legislative Council, 34 for and 4 against; House of Representatives, 42 for and-29 against. Totals, 76 for and 31 against.

140 GRIEVANCES? A remarkable feature of yesterday's proceedings in the House was the paucity of notices of motions aad questions. Unusually on the first day of the session members oome armed with sheaves of questions and motions, and' the- fact that they had no stored-up queries this year may be taken as some indication that they do not consider local affairs of great moment. A few Government members gave notice of questions and Mt. T. K. Sidey gave notice of his perennial Daylight Saving Bill under a new name, "The Time Adjustment Bill." He was tho only Opposition member to speak at that stage of t'he business, and no Labour member rose to speak at any time during the sitting. The particularly placid nature of the proceedings in the House in the afternoon was tho subject of considerable comment in the lobbies. Some members affect to regard them as a happy augury for a poaceful session, but others attribute no special significance to the absence of the manifestation cf the party spirit. "It may only be a calm before tne storm," say some, who point out that it was only to be expected that yesterday's proceedings would be quiet in view of the references to deceased legislators with which tho sitting was to conclude. It nm§t also be borno in mind that tho Address-in-He--ply debate will give members a full opportunity of indulging in any criticism of the Administration of which they may be disposed to unburden themselves. Next week may give a better indication of the probable character of the session. Ono of tho features of vestorda.y's proceedings was the fact that tho Imprest Supply. Bill was permitted to pass through without, debato. But oven this may moin nothing as a portent.