PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2508, 8 July 1915, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

THE COUNCIL ' SON: C.'J. ) 1 ELECTED SPEAKER I Y-V.' . • T PAYMENT'OF SOLDIERS IN THE BOUSE / ' / v a _, • -•.,. -• •. . •,'» • ; ■.. •. The Legislative: Council mot -at; 2.30 ! .'i>.m.. ■ : . .' I 'Die two recently-appointed members I of tho Council, the Hon. Sir Walter i 'Buchanan and the Hon: J. A. Millar, i .were sworn in. The sponsors in tho i first place were the Hon. Sir Francis i 'Bell and, the Hon. J. Duthie, and in I the second place tho Hon. Sir Francis ißell and tho Hon. J. Barr. Leave of absence for ten days was. i granted to the Hon. Captain Baillio on | account of illness. ,'l . The. Hon. SIR FRANCIS'BELL' gave notice to introduce nest sitting day tho Now Zealand _ Society, of. Accountants' (Amendment Bill. ■-. i ; ■ v'- —v, --I EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL; The Hon. SIR FRANCIS BELL mtrocluced without notice the Education .Amendment Bill, 1915,- and the 'Standing 'Orders-were suspended to allow the 'Bill to be.-, put through.: all sittings at ■ 'one stage. v- •. . v. On the sccond reading, ■ ..The Hon. SIR BELL ex-: plained that. tho Bill was' to amend s ■.clause, of. • last year's Aot relating to the election.of a parents' representative i to the "boaids of secondary schools. Tho i clause provided' that the election should, take place before the end of July, and ■nlso provided that tho election- should 1 ! tako place in accordance with-a scheme formulated by the Council of.Educa- : tion. The .Council of Education had ■just drafted, that scheme,: and lit would ;be impossible this year to hold- tho ■ . elections in July.'; The Bill was to extend the time for this year only-up till !August ; 31. ; S '■ v -, The ■ Bill wasi put through remaining Jstages and passed.; FIRST READING. The, Trading with the Enemy 'Am'endtaent Bill. and. tlie Regulation of Trade I and Commerce Amendment Bill were ,i introduced from the House of Ropre-.i isentafives and read a first timo.i .1 THE SPEAKERSHIP HON. :C. 'J. JOHNSTON ELECTED. CONGRATULATED BY COUNCIL. ..-■ Tlie election of a Speaker, for the ; . Council was tie chief business consid-*. ered, and before tliis was proceeded 'with, ....- - . . . : - .'. :■ -,V ' Tho Hon: SIR- FRANCIS ' BELL ■ -moved- without; notice several' resolutions authorising the Clerk, of the Council to answer questions and explain any :. matters relating thereto to . the: members -of'theGouncil/Hehad iiad these-post-i.ed up for the" information of members: • . : The Hon. 0. SAMUEL expressed ■ j gratification .' that' the Loader of tho . • Council :had done something to enlighten ' : . • the members 1 as: to the procedure to '•■ be , 'adopted; He desired, however,-to make • Eomo suggestions before the election-took ( place, and the first was that any member who asked that his name should be struck out of .the final five should, bo ;allowed.ito giyo i some explanation of'his - Reason.-,' '.. . V . Hie Hon. Sir Franais Bell: The Stand-, jing Orders . are-definite on that; point'.: • 'There shall be no debate. : - . ■>: Tho Hon. 0. Samnel said that .his ' isecond suggestion-wae that with a'view• : .' to giving .ail; idea whether-,those\'nom-. linated ; were likely , to be'able to dis- .: charge tie duties; the candidates should' : [address;.the Council.; Surely it was de- • )'sirable tbat those .who' made , the I tion should have, some material before . ithem to guido their choice? There was ■ ,also the • question as to ; ho wr they'.were j.to choose the.'fivo members for tne final ! iballot-. : Ho.:thought : it' would;:be best, i'by:,indicating^those, five J they ' thought! lihest fitted to fill tho office. s ßut it had . flieen.;^; suggested, 'outsido isafest. ! course-fwould' lie': to nominato tho.- ono •tliey wished to . see- elected, and- four ■others not likely, to compete with him. iHe did not' tJiink that was ,'desirabley jandhehoped it would not tako place, i He held that there woro also - reasons hvhy some men would decline office, and Ithev should be allowed to state them. - , The Hon. Sir-Francis Bell: They can :!make. it, afterwards, when the doors aro •open. , . > The Hon. Mr. Samuel thought that it'i j was not desirable to make • those state-: ■: menfe . afterwards, in public, or indicate' j how. the voting went. They might also,: •ibefore nominating a : member, approach jihim to;see.whether he would,accept tho {office if nominated. The office should Cnot have been said to have been "hawked- about.": Preferential voting,-lie ■thought,, also might bo exercised in tho election: . ■ ' j Tlie Hon'.' SIR 'FRAJNCIS BELL, in answer, said that his notices wero only •to provide the Clerk with the right, to answer 'questions, etc. ' AVith'-. regard to ' . the^''Sta'ndingVOrders -they had passed. : ' : Two" of- the f suggestions - made - were"' at variance with those Standing Orders, :smd could not be accepted that day. i The ; now : pro vision, allowing', a- man to lidecline.;. nomination had, 'been . inserted because .of.: a letter, of. -complaint that ,a ■ man, should r not have tho right' to , ;-withdraw. Ho did not see that it would ■' ibe. either -discreditable to' the. Council or tho member- that lie should decline ' 1 •nomination. ;. Ho thought. *. honourable j members would see that it ..would'; bp jimpossible to get an ,idea from members : ; whether they would accept nomination.' :Tlio great experiment was about to bo . imadej aifd lie saw no reason . why the : ; Council -Vshould not trust itself in the I matter. .V;There was .no chance • of i any ■ member.'failing -to-discharge the duty ijie beld=was:ri>hi and.just and proper!, ■'■'/.The.resolution's were accepted. '.' /The.Council was then called over, tlie ;'onlv members absent being the Hons. .-'Captain Baillie, W. "-Morgan,' -R... K. Simpson, and W. K. Nikora; At 3.15 p.m. the Clerk announced: ; "Gentlemen, the time' hais now come 1 for tho- Council to elect ..a 1 Speaker: • Strangers are requested to' withdraw.". Proceedings In Camera. - The. proceedings took place in camera, . ;and at 3.55 p.m. the doors: of the Council Chamber were again thrown, open. ; The_ Committee /proceedings had result- ; ed in tlie Hon.' C. J. - Johnston- being jelected. : . .- .-" ■ The Hon. C. J. JOHNSTON was apjiplanded' on. taking tho chair. He ex- ' j-pressed . his deep appreciatioii of the 'ilpnour.done-him, and hoped that in tlia • {performance.of his 'duties he,'would bo pMe;.td live up to, the high ' traditions 'created by his predecessors in the office. Congratulations Offered. The Hon. W. C. F. CAR.NCROSS fnegged to _ conaratulate the Speaker Upon the high distinction. . It was an - office any man miprht w-ell be proud of, jfand he "was sure the new Speaker was fcensible of the very great dignity which jhad been conferred upon' Him: ITo rtould only say, as one of the Couucililors who woiild sit under his ruling, 4.bat the Speaker would find him pay jibe c.reatest . respect, and if it was in. ?his Dower at any time to assist. the jSpeaker it would be his pleasure to do 'ifso. ? Tho -Hon. SIR FRANCIS BELL said .

that he offered his congratulations, and he felt he spdko'for. tho Council in congratulating the Speaker on his election. They had every confidence that he would not xlepart from tho traditions of tho Chair. in that place, and they might rely upon his perfect fairness, just-ico, and. firmness. ' It gavo liim great personal pleasure to congratulate one with whom ho had been associated almost from boyhood. He complimented Mr. Carncross on his speech. Mr., Ca.ruoross had been' interested more than as a member in the proceedings, and tho assistanco, he had promised would bo more valuable than that which could be given by any other member of the Counoil. "But i feel sure," concluded Sir Francis Bell, "that you will, be fully confident that the Council will obey your rulings, aud will endeavour .to vtho best of the power of tho members to enable you to carry out the high and important duties to which we have elected you." , The Hon. G. JONES said that the spcoch of the. Chairman of Committees (tho Hon. W.-C. F. Carncross) was in every way' a manly speeoh, because; he had the right to expect that the Counoil would have elected liim. As a member of the Council he carried the attributes of his former public life into tho office of Acting-Speaker and. Chairman of Committees. He personally was a little'disappointed,: because he thought Mr. Carncross should havo had the position. But- he was satisfied to give his allegiance : to tho' Speaker, and was, sure he"'woiild;be a good Speaker.; If Mr. Carncross was satisfied, surely he should' be. satisfied. ; Ho, therefore congr'atufiited' the' Speaker, and hoped he would long be,spared to occupy, the position. High Traditions of Office. ■ The Hon. 0. SAMUEL added his congratulations those: already expressed. The/ .CoUncil ; had Ithe assurance that the'y rhad on©; who .Had always been held in high esteem,- and t-hoy bad reason to leel that' he would mauitain the high traditions of the office. He. joined in Vho assurance that the Speaker- would get .the loyal, support of -the Council. . The Hon. G. J. JOHNSTON expressed his great appreciation of: the remarks made by. Mr. Carncross. They had, before the _■ Council met,' agreed. that Whoever might be chosen tho one.would loyally . support the other. .' He thanked Sir Francis Bell. "I knew that he would' congratulate me heartiljr 'because of the long-standing friendship' between us. ■ Mr. Joiieis, l am glad, hasVagreed' that I may at any'.rate, fill .the' Chair not; unworthily, and to "Mr. - Samuel I say I am glad to know I shall liavo his hearty'support, as I believe I shall have of- all members." (Hear, hear.) ■' .. Mr. Jones said- there seemed to be a misunderstanding of .his remarks. "I did not say, ' 1 believed you may be,' I said .'I believed you would be/ 'a good Speaker." . Sir Chas. Bowen's Services, ■'. Tho Hon. SIR, FRANCIS BELL said that he felt sure, the /.Council desired ,to record their sense of the long and faith, ful; services ot Sir C. C. Bowen, the retiring. Speaker.; . Sir Charles Boweu ■was a part of the history of New Zealand,'and ; his ,latest,'sorvico, had., been no;small addition to the services he had already, given. For a man. to have gatheredi to jhimself, -as he had done, the; positive, affection of the .'men over whom lie had ruled, was no .small feat. Every Councillor : had- the utmost 'confidence .inV-his impartiality., and his justice.' 'They were proud to. have had in' .theiChair a maii'.so distinguished in the servico of New Zealand. Ho moved: "That-the Council; records its sense of the long and faithful,, services, of; Sir Charles Boweh in;.the, Chair ■ of,:. tlio Council." (Apjplause.) . The Hon.' G. JONES, in supporting the ,motion, said that he: had sat under j-, several the "Council, .and they had; all maintained the honour of the Council. He could safely say that the hon.' gentleman's Occupancy of tho Chair would long-be a pleasant memory. The Hon. C. H. MILLS and 11: MOORE spoke in' : similar terms, and hoped ho would long occupy a seat in the Council. : .. -, ,7 '.'

The Hon., Sir 0. C. BOWEN: "I thank the/ Council for the kind way- in which they -have; always treated mo, inwhatever; relations, I ; havo had . with them. , I have been a long-time in my w'oirk' in ■: the. other -House and; 'in' this, and.l can.say I always owe a debt of gratitude .to my friends in the. Legislature. of . this country, wh'o';'were .always, to one's faults a little blind; and w'natoyer. work wo may have done, wore very kind. Gentlemen, I thank jrou very much for tho sincere. manner in which you have , met ' this .resolution, . and. I hope; whatever- little' ;time I may have left' I may '.retain ..'the ' pleasant friendships I havo hero."-- ;•: The:motion -was -. ..ca.rried, and tho Council, rose at 4.15 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow, A PRIVATE BILL. 'The Church Property Trust (Canterbury) Act,: 1879, Amendment Bill was read a Second time, on the motion of the Hen. ;H:, F. Wigrain, who said that the - object .of .' the .Bill; was to - grant power to pay to certain: deans and minor canons from the Dean and Chapter Fund. /