THE SHORT SESSION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 168, 5 April 1918, Page 6

THE SHORT SESSION

BUSINESS TO BE DONE THE REINFORCEMENT QUESTION CASE OF P. C. WEBB There will be much matter that was more or less unexpected to come before the short session of Parliament to be opened on Tuesday. Tho business that had to come before the House and the Council was the approval of tho Spe°ch of the Governor-Genoral i.nd the motion to send a fitting reply to it, and the extension of supply for the Government for a. poriod of, say, six months until tho House uan he prepared to vote supply in the regular way. Tho new business will bo xhafc relating to the possible increase of reinforcements, which the Government may propose as an answer to the appeal by the British Prime Minister. There is also the case of Private P. C. Webb. M.P. No arrangement lifts yet been mnde as to who is to move the Addross-'n-Reply question, hut if precedent is to be followed the honour should go to Mr. J. P. Luke, member for Tellington North. The only other new member in the House is Mr. Urn, member for Southern Maori, but- as it- is miusual for a Maori member to take part in these affairs Mr. TJru may not bo the member selected to seenn'l the motion, particularly as he has boon emphatic about his independence. The endeavour of the Government will he tn make tho debate as short ai possible, and to this end the speech will be made a very mnclost statement of the reasons fur the summoning of Parliament. After the delnte on the Address-in-Reply motion, the House will have to deal with a Hill to provide supply until a. date when Parliament may ho reasonably certain of meeting again. There will be. i'o Budget and no Estimates this session. The proposals will have to take legislative shape. Mere resolutions will not suffice. -, The House may feel disposed to discuss at some length the proposals of the Government to give more men from this country to help tho Empire in tho crucial struggle- in France. Cn'.anefc has yet- te consider the matter, but it is probable that the question will have to come bsfore Cabinet- today, after tro return of Sir James Allen from the South Island. Unfortunately Sir Joseph Ward will not beat the meeting because he is not to be back in Wellington, until Sunday at earliest. Jn any case there is a considerable possibility that no pnnouncenient of the decision of the Government will be made for some days, or until Parliament meets. (f Cabinet does not agree about a .decision jtliere may be other complications, \biit this is ;an unlikely contingency. I There is a report thnt a motion is to be submitted to the House to jive Private Webb leave of absence for the session. There is no possibility- ofsuch a motion being moved without notice, as such motions are Mn'ost invariably moved. NoMce will have to be given, and the following day the motion vnnv lie moved. Tf. as recms probable, it is debated until 5 30, the adjournment hour, it will be placed m the Order Paper us an internint."d debate, and the debate may iot be reFiimcrl neain iritfimifc the tvinwnt lit the Leader of the TToupp. Mγ. Mn If leave of ahsenco is not voted, Grey sept becomes vacant , -.

Since last session Mr. W-'iftirtf. -,v'io uspfl to be for ceremonial purnispo IVodT of the (Wisikinn. ' I!, s wined tho >fin'stry, and thorp, hns been some KTieenlation ns to who would don bifc mantle. At- least one member cf f1,,, Houso regard's this matter as settlfd. for tIiPM is written larcje nn a son>n of naniT, nnsW 1 on thn iVsk lp.t»lv used by Mr. w ilford in ihr- 'Tr.npp, the naincs. "Henrv J. T. Thacker. Clmstclmreli East."