THE PREMIER SHIRKING HIS DUTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2197, 28 September 1907, Page 1

THE PREMIER SHIRKING HIS DUTY.

PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE.

(Special to Times). WELLINGTON, Sept. 27. Xu a trailing article entitled “Tho Premier .Avoids his Duty,” the Post to-night says: -—“We refuse to believe, that, the House of Representatives is really so impotent to protect the dignity and tho decency of its own proceedings as was implied by tJie Premier in his statement on! Wednesday with regard to the recent: behaviour of one of its members. NotJ once or twice, but repeatedly and habitually during the present session has tho business of tho House been, subjected to painful interruptions,* articulate and inarticulate, on thoj part of this member, and the process: is allowed to continue and to advance from bad to worse without anything being done by the House in, its corporate capacity to stop it., ‘Discredit has beon bx'ought on Par-: liamejit, and its honor lias been! smirched,’ said Mr. A. L. D. Fraser,j who will not be accused of any fail-: a-tical or Puritanical bias in these: matters; and several other members; spoke to a similar effect. Yet the; Premier professes himself helpless to; suppress tho nuisance, and even argues that; sa private member is' as; much under an obligation to take the : initiative as himself. Technically,: no doubt, as the House is the custodian of its own honor, every member,lias an equal right to move whore, he believes its honor to be aspersed,; but as a matter of fact it would bo a fatal blunder for any private member to attempt to lead the House on. so gravo and delicate a question. Such a procedure would ipso facto imply that the matter was not one justifying action on tho part- of the. official leader of the Houso, and would be taken even by those who piy no superstitious reverence to

party ties and traditional methods as involving a slur on the Government. Clearly the Premier and tho Speaker are the two authorities to whom tlio House aiul the country have a right' to look for a responsible and effective lend in this painful business: The conduct of which the unfortunate member in question has repeatedly been guilty must have technically violated tlio privileges of the House n score of times. . If so, as the tech--niral breach coincided with an hourly nuisance and an actual impediment to business, tho appropriate action should have been taken Jong ago; but if we are wrong —if the Houso is really powerless in the matter —then the responsibility equally devolves uiion the Premier of moving go to amend the Standing Orders, that Parliament may be protected from an indignity and disgrace which would be. tolerated by no other assembly of gentlemen or business men.”