THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 423, 16 December 1911, Page 5

THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE.

The matter of what is the constitutional practice in the case of a Ministry being in a minority at the elections was the subject of an interview yesterday morning with Sir Maurice O'Rorke, who was for many years Speaker'in "the House of Representatives, and is an authority on parliamentary proceedure. He stated to a Star reporter that he had known of occasional instances at Home where the Government of the day, on having a sweeping majority against it at the elections, bad resigned immediately, before Parliament met. But in a case where the marg ; n between the two parties was small it was the custom to wait till Parliament re-assembled. The iirst business of Parliament was to elect the Speaker, and at Home he had known that appointment to be used as a trial of strength between the parties. Sir Maurice, did not think', however, that, if the Prime Minister decided to await the re-assembling, the test would come on the Speaker's election, ss Sir Arthur Guinness was very popular in the House. Air Massey would probably take the first Opportjnity after the Speaker's election to challenge the Government's position with a no-confidence motion.