SPEAKER WILLIS RESIGNS

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 587, 23 July 1913, Page 5

SPEAKER WILLIS RESIGNS

A VOLUNTARY ACT. ! COMPLAINT AGAINST LIEUT.GOVERNOR. yy Tclcgranli. —J'rcss AssociHlion- • Oivvrluuj Received Tuesday, 9.20 p.m. Sydney, Tuesday. At the reassembling of the Assembly afler the opening ceremony, Speaker Willi? caused a simmer of excitement by announcing be had a j communication to make with regard I to the office of Speaker and interference in party politics by the Lieut.- ! Governor Sir Wiliaim Culh-n. Me | moved that the document, be printed. | After some demur on the part of i the Opposition to appoint tellers, the motion was carried. Speaker Willis thereupon amid wild Opposition cheering, tendered his resignation of the Speakership Mr Holman, Prime Minister, asked I'or a suspension of the sitting till he j obtained the conEent of the. Governor to proceed with the election of a new | Speaker. i Amid cries of "Resign!" and | general excitement the Hoiho cmp- j tied to reaßsenible at seven o'clock, i Documents tabled by Speaker Willie traced the events leading to hi? acceptance of the Speakership. Tim | terms of acceptance included the pas?- ] ing of the Redistribution of Seats Bill, and appealing to the constituencies at the earliest date practicable. Mr Willis pointed out that the rediatribu- i tion resolution had not been passed i till the closing hours of last session. The House, no longer represents the constituencies, the boundaries having been altered. Ilis obligations to Parliament were therefore discharged. I Proceeding. Mr Willis said the time had arrived when ho must report a grave abuse of constitutional practice by Sir William Cullen. '

Governor Chelmsford's absence in England in 1911, while, acting as Lieut. Governor, Sir William Cullen officially received and conferred with members of the Opposition, persons who nineteen hours previous to meeting Sir William h:.d disgraced the Assembly by an organised effort <o prevent the election of a Speaker. At the conclusion o£ the interview. Sir William Cullen informed Acting-Pre-mier Holman he would not receive the newly-chosen Speaker. This attempt to cast an indignity on Porlament was averted by the Cabinet, who informed Sir William Cullen if he gave a personal affront to the Speaker they would resign. Sir William Cullen then invited Mr Holman to officially meet Mr Wade and the latter proposed the newly-chosen Speaker should be removed from office, Mr Wade undertaking to nominate one of his party for the office, but Mr Holman declined. When Mr McGowen returned from England and resumed the Premiership, Sir William Cullen invited him to meet Mr Wade when a similar proposal was made. Mr McGowen declined. The document concludes : "The Lieut.-Governor carried with him from Parliament r. partisan bias in favour of old colleague",consequently it was ihown he was unlit for the constitutional office of the administration of responsible Government." His partiality encouraged the Opposition in wanton abuse of me as Speaker. With pain my duty compels me to place on rscord the foregoing facts. 1 shall forthwith, through the Governor, report the complaint to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 1 now voluntarily vacate the chair without delay and tender my resignation of the Speakership."

SPEAKER'S STATEMENT DENIED. Received this day. 'J.2O. Sydney, This Day. In the AB3etnby. Mr Wade, tiaversing the statements contained in the document tabled by Air Willi?, declared this cowardly man. before he retired from the Speakership, endeavoured to throw discredit upon a man who was as high above him as the snn was above tho earth. Mr Willia'a statement, was deeply biaßsed. and was based on falsehood and involved a breach of confidence. He defended the action of Sir William Cullen nnd himself in connection with events following the choice of Mr Willis as Speaker and gave a direct denial of the version contained in the document of wha j transpired at the meeting between Sir William Cullen, Mr Holman, Mr Me Gowen and himself. Mr Holman said he had not seen any of the statements which appeared in the documents, and was not in a position to say all the statements were inaccurate, but they certainly did not represent any statements made by him to a third person regarding Sir William Cullen. Ho never saw or heard anything on the part ol the Lieut.-Governor which was not characterised by the sincerest regard for the right of the people, and a desire to. preserve the constitutional ri of Parliament.