NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 56, 1 March 1912, Page 5

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

, ('01? OPPOSITION MAKES A SECOND EFFORT. ' ■’ '- ttv DEMAND FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MINISTRY. SIR JOSEPH WARD WANTS A SPELL ,IN THE RANKS. TO PROSECUTE LIBELLERS. (Per Prosa Association.! Wellington, February 29. y ‘ln the House of Representatives this afternoon Sir Joseph, Ward moved the adjournment of the House. Mr Massey asked what that meant, and whether the Premier intended making any statement with regard to the reconstruction of the Ministry.

Sir J. G. Ward replied that Mr Massey had been inspired by the Christchurch Press, and ho was not taking orders from it or from Mr Massey. Ho was going to carry out his duty to the country. He was going to consider his Party and the sections which had supported him. Within a week or two he would make a recommendation to the Governor, and in June they would meet the House to carry out the important proposals contained in the Governor's Speech.

Mr Massey held that the constitutional Course for the Government to follow, when only having a majority on the casting vote of the Speaker, was 'to resign. _ He himself had said he would do so, and now lie ought to. The country and the House were quite satisfied that Sir J. G. Ward did not hold the confidence of the House. Sir J. G. Ward stated that he meant to resign, and with his resignation went the resignation of the Ministry. Mr Massey said at present the Government was in a minority.

Voices: “No! It lias got a majority of six!” Mr Massey said it wasn’t fair to the country to adjourn the House 1 before a new Ministry was selected. They hoard in the lobbies that five Ministers had to go. The Party would not stand them, though Sir J. G. Ward should have a week’s time to arrange the Ministerial successors. Sir Joseph asserted that he knew his position perfectly. Mr Massey was after some of the Liberal supporters, and endeavouring to got them to support some of his hypothetical views, so as to enable the Party with 'the large landowners behind them to occupy the Treasury Benches. Ho had never heard of Mr Massey’s views being put into operation elsewhere. Mr Massey was representing a minority, and he knew it. His (Sir J. G. Ward’s) method was the constitutional method, despite all assertions to the contrary. Mr Massey knew the voice of the people was against him. He thought that as the country had entrusted him with many difficult matters in the past it could trust him now. He assured the House they Would do nothing against the inter-

cats r.f the pernilc, r.v,cl would present a good Cab;i ti to 1 r.c Jloi.se Mr ?J ».f.r.oy then no veil an amendment. “T nr.t the House adjourn till 10.39 on Monday.- He explained iimt l.e .he ivies i.m.ikl fuJv.m the i((■••,(• ( .- ; aec 1 ■> tin .... i.u's. .ore il disperses. He thought the Premier was afraid to submit a Ministry to the people vitbiu a week, and they were entitled to know the personnel of the Cabinet. 'The House resumed at 7.30.

Mr Massey, continuing the debate on the motion to adjourn, said he believed in the government of the people by the people and not by the party which happened for the time being to hold the Treasury Benches. He said they should not be asked to go to their Jiomcs without knowing the names of the untried Ministry. Ho emphatically denied the repeated assertion that the Opposition was supported by the largo land-owners on the Government side than on his. To show the amount of party funds at their disposal, ho stated that during the past eight years, since, he had been leader of the party, ho had not drawn from the party’s funds as much as would pay for postage stamps.’ That was because they had not got the money. They were not Liberals, but they were true Democrats. /

Mr R. McKenzie said he was surprised to see Mr Massey not taking his defeat in a manly manner. People outside had declared they did not want Mr Massey as leader of the Government. One only had to look at the Opposition benches to seo where the large land-owners were. Mu Fisher hold that the House should be adjourned for two or three weeks to allow the Ministry to resign, and meet again with a new Ministry and a new policy. Sir J. G. Ward quoted precedents of the course which he purposed following.

After an exchange of interjections, Sir J. G. Ward said if the Opposition would “swop”, party funds, he was willing. ■ The challenge was accepted.

Sir J. G. Ward said ho would like a spell in the ranks, as ho had two jobs to fix up in tho prosecution of two men for statements made in connection with the.five million loan, llcvorting to the present state of affairs, ho held that tho masses df tho people could hest be served by . the bursting up of huge areas of land in the hands of the supporters of his friends in the Opposition. Mr Harris hold that ! Sir ; Jj, O. Waird’is suggested courses probably was constitutionally right, iwjjb’ it ifak* rfroff ally wrong. The Houj-se should ‘ adjourn f6r a fortnight to allow a new Ministry to he formed. A conditional victory had been won hy the Liberal Party on a pledge of Sir J. G. Ward, but they knew not whether the pledge would he kept. Had it not been for the pledge, ene vote which Si|r J. G. Ward got would have gone to the Opposition. Parliament appealed'to he run by one 'man, hut ho was going to have a say in affairs. .Mr Allen said Sir Joseph Ward’s only course was to resign before the House adjourned. He bad secured the vote of at least one member of the House on the pledge that he would resign the Premiership if lie received that vote.

Sir Joseph gave that statement an unqualified denial. Mr Russell quoted official figures showing that ten prominent Opposition members and supporters owned between them £1,104,222 worth of land. He mentioned in regard to statements concerning his Runanga property, which had been flung broadcast, that he held 60,000 acres. Ho had purchased with an idea of turning it into a hundred small farms. Ho had a large family, and wished to assist them on to the land.

Mr Ngata said he only wished lie owned the amount of land he had lately been credited with holding. He was trustee for a tribe of 3000 natives.

Mr Bradney said Conservatism and Toryism were killed when they get the universal franchise. He was not a large land-owner or owner of stock. His live stock and property consisted of a Shetland pony and a bull pup.

A-member: “What is its name?” Mr Bradney: “Massey.” He would like to see closer settlement of land and small freeholders. He hoped the Government would not make any appointments to the Legislative Council during the recess, in the event of Mr Massey’s amendment being lost, which contingency he hoped would not materialise.

Mr Anderson said he would rather sit among large land-owners than large brewers. Mr Buchanan said that owners of land had brought it to a state of the highest cultivation, and deserved some credit for the productivity of it.

Mr Bell held that there was no reason why the House should not sit till the Ministry was announced, and Mr Young was of a similar opinion.

THE GOVERNMENT GAINS ITS OBJECT. THE SESSION CONCLUDED. Mr G. M. Thomson moved as an amendment that the House until March 14th, by which date he thought it was possible for the party to form a Ministry.

Sir Joseph Ward said it was impossible that a now Ministry eould formulate a policy within two weeks.

Messrs Escott and Lee ’ said the country was entitled to know the personnel of the new Ministry before the prorogation of Parliament. Mr Massey’s amendment was put and lost on the voices. The debate was continued on Mr Thomson's amendment by Messrs Fisher and Buchanan, who held that the only solution of the present difficulty was a declaration of the now

Ministry. The amendment was lost on division by 10 to 38, and ine session ended. THE DIVISION I JET. Wellington, Var.-h 1, Ti c divir ion-list this morning was the sane as on Tuesday except that Mr Yeiteli voted for the Government.