POLITICS IN N.S.W.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 66, 23 July 1913, Page 5

POLITICS IN N.S.W.

SPEAKER WILLIS RESIGNS

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyricih [United Press Association.]

Svdnev, July 22.

Oh tho re-assembling of tbe Assembly, after the opening ceremony, Mr Speaker Willis caused a simmer of excitement by announcing that he had a communication to make with regard to the office of Speaker and the interference in party politics by the Lieut-enant-Governor, Sir William Cullen. He.moved that the document be printed. After some demur on the part of the Opposition to appoint tellers, the motion was carried.

Mr Willis thereupon, amid wild Opposition cheering, tendered his resignation of the Speakership. The document tabled by Mr Willis traces the events leading to his acceptance of the Speakership, The terms of acceptance included the passing of a Redistribution of Seats Bill, appealing to constituencies at the earliest date practicable. Mr Willis points out that the redistribution resolution was not passed , till the closing hours of last session of the House, which, therefore, no longer represents the constituencies,’ the boundaries having been altered. / His obligations to Parliament, therefore, are discharged. He proceeds that the time has arrived when ho must report a grave abuse of Constitutional practice by Sir W. Cullen during Governor Chelmsford’s absence in England in 1911. The document concludes : “The Lieutenant-Governor carried with him from Parliament a partisan bias in favour of his old colleagues, and consequently was shown to ho unfit for the Constitutional office of the administration of responsible government. His partiality encouraged the Opposition in a wanton abuse of me as Speaker. With pain my duty compels me to record the foregoing facts. T shall forthwith, through the Governor, report my complaint to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and now voluntarily vacate the Chair without delav and tender my resignation of the Speakership.”

MR WARE AND MR HOLMAN IN REPLY.

(Received 9.20 a.m.) Sydney, July 23

In the Assembly Mr Wade, traversing the, statements contained in the document tabled by Speaker Willis, declared: “Tim cowardly man, before retiring from the Speakership, endeavoured to throw discredit upon a man who was as high above him as the sun was above the earth. Speaker Willis’s statements were deeply biased, and were based on falsehood and involved a breach' of confidence.” He defended the action of Sir William Cullen and himself in connection with events following the choice of Mr Willis as Speaker, and gave a direct denial to the version contained in the document about what transnmed at the meeting of Sir William Cullen and Messrs Holman and McGowen and himself.

Mr Holman followed. Ho said he had not seen anv nf tdio statements which appeared in the document, so he was not in a position to say that all the (statements were inaccurate, hut they certainly did not represent anv statement made hy him to a

third person regarding Sir William Cullen. He never saw or heard anything on the part of the LieutenantGovernor which was not characterised hv the' sineerest regard for the rights of the people and a desire to preserve the constitutional rights of Parliament.