PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 93, 20 August 1915, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

legislative council.

mu ibii’ss Association

Wellington, August 1!)

The Council met at 2..‘50 p.m., when further leave of ahsenee for three weeks, on account of illness, was granted the Hon. d. A. Millar. Sir F. H. H. Bell made a short statement referring to the formation of the National Government, and detailed the alterations in portfolios and the additions made to the Cabinet, He said that when he addressed the Council on August 1 ho had no doubt his own resignation would have been accepted, and members must have gathered from his remarks that he expected his place would shortly be vacant, It was. however, thought by the leaders convenient and desirable that he should retain a place in the Council, and he had accepted the portfolio of Immigration in the Cabinet. He felt sure members of the Council would appreciate the steps taken to form a National Government, and members of both sides would give the Government every confidence until they had shown they did not deserve that confidence.

Hon. J. T. Paul desired to know what arrangements had been made in regard to the Legislative Council Act, as various rumors were current. He would strongly oppose any proposal to repeal the Act or retard its operation, The Council should lie told fully what the position was. giCF. H. D. Bell said it would he quite out of place to think any statement of policy before a statement was made elsewhere; he was, therefore, nimble to answer tbe question. The Council then adjourned until Tuesday. j house of representatives. THE NATIONAL CABINET. 1 Mr Massey made a brief statement referring to tbe National Cabinet. He said that after a number of conferences it was decided that party waifare should be suspended, and it had boon resolved that party bickering, and wrangling should cease. He was sure that the country would appreciate the patriotism and sacrifice made, and the country approved ol the change. A National Government did not Indicate that party principles would disappear, hut that members of tbe New Zealand Parliament were Imperialists first and party politicians aftenva rds.

Sir Joseph Ward hoped that the National Government would do good work during the period of the war. He recognised that the men on both ,sides had sunk , their aspirations, in order to assist the Government in a time* of trouble, and lie expressed Ins appreciation of the way the Hon. B. H Rhodes had carried out his duties; He (Sir Joseph AVirrd) was indebted to his party for the support given to the proposal ; some had foregone personal .ambitions in their desire t'o hHp tlp> movement.' Hoth leaders had: a very difficult '.position to fill, idul he wished' to, point out that ilcither of the, parties, was making any saenfice of political principles. Mr AVilford wished the National Cabinet well, and .said it was a grand thing that the efforts of members were now.,diverted from service of party to service of State.

Hon. R. H. Rhodes thanked the j lenders for their kindly references to his retirement. He had forwarded lii s resignation as a matter of duty to the country in a time of trial, EARLY CLOSING. When the House met at 7.30 p.m., the (ieorgetti Trust Estate Bill was read a second time, and a number of petitions praying that hotel bars ho closed at (i p.m. until tli close of the war were presented. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions. Ministers said that information as to wheat stocks on hand would he laid on the table to-morrow; that every effort is being made to supply information as to sick and wounded in the various hospitals i>i Egypt, Malta, and at Home; that not much information is available as to prisoners of war at Constantinople; that as few of the sick and wounded as possible would 1,0 kept in Egypt during the hot months of the year, men being forwarded • to Malta and England, while returning transports would bring as many as possible to New Zealand; that the report of the Education Boundaries Commission was now in the printeis hands; that the kits and personal belongings of deceased soldiers were forwarded by transports returning to I New Zealand.