OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1915, Page 6

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

TO-DAY'S BUSINESS. By Telegraph.—Own Corespondent. Wellington, Last 'Night. ( The session of the nineteenthßar- ' liaiueni of Xl-w Zealand will be opened on Thursday "by commission." The pre cilui'ci foilmvoil at the initial meeting . of p. new I'i";i iiamont will be observed, ; the election of t'he Speaker being the 1 chief busines on Thursday. IBs Excellency the' Governor will deliver 'his Speech on Friday afternoon, after lie lias j received'and approved tlie new -Speaker, jlt i ; rohable." therefore, that Barlia- , went will not begin work seriously until j Tuesday voxt. when the debate on the . Address-in-iieiiiy will b« cnenod. j T!ie ruie- that govern the opening of i a lie'A- Parliament are laid down in the ! standing orders, and they have a eeitain ! interest"of their own. The members of j the Rouse of Representatives will as- | senvb'le in their own chamber at 2.30 p.m. '; and await a summons to the Legislative j Council C'haihher-to hear tin 1 Govemoi s ; Conneis-ion reftd. On receiving the j me'ssajre they will follow the Clerk e\ the TTon-e to the other chamber and ; learn that his Excellency "will declare in j "person t 1 ! 1 e causes of his calling this Par- j Jiament together" on the followim; day. , The members will be directed in the meant rcne to-''proceel to the choice of a fit anil proper-m-rson to fill the hisli and impertani 'oir-'e of Speaker." _and. lwv;„<t c.dei led him. to pre-ent him at'Ce'-vennne-it Ho"-'e for the Governor's ap- • ro- al on Friday morning. When the -mem tiers of the Lower House return to their chamber they will « . i n.. ti'sll i"hrt orL

first til-e file oain. wmcn »m w «••- | miir'-tere-l iby the Clerk. Then they -will elect the P-nenker, following the proced- | lire that is laid down in the standing • ardors: — j A member, addresing himself to the Clerk (who; standing up, points to j Sim. and then sits ,lown) proposes an- i ether menilber. then present, to the ■ House for their iSneaker. and. moves | that such memlher "do ttike the, Chair j of this House as Speaker." Such mo- ( tion, being • seconded and supported, ; if -no other -member .lie - proposed ;as | Speaker, tlttiiinemhcr so proposed is.! called by the HouSe to the Chair, with- I out any question being put. The-mem- j ber, on heing called, to the Chair, Stands up in his place, and expresses his sense of the hotter proposed to lie conferred upoh him, and submits himself to the House. Being again unanimously -railed to the Chair, he ifl taken ■ out of his place by the members, who • proposed and seconded - him, -and by their, conducted.'to-the Chair. >

: The procedure becomes a little more ; complicated -if tbere are two nominees : 'or-ithe STieakership, but it is understood j ttiat on the present occasion .there will i be no second candidate.. 'Mr. F. W. | Lang, "member for .Manukau, who became Speaker after tiie- death of the late. Sir 1 Arthur Guinness, is px-pected to receive ; the Ministerial nomiliation again, and he . will have, no rival iiA : far as tins Opposition is concerned. ' ;

• After tlie election of'the Speaker the House, customarily adjourns: until .the following morning', when the tiehv Speaker, acrt>W»aniiwl by the members, waits upon his Excellency tlie Governor and : reec'ivefs the Viee-'Regal -approval. Tt is ; on this occasion that the Speaker lays ] claim formally to the privileges of Par- j 'lament in the following words: T. have, now on Mialf of 'the House of Representatives of Xmv Zealand » lay claim to all their pnvileges, and eapecial'lv to freedom of speech in de--s»te, and to free ac:eSs to your Excellency whenever occasion may require it, and that the. mos!t favorable construction may be put on all their proceedings. His Excellency tlie Governor replies in a form ithat is also established by precedent: — I, on 'behalf of tlhe King, confirm- all

the rights and privileges of the House j of Representatives to t'he same extent as they have, been granted hitherto. 11 also assure you that the.House of Re- j presentatives will always have ready access to me. and that T. will at all j times place the most favorable con- 1 s'tnu-tion on their proceedings. | That completes the formal procedure in connection with t'he opening of Parliament, and the mem'bers are free, then to ■begin work. 'Usually tliclr first job,is a lengthy and unphofiitable debate upon the Addrcss-in-Eeply.