A MAJORITY OF ONE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 June 1915, Page 5

A MAJORITY OF ONE.

;;tric«;tji of partik,-; j;t;. r ji >i-;i>. V\ORK OF DKFENCF CO.UVirTI;.'•;. NO CO.VfROYJORSY LIKELY, (By Wire.—Own Correspondent.) Wellington, .Last Ni;>ht. The milch fHsr-iirts-t-a qucriticiii .of tin! pii'ty allegiance ol thi- number for U,,. jWthcrn .Maori District mn y be regard cd as answered by the list of nicnibcis present at the caucus of the Reform Fifty m the House of Representatives t-Uay. .Mr. Tan Henare attended the caucus, and presumably took na't in its deliberations. His action attaches hmi definitely to the Reform party, and the strength of the parties, with Mr. Lang in liie chair, stands now as Government JO and Opposition 31). A lead of one vote would not bring comfort to (he Ministry under ordinary circumstances, but there is a feeling in the lobbies that the dimension of the Gow majority once that majority is established is not quite so vital u con. suleration as it appeared to be a Week or two ago, at least as far as th.> present session is concerned. The prnc-ecdh:"s in the House of Representatives in Jhursday and Friday showed that the parties are facing the work of the session in a conciliatory spirit and the chance of controversy arising with regard to war bills—the sole serious work of the session—has been reduced to a minimum by the proposal of the Government to refer them to a Defence Committee.

The question has been raised regarding the possible effect of the work of the Defence Committee as far as debates in the House are concerned. The Government, it is understood, intends to introduce its War Bills in the ordinary way and have them referred at once, to the committee'. That body will consider them in camera. The Prime Min* ister and the .Minister of Defence will bo members and will place before other members, including the Leader of the Opposition and some of his chief followers, much confidential information that under ordinary circumstances would not pass out of the Cabinet room Phn committee will have power to culi for persons and papers and to amend Bills brought before it, though it has to be remembered in this connection .that Government members will always have an advantage in the voting strength. When Bills, amended or otherwise, return to the House they will be subject to discussion in the usuaL way, and 'the Opposition will not hav? its right of criticism restricted at any point. Ttib decisions of the committee may represent simply the majority voire, and will not be binding, on any section of the members. That will be the position in a constitutional sense, but, as a matter of practice, the House is not likely to forget that the members of the committee have had access to special sources of information, including possibly confidential instructions and suggestions of the Imperial authorities. The rank and file of the Opposition would not be in the least likely to disregard a definite lead from their representatives on the committee under these circumstances.