ABOUT PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1915, Page 5

ABOUT PARLIAMENT.

A GOVERNMENT REVERSE. (By Telegraph—Special to Daily Newi.) Wellington, Lait Night. The National Government Buffered a reverse in the House of Representatives to-day. The House carried against the Government an amendment to the Law Practitioners Amendment Bill, and,' to make matters worse, did it on {he motion of the leader of tho Labor Party, Mr. Hindmarsh. For a moment one had an impression that something serious had happened, but then the House smiled as it realised that a National Government is not in a position to resent an incident of the kind. There wore two divisions, and each went against the Minister in charge of the*Bill. The Minister may meet the case by dropping his Bill, or he may make an effort to have matters set right, from his point of view, in the Legislative Council, but the incident, whatever its outcome, is not without its significance. The breakdown of the party barriers is producing a curious situation, as far as the relations between members and Ministers are concerned, simply.because Ministers have 1.0 longer the polrer to "whip up" a party following, and \he future may bring some curious developments in this connection. What is the National Government going to do if it finds itself opposed by a majority of the members" of the House on a point of policy, or some issue that cannot bo evaded? The one thing certain is tlut'| tho Ministry cannot resign.