PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1918, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Pr-;ss Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30. The Hon. Earnshaw asked for a idturn relative to the censorship of books asd publications. ■ Sir Francis Bel' said lie would make no difficulty in granting the return, but the Government must excrciss a discre- : lion as to what portion of the return :' was for the public benefitSir Francis Bell moved the adjournment to mark the Austrian collapse. The Council adjourned at 3 pjn. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ' .'■ The House met at 2.30. ' '•.-.. THE AUSTRIAN ARMISIjm^ JIB. MASSEY'B ORATION, Mr. Massey at once rose and moved ■■'■■ that the House adjourn till 2.30 on-Wed. .'': nesday, lo mark the signing of the Hrm« istice between the Allies and Austria- ' Hungary. Ho said n» usect the 'word, armistice in his motion, but it was welj known that the surrender of Ausfcrto» Hungary was practically unconditional The news received during the past few days would be hailed with delight, not osly in New Zealand, but in all parts of tlie British Empire and the countries df \ the Allies. It was an important occssion, because it meant that the last of - Germany's allies had gone out of the war, and Germany now stood alone, and '■ could not stand long. Her sands w|» ~ running, and running fast, so that we " now knew that Germany must either take up the same position that was mow. occupied by her old friends or submit to a decisive defeat. We have been looking for peace, hut we shall not have long to wait. He recalled the-position during, the late short session, when • "our mien were being driven back, and it looked as it' the Germans would reach Paris. Sir. Don jlns Hajg had issued his memorable order that they had,their backs to the wall, and,every man must stand firm. Troops, were sent across the Channeljn great numbets and munitions wore . hurried to France, an appeal 'being made , to every dominion, and he was glad to isay New Zealand was in tho van with her response. American troopß came into tin; breach in hundreds of thousands. Everyone rose to the occasion, and it was soon seen that we could again' assume the ofTensjve._ Everyone knew how our troops had stood the German shock and broke it. Then our men wejttt "' forward and reached a position whioh was highly satisfactory, but we neetl scarcely say it would be much mole satisfactory when Germany stands where Austria-Hungary stood <.o-day. Mr. Massey predicted a good time after the war, when we should have a better ' idea of citizenship and comradeship. He thought we did not pay sufficient attention to the asOebration of important events raid great names, and illustrated what he meant 1 by describing what he had seen of America's celebration of '■■ "Independence Day," "Memorial Day," and other historic occasions. His advice to his fellow-citizens of New Zealand was: "Go thou and do liikewise.' : Our rising generation should be taught more clearly the value of pride of race and pride of Empire; more of the love of country as symbolised by the Union .Jack with its Wending of the three crosses. ' Another cross, he Chought, should now be added to mark the close association between the Mother Country,. and the Dominions. In concluding, Mr. Massey,,said fro-. had had dark days during this momentous struggle, hut they were over now. -,. Our record was one of which we hid every reason to be proud of in tJiifl struggle, as in those oi past years. Our ■ Empire was fighting on the side of justice and truth. The question we now should ask ourselves was: Shall we go' on building up, or shall we give way to luxury and ease To his mind, our duty was to go on\ and leave to our children a better and brighter Empire than we ourselves inherited.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS. Sir Joseph Ward, in seconding the MM)' tion. said there was no more effective way of commemorating the fine work done by our soldiers than hy public rejoicings, When the war was once over, one of the grcatcrr benefits the world would derive would he the using of tlje combination of the Allies for promoting social schemes for uplifting mankind. This would be made easy by the fact that the war hud changed' moat people's ideas of life, and mostly changed for tie good. .Wo, surely, should not miss tie opportunity of doing something to Regenerate our being. The rejoicings'fof to-day were excellent,"hut there will |e eestacies in a few weeks, when Germaly wmiM ho compelled to sign an ar'mistfo which meant her surrender. The sooifr that happy event came tins better for mniinuifv. s The House rose at 3.47, after sisgijja tao Aational Anthem. F