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Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1921, Page 5

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FINAL BUSINESS YESTERDAY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 22. The Legislative Council met at 10 a.m. The Finance Bill was put through all stages and passed. The Council rose at 10.35 until the ringing of the bell. The Council met again at 11.30 to receive the notification that the Royal assent had been given to the last Bills, dealt with. Sir Francis Bell took the opportunity of referring to the suggestion that he might not be chairman of the Cabinet in the absence of the Prime Minister in England. “The suggestion that we are not representatives of the people,” he said, “I do not understand at all.” Apart from the Maori members the council numbered 40 members, 23 of whom had been members of another place, many for long periods, several had, been Ministers of the Crown, and two had held the highest office in the country. Many of those who had been members of the House of Representatives could etrll be members if they would agree to allow themselves to be nominated. He was making his protest more on behalf of the council than for himself. He had long ceased to be ambitious, and if he could logically have supported the argument to which he had referred he would have done so. While in charge of affairs he would do hi* best, and he predicted that the council would not regret that one of its members had been chosen for the position. The Council rose at 11.40 a.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. FAREWELL TO THE PREMIER. The House of Representatives met at 11 a.m. Replying to Mr. E. Newman (Manawatu), Mr. Massey said that when in London he would look into the question of the compilation of market cables with the view to making the information given more explicit. A very capable officer in the High Commissioner's office prepared these cables, and he could not understand the cables being unsatisfactory. Replying to Mr. McCallum, Mr. Lee said the Prices Tribunals were neither useless nor extravagant. The information they obtained was very valuable and the fines imposed as a result of the investigations more than paid the cost of the tribunal.

Replying to Mr. Wright, Mr. said that if any members knew of extravagance going on in the Public Service they should make it known, and he would have it stopped. Mr. Wilford, in a felicitous speech, wished the Premier “bon voyage’’ to London and a safe return to the Dominion. He* was confident the Premier would worthily represent us at the Imperial Conference, and he could go to that gathering well assured that the people of New Zealand B were prepared to make any sacrifice to remain a part of the British Empire. Several members supported the Leader of the Opposition, including Dr. Pomare, who spoke on behalf of the Native race. He asked the Premier to assure the King of the continued loyalty of the Maoris to the British Crown, to which they had been attached for eighty years. Mr. Massey, on rising to reply, was received with applause. He proceeded to outline the se questions which were likly to come before the Imperial Conference, and amongst these was the renewal of the Anglo-Japanese treaty, which he was prepared to renew so long as we retained the right to choose our own citizens. He would grasp every opportunity to unite the bonds of the Empire. Imperial defence would have to be considered, as would also some system of Empire naturalisation. He regretted that he would not now be able to visit Samoa as soon as he would like to, but he would endeavor to go later on In the meantime he wished to express the goodwill of New Zealand to the people of those islands. He was pleased to hear the opinions expressed bv Dr. Pomare regarding the position of the Maoris, and in a few years he hoped the people of Samoa would be of the same opinion. Discussing the business of the session, We again stressed the financial soundness of the country. The legislation passed last night might cause some inconvenience, but there would be no loss, and on the whole he felt they had done the right thing. He concluded by quoting the words of the late Sir Henry Parks, in which he declared that he would not at any time or in any way du anything to “sever the crimson ties of friendship which bind us to the Motherland.” (Applause). Members then rose and sang the National Anthem. On Mr. Massey moving that the House adjourn, Mr. Holland protested against the prorogation of Parliament and called for a division on the question of adjournment. The motion for adjournment was carried by 45 votes to I's, and the short session of 1921 came to an end at 12.12 p.m.