M.P.'S RIGHTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1922, Page 5

M.P.'S RIGHTS.

FLUTTER IN THE HOUSE. SERIOUS CHARGES MADE.' ?OINT FOR THE SPEAKER, By Telegraph.—Press Auociatlun. Wellington, Last Night. In the House this afternoon, Mr. F. E. Hockly (Rotorua) drew attention, to an explanatory memorandum attached by the member for Lyttelton (Mr. J. McCombs) to his Proportional Representation and Country Quota Bill. ; This memorandum contained the following paragraph, to which he took exception: “Under proportional representation there would be no necessity to alter the boundaries of the Kaiapoi electorate in order to protect the Reform interests, because the Reform Party would secure the representation it is entitled to in the combined electoral district of Chirst* church.” Continuing, Mr. Hockly eaid tfi® member for Lyttelton had made & premeditated and unwarranted attack upon the representation commissioners and upon the Reform Party. He asked the Minister concerned who had authorised the printing of this objectionable paragraph in the memorandum attached to Mr. McCombs* Bill. The Hon. W. Nosworthy, in reply/ said Mr. McCombs had approached Mr. Speaker and had got the memorandum attached to the Bill in the usual way. He assured Mr. Speaker that the mente* orandum would deal only with the and on that understanding permission |had been given to have the memorandum printed and circulated. He (Mr. Nosworthy) thought what had been done was a breach of privilege; it at least was not a nice thing to do. It was not for him to say, but he was tinder the impression the member for Lyt- , telton had made himself- liable to the representation commissioners.

Hon. members: It is political propaganda. Who is paying for itT Mr. McCombs, in reply, said he wac paying for the copies of the memorandum circulated through members* boxee;’ the Government wa« not paying for them. In the second place, under standing orders, members were entitled to attach memoranda to Bills they introduced, and to use such illustrations as they thought fit and proper. The case of Kaiapoi, where the boundaries had been recently altered, fitted his case exactly, and he used it as an illustrationHe honestly believed he was entitled to do what he had done. The Hon. G. J. Anderson said Mr. McCombs was not paying for the memqrandum. but for extra copies of the Bill ordered by him. i 1 The Speaker explained that when approached by the member for Lyttelton on the subiect of the memorandum, and believing it would contain merely explanatory matter, he had given his consent to its circulation. When he saw that morning what it contained he was very surprised. and had ordered its removal from the Bill. He read a letter from the clerk of the Hour? concerned, in which the clerk said McComb® had informed him the memorandum was all right, and as he was busy at the time and the matter was urgent, he sent the memorandum to the printer on that assurance. Mr. Massey said the matter was a serious one. If the words complained of had been used outside the House he believed they would be held to be libelous towards the representation commissioners. They, however, had been attached to a public document and issued under the authority of the House, and he asked the Speaker to aav whether or not the action of the member for Lyttelton constituted a breach of privilege of the House.

The Speaker said the words seemed, to contain an imputation of corruption and improper action,'and he would have to look into the whole matter and give, his decision later. Mr. McCombs desired there and then to go into details of his defence, but after further discussion the matter was , adjourned until Mr. Speaker had ruled on the question of privilege raised by the Premier.