PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3214, 14 June 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.} By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 12. The House resumed at 2.30 o'clock, Mr Russell continued the debate on the Address-in-Reply. He opposed the amendment, and acknowledged! the support the Government had received from the Opposition and press in connection with the Dreadnought offer. It was impossible for New Zealand to defend herself. She must rely on the British Navy. The first essential in connection with defence was to have impregnable portg In the second place we should have naval volunteers and rifle clubs, the latter to be provided with free rifles and ammunition. . Mr Thomson (Dunedin North) was disappointed at the amount of irrelevant matter introduced into t! e debates. He saw no reason for losing the time of Parliament during tPe Premier's absence. Mr McLaren said that the burden oi the Empire rested on the shoulders of the toiling masses, and the problem would never be solved till lie soci'al conditions were reformed and justice done to the poorest classes. (Hear, hear). Touching the question of unemployment he did not blame the Government for the present distress. Mr Mander went over the points in Mr McLaren's speech, and declared the latter was ignorant of the land question. Members of the Opposition were not in favour of land monopoly., and the demands for the leasehold by the city members was actuated by mean greed. The House rose at 5.30 o'clock™ The House resumed at 7.30 o'clock? Mr Scott supported the amendment and advocated a scheme of national defence and training ships for the youths of the Dominion. Mr Wright caused a great uproar by stating that the member for Hawke's Bay was a land monopolist, which the latter member described as most unjust. The amendment that the words "and that an early prorogation of Parliament take place" be deleted from the Address-in-Reply was then put. On division the amendment was lost by 45 to 29. The division l?st is. as follows:—Ayes: Messrs Arnold, Baume, Brown, Buddo, Buxton, Carroll, Clark. Colvin, Craigie, Davey, Dillon, T. Y. Duncan, Ell, Forbes, Fowlds, Glover, Graham, Greenslade, Hanan, Hogan, Hogg, Jennings, Kaihau, Laurenson, Lavery, Macdoanld, R. McKenzie, T. Mackenzie, Millar, Ngata, Parata, Poland, Poole, Keed, Remington, Ross, Russell, Seddon, Sidey, Stallworthy, E. H. Taylor, Buck, Thomson, Ward, Wilford. Noes: Messrs Allen, Anderson, "Bollard, Buchanan, Buick, Dive, J. Duncan, Fisher, Fraser, Guthrie, Hardy, Herdman, Herries, Lang, Luke, McLaren, Malcolm, Mander, Massev, Newman, Nusworthy, Okey, Pearce, Phillips, Rhodes, Scott, ,G. M. Thomson, Witty and Wright. The Premier moved that Mr Wilford be appointed Chairman of Committees. Mr Massey opposed the motion, and moved an amendment that the appointment of a Chairman of Committees be left over till next session. The amendment was lost by 44 to 27. The Premier moved the adjournment of the House, which rose at 11.10 o'clock.