THE COUNTRY’S BUSINESS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2526, 12 June 1909, Page 6

THE COUNTRY’S BUSINESS.

SHALL IT BE SHELVED?

THE QUESTION OF PRECEDENT

In connection with the proposal that Parliament should adjourn in the event of .die Prime Minister going to England, it is interesting to recall what happened when Mr. Secldon proposed to visit England to represent New Zealand in connection with the Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign. The leader of tho Opposition at that time was Sir William, then Captain, Russel!, and lie wrote to the Prime Minister on the subject. The following extract- from his letter, dated March 22, 1897, is particularly interesting: — “On previous occasions, when the Premier has been absent from the colony—l write from memory, having no time for reference- I—it 1 —it was not deemed necessary to interrupt the usual "course of parliamentary business, and I cannot but feel that a precedent will be created by Parliament agreeing that the absence of the Premier involves the necessity for the suspension of Parliament. It might be construed into an admission that the position of the Premier is not merely primus inter pares, but includes a "prepotency foreign to our constitution.”

In a speech in the House made on April 8, 1897, the Hon. Captain Russell said: “It seems t-o me that Parliament is to be reduced to a mere cypher, instead of the greater power of Parliament being maintained by members to control its own affairs. It is our dutv as members, to maintain that power, and I foci that by abrogating the" power conferred upon us, we are sanctioning a systein of one-man government, and creating an autocracy out of a democracy.” Sir Robert Stout, speaking on the same subject, said: “When, in 1874-75, one of the most important questions that could he considered, involving a total change in our constitution, namely, whether the system of provincial government was to be continued or not, even in such a crisis the Brenner went to England, and there was then a Mm- ' istry able to carry on without the Premier being present. Is our present Ministry not so able as the Ministry of that time? It has been said that our "Parliament has deteriorated, but what can he said of the Ministry

of the day?” , It will be remembered that Mr. becidon admitted the reasonableness ofthese contentions, by going Home and leaving Sir Joseph Ward to conduct the business of the House. AA ill Sir Joseph Ward prove equally open to conviction ?