MORE POINTS OF ORDER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3463, 1 March 1912, Page 5

MORE POINTS OF ORDER.

HOW THE PREMIER AND MR MASSEY BOTH ERRED. THE VOICE OF PARLIAMENT. Mr Massey, continuing, said he thought there should be no objection to the amendment. Personally he was very strongly of opinion that it should be unanimously agreed to and that it would bo approved by the great majority, of the people of the country for the reason he had mentioned. His proposal would give an opportunity for the new Ministry to be formed and to come down to the representation of the people and show them who they were. The Premier had made a suggestion that the majority of the people were not against the Opposition. The'Premier objected as a. point of order that Mr Massey could not discuss now matters that were raised before the adjournment was moved. Mr Massey: The right lion, gentleman made a fairly long speech, and at the conclusion of it lie. moved his motion. I submit that I am justified in referring to any matter expressed by him in that speech. The Speaker: The position is not exactly as stated by the leader of the Opposition. The Premier (eagerly) :Hear, hear. The Speaker (continuing): Nor as stated by the right lion.'the Premier (laughter). Both of them made long speeches. That of the Leader of the Opposition, according to my notes, was the longer of the two. The Premier: Hear, hear.

The Speaker added that both speeches were made by the indulgence of the House and were not a portion of any debate. A member was therefore quite in order in referring to either of them. Mr Massey sad be did not admit for one moment that the ..voice of the people was against the Opposition. The voice of Parliament was against the men who now occupied the Treasury benches and those who were likely to occupy them in the near future. If the voice of Parliament was not going to be against the new Ministry why were they afraid to show themselves? Why would they not agree, take a reasonable time and' come before Parliament before its prorogation! He would be quite willing to give them more time than until Monday. If they wanted a fortnight let them say so, and then most of the members would have time to go to tlieir homes. It was wrong for the Premier to spring this surprise on the House. Probably even the Premier’s colleagues were rot in his confid' f <■*» and apart from diem lie (Mr Ma-’iev) believed that not a single membu of the House had had the faintest idea that the Premier meant to move the adjournment as he had done. He had talked of the voice of the people and about the telegrams he had received, but he would be surprised if he could see the number he (Mr Massey) had received, not only from his own supporters but some from people who had been supporters of the other side. He (Mr Massey) was not one of those who said the defeat of the Government at the elections was due to the Premier’s inability. Ho had heard many of the Premier’s owns supporters say so, and he thought it was an unfair thing to say. He (Mr Massey) objected to his party being called Conservatives. They were certainly not “Liberals” of the type of the Minister for Public W°rßswho ha dnot the right tr. call himself a Liberal, and neither had bis colleagues. They were not Liberals and the Opposition were not Conservatives or Tories. Those were objectonable names which should not be used by one member of that House towards another. There was no party of Church and State. Here, as in 'the Old Land, there was no Conservative party in any proper sense of the term. Mr Massey had begun to reply to what had been said of large landowners, when Hon. R. McKenzie rose to a point, or order. The question of adjournment was before the House, and he did not know, what the large Landowners had to do with it. ~ , .. Mr- Allen drew attention to a ruling, of Mr. Speaker O’Rorke that on a motion for adjourning the House it was onen to members to discuss any mattei affecting the affairs of the country. They had come now to a very serious position in connection with the affairs of the country, and he submitted that, any limitation of the opportunities of debate on this occasion would be an interference with the freedom of speech which the Speaker claimed for the House, and which they were assured he would!'uphold!. , i The Speaker agreed that gieat latatrade must be tallowed on a question or adjournment, but hon members must keep as.close as possible to the subject of the adjournment and tihe matter related thereto. To discuss the question of Tories and Conservatives going beyond that— Mr. Massey: I did not raise it. The Speaker said Mr. Massey had not transgressed, as he had only commented on what the Premier had said. The Premier made to make a personal explia nation, but was ruled out of Older on the ground that he would, have another opportunity of speaking in the debate. He then urged that the Leader of the Opposition was out of order, but the Speaker merely repeated lus previous ruling and allowed Mr. Massey to 1 proceed.