British Commonwealth of Nations: In Canada

COMMONWEALTH (British Commonwealth of Nations)

The Canadian Parliament assembled last week at Ottawa, on Capitol Hill, amid highly extraordinary circumstances arising out of the recent “freak election” (TIME, Nov. 9), which gave the two major parties (Conservative and Liberal) an almost equal number of seats in the Canadian House of Commons.

Premier King’s Liberals are actually slightly outnumbered by the cohorts of famed Conservative Leader Arthur Meighen, and the Premier himself, having been defeated in the electoral contest for his own seat, may not take his customary place on the floor of the House. Thus it would appear superficially that the King Government has been “repudiated” and ought to resign. However, it happens that the 25 Progressives are typically better friends of the 101 King Liberals than of the 116 Meighen Conservatives; and Premier King is conceded to have a good chance of keeping a Liberal-plus-Progressive Majority together. Since such a coalition would out-number the Conservatives, the Premier has refused to resign.

As Parliament assembled last week, Canadians placed many a bet on robust, hearty Premier King and on his traditional rival, sleek, meticulous, former Premier Meighen. The odds stood at about 3 to 1 that the urban aristocrat, Meighen, cannot politically, unhorse Countryman King, who has “broken in” many a horse of flesh and blood in his day.

So great was the excitement on Capitol Hill that but scant attention was paid to the conventionally innocuous “Speech from the Throne” by Governor General Lord Byng of Vimy, with which Parliament was formally opened. All ears strained instead toward the House.

Conservative Leader Meighen tensed himself to introduce a motion of “Want of Confidence” against the Government as soon as the House should be declared in session. Unwary, he allowed his attention to be distracted at the critical instant. Liberal House Leader Ernest La Pointe got ahead of him with a motion of “Confidence.” The House leaped to its feet, and many a wild word flew.

Eventually the Speaker held that the Liberal “Confidence” motion might be “out of order” on a point of parliamentary procedure. It was allowed to “stand over” for a few days until the “point” could be authoritatively ruled upon. The Conservative “Want of Confidence” motion was declared “in order,” and Mr. Meighen arose to champion it: “The members of the professed ‘Administration’ ought to be ashamed of themselves! . . . They are not only usurping the powers of government, but are continually trying to ‘put things over.’ A fact which has been amply demonstrated in the last few minutes. . . . The so-called King Government has violated all precedent in trying to retain office. . . . No Premier has the right to continue in office when he has not even the right to a seat for himself in the Commons or the Senate. . . .”

During the progress of this harangue an amiable, stockily built individual was observed to be smiling placidly upon the House from the “Visitors’ Gallery.” It was “Seatless Mac,” Premier William Lyon Mackenzie King.

No vote was taken on either of the motions involving “Confidence” last week. The Hon. Rodolphe Lemieux was unanimously re-elected Speaker of the House.