Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Armageddon or Calvary: The Conscientious Objectors of New Zealand and "The Process of Their Conversion"

III.—The Division Lists

III.—The Division Lists.

Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, for their part, were taking no chances in the matter of trusting the people to decide the question of Conscription or No Conscription. They led a supine majority in Parliament, a majority that moved obediently at every crack of the two-thonged whip. And so, on May 31, 1916, the Conscription Bill (labelled the Military Service Bill) was introduced, and sledge-hammered through Parliament, carrying in its final stage with only five dissentients.

Consistently the Parliamentary Labour Party, consisting of only four men, fought the measure through all its stages. In this fight alone the Labour Party justified its political existence. On every division the four Labour men voted the right way.

page 11

The vote on the second reading of the Bill was reached on June 1, and 47 members voted with the Ayes, and five with the Noes, while four members paired.

The members voting for Conscription were:—Allen, Anderson, Anstey, Buddo, Buick, Craigie, J. M. Dickson, J. S. Dickson, Ell, T. A. H. Field, W. H. Field, Forbes, Fraser, Guthrie, Harris, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Isitt, Jennings, MacDonald, McNab, Mander, Massey, Myers, A. K. Newman, E. Newman, Ngata, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Pomare, Poole, R. H. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Smith, Statham, W. Stewart, Sykes, Talbot, Veitch, Witty, Wright, Wilford, Young.

The members who voted against Conscription were:—Hindmarsh, Mccombs, Walker, Webb, Payne.

McCallum and Sidey paired with the Ayes, and Thacker and Fletcher with the Noes.

The House went into Committee, and on June 6 a division was taken on the question of forcing boys of 20 to the trenches, and resulted:—Ayes: Allen, Anderson, Anstey, Craigie, J. M. Dickson, J. S. Dickson, Fraser, Guthrie, Hanan, Harris, Henare, Herdman, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Hunter, Jennings, MacDonald, McNab, Malcolm, Mander, Massey, Myers, A. K. Newman, E. Newman, Ngata, Nosworthy, Okey, Pomare, Poole, Russell, Scott, Sidey, Statham, W. Stewart, Sykes, Talbot, Veitch, Wilkinson, Wright, Young. Noes: Colvin, Ell, T. A. H. Field, W. H. Field, Fletcher, McCallum, McCombs, Payne, Poland, T. W. Rhodes, Smith, Walker, Webb, Wilford, Witty. Ward paired with the Ayes, and Hindmarsh with the Noes. The Ayes numbered 41—or just one more than half the strength of the House.

On June 6 a motion was tabled in favour of raising the military age to 55. Against this the Government made a resolute stand. The voting resulted:—Ayes: Anderson, Colvin, Ell, T. A. H. Field, McCallum, McCombs, McNab, Payne, Poland, Smith, Walker, Webb, Wilford. Noes: Allen, Anstey, Craigie, J. M. Dickson, J. S. Dickson, W. H. Field, Fletcher, Fraser, Guthrie, Hanan, Harris, Henare, Herdman, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Hunter, Isitt, MacDonald, Mander, Massey, Myers, A. K. Newman, E. Newman, Ngata, Nosworthy, Okey, Pomare, Poole, T. W. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Sidey, Statham, W. Stewart, Sykes, Veitch, Wilkinson, Witty, Wright, Young. Hindmarsh paired with the Ayes, and Ward with the Noes.

On the same date it was resolved, by 43 votes to 9, to place unmarried men with dependents in the First Division, the four Labour men voting with the minority, and Veitch, the Wanganui "independent," with the majority.

On June 7 the House divided on the question of exempting Religious Objectors. The division list stands:—Ayes: Allen, J. M. Dickson, Ell, T. A. H. Field, Guthrie, Hanan, Hindmarsh, Isitt, Jennings, McCombs, Massey, Okey, Payne, Poland, Poole, Talbot, Walker, Webb, Wilkinson, Witty, Wright. Noes: Anderson, Anstey, Craigie, page 12W. H. Field, Fletcher, Fraser, Harris, Herdman, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Hunter, MacDonald, Mander, McNab, Myers, A. K. Newman, E. Newman, Nosworthy, Pomare, R. H. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Smith, W. Stewart, Sykes, Veitch, Young. On this occasion, only 50 members, out of a House of 80, voted; and it stands on record that the refusal to recognise the Religious Objector was carried by only 29 members—a fraction more than a third of the House. Many members appear to have deliberately absented themselves.

On the same date the clause in the Bill which provided up to five years' jail with hard labour (in addition to liability under the Army Act) for Conscientious Objectors and military defaulters was voted upon. The list:—Ayes: Allen, Anderson, Anstey, Brown, Buick, Craigie, J. M. Dickson, J. S. Dickson, Ell, T. A. H. Field, W. H. Field, Fraser, Guthrie, Hanan, Harris, Henare, Herdman, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Hunter, Isitt, Jennings, MacDonald, McNab, Mander, Massey, Myers, A. K. Newman, E. Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Pomare, Poole, R. H. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Sidey, Smith, Statham, W. Stewart, Talbot, Veitch, Wilford, Wilkinson, Witty, Wright, Young. Noes: Fletcher, Hindmarsh, McCombs, Payne, Poland, Webb. Ward paired with the Ayes, and Walker with the Noes.

On June 8 the House divided on the clause providing for fine and imprisonment for employers retaining in their employ Conscientious Objectors. The list:—Ayes: Allen, Anstey, Bollard, Brown, Buick, Craigie, Dickie, J. M. Dickson, W. H. Field, Fraser, Forbes, Guthrie, Hanan, Harris, Henare, Herdman, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Hunter, McCallum, MacDonald, McNab, Mander, Massey, Myers, A. K. Newman, E. Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Pomare, R. H. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Sidey, Smith, Statham, W. Stewart, Sykes, Talbot, Thacker, Veitch, Ward, Wilford, Wilkinson, Witty, Wright, Young. Noes: Colvin, Ell, Fletcher, Hindmarsh, Isitt, Jennings, McCombs, Payne, Poland, Poole, Walker, Webb.

On the same date the House again divided on the clause which gave the police power to question and arrest without warrant men of military age. The list:—Ayes: Allen, Anstey, Bollard, Buick, Craigie, J. M. Dickson, Ell, T. A. H. Field, W. H. Field, Forbes, Fraser, Guthrie, Hanan, Harris, Henare, Herdman, Herries, Hornsby, Hunter, Isitt, Jennings, MacDonald, McNab, Mander, Massey, Myers, E. Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Pomare, R. H. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Sidey, Smith, Statham, W. Stewart, Sykes, Talbot, Thacker, Veitch, Wilkinson, Witty, Wright, Young. Noes: Fletcher, Hindmarsh, McCombs, A. K. Newman, Payne, Poland, Poole, Walker. Ward paired with the Ayes, and Webb with the Noes.

On the same date yet another division was taken on a clause which provided a fine of £50 for persons knowing the whereabouts of Conscientious Objectors and military defaulters and failing to inform. The four Labour men, one independent, and one Liberal voted or paired against the proposal, and 45 members (including Veitch) voted with the Ayes.

page 13

On the same date the House was divided on the clause giving Cabinet power to end the voluntary system of enlistment by proclamation. Forty-five members (including Veitch) voted and two paired with the Ayes. The four Labour members, one independent, and one Liberal either voted or paired with the Noes.

The third reading of the Bill was taken on June 9—the Government was determined to lose no time in militarising the country—and the list showed:—Ayes: Allen, Bollard, Buick, Colvin, Dickie, Ell, T. A. H. Field, W. H. Field, Forbes, Fraser, Guthrie, Hanan, Herdman, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Jennings, McCallum, MacDonald, McNab, Malcolm, Mander, Massey, Myers, A. K. Newman, Nosworthy, Pomare, Poole, R. H. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Sidey, Smith, W. Stewart, Sykes, Talbot, Thacker, Veitch, Wilford, Wilkinson, Witty, Wright, Young. Noes: Fletcher, McCombs, Payne, Webb. E. Newman and Ward paired with the Ayes, and Hindmarsh and Walker with the Noes.

It should be noted that Thacker, who had voted against the second reading, changed his mind and voted for the third reading.

By the end of July, the unpopularity of the Government's action, supported by Parliament, was abundantly manifest; and on August 4 the House was divided on the question of extending its own life—in other words, the proposal was to disfranchise the whole of the electors of New Zealand until December, 1918. It appeared to the Labour Movement that this step was deliberately taken to ensure that the people should have no opportunity of dealing with the men who had so grossly betrayed them. For this amazing proposal, 41 members (one more than half the strength of the House) voted. Nineteen members who were not out of New Zealand absented themselves. The division list:—Ayes: Anderson, Allen, Bollard, Buddo, Buick, J. M. Dickson, J. S. Dickson, Ell, W. H. Field, Fraser, Glover, Guthrie, Hanan, Harris, Henare, Herdman, Herries, Hudson, Hunter, Isitt, Jennings, MacDonald, McNab, Malcolm, Mander, Massey, Myers, E. Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Poland, Pomare, R. H. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Statham, Stewart, Sykes, Thomson, Ward, Young. Notes: Anstey, Craigie, T. A. H. Field, Fletcher, Hindmarsh, McCombs, A. K. Newman, Payne, T. W. Rhodes, Talbot, Veitch, Walker, Webb, Wilford, Witty, Wright.

In the April session of 1918, the House again extended its own life—i.e., disfranchised the whole of the electors—for a further period of a year: until the end of 1919. So the Parliamentarians who imposed Prussian Militarism on the people took good care that the outraged people should be deprived of all means of constitutional redress. It is for the people to pronounce on this line of conduct at the forthcoming general election.