HOUSE OF REPERSENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1845, 19 May 1888, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPERSENTATIVES.

Friday, May 18th The House met at 2 30 p.m. QUESTIONS. Beplying to questions It waa ea'.d that blocks of land bad been Bet aelde under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Aot 1885 ; that a Bill would be Introduced to amend the Chattels Securities Aot; that a Bill was m preparation allowing auy person charged with an indictable offence, or the wife or husband of Buoh person, as the case may be, to give evidence if he or she desired ; that a scheme was nnder consideration for obtaining taxation from the sum of £5.000,000 lying to the credit of depositors m the various banks doing business m the colony ; that where possible good characters should be given to persons dismissed from the Civil Service ; that Bieps would be taken to prevent foreign goods being imported as colonial flannels, Mosgiel tweeds, etc. ; that it was not intended to open the soil fisheries this season, but the matter was under ooneideralion ; that the Public | Bevenaes Bill would probably make provision for Imposing a monetary penalty on any Minister who may incur liabilities above the amount authorised by this Appropriation Act. THE CHINESE BILL. Oa the mot oa fir gc lag Into Committee on the Chinese Kmlgrautj Acfc Amendment Bill, Mr Hatchinton epoko at a considerable length, and coote^ded that this colony should pausa until BOine concerted action was taken by Victoria and the ether colonies. The Premier said it rested entirely with the House whether the Bill should be postponed till the result of the oonference which t»aa now about to be held were known. He should not objaot to such a course, but would not recommend it. Mr Seddon moved the adjournment of the debate on the B ; ll till Tuesday nex f . Considerable discussion ensued, after which the Premier, said he shou'd press the question to a division, bo that the country might know who were the men who were postponing the B'll, and who were to blame if 300 or 400 Chinaman osme hero next week. The amendment was lost by 42 to 27. Mr Ward said he had voted for tbe adjournraentof the Bill, aB ho considered that, as long as naturalisation papers were issued to Ohinamsa, they should not be prevented from coming to the colony. The Houße then went into Committee on the Bill. Consideration of the clansea was interrupted by the 6 30 p m. adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. In clause 3, Mr Seddon moved to limit tbe Chinese carried m veseelß to one for " every five hundred " Instead of " every one hundred tons-" Some opposition being shown he consented to make it one to every two hundred ton?. The Premier objected and In the course of hla remarks he stated that he knew for a fact that 150 of the Chinese detained iv Sydney had tried to get over to New Zealand. Still he thought the amendment wai going to far. Mr Hutchison suggested that several provisions found m other colonial Ac^s should be added to the Bill. The Premier declared that the Governor's assent would ba given to the Bill as it stood, but he would not be certain if It were made more severe. Mr Saddoo'a amendment was lost by 45 to 32. He moved a further amendment makiog masters of vessels pay £20 for every Chinaman they brought here, Lost on the voices. In answer to the representations of several members the Premier aaid that he would glre the Houee an opportunity of further considering the whole matter before the proposed conference was held. At present he did not want to go beyond the provisions of the Bill. Clause 6, exempting Chinese Immigrants who are British subjects from the operations of the Aot was struck out. Several members raised an objection to olause 12 depriving Chinese natural born or naturalised of right to vote bat on a division it was retained by 63 to 10. The remainder of the Bill was passed through committee unaltered. On the motion for the third reading Mr Seddon objected to the Standing Orders being suspended to enable the Bill to be finished with and pointed out that it had gone through committee without ' the preamble being inserted. Mr Turnbull supported him. The Premier said it had bsen distinctly understood that the Bill was to be allowed to pans the remaining stages. In thin view ho waa supported py Mr Hutohiaon and Mr O'OaUaghan, but other memberß Bald there wsb no sooh understanding. The Standing Orders, on a division, were suspended by 63 to 5. The Bill was recommended and paused without alteration ; an amendment to make it the Chinese Restriction Bill being lost on the voices. Mr Seddon inoijted that the Standing Orders must bo eusponded again before the Bill conld ho passed, but the Speaker ruled against him, isnd the third reading, wan carried on the voices. The House adjourned at 10.40.

" Boucrn on Rats." — Clears out rata, mioe, oaohes, flies, ants, bed-bugs, beetles, insects, skunks, jack-rabbita, sparrows, gopherß, At . chemists, and druggists. 1