Parliamentary Notes.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 390, 29 October 1903, Page 5

Parliamentary Notes.

I The new Licensing Bill is going to I prove a fierce bone of contention in the j House. The Prohibition members I have decided to block the Bill at every! stage of itri progress by every means in f | their power, and to aid in obstruction t

by flooding the Order Paper with amendments. Mr Taylor give an indication of their attitude by giving notice the other day that he would move to amend the clause providing for the constitution of committees by adding that the Premier for the time being, the president of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, and the chairmen ot all Rugby Union football cluk should be ex officio members of such committees. Mr M'Lachlan followed by stating, amid laughter, that he intended to move several amendments in the interests of the " trade." Mr T

Taylor then gave notice of a serious amendment providing for annual licensing polls, and Mr Bedford took s hand in the game by giving notice ol seven involved amendments. These include provisions (1) that any licensee or person pecuniarly interested in the sale of liquor shall be liable for compensation or damage to any husband, wife, widow, child, parent, guardian, employer, or other person injured in person or property by any intoxicated person who obtained liquor from such licensee; (2) for damages against any licensee who shall have sold liquor to any person who, while intoxicated, has come to his death by accident, suicide,

or execution for a crime; (3) furnishing grounds of action against the supplying licensee in the case of any person suffering imprisonment for a crime committed while intoxicated; (4) providing for a right of action against any person declared by a court of summary jurisdiction to be a habitat drunkard ; (5) throwing the onus of damages in the case of tied houses on the brewer or wine and spirit merchant to whom the house is tied. Messrs Mander, Tanner, Fowlds, Ell are also in the field with other amendments.

"A Jesuitical clause," was Mr Duthie's description of the provision in the Licensing Bill that in no-license districts no person can have liquor in his house. He wanted to know whether it was suggested by " the trade" or the prohibitionists, or who was the author of it. " I'm the author of it," replied the Premier. "No license, no grog ; it's a sound principle. If a workman can't have grog, why should you and I have it V The game laws were under consideration, Mr Buchanan interjected with a plea for wild ducks, which are plentiful in his electorate. " Oh," said Mr M'Lauchlan, "you have plenty of ducks, but there is one sort of a duck you haven't been able to capture yet," This sally provoked much laughter at the expense of the member for Wairarapa, who is one of the very few bachelors in the House.

Says the " Star's " correspondent : Opinions are greatly divided as to the length of the session. The leader of the Opposition, Messrs Millar, Arnold, and other prominent Government supporters are agreed that Saturday, November 8, will see the curtain rung down. On the other hand, it should be borne in mind that there are thirty odd measures on the Order Paper still to be disposed of, in addition to the Banking Bill. The Public Woeks Statement, the Supple* mentary Estimates, and the discussion on Preferential Trade have to be taken, and the ocean mail resolutions to be debated. In addition, there are local Bills and the consideration of the Commerce and Industries Committee reports on the meat supply scheme and the Flour Millers' Combine to be dealt with. In the face of Mr Massey'fc declaration on Saturday night that the Opposition could prevent the practice of rushing legislation through in the dying hours of the session, I adhere to my frequently-expressed opinion that the session will extend beyond carnival week, though in doing so I recognise that I lay myself open to the charge of pessimism. The "New Zealand Times" concludes an article on the New Licensing Bill fin which it says:—" As things stand there is every appearance that extreme prohibition members, in sheer love of verbal gymnastics, will talk to death a Bill offering them more than they are likely to get again,"