LAND BILL IN COMMITTEE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 12, 9 October 1907, Page 6

LAND BILL IN COMMITTEE.

Hi;: A TIGOROUS DEBATE.-v-: 'THE U.liP. AND THE o;R>. Pi :-. In the Legislative Council' yesterday :ifternoou,.tho greater liarfc -61 .'the, 'sitting was devoted to>'tho''.considera-; i'tibnof the Hon. R! amotion to affirm the principle that- all :,• adult'males shonld.be trained to the ,; Tise':of arms. -After tho, mover's 7*p'eeckand a quaint deliverance by Mr. 1 iWi: Pere, tlio dobato. was adjourned \ hntuVnext Offences '''Bill was read a-third time and passed, iandHbo Bills of Exchaugo Amendment i'ifßill passed its second .'.reading..-.', The, fjiecond reading of the Land and Income : Assessment Bill was - postponed until I ■~.',-; ,;.;:'-. .... . . 'V;iittlo time was los't in the House of 'Representatives yesterday in reaching 'the Committeo stages of the Land Laws : VAmendmont, Bill: ; At Clauso 2j, . which r'.prpposes to abolish the lease-in-per-■fpetuity, the Hon, C. T H. Mills, moved to I'-rov'erse this, and I give tho lease-in-'.perpetuity, another chanco. The_ result was a debate that lasted the whole of : %ho,'afternoon." The Opposition supported'(the amendment on, the ground v'thit the le'ase-in-perpetuity, was, the Jesser of two evils, though they would rather';have had the freehold. TJlti--inately; the amendment':was lost. -. Mr. ! ;JAlisbn (Waitemata) then moved a" fur-' (■' ther, tnption, which opened the way for toother'long discussion;.as to the re-, Jativ'e advantages' of the various-modes' '.''ofy.tenure: Shortly before the supper jji'adjbiirnnrent," the.,debate became very, (lively: consequent on some remarks of Mi. ;Massey, regarding land national•ism:, The Premier replied that all who i rffwero euppbrting, the leasehold were not '('land nationalists,- and, he instanced Miv ;''Bcitkeri as an Oppositionist leaseholder. I Mr. Jennings challenged the Minister ;,'.'sbr>Lands and the Premier in regard to which, he said, should go to ; the! country. The keenness of the debate, was evidenced by the number of' ■ imembers > who' rose simultaneously times to., their. feet and endeavoured to .catch • tho Chairman's eye. 'Late; -in tho ; -evening ' Mr. Alisdn?s \rimendment was negatived; by, a con- -; aiderable majority,". ana a similar fate ,::'befel'a further amendment by Mr! ; Jiang: (Manukau)' that the right of purr -Chase,-'be, given leaseholders under the Renewable; leases, during the first term Vjoff'their -tenure: .. .Clause 3, .which. ■'.Was as far/as the Committee had, '■S: reached, was then adopted, and.'-- the -;■ House adjourned at' midnight. -' - This Viafternbbn there will be no fitting, but -fWie Land Bill will be taken again m ;ijC6mmittee. to-night..