PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 915, 7 September 1910, Page 6

PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

LAND TENURE.

NATIYE TOWNSHIPS BILL. DEBATE. IN THE HOUSi.,. TWO INTERESTING DIVISIONS. In:the Legislative Counpil, the Destitute Persons Bill . was reported from the Statutes Eevision Committee, and tho Committee stage was set down for Thursday. The Local Bills Committee.reported on the.Hawke's Bay Elvers Bill, aiid recommended.,that it should' not be pro. ceeded with' as a private Bill. In the unavoidable absohcii ol ; the Hon., J'. D. Ormbnd, consideration of the'Bill'..was postponed until to-day. The Town Boards Amendment Bill was read, a first.'time, and the Koman Catholic Archbishop ('of Wellington Empowering Bill passed .'its second Teading. The . Attorney gave notice of his intention to introduce to : day a iiew Bill, entitled - the Inalienable , Life Annuities Bill. : .The . Companies Amendment Bill and the Indecent Publications Bill were both read a.", third time, and passed. ...The '.Phosphorus Matches Bill was put through its Committee stage without amendment, and was read a third time, and,. passed..' TheExhibitions Bill was dealt with in .Committee, and 'the Council was, still, engaged on this Bill when'-it rose. :-. ■, ■ The,House;was occupied during,, the afternoon in discussing the-principle of soveral Bills which were brought down.' Among the measures were .the Land Settlement. Finance Bill, the Sugar Beet Industry Bill, .and i\e Mental Defectives; Bill. In the .evening, the Native Townships, Bill; was dealt with in. Committee. Whilst the.Land Settlement Finance Bill, was before the. House, ~: there ...was... a .further discussion on Mr. Hine's.'charges, a report in regard to which will be found elsewhere. : : ; i .' ;

council.:.';; \; ; V; DESTITUTE PERSONS BILL .• , ~ When the Legislative Council met at 2.30 Sesterday -afternoon the Destitute Persons ill .was.reported by the Statutes Revision Committee which, recommended that.the Bill..be allowed to proceed ..with amendments. , Tho Committee'stage, of the- Bill, was set down for Thursday. - '• ';:' ■':' : GISBORNE' HARBOUR BILL. ' The Gisborne Harbour Amendment Bill' was reported by the, Local Bills Committee .without amendment and the' second reading: was-set.'down for to-day. •' / ,: HAWKE'S BAY (RIVERS BILL;- '. The Hawke's.. Bay Rivers Bill;was reporte'd by .'the 'Local .Bills. :.Committee with a recommendation, that it be not prooeeded-jw-ith.'. i'lu the absence' of the Hon. :'J. 'D...Ormond', consideration of tlie Bill .was. postponed' uritil\to-day::',-: ";;.!;',.- , TOWN/BOARDS AMENDMENT. V . .The;-Town'.Boards' •Amendment Bill was received f rorir-: the . House . of.. Represent a.tives. and'.'.was'read a 'first.'time. ■ Tho second; reading, of'tlie./Bill"was set "downfor. to-day.'-. ..;,.■.•■ .;'' ;' " <."

' INALIENA.BLE LIFE ANNUITIES;. ' .The-'ATTOENET-'GENERAL-gave". :'nb« : tide of his intention'to introduce to-day a. Bill' entitled' the Inalienable /Life. .An-:' huities Bill. ,'■-. :;: - .:■ ~v'';! ; .. Y, r AN; EMPOWERING BILL. ;; : ;\ : In.. moving ,• the second .reading.'.of Roman Catholic Archbishop .of "Wellington .Empowering Bill ... 1 ":'-:-. ':'.■' Hon. C. Ji JOHNSTON, (Wellington), on 'behalf: of tho -.Hon; 3. \D. Ot-inond,-stated that tho Bill had :bcen approved... by, the , Chief/Justice ',who:,had. given : a certificate.fcliat. the objects ,could .only'be attained ,by legislation. .: ; :The : Bill made' provision'-for' vesting'inV the .Archbishop of the;R6man Catholic :Archdio-; ceso of. Wellington', certain lauds.in pier and Wairoa-.arid to,.enable the .Archbishop 'to..sell',the';landsvahd' the proceeds' 'towards', paying ''off' liabilities and. purchasing-, other, .'lands iov [ , the. Church,. .■'.'■■ i ••>.., ■; . The second reading, of: the Bill was agreed tol ..'.•-', ':',.' INDECENT PUBLICATIONS.: ■•; . Speaking on the. third reading of the ■Indecent Publications 8i11,.•■ . ' ;,>•■'..',.■.'' .. ; The-Hon.. J.. R.', SINCLAIR (Otagp) said it was recognised ;by. all.that this I ..was: a very, drastic measure,"but"he would .riot like.the' impressio'n'ito'go forth that the Bill had been introduced by the (general tone of our-'press.;,;it; was^tho:morally insane writer,'.the: lener of .journalism, that made:the Bill necessary,- and'.it was this class .which "would; bejtouched by .this legislation..; ' i-'.'■'■ : \', ;: ',,,-V'. .' '.'

, ; Tho. Hon. -G. JONES' (Otago)'.said the journalists of this country.,had for some time past carefully .watched, anything of a corrupting character,/and.,had ..excludedl anything ''of the kind. from 'their: columns.' The' seductive/advertisement which/was -inserted 'occasionally, in ip'apers in, other).parts, of the world to trip the unwary was, in a large, measure, excluded from .the columns of the. papers of.this, Dominion', not by ; legislation,. but /by' c.bmmoh consent. All knew why /this measure was being/passed. •', It was/the difficulty of catching those ;wh'o inserted in their publications matter of a corrupting kind—riiatter.ntkat would tell its tale on the.future of the country: unless'soiuething. of a practicable . kind .was, done. The journals ,of this country were/especially clean. -■ ■/ ■;■■■■■ ■.'"/■ -//■'-.'-'' •The Bill was read a third time, and passed: ; /.'-//'- • .• : -'- ■'; '"■'-■) ,-'/-:' ; --' ■' COMPANIES: AMENDMENT; BILL. The Companies-Amendment: Bill /was read a third time, and passed without discussion. . '.-/• ~/:.■ .'■.'.■'. ; PHOSPHORUS, MATCHES BILL. y : ; The Phosphorus Matches was passed through, its Committ.ee stages,without amendment, and the third 'reading was then agreed to, and the Bill passed. . EXHIBITtO.NS'BILL, There was a good deal of discussion on the Exhibitions Bill during .its passage through Committee. , ••• : The. Hon; J. E. .JBNKINSON (Welling-, ton) took exception to.tho clause limiting a commission for an exhibition to. twelve; months. • This limitation he suggested might prove embarrassing in sonie cases. • The .ATTORNEY-GENERAL .though, there was a good deal to be said in favour of the amendment. On his motion, an amendment was. made to allow, of extensions being made "from time ;to time." The Hon. J. E. JBNKINSON, referring to tho clause provided for, the temporary suspension: of the provisions of the Immigration Restriction Act, thought it/would, enable aliens to Come in under cover of being exhibitors or assistants to exhibitors. - Ho did not think this should bo allowed. The Hon. J.. T. PAUL thought that a the Minister was not very careful, the whole clause would be open to very great abuse. The Hon. C. M. LUKE (Wellington) also supported the objection, but .the Hon. R. A. Loughnan did not think there was anything to fear. The Hon. J. BARR (Otago) expressed the fear that outsiders might be brought" in to work at a rate of wages lower than that ruling ■ in Now Zealand. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL did not think there was any. cause. for fear. .The clause, was passed without amendment. The Hon. .T. BARR (Otago) moved that the following sub-clause be added:— "Nothing in this clause shall authorise an alteration or suspension of any of tho provisions relating to preference of em-

ploymenfc under any award or agreement under the Arbitration Act." The Hon. J. M'GOWAN (Auckland) said preference was given by the! Arbitration Court at present, and an attempt was being made to make it a law of the land. - The ATTORNEY-GENERAL stated that the Minister in charge of • the Bill (the Hon. J. A. Millar) ■ had said there was no' oversight in this matter. He was satisfied that the clause would be satisfactory. On a division being taken, Mr. Barr's amendment was lost by 17 .votes to 5. 'At this stage progress was reported, and the Council adjourned at 4.50 p.m.