LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 954, 22 October 1910, Page 3

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OAMARU HARBOUR ENABLING BILL. When the Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesterday afternoon, the report on the Oamaru Harhour Board Enabling Bill was considered. The Hon. GEO. JONES (.Otago) pointed out that only two small amendments had been made in the Bill, and these were of an immaterial character. Consequently, he asked that'the Standing Orders, should be suspended to enable the Bill to be put through its third reading.' This . was. agreed to, and the Bill was read a third time and passed. INDECENT PUBLICATIONS. The report of the conference between the Select Committees of the two Houses respecting the amendments made by the House of Representatives in the Indecent Publications Bill, and which were.disagreed with by .the Legislative Council, was submitted. , The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said an agreement had been arrived at which left the Bill substantially in the condition it had left the, Council. : ~;. "In terms of the agreement, "absence of-guilty knowledge".'would be no defence in any prosecution except where the prosecution .was for distributing an indecent document...ln these cases the defendant would ■ be .permitted ;to show that.he had; no .reasonable meansYof knowing that; the 'document was .indecent. It had been agreed. to, delete the clause giving constables power to arrest without -warrant.' 'The report was agreed to.', . ,;,' JUSTICES.OF THE PEACE AMENDMENT. ■ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL introduced the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill!. The-Bill was read a first time,, and the second: reading was set down for Wednesday' next.. The.. Bill makes .-provision, for. .the : remission of part: of a sentence of imprisonment ,f or noii-payment ■' of a fine .or' payment of part of it. ■'.'-';'/ '-.-," .-','> •'■ '"■'■

DEFENCE AMENDMENT BILL. '.Ths Hon.. Captain BAILIiIE. (Marlborough), speaking on' the" third reading ...of the. Defence 'Amendment • .Bill, expressed; the opinion ' that _ the'' whote thing-would'be" found to be'a sham. . '< The ATTORNEY-GENERAL"said he felt confidence in the Bill/ in spite of the .hon..gentleman's opinion, because, the .Bill .'■ had teen approved by many, experienced officers, and 'had'originated; with one of the greatest-soldiers of the age, Lord-Kitchener:' . '.'";. ... The Bill was:read'a.th'rd:time, and" : passed. '■•••■", ■ , ■'•-'■ _•' ■'."■;■' '. - '',- v .. ; STONE QUfIRRIESBItI.. / I The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, : ; .in moving, the reading of the Stone (Juarrie's Bill, the provisions of the. Bill as. already.:.,fully :;coveredwhen the measure originated:.,in the Lower House. The main idea of the 'Bill was to protect;the life and safety, .'of men working in the. quarries of .thecountry. '•:■ ..': : :.- i "'; TheVHon.. J. : T.-PATJL (Otago): corned the Bill as" a much-needed' addj.■tion to:'. the . labour'" legislation:: of ; ; the .country:- ,The quarries -had. turned; out 'many cripples in the past.:;. The...Bill; was -not, however; as comprehensive'as 'he ■ would.; have -liked.-;.. - In .''representee; .tipns made to' him it was urged that; the : scope of. the Bill..would be widened; There were .many 'works; that did . not 'come within the, scope of the Bill.: He. thought an.amendment should be .made; ~to make:>he Bill 'apply.; to : quarries with ; a rock face of : 10.feet' or.more.';: -

-~ The. Hon. ' J. ; BARR' (Canterbury)/ thought it , was:'highly :.;important that' ropes :be tested once a month instead of once-in three' months:/ He. would' -like.-,to see an. amendment '•',in, this direction.: .: He - welcomed: the Bill,' but • trusted that .they would be' able to' improve, it'further in Committee..'- . , The Hon; CM; LUKE (Wellington) also welcomed/ the/'BiN, /which should be taken as,'an .instalment,- .and: could be extended'after /trial/if 'necessary.,,,

//The' 'Hon. /GEO,,/ JONES ; : (otago) thought there w^ere/some■ points, in-; the. Bill which;, required- e'iplanatipn:,.;,:ln' ■his opinion it would be'advisable to. re;, fer. it to the-Labour Bills.Committee/.;':

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the Bill had, he'believed/-: caused' '. moreblasting ■- and :'more .-explosions ,;"in: another place". ..than .-had .been'.heard, for months>"past:'i:•'••/-The,'.''detonations, 'were, he believed, heard all along theiline .of'progress..V- (Laughter;),-'/; The: Bill ■: .would.-'. protect', half, the. quarries;; and it seemed to be, this': or nothing for twelve, months.,; The' limitation: of ; 20 "feet referred'/to:, was the', smallest' that;-:could, begot.'/through. .;This,- of course, limited the operation of .the : Bill to the larger quarries.: The question, was .whether we were content with '. a Bill ' giving '/protection : to half/the quarries 0r,.0n the other hand, content with - nothing/ until a/Bill could be: got through -applying -to all ; ' of'< them";. •fie- thought i the- instalment; -was in the right.direction. /''/'.'/, "'V','- /v. ;| - //,The Bill ,was read a second'time,, and: was. set down/for, committal: on Tuesday -.next/ ■■■.-"'-/ '~ ■:'.:/"; / <'// '>{,''

RIVER BOARDS AMENDMENT,

In Committee oh-the River BoardsAmendment Bill, .-. ■.■'■.'/ :The ATTORNEY-GENERAL "as. he indicated'oh the second reading, that/ the clause giving 'extended time: for making, claims for. compensation: be struck .'out. .He thought:,the' present law was quite' sufficient.' This .was: agreed, to." Several -machinery/alterations were- also made,, and the ;i BiH was reported with amendments.-'The third reading was'made an order of the day: for. Tuesday. :-. /,.,:,: .'•:'•'"/////;/: / ANIMALS 1 PROTECTION. A lengthy/debate on the use of cylinders in duck shooting arose/when the Animals', Protection Bill was committed. Several members: waxed; facetious in their remarks: in/'this'.connection,' but :no alteration .was made.- "'.'•,'■:.. ■. ; -The Hon. J.' ANSTEY objected to leaving it to. acclimatisation societies, to suspend the operation of the clause as to the destruction of hares.';■',' He thought A. iand.P. societies were better fitted ,for, the work/ '..: .....: '■''..■■,: ■: The clause dealing, with; this matter was amended to provide .that, ithe Governbr-in-Council . may, on- the .recommendation •':■ of. the ...Minister: for Agriculture, suspend within any specified area the operation of the section with respect ~to ■: hares, .weasels, and stoats. ' This, said, the- AttorneyGeneral, would leave it open for recommendations to be, made by any society or local instead of confining it..to acclimatisation societies as provided in the original clause. This was agreed to.' The Attorney-General proposed a new claiiso 'providing- a penalty up to £20 for destroying in-' digenous birds or 'their eggs, the Governor-in-Council being empowered to make necessary exceptions.'This was agreed to, and the Bill was reported with amendments. The third-reading was set down for Tuesday. The Council,rose at 4:35 p.m.