PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 959, 28 October 1910, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL. BILLS FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. When the Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesterday afternoon the Commercial Trusts Bill, Secret Commissions v Bill, Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill, Land Tax and lncomo Tax Amendment Bill, and the Contagious Diseases Act Repeal Bill were received from tho House of Bepresentatives, and were read u first time. The second readings wore set down for Tuesday next! HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS. The Hawke'e Bay Rivers Bill was introduced by the Attorney-General, and was read a first time. The second reading was sot down for to-day. After formally moving the second reading tho Bill will be referred to a committee. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE AMENDMENT. ' ■ The Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill was put through Committee, and was reported without amendment. The third reading wa,s set down for Tuesday next. ■ STONE QUARRIES BILL. The Stone Quarries Bill was further considered in Committee. Sub-section 4 of Section 3 was struck out, and a new clause was added as under : "The provisions of Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 shall only apply to quarries in which three- or more men are employed." Another new clause was added, making applicable to stone quarries all tho provisions of the Factories Act, 1908, except as otherwise provided in the Bill. The Bill was reported with amendments, and was set down for its third reading on Tuesday. . . BY-LAWS BILL. The amendments made by the House of Eepresentatives in the By-Laws Bill were considered. The ATTOENEY-GENERAL said the only change made in "another place" was the deletion of sub-Clause 2 of Clause 3,' but the effect was rather serious. As the Bill.left the Council provision was made for protecting the Crown Law Office from, a flood of by-laws being sent dc-wn on it. This protection was removed by the amendment, and an immense amount of work would be thrown on the office.

The deletion of the-clause in question would be apt to lead to carelessness on the part of local bodies, and if it were allowed to stand some further protection would haite to be given the Crown Law Office. This could be done by restricting, the application of the Bill to borough councils, county councils, road ■boards, and harbour boards. He would, however, move that the amendment, be disagreed with. After some discussion, a committee; consisting of the Hons. 0. Samuel, J. B. Callan, and the mover >was appointed to draw up reasons for disagreeing with the amendment.

LAND SETTLEMENT FINANCE. In moving the second reading, pro forma, of the Land \ Settlement Finance Amendment Bill, '• . ». The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said ho thought the most .convenient course to adopt would be to refer, the .Bill-.to the Revision Committee. Some amendments of a radical character were necessary, and he thought it i'wo.uld expedite the passage of the Bill' and help the . Council to better understand: it if this course were adopted. The Bill in its present shape would not be the Bill that would pass the Council if the Government had ■ its .way." He thought the amendments should be made- before the Council'was asked, to .consider, the Bill; The Bill p was referred to the Statutes ■Revision Committee. . , , ■ ■ ' The Council rose at 4 p.m.