PUBLIC REVENUE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 968, 8 November 1910, Page 6

PUBLIC REVENUE BILL.

AN IMPORTANT DIVISION. STTSiSURE ADOPTED. On the motion that the report on the Public Revenues Bill be agreed to, Mr. MASSEY moved to re-cotnrait the Bill,' with the object of striking out Clause '16, which makes, provision as to when a payment is lawful. This clause and the next, said Mr. Massey contained probably the most' objectionable, and-even iniquitous, provisions in any Bill in New Zealand. This, continued Mr. Massey,, was the clause which allowed the. "MO steal" to take place some years ago. It ivas not at all creditable to have such a clause on the Statute Book, and it would not, in his opinion, be creditable to Parliament if it did not strike the clause out now that it ha'd the opportunity. The PRIME. MINISTER said that if the clause was removed a clause of a similar nature would require to be put in some Bill or other to. enable what this clause provided to be done. Mr. leaser (Wakatipu): "We got on nntil 1900 without it." The Prime Minister said tho clause had been found necessary, and was only seldom used. In the event of extra payment, the Audit Department had full control in any case. Their position was not weakened in any way. Mr. Massey: "Yes.it is. Bead the clause." ■ Sir Joseph said that as a matter of fact the. clause had only been used on seven occasions since 1800, inclusive of tlie extra ,£4O vote to members. The Hause had never been abused, and had ieen -pnt on the Statute Book for good reason.

On a division the report of the Committee was agreed to by 34 to 26. FOIt THE ADOPTION 01? THE' REPORT-3J. Arnold M'lvcnzic, R. ;Bud.do . Mackenzie, T. .Carroll . M'Laren Clark Jlvers Colvin Mgata Dillon Parata Duncan, T. ■ Poland fill • Poole £ield ■ Rangihiroa Forbes Heed Hall. ' .. Soddon Hanan sidey Hogan Smith Jennings Stallworthy Ivaihau Steward Lawry ' Taylor, E. H. Macdonald ■--■■■ Ward — FOE THE RECOMMITTAL-26. Allen . • ... Hino Anderson- • Luke ' ■ Bollard Mander Buchanan Massey Buick Malcolm Dive Newman Duncan, J. Nosworthy . Fisher Okey Fraser Pearce. Guthrie Rhodes Hardy . Scott Herdman Thomson, G. SI. Hemes Wright Severe Criticism. Some of the severe criticism levelled at the Bill in Committee was placed on record during the third reading. Mr. NOSWOKTHY said no one but the late Colonial Treasurer would have dared to have put such clauses as 46 and 47 on the Statute Book. Mr. WRIGHT remarked that the clauses in question gave to the Prime Minister the power wrested from the King .in former days. It was as had been stated, a dangerous and mischievous clause, giving the Prime Minister the powers of an autocrat. The PRIME MINISTER, in his reply,, said that none of the happenings that had been predicted had eventuated in practice. The clause had only been used on seven occasions. What had magnified the whole thing was the £i 0 extra vote to members. A large number of those on the other side of the House had been anxious to get that increase. ■ Mr. Massey: Every one of them voted against it. . The Prime Minister remarked that none of them had since moved to repeal the clause. ' It was, he said, sheer political hypocrisy to.go on prating about it from time to time. All but one or two took the extra money, and had no hesitation in doing so. In fact, they were very glad to get it. The few who did not take, the money paraded their virtue to a tremendous extent.

. Mr. Hardy (Selwyu): That is not so. Continuing. Sir Joseph said no one had moved to repeal the clause. They had taken the ,£4O, and now they wanted to make political capital out of it. If the clause were repealed, he added, it _ would be necessary to put. another one in. The third reading was agreed to, and tho Bill was passed. . .

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE BILL. The Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill was then put through its final stages. ... BILLS FURTHER ADVANCED. No amendments were made in Committee to tlfe following Bills:— Companies Amendment Bill. Judicature Amendment Bill. . Education Reserves Amendment Bill. COUNTIES AMENDMENT BILL. In Committee on the Counties Amendment Bill, there was 1 some discussion as to the date upon which the-Bill should come into operation. ...■..,..■•.,. •■ It was agreed, at the instance of the Hon. E. M'Kenzie, that, the Bill should not. come into operation before April 1, 1911, and that the operations of the measure might be suspended for a period up to twelve months upon a petition of a majority of local authorities other than borough councils. The Bill was then reported with amendments. ' ,■■'■■:■.y-'-t :•■■•■ i

: '.STONE QU'ARR|i i EB'v.blL!ty ,; . ■ The Hon. E. M'KENZIE moved that the amendments made in the Stone Quarries Bill by the Legislative CounciL.be agreed to. Objection was taken to the proposal that the Factories Act should apply to a road work. It was decided to agree to the amendments with the exception of the one in question; ■■<..- At this stnge, 1.45 a.m.,,the House adjourned till this afternoon. ' ■