THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 7

THE HOUSE.

THE LIBEL' BifLL. After Tiie Dominion went to pre! yesterday rnorniug the Libel Bill : tit further, considered in Committee. ilt was decided by 26 votes to 25 5-,,' clause as under: "A magistrate, upc the hearing of a charge of tho public; £' . ■ tion of a defamatory libel, may receii . Evidence as to tho publication being f< ? tlio public benefit, and as to the truf V- of'tho defamatory statement, and as 1 ' nny other matter which 1 might bo give ,t; : :in evidence by was of defence by tl

person charged on his trial on indictment; and the magistrate, if ho is of opinion, after hearing such ovidenco, that thoro is a strong or probable presumption that the jury on tho trial would acnuit tho person charged, may dismiss tho ease. . . Tho Bill then passed out of tho Committee stage. . Oil a division (called by Mr. Fisher) tho Libel Bill passed its third reading by 36 votes to G. COAL MINES BILL. • CLAUSE CARRIED AGAINST THE , MINISTER. , Further consideration was given to the Coal Mines Bill in Committee. Tho Hon. 11. M'KENZIE said ho could not agree to a clause which had been read a second time on the motion of tho Hon. Mr. Guinness. It provided that tho Minister should be given power to mako_ regulations in regard to the sanitation of mines. Mr. M'lienzio said a Royal Commission was to bo set up to inquire into the ventilation of tho mines.! He did not want to have the work of that -- commission hampered. It was a pieco-of stupidity to put such'a, clause in the Bill. The Hon. A. GUINNESS said it was much to .be regretted that the Minister seemed to bo determined-not to accept the clause Ho could understand his hostility if the clauso compelled him to make the regulations. All: that it did was to enablo him to do so if ho saw fit. The fact that a commission was about to sit was an additional reason why the clause should be added to the Bill. " , . "Is this a stonewall ?" came, an interjection. . _ 1 Mr. Guinness: That remark might have been made when the last speaker was speaking. Continuing, Mr. Guinness said that the second reading of the clauso had been carried by a lirge'majorityHo hoped members would stand by it. If the Minister did not like to give effect ; to it no. harm would be done. It was agreed against the Minister to add the clauso to tho Bill by 26 votes • to 2i. . ; - ' For the Clauso.-—Allen, Buchanan, 1 Davey) Dive, • Fisher, -Glover, Greehslade, Guinness, Guthrie, Hardy, Herd- | man, Herries, Hine, Hogan, M'Laren, Mander, Massey, Okey, Parata, Pearce, ' Phillipps, Poland, Scott, Steward, Wil--1 ford, and Wright. Against the Clause.—Brown, Buddo, ' Buxton, Carrol], Field, Hall, Kai- ; hau, Lawry, Luke, Macdonald, M'Ken-. zio," R., Mackenzie, T. ; Malcolm, Millar, 1 Ngata, Seddon, -Smith, Stallworthy, 1 E. H. Taylor, Ward. ; _ The Bill was afterwards put through ( its final stages. , . TRAMWAYS BILL, The amendments made in the Legis- ' lative Council in tho Tramways Bill ■ were agreed to. ! - BILLS PASSED. i The following Bills wero ' then put . through their final stages" \Vashing- . Up" Bill', Native "Washing-Hp" Bill, Libel Bill, Coal Mines Amendment Bill. , At'this stage (3 a.m.) tho Houso adr s journed till 11 a.m. I—' . ' ■ ) RIVER SILTINC PROBLEMS. 1 When the Houso met at 11 a.m. the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improve--1 ment Bill, of 29 clauses, was put through Committee in about fivo min- ' utes. . The amendments made by the ' special committee in the Bill were adopted, and no new amendments were made. A hurst of applause greeted the efforts of the' Chairman of-' Committees in the measuro through with 1 ,such expedition. '■ - On the motion for the third reading) ' Mr. Massey expressed regret that tho j Bill had not been brought down earlier in tho session, so that members could .have made, themselves more thoroughly . 'conversant with details. Sir JOSEPH WARD said that no '. matter that had-come'under his notice while he - had. been a Minister of the Crown had presented so many, difficulties, but ho was persuaded that'fho Bill just passed : would provide- an effectivo s legislative remedy. . The measuro had j been drawn up by-a man of practical i experience in the Public. Works service, j The Hon. R. M'KENZIE said it was _• intended to put .tho iijrks in hand, as, soon as possible. i ... i The Bill was read a third time and j ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION. j . Two important amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act were ' brought, down by ' Governor's Message. The Hon. J. A. MILLAR explained j that the first amendment .was to make 5 the. President' of the Court of Arbitraj tion also a Judge of the Supreme Court; 3 Tho time during whipli tho President j of the Arbitration Court could act as a j Supremo Court Judgo had expired. The primary duties of this ■ additional Judge ' of, the Supreme, Court would be the work of the ( Arbitration Court: Another amendment, explained Mr. - Millar, was to enable tho Arbitration .Court to go oil w;ith a case, notwithh standing a technical mistake so long as s tho main provisions of the Act had beer ,3 complied with. , e (Left Sitting.) d "' .. '