IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1198, 5 August 1911, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT.

4 DAILY SUMMARY. LEGISLATIVE WORK BEGUN. The Council is still carrying on its Address-in-Eeply debate at tho uniform rate of two speeches 1 every afternoon. Mr. Barr, the Labour member from Christehurch, and Mr. Jenkinson, of this city, spoke yesterday. Mr. Jenkinson mentioned the resignation of Mr. I. a. MacdonaW for tho first time'since the formal notification to the Council, and expressed a -wish that tho same couiso had been followed in tho caso of a cortam other member of that Chamber, The Act-ing-Speaker ruled- this remark out of order, on tho ground that it might bo construed as a reflection ,on a member of the Council. After that Mr. Jenkinson said ho did not object to .titles when the recipients had done something to merit snch honours, but bo objected to the title conferred upon Sir. John Findlay. Here again Mr. Jenkinson was stopped by a ruling from tho Chair; but he -stated that ho would reserve what be wished to say on that head until the Attorney-General was there to hear him. The afternoon saw tho close of the Address-in-Eeply debate in tho House. Mr. Hogg pleaded for tho Rimutaka railway deviation, and more expenditure on the roading of the back-blocks. He asked tho llouso to imagine how much might have been done for tho settlers with •the money which had been allocated instead to. the presentation of' a battleship £q the Imperial Navy. Upon his roundly asserting that there wiw no necessity for that famous gift, ho was sharply reminded from the Opposition benches that he was a member of the Ministry when it was offered. "We were misled, ho replied. "Who misled you?" came the query from several members at once. '.'I don't know," said Mr. Hogg. "All that We were told was that a cablegram had been received stating that an enormous Dreadnought had been built by Germany. We were, all misled." "Who misled you?" came the .insistent question yet again from Mr. Allen, Mr. I'isher, and others. Mr. Hogg again said he did not know, but it was said to have been 'flashed over the ocean. "Said to. have been?" a member repeated with sarcastic emphasis, and tho hecklers went on enjoying themselves some moro at Mr. Hogg's expense, but he soon sailed into the smoother waters of • his periodical advocacy of State issue of paper money..

After Mr. Seddon had put in a few words- for the bonefit of Wcstland, Mr. Jennings, the mover of the Address, rose to conclnde the debate. It had, of course, been expected that the Acting-Prime Minister would reply to the criticisms of the Government, which had been uttered during the debate,"and especially to the charges made hf the Leader of tho Opposition in'connection with the Mokau transactions. Sir James Carroll, however, sat still .in his place, and left the task-to Mr. .Jennings.

Tho Acting-Prime Minister ' afterwards told a reporter that instead o£>makin'g a speech on the" Mokau ho intended to table a paper on the subject nqxt Tuesday, but lie did not so inform the House. •

The Hon. G. Fowlds then moved tho second reading of the Mental Defectives ■Bill, which is to consolidate the law relating to lunacy, and amend it in accordance with tho report of a British Royal Commission. During the debate, Mr. Mas'sey 'drew 'attention fo the very grave a'legations thafrliave just been made concerning the Auckland Mental Hospital, and asked' that a Royal Commission should be set up. The Minister, replying on the discussion,. which lasted through-out-the rest of tlio sitting, scouted the very idea of a Royal Commission, but admitted the existence of overcrowding and other evils, and promised that improvements would be effected. Tho second reading,of the Bill was carried, and the Ho 11 so having thus begun the legislative work l of the session, adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.