IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1239, 22 September 1911, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT.

DAILY SUMMARY. THE NEW VANCOUVER SERVICE. The Legislative Council' was smitten by an unusual burst of energy yesterday, encouraged, no doubt, by its recent holiday. For tie first time this session tho Council carried its sitting on into tho evening. The afternoon opened with routine business, and was followed by a debate on the motion to go into Committee on the Mental Defentivas Bill: Tho Hon. J. T. Paul outlined some rather advanced ideas in regard to tho prevention of the increaso of tho unfit. He and soveral other members were of opinion that the Bill should be referred to a Select Committee, but the Attorney-General did not think such a. course was advisable at (his 6tage of the session. Tho Bill was then committed. Many suggestions wero put forward to improve tho Bill, but at tho end of a discussion which lasted for two hours, no amendment had been mado. Progress was roported at Clauso 24. The House, spent a quiet day, which etood in strong contrast to the late heavy of tho. Financial debate, and tho lighter turmoil of tho discussion on tho Imprest Supply Bill. At a brief sitting in the afternoon little Jnoro than formal business was transacted. The House, then, adjourned until tho evening, out of respect to the memory of the late Mr. F. R. Flatman, a former member, who died yesterday morning.

In the evening a period of an hour and a, half was devoted to the consideration of local Bills. Few of these measures wero passed, and seven others were read a eecond time. Most of the Bills wero of importanco only in tho localities to which they applied, but the. Mount Hutt County Bill, introduced by Mr. Hardy, opened up a question of wider significance. It aims at creating a new county within the boundaries of the present County of Ashburtrin. Several members contonded that the cutting up of counties had already gone too far, but their arguments did not attract the support of a majority, and the Bill was read a second time.

In the latter part of the evening the Premier moved that the provisional arTangernent .into :which the Government had,entered for a mail service between Auckland and Vancouver should bo rari. find. In effect, lie described the new service as the nucleus of a permanent Service, and a link in the ; All-Bed route which ho tnticipates will ultimately connect tho United Kingdom and New Zealand. He also suggested that the now service would efficiently bridge tho gap which intervenes between the present time and tho date, about five years hence, when the Panama Canal will bo completed, , and new possibilities iu the' way of ocean mail transport will bo opened up. ' ■ ■ •

These representations were in ,the main favourably received by tho Leader of tho Opposition and other membors, and the resolution proposed by the Premier was adopted unopposed. Tho House thereupon rose at 11.20 p.m.