IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1262, 18 October 1911, Page 7

IN PARLIAMENT.

DAILY SUMMARY. A MISTAKE OF TWO MILLIONS. The legislative stanvpedo has bogun. Tho Upper House yesterday afternoon dealt with Bills in wholesalo fashion. Eight local Bills, for instanco, were reeeived from Select Committees, and put throngh all their stages without amendment. Tho Government motion in regard to tho proposed new Auckland-Sydney cable was postponed* to enable tho views of Dunedin to bo considered. The Guardian Trnst and Executors Bill was further, but not finally, dealt with. Tho Hon. Mr. Jones announced that tho Field Divorce Bill would be dropped for thi3 session. Tho House of Representatives pnt in another big day's work yesterday. At opening, tho Legislative Amendment Bill, Local Elections and Rolls Amendmorit Bill, and Public Reserves and Domains Amendment Bill wore read a first time. Peaceful calm was dissipated at an early stage, when the Prime Minister produced a return, called for by Mr. Allen, showing the Pnblic Debt and Sinking Funds at the end of last financial year. Mr. Allen pointed out that the not dabt was less by somo two millions, as stated in this return, than as stated in the Budget. He invited the Primo Minister to correct the error in the latter publication.

Sir Joseph' Ward replied in a stylo which has become familiar, interlarding his speech with many "charges" against tho Opposition and against vaguely-indi-cated people thronghout the country to whom he attributed a desire to injuro the credit of tho country and the Government by any means, fair or foul. The units of the Opposition party kept up a running fire of hostile interjections dnring the tirade, which did not tend to restore the Prime Minister to equanimity.

The Prime Minister's habit of introducing inclement and contentions matter ivhen in a difficnlty cansod him on this occnsion still further trouble. Ho hid been repeatedly denouncing in his most vehement style th« practice of asking for certain particulars ns to loans falling duo. The Government, he shrilled, was forced te give this information bj the most unscrupulous of Oppositions, and tho Cnances of the conntry woro in consequence badly injured. "Whereupon Mr. Alien simply pointed out that information of tho samo kind was published regularly in every issno of the "Tfcw Zealand Official Year Book." Tho Primo Minister was evidently taken completoly by surprise. Hβ r«s with the "Year Book" in his hand to prove Mr. Allen to be wrong, but the printed figures wero too plain for that, and ho had to givn up the attempt. This ended the incident. Calm bein? restored, the Elingamito Rehearing Bill and the Dunedin Technical School Site Bill were passed through Committee without being amended.

In tho evening the House spont pome hours in considering the Old Arc Pensions Amendmont Bill in Committee. Sir Arthur Guinness and other members 'endeavoured to secure tho •pa.'siigo of amendments giving moro liberal terms lo pensioners in porno respects than was proposed in tho Bill, but they wero determinedly opposed by tho Primo Minister, who threatened to drop the Bill if any attempt wero made to' increase the burden which it would impose-. upon the country as it stood. Other Bills passed throngh Committee were: the Widows' pensions BUI, Now Zealand. . State-Guaranteed.' Advances Amendment Bill. Auckland Grammar School Site Bill, and Education Reserves Amendment Bill. ■ Trouble with the Tramways Amendment Bill .began at half-past eleven, when Mr. Wilford tried to get tho "Davey" clause removed from the Bill. Discussion continued until 2 o'clock. A compromise was then struck, and all that remains of the original clauso is the provision that oars constructed after tho Act comes into operation must have a central passage in the space allotted to passengers.