IN PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1267, 24 October 1911, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT.

. DAILY SUMMARY. WANGANUI BILL OPPOSED. The Legislative Council lield a sitting of an hour's duration last night, and disposed of tho first and second reading ot the Legislature Amendment Bill and tho Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill. Tho second ballot was subjected to | Bomo little criticism in the course of the Ecccnd reading npec-ches on the Legislative Amendment Bill. The Council is to resume at 10.30 this morning to deal with local Bills. A morning sitting, to rush through a score or so of local Bills, has becomo a tamiliar feature of tho end cf a cession, and accordingly the House met at 10.30 a.m. yesterday with 25 of these measures on its order paper. Most of them went through second reading and Committee with little or no difficulty. The "Wellington City Empowering Bill was only delayed a minute or twoj whilo Mr. Ell Hansardised yet once more his views on charging for admission to reserves. Tho Mohaka County Bill, the, Waiapu County Council (Tokomaru Harbour Endowment) Bill, tho Otaki County Bill, and tho Mount Hutt County Bill were extinguished in different ways. Objections wcro raised against tho 'Wanga.uui River Bridge Bill, but did not prevail, and tho Bill was passed. The Wanganui Harbour District Empowering Bill was fought Btreaiuously, both on the second reading and in Committee. The latter stago was taken in the evening, as tho House did not sit in tho afternoon. The ostensible object of the half-holiday was to enablo membere to attend the Labour Day picnic at Miramax, but the laughter which arcso when this was mentioned by the Premier may have had something to do with the coincidence that a gathering of another character was being held at Trentham. The Committee stnigglo over tha Wanganui Harbour Bill began at 7.40 p.m. The main objection to tho Bill was based upon the alleged unfairness of the rating proposals , a-s affecting different paTts of the district. Sir Joseph Ward backed up Mr. Hogan in insisting upon the Bill, and refusing a compromise, and it was pointed out that his action was causing much (Way. It was surmised that his object was to put off the Motam debate, which stood a littlo way further down the order paper. On tho other hand the opponents of tho Bill wero accused of stonewalling, and ono at least of them had declared that he would U6O all tho forms of tho House to prevent tho Bill passing. At length the supporters of the Bill wero apparently caught unawares, for a motion that the Chairman leave the chair was carried by 23 votes to 20, and thus the Bill was killed. Several Government' Bills were then brought down and read a first time. Tho House ross at 2.35 a.m.