NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 8

NEWS AND NOTES.

' THE COUNCIL ELECTIONS BILL. TO'PREVENT A DEADLOCK. - The clauses which the Hon. Sir W. J. Steward intends -fc>' move to have inserted in the Legislative Council Elections Bill, if it reaches the committee: stage, with the object of. preventing a deadlock, between the two Houses read as uudef :—

4a.' (1.) A Bill which his in any session been passed by the Council .-ind rejected by the. House, or vice versa, arid which has in the next-succeeding session been ■passed by either House of Parliament and rejected by the other shall, provided an interval of not less than six uiontks or a general election shall have occuffed between such sessions, be submitted to a joint'sitting of- the Council and House sitting together, ad hoc,. as one body. (2.) The time and place for such' joint sitting shall be appointed by the Speaker of that House of Parliament by which the Bill ,\vas last passed, and such joint sitting shall be presided over by suck Speaker, who shall have a deliberative but not a casting vote, and shall proceed diem ex die until the Bill be disposed of. (3.). Slick Bill shall bo read a' first and second time and committed without debate, and shall be dealt with under the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives relating to procedure on Bills, save only that in Committee bo member, except the member in charge of the Bill, shall be permitted to speak more than once or for more than ten minutes on any question, and that on the third reading no member, except the- member in charge of the Bill (who shall have the right of reply) shall be entitled to speak more than once- or for more-than.twe.nty minutes. (i.) If on the question "that the Bill be read a third time" or "that the .Bill do pass" tlie votes' are equal, then, the.i Bill shall bo deemed to have been rejected. (n.) Any Bill passed by, the, two Houses sitting' together as aforesaid shall be deemed to have been passed as effectually as if passed seriatim.by the two 'Houses sitting separately, and shall accordingly be submitted to the Governor for t tlie Royal assent. .'. 4b. Any Minister of the Crown having his seat in the House, of Representatives .may,~att«M..ih-"3'sittings of the Council for tlio- pur'ifese , ' of ■'giving.information or of explaining, advocating, or defending .any take port in deiwte on any matter before the Council, but shall not bo permitted to vote.

THE OPPOSITION. RUMOURED SECESSIONS. .' It.kas been persistently reported .for some time past that Mr. T. M. Wilford, M. P., has seceded from the. Opposition party and takea up the-standing of an Independent. Mr. Wilford was questioned on the subject last evening, .but declined, to make public the facts as to his position. Lobby rumour credits Mr. A. M. 'Myers also with an intention to sit in future as an Independent.^

COUNTIES ACT FOR AWAKINO. On the motion of the Leader of the Council, it was decided yesterday that an address bo presented to.his Excellency' the Governor requesting him. to proclaim the Counties Act, 1908, in feree within the Awakino County.

PHARMACY BILL. Various amendments of the Pharmacy Act are- proposed in a, Bill promoted by the Minister for Public'Health 1 (the Hon. I!. H.-Rhodes). At present no person under 18 years of;ago is eligible, to sit for examination for registration as a pharmacontical chemist. -.It is now-proposed that a'person over 16 years of age may be examined in..subjects prej-cribod by the Pharmacy Board. Power is to be given to the Pharmacy '.Board to . apply the funds of the Pharmaceutical Society "in promoting or assisting the instruction of pharmaceutical students." The ' board's powers to make arrangements, for the reciprocal recognition and txchango of certificates and registration are now to be extended to any part of tho British dominions. There are'some minor amendments and also a provision that no registered chemist engaged in business will l>B liable, to serve on any jury.