DEFENCE BILL PASSED BY COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1581, 26 October 1912, Page 6

DEFENCE BILL PASSED BY COUNCIL.

LAND BILL. PASSED THROUGH COMMITTEE An Imprest Bill making appropriations totalling .£745,900 was tho principal ibom of business before tho House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. The passage of tlie Bill through its early stages paved the way for an incident of most unusual character. Mr. R. M'Callnm, member for 'Wairau, said that he Lad received a letter that day which made grave- reflections on the member for Otago Central. Mr. M'Callum made persistent attempts to have this- letter read by the Clork of the House. No other member soppoited the attempt, and It was strenuously resisted by the Prime Minister and other members. Mr, Massey pointed out that if the course advocated by Mr. M'Callum were adopted, it would he open to any outside person to secure the publication of a slander by writing a letter to a member and getting him to liavo it read in the House. Mr. M'Callum's attempt was eventually blocked by a motion to prooeed to tho next business. Thia was carried on the voices.

During the greater part of tho afternoon, the topic of discussion was tho State Fire Insurance Department. Members on both sides of tho House urged that borrowers from the State- Lending Departments should be required to take out State Fire Insurance policies. The Hon. Jas. Allen (Minister for Finance) promised to obtain the opinion of tho Solioitor-General as to whether there was nny power to make borrowers from the State lending institutions insure in the State Office, and to afterwards bring the matter before Cabinet. The Imprest Bill passed its third reading at 8.5 p.m. At 8.15 p.m. the Land Bill came up for the third time for consideration in Committee,. Only two clauses in the Bill (30 o,nd 31) remained to be dfalt with, but the committee also had before it a number of new clauses which tho Prime Minister proposed to add to his measure. The last of a series'of new clauses being added to the Bill, it was reported with amendments at. 1.38 a.m. .Mr. Massey ■was heartily applauded as he returned to his bench. The House "rose at 1.45 a.m. In the Legislative Council the Defence Bill was recommitted in ordeT that a clause relating to military detention might be strengthened. This done the Bill was read a third time and passed. Several email Bills were dealt with and the Council toso at 4.10 p.m. It eat again in tho evening for ten minutes and passed the Imprest Bill through all its stages.