PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1812, 26 July 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY. , Two subjects engaged the attention of the House of Representatives yesterday, practically to the exclusion of all otUers Khe law relating to' old age and other pensions and copyright'law. . , Very littlo time was dovoted to -formal business. Tho Wellington City Empowering and Amendment Bill was introduced bv the Hon. A. L. Herdnmn, and referred to tho Local Dills Committee. The Land .Drainage Amendment Bill (Mr. WillanEon) was read a first time. , Tho Hon. A. L. Herdman's Copyright Bill'was put through Committee in an' tour and a half, with a few machinery nmendmonts, proposed by thi Minister timsolf. Somo disposition was shown to put forward amendments, notably in the direction of shortening the proposed copyright term of an author's life, plus fitty years, but members abandoned attempts bf this nature when tho Minister exblained that the main features of the Bill Jiust stand un ; \ltored-if New Zealand was to obtain tho benefits of a reciprocal arrangement with Great Britain and a. number of othor European countries. On© interesting fact Taised in the course of the discussion is that no arrangement has yet •been entered into by the United States with the European countries which ha-vo established an international nnderstandflng on.the subjeot of copyright. In the latter part of the afternoon the Old Age Pensions Reciprocity Bill was toad a second time after a' very brief discussion. The few members who spoke Unanimously approved the reciprocal arrangement wliich the Bill proposes to tatify. . - The whole of th-3 evening sitting was apent in tho second reading discussion upon the Pensions Bill, the important (consolidating and amending measure introduced by the Hon. F. M. B. Ksher. Members on both sides applauded the liberal extensions of the various pension, systems for which tho Bill makes provision, but as usual, when the subject of pensions is before tho House, there was a good deal of party bickering. Mr. Fisher reniinded Opposition , members that in Utw they voted against an amendment exempting the home of a pensioner from computation as a factor in reducing the pension. This gave rise to some quoting ■from Hamsard in support of conflicting jKvrtv claims. • ■ „ The sniping at the Government by Op■position members, and especially by Mr. Russell, at length brought the Prime Minister to his feet, and he too quoted Hansard, and drew upon his long memory to recall incidents of Mr. Russell s political past. Ho spoke of the Grey election also, and spoke in lively fjood humour words not at all to the liking of the Opposition. So little did they like his lashing that they kept up a running nre of noisy interjection, so noisy as to amount very nearly at moments to upTwo Oppositionists, Messrs. Buddo and Mac Donald, spoke, after this, but the de.bato had no further interest, and Mr, Fisher's reply was little more than a formal one. Tho second reading of the Bill was carried on the voices, and the House rose at 0.43 a.m. , Tho debate on the Reform Bill m the Council bids fair to bo a long business. Two members only have spoken every day, up till the present, and it is said that there aro niany more to speak yet. Yesterday the Hon W. C. P. Oarnorosa spoke his views, wliich were in total opposition to the Counoil being made an elective body, and therefore in opposition to the Bill.. The hon. S. Thome-George, the other speaker, said he would vote for 'the second reading of. the Bill, but he was opposed to the Council being elected by proportional representation, and on the same franchise as the other Chamber.