THE HOUSE.

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

THE HOUSE.

A ROMAN CATHOLIC BILL. Tho House of Representatives met at 2.UU p.m. Air. A. S. MALCOLM (Clutha), on lehalf of the Joint Committee on standing Urders, reported on tho ltomau Catholic Archbishop Empowering Bill. The report was to the ell'ect tnat tho committee nad considered the report of the examiner and the petition • of the promoters for the suspension of so much of Standing Order iNo. 20 as had not been complied with,' and was of opinion that, notwithstanding the breach, of the Standing Urders, fne Bill should be allowed to proceed, on condition that it should not be introduced) before July 28. Air. (i. W. KUSSEjbL (Avon) said that a few days previously the Methodist Church Union Bill had been allowed to proceed without the Standing Orders oeing complied with. ; ; In this case, apparently, tnere had been some very slight lapse on the part of tho authorities connected with the Bill. Ho gathered that all requirements of the Standing Urders had been complied with, with tho exception of one publication of a .notification In the New Zealand Gazette. It appeared to him that the House was contenting to thero being no Standing Orders at all with regard to one religious body, while another body was being used for the purpose of warning all outside bodies that the Standing Orders must bo very strictly complied with. With all due respect to tlio committee, it seemed to him that this was taking rather a strong course. It should suffice if the chairman gave warning that in future tho Standing Orders must be complied with. He did not suggest,that there was any feeling in regard to tha matter, and admitted that the committee had a right to take tho stand it had. At tho same timo ho thought the Prime Minister should intervene with a view to giving the same treatment to one religious denomination as to another. Mw Malcolm: The Bill will only be delayed until next Tuesday. The Hon. W. F. MASSES (Primo Minister) said he thought it almost a pity that a point had been raised' by the honourable member that there had been any attempt by the House or by any member.to discriminate between different religious sects. Mr. Kussell: I do cot say that. Mr. Massey said he was very strongly of opinion that a man's religion should not affect his position in politics. So far as he was concerned, ho was quite picpared to place the Bill referred to in the same position as the Methodist "Union Bill had been placed in the other day. Had the Bill been forwarded to him it would have been placed in exactly the same position. Mr. MALCOLM stated that the action of the committee would simply mean that tho Bill could not le introduced until next Tuesday. This would cause no inconvenience at all. Tho committee had asserted the rights of the House, and the dignity of the Standing- Orders, but had subjected the promoters of tho Bill to no penalty whatever. The report was agreed to. nevTbTlls. The Wellington City Empowering and Amendment Bill (Mr. Herdman) was introduced and referred to the Local Bills Committee. Tho Land Drainage Amendment Bill (Mr. Wilkinson) was read a first timo.