PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1854, 13 September 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY. Party feeling ran vory high at times in tho House of Representatives yesterday, but tho early proceedings were placid. An hour was spont in discussing a Bories of minor questions. Replying to a question, the Prime Minister said that ho could not interforo with tho decision of the Education Comrnitteo not to hear evidonco by Dr. Hunter, of Dunodin, in rcplyto statements mado about him in the' House recently by tlio chairman of tho Education Committeo (Mr. G. M. Thomson). Mr. Ngata brought up tho question of restrictions placed upon the movemonts of Maoris by the Health Department in connection with tho smallpox epidemic. Ho contended that in some respects tho restrictions wero unreasonable, a chargo that was not admitted by tho Minister for Publio Health. About half-an-hour was occupied in talking about the best location foe an explosive magazine in tho vicinity of Auckland. The House went into Committee on the Mines Department Estimates at 3.30 p.m. It was not until nearly nine hours later that tho class was passed. Until the end of tho afternoon sitting members discussed miners' complaint (pneumoconiosis), tho encouragement of mining, and other similar subjects. Trouble aroso in the evening when Mr. G. W. Russell and other Opposition members made a determined effort to discuss a constitutional question—tho respective powers of tho Publio ' Service Commissioner and of Parliament. Mr. Russell declared, that it was futile te discuss the Estimates, becauso, over and abovo Parliament, thore was another power which could alter the Estimates without reference to Parliament. Eventually, when he was quoting a sub-clause of tho Public Service Act, Mr. Russell was ruled out of order on tho ground of irrelevance. Ho thereupon moved to take the Speaker's ruling. Tho Speaker was recalled to the Chair shortly after nine o'clock. A stormy discussion followed. There was 6ome warm contention as to the precise ground upon which Mr. Russell had been ruled out of order. At length tho Speaker repeated his recent ruling that when the Chairman called a membor to order for irrelevanco, tho decision was not subject to review and also ruled that tho Public Service Commission could not bo discussed when the Mines Department Estimates wero being considered. ' When tho House resumed at 10 p.m. some further attempts wero made to bring up again tho vexed question of Commissioner control, but thoy were not persisted in. The debate quickly regained its normal tone. Tho first itom was pa-ssed at 11 p.m. and the last item in tho class was disposed of at 12.25 p.m. Tho Houso then turned to the Estimates of tho Department of Internal Affairs and before many minutes had passed members were talking about the treatment of messengers. Tho committee sot up by the Legislative Council to report upon tho Reform Bill presented its report. Tho report consists of a series of policy resolutions, and based upon them the committee submit a now Bill, which provides for the election of members to vacancies in tlio Upper House by the members of both Houses! Tho leader of tho Council, tho Hon. H. D. Bell, declared that ho did not agree with tho report, nor did the Government ho represented. Tlio report will be discussed on tho motion to commit the Bill on Wednesday next. No other business of any consequenco was transacted by tho Uppor Houso yesterday, for tho whole sitting lasted only half an hour. Tho llouso was still sitting when we wont to press.