PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1870, 2 October 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

Tho political event of yesterday was tho rejection by tho Legislative Council of the Bill which aims at reforming its constitution. In the House of Representatives the afternoon passed otf quietly in tho discussion of minor topics, out thero was an embittered donate

I upon the Loan Bill in tho evening. boon after tho House met, the Leader of the Opposition endeavoured to extract a siateinoiit from tho Prime Minister on tho subject of naval policy. Mr. xVlassey intimated that the proposals of tho Government would bo submitted to tho House before the end of the session, but declined to make any disclosure at that stajio on the ground that the Government .was still* in correspondence with the Imperial Government on the subject of tho naval do-

fence of New Zealand and its trade routes.

To another question by Sir Joseph Ward, the Hon. W. Fraser replied that the Publio Works Statement and Estimates would bo brought down at about tho end of Oc.tobcr. For some weeks past tho Wednesday afternoon discussion on questions and answers has been crowded out by more •important buiness, but yesterday the usual opportunity was afforded, and for nearly two hours talk ranged over a variety of topics. Two that received a good deal of attention were the reduction of railway fares charged to children, and tin? right of publio servants to engage for profit in occupations outside those in which they are employed by the State. On the previous day the House had considered an application made on behalf of Mr. Peter Heyes, to the A to L Petitions Committee, for the production of the report of a Departmental, inquiry and evidence connected thercW with. This matter was further discussed, but no definite conclusion was arrived at.

Shortly before the House rose at 5.80 p.m. it went into Committee upon the Aid to Publio Works and Land Settlement Bill, tho Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill, and the Police Force Bill. The debate on the Loan Bill in Committee began in an atmosphere of good humour, but before it had gone far the parties were at one another's ears.

There was much quoting from Hansard of past utterances on the subject of loan-raising. Mr. Hanan moved to strike out a sum of £100,000 on tho ground that detailed information should have been given as to the purposes^for which the loan of £1,750,000, authorised in the Bill, was required. _ From 10 p.m. onwards until nearly midnight the debate was flat and uninteresting, most of the talk being about the conflicting claims of rival districts.

At 11.47 p.m. a division wa3 taken upon Mr. Hanan's amendment and it was negatived by 68 votes to five. The Opposition, with the exception of three Liberals and two Labour members,

trooped into the Government lobby. Tho Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill was'passed through Committee without amendment, and at 0.5 a.m. the Police Force Bill came up for consideration in Committee.

. Steady tliough not-rapid progress was made for about an hour and a half, the House dividing upon a couple of contentious clauses. At 1.37 a.m. tho Leader of tho Opposition moved to report progress. . _ forty minutes were spent in discussing the' motion, and finally it was agreed to adjourn on tho understanding that not more than two houra should be spent upon the remaining clauses Of the Bill to-day. Tho Houso rose nt 2.25 a.m. The Legislative Council rejected the Reform Bill yesterday afternqon by refusing to agree to one of the most vital of the clauses it contained. In order that tho Council might at onco get, to a crucial test on a' main issue the Leader of the Council proposed, after the short title had been passed, that Cl»uso 9, providing for the election of members of the Council, should be considered first. In order that thero, should bo no confusion of issues, Mr. Bell proposed, . and the Council agreed, that the clause should bo taken in threo sections, the first providing simply that the Council should be elected and not appointed, -the second providing that tho election should be by tho people on the ordinary parliamentary franchise, and the, third providing that the method of election should bo by proportional re* presentation. The first section or subclause was carried after a division by 20 votes >to 10. The second sub-clauso'

was defeated by 14 votes ,to 13. The Hon. H. D. Bell indicated at once that he would not proceed further, and the Council therefore did not express an opinion on the proportional representation proposed. Mr. Bell, however, invited Mr. Samuel, as Chairman of the Committee on tho Bill, and author of tho Bill which the committeo attached to its report, to move to include the committee's new clauses, but Mr. Samuel declined. • As already stated, the Bill was withdrawn.

The only other business done by the Council was the passing through their remaining stages of the Land Tax and Income Tax Bill, and the Land and Income Assessment Amendment Bill.