PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1886, 21 October 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY. Local Bills were dealt with at record speed in' the House of Representatives last evoniug. Although the sitting lasted only from 7.80 p.m. until 11.8 p.m.,-no fewor than fourteen Local Hills wero dealt with, and all but ono wore advanced a stago. About half an hour was taken up,' when the Houso met, in first-reading discussions upon two Public Bills introduced by Governor's Message—tho Education. Reserves Amondment Bill and the Stamp Duty Amendment Bill. Afterwards rapid progress was mado with the Local Bills, Only two measures in this class were of a contentious character, tho Patea Harbour Bill and tho Wangauui Harbour District and Empowering Bill. Thoy relato to adjoining harbour districts, and when the Wanganui Harbour Bill was last boforo tho Houso a somowhat complicated disagreement arose in regard to tha delimitation of rating areas. This has now beon to a great extent settled, but both Bills are to como up again for final consideration. The incidental difficulties have beon so far overcome, however, that the Prime Minister was able last evening to express ft confident opinion that ooth Bills would find their way to tho Statuto Book. The Patea Bill was road a second time on tho voices, aftor about an'hour's discussion, and it was agreed that the Wanganui Bill, which ia down for consideration of report from committee, should tomain at that stag© until the companion measure had beon dealt with in Committee. Tho other Bills, affecting various districts throughout the Dominion, gave very little troublo. Eight of them were read a second time, passed through Committee, and read avthird time; ono was read a Becond time, two were read a third time, and three were "further considered iu Committee" and read a third timo. The Prime Minister intimated during tha evening that, while he had introduced the reform of providing for the consideration of Local Bills at a sufficiently early staeo in tho Bession to make it possible to deal with them at leisure, ho saw no objection to putting non-contentious Local Bills through the second reading, Committee, and third reading stages at ono sitting. Tho Houso rose at 11.3 p.m.