PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1898, 5 November 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

It was considered possible that the strike might givo rise to a good deal of talk when the House of Representatives mot yesterday, but tho expectation was not realised. Mr. P. C. Webb, much excited, sought to question tho Hon. A. L. Herdman (without notice) regarding the doings of tho Bpecial constables at Buckle Street, but the Minister told his questioner to put his question on the Order Paper. Ten minutes after they had assembled members wcro placidly engaged in' tho third-reading debate upon tho Municipal Corporations Amendmont Mill. An amendment by Mr. Sidey to recommit the Bill with a view to deleting tho provision that Mayors should bo elected every two years instead of annually, at present, was thrown out by 81 votes to 24, and tho : Bill was read a third 'time. •

There was an extended discussion upon the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill, in charge of the Hon. F. M'. B Fisher, a measure which aims at bottoring conditions of employment for seaman and improving existing maritime law in othor important details. Mr. Veitch and Othor Labour members sought to utilise the Bill as a stalkinghorse under covor of which to discuss tho watersiders' strike, but-they were called to order 'hy ; the Speaker. Incidentally,' tho existing control of the shipping industry, was unsparingly denounced. Apart from these] side issues tho Bill was generally commended as a useful measure of its kind, and the second reading was' agreed to on the .voices.

On the Public Revenues Amendmont Bill Oppositionists -objected to clauses transferring responsibility in regard to some detail financial operations, from tho Minister of Finance to executive officers, and were decisively defeated in in , series of divisions. The Bill was rewith amendmonts. The Local' Authorities Indemnity Bill, •Validating expenditure in connection Vit'll the visit of the battleship and 'Upon tho Auckland Exhibition, was. •passed through Committee without deBate. . ' \ The House rose at 10.8 p.iii./ In, tho Legislative^Council the Land Laws Amendment Bill 'was'read a third time. A'feature .of .tho debate was a vigorous condemnation'by Sir William "Hall-Jones of tlje rebklesß bprrowing by the Governments of years.. Tho New Zealand Society. ; ;of - Accountants ' Amendment Bill was read a second time.