PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1917, 27 November 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY. Tho House of Representatives, when The Dominion went to press yesterday, was still engaged in tbo third reading debato upon the Legislature Amendment Bill (repealing the Second Ballot). Interest .in tho debato had waned towards 2 a.m., but afterwards it brightened up again when several of tho Government members, who had, for tactical reasons, remained silent while tho Bill was being pushed through in face of Opposition obstruction, made an clfcct ;a onslaught upon their opponents. The. Hon. F. At. B. Fisher at this stago was responsible for a telling impeachment of tho Leader of tho Opposition and his followers, and also raised a good ileal of laughter at their expense Tho third reading was carried,, on a division, by 33 votes to'l9, and tho House rose at 3.30 a.m. When the Houso met yesterday a number of Bills wero returned from tbo Legislative Council witli amendments, and several small Bills were introduced. One of the latter was the Fruit Preserving Industry Bill, which provides for tbo State encouragement of that industry. The Prime Minister stated, in answer to a question, that the Naval Bill was almost the only one of any importance that remained to be brought down. He also said that Cabinet would decido at its next meeting whether a Licensing Bill should bo introduced this session or next.session. Sir J. Ward suggested to the Prime. Minister that he should ask tbo parties to the strike now in progress to submit the dispute unconditionally to the adjudication of Sir Joshua Williams. Mr. Jlassey said that he had submitted this proposal'to tho parties a month nep. and both sides had rejected it. Ho did not think it would be wiso to revive tbo proposal at this iuncturo. In bin following remarks tho Prime Minister said that he hoped tho strike would be a thing of tho past before Christmas. Mora than an hour was spent in discussing Ministerial replies to questions, lut not many of them wcro of any general interest.

One of tho Bills returned from, tho Council was tho Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill. An extended discussion took place upon tho action of tho Upper Houso in striking out a clause which aimed at depriving shipping companies of tho right to contract themselves out of liabilities for losses due to the negligence of their servants. -It was decided eventually to disagree with the amendment and appoint managers to confer with representatives of the Upper House on tho subject, In the evening Sir Joseph Ward asked the Prime Minister whether it would ho possiblo to delay the issuo of ,tbe writ for tho Lyttelton by-election in order to postpono the closing of the rolls. Mr. Massoy said that ho did not think this was possiblo as tho writ had been issued. An Imprest Supply Bill was introduced by. Governor's Message at 8.2-5 p.m. The debate that followed was one of the dullest on record.. A number of Labour members unbosomed themselves on tho subject of tho strike without breaking any very new ground. They were followed by back-benchers on both sides of the House who raised. a number of topics, but did not enter into anything that could bo described as party contention. Tho -strike continued to be the principal topic and Government members who spoke condemned the Federation of Labour in very plain terms, describing it as the worst enemy, of, tho working -man.' .>_;■'? ■ ,-' ';.-,.- — .-,- In'tho,Legislative Council tho Legislature Amendment Bill was'.' recoived from tho Houso and--the> Minister iir charge moved tliat tho amendments be

taken into consideration next sitting I day. Mr. Carncross moved an amendment that the- Council go into Committee;, next sitting day on the amendments, urging that this would be the correct procedure in view of the fact that the Bill' had had added to it- a very important amendment. This proposal was agreed to by the Minister "and earned. Mr. Rigg subsequently gave notice to move that the amendments bo disagreed with, but Mr. Bell announced that ho' would raiso a point of order whon the motion came up. Other measures were advanced stages, most Important among them being the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill.