PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

A DAILY SUMMARY.

The debate upon the Naval Defence Bill in tho House of Representatives did not conclude until 3.8 a.m. yesterday. At that hour tho third reading was agreed to, and tho House rose until 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. U'lieu members assembled at that hour they showed no great eagerness to settle down to work,'and "formal business" had'not been disposed of at 5.30 p.m.. The greater part of the brief afternoon'sitting was spent in discussing a situation which had arisen that morning upon tho A to L Petitions Committee. It turned out that Mr. Isitt and tho other Opposition members on the Committee (while tho Government members woro attending a caucus meeting) had ■taken, it upon themselves to disposo of seven petitions in tho space of about half an hour. In refcrenco to one of those petitions Government members contended that Mr. Isitt and his henchmen had suppressed important evidence. Eventually this petition was referred to the Railways Committee, instead of being referred to the. Government for favourable consideration, as tho Opposition section of tho Petitions Committee had recommended.

The A to L Petitions Committee, reporting upon tho petition of Mr. Peter Heycs for inquiry into tho circumstances attending his departure from tho office of Commissioner of Taxes, recommended the Government to instruct a Judge of tho Supremo Court to make tlie inouiry asked for. At tho beginning of tho evening sitting, tho Prime Minister mado on important statement in regard to winding up tho session. Ho said that tho Public Works Statement and Estimates would h6 discussed to-day, and that it should be possible to put through all remaining business by the end of next week. Mr. Massey also stated that a Licensing Bill would bo introduced this session but would not bo proceeded with until tho beginning of next session. It is to provido for a reduction of tho majority required to carry national prohibition from 60 to 55 per cent. Tho Bill, Mr. Massey intimated, would bo dealt with on non-party lines. Thero was a diffcrenco of opinion amongst Gorornmnnt members and in tho Cabinet itself regarding tho proposal to reduce tho effectivo majority. Two hours were spent in tho' second reading debate upon the Bating Amendment Bill. The subjects discussed included the rating of Native lands, rating concessions to pastoral tenants, and local option in the adoption of a rating system. "Tho Bill was read a second time on tho voices.

At 10.20 p.m. tho House went into Committee upon tho Rating Bill, and the Native Land Laws Amendment Bill. It was decided to deal with the latter measure first, and it Rave rise to an extended discussion. Blocks of clauses were put through on tho voices, but individual clauses were held up for a time by the Native representatives and a number of divisions were taken. The debate was still in progress when (The Dominion wont to press, but Clause. 104, tho principal clause in tho Bill, had been retained, on a division, by 32 votes to 14. Tho Legislative Council had'a busy day. In all, thirteen Bills were dealt with, and eleven of these wore read a third time. Ten of tho Bills we.ro a.t the second-reading stage at tho beginning of tho sitting, and all of these went through all stages except two, which wore read a second- time pro $orma.