PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2228, 14 August 1914, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

WAR CONTRIBUTIONS.

THE MORATORIUM BILL.

AN ADJOURNMENT PROBABLE i • f .-.-■ , - 'fliii legislative Council met at 5 p.m. The Public Revenues Amendment Bill was put through Committee without discussion, and it was afterwards read, a third time and passed. .-' The Civil Service Officers' Guarantee Repeal Bill'was read a third time and passed,'. ■ . ..-.''-. . v . .-■ . The Local Elections Bill and the Immigration Restriction Amendment Bill were, read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Harbours Amendment Bill was read a third tinie, and passed. ' ', '. ■ ■ .'■ . The Fjre Brigades pill was made an order of the day for to-day,. . Amendments to tlie Mortgages Extension Bill were received from the House of Representatives, and were agreed to. ■ Tli Hawke's Bay Rivers Amendment Act wag read, a fired tinie, and its second reading was' njafle. an order of the day 'for to-day,. . ' ' . ■_ At 1045 p.m. the Council -adjourned tjjl .8 p.n). to.day, .. ..;:;;\ yp'HOUSE . .'•■■■ 'The House of Eepresentatives met at 7.30'/p,'tn. ;,', ' '. ': .'Seven' days', leave of .absence was panted to' Hγ. J: Bollard (Eden) on account pf illness, ■ ■ • ■ ' The Ghristchurch Tramways District' Bill. (MrV-T. H. Davey)'was introduced and read, a first time., ''."■'. THE STRIKE PRISONERS. Jfr. 'J. H. BRADNEY (chairman of Ihe A to h Petitions Committee) reported that the committee had directed him to recommend for the favourable consideration of the Government ,the petition of, P. Eraser and fome. CfiOO others for tie rejea.93.of tbjo gfrilce prisoners, .He added that the oomaittee had. been unanimous iti the reeonmjeadaUpn. . The usual motion that the., report. of the committee do'lie oh the- table was agreed to without dissent. ■ / : EPU3ATI,ON BESERVES. Mr; D, II- GUTHRIE (chairman of the Ijaaia. Cpnvniteee), reporting on a eeries of petitions from tenants of Education Reserves, asking to be allowed, to acquire t'he freehold-of (heir sections,-said that the coinmittee had directed him to report that as the question involved was one of policy, the committee' had no recommendation to make. The committee dosired tq express f he opinion, however, that the Government ought to intrpduce legis-

did not sugjest thait the Bill was per-, feet. With regard tp the suggestion made by the Lea/Jer of tho Opposition, ho thpuglit that although assured persons might have some difficulty in finding money for their premiums', it would not be wise to deal with the matter under the Bill. In drawing the Bill the Gpvernriieijt had sought to avoid dealing ■with- ordinary debts. If that were to be dene at all,\ tiiei) it ought to be done generally undpr a. general Moratorium Bill. In the meantiino'it was hoped that this Bill would meet the situation as it now stood, and that presently tho trade of the country would rehabilitate itself so that further legislation might not be necessary, The amendments were agreed to. /• - WAR CONTRIBUTIONS, The Local Bodies-Indemnity Bill was introduced by Governor's message, and rend a. first time. Tho object of the Bill is to validate contributions by local bodies to the Empire Defence Fund, ■ THE COURSE OF BUSINESS. '• ADJOUENIIENT PEOBABLE. • SIR JOSEPH WABD asked the Prime Minister what course he proposed to tjike in relation to the business of Parliament;, Speaking for' the Opposition side of the Houso he could say that not a member had given any consideration to Bills on the Order Pi>per. In view of tins he would suggest that it was not ■Wise to. fiplf the House tP go on with ordinarv business. : The foght Hon, W. J\ SUSSET gafd lie quite agreed that members were not in a frame of mjnd : just now to give attention to the ordinary business of the House', That, at any,rate, had been his own experience. There wero, however, one or two Bills still r e nderod necessary •by circumstances that had arisen. One had just been introduced, and there ,would be another to amend the Public 'Revenues Act, and probably still another. These three small Bills he would ask tho.House'to deal with, the next day and afterwards he' proposed tp ask the House , to adjonrn until Tuesday week on tha understanding that' when members TC:HEsembled they would go right on with'.: the business of the country. A certain amount of-business must be dealt with before the esssipn came to an end, but he did not propose to ask the House to deal with any more contentious' matters than he could possibly help so long as the war was going on. ■ Mr. Witty: You are dropping contentious Bills. . ■ ' Mr. Massey: I won't make any promise in that direction at' the present moment. Ho suggested ; that members had their duty to do to the country and to their constituents, and he hoped-members on the other side of the-House would'fall (n with his ideas and push through Bills that could n°t °e postponed. He appreciated the fact that they had during tho present, crisis- put party considerations aside to a very extent. ! SIB JOSEPH WAHD'said-that Bills required to rpeet the present crisis would be agreed to by. the Opposition, as a