THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 27, 26 October 1918, Page 8

THE HOUSE

The-House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. 'Ehodes (Thames) gave notice, to introduce the Uauruki Plains, Thames and Ohinemuri County Bill. ' Mr. Smith (Taranaki) gave notice of tlie New Plymouth Harbour Empowering Bill. " Ministers gave notice of motions to set up vnrious Select Committees. PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS. Br. Newman (Wellington East) gave notice of the' Temporary Employcea* Bill. Mr. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) gavo notice of the Maori AVnr Medals Bill. Mr. Hindmiu'sh (Wellington South) gave notice of the Harbours Act Amendment Bill and the Shops and Offices Act Amendment Bil. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of absence for the session was granted to Colonel Beaton Rhodes (Ellesiiiero) on account of urgent public business, to Captain Coates (Kaipara) on account of military service in France, to Captain Bine (Stratford) on account of military service in Palestine, and to Captain Seddon (Wcstland) on nccnunt of military duly. Short leriiis of leave were granted to Mr. Ell (Chrislchurch South). llr. Glover (Auckland Central), and Mr. Young (Waikalu). BILLS INTRODUCED. ' The following Bills wore introduced, read a first time, and ordered to bo, print-

cd:—Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Bill (Mr. Malcolm), Toll-"ntes Abolition Bill (Mr". Wilkinson), Definition of Time Bill (Mr. Sidey), Workers' Accommodation Bill (Mr. Veitch), Legislature Amendment Bill (Mr. M'Combs), Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill (Mr.. Walker), Proportional Representation and Effective Voting Bill (Mr. Veitch), Commercial Trusts Amendment Bill (Mr. Veitch), Police Force Amendment Bill (Mr Veitch), Dominion State Bank Bill (Mr. Veitch), Registration of Business Names Bill (Mr. Brown). NATURALISED SUBJECTS. LABOUR MEMBERS -PROTEST. Mr. BROWN (Napier) moved for leave to introduce the Naturalised Subjects Franchise Bill. > , ... , „ ~ > Mr. HINDMARSH (Wellington South) said ho hoped tho House would pause before receiving the Bill. The member for Napier had constantly mado reflections on a member of the House. Mr. Brown: I deny that absolutely. Mr. Hindmarsh said that tho member for Napier had been unfortunate in the impression his words had created. A reflection had been cast upon a member. Mr. Brown appealed to tho Speaker, who ruled that tho denial must be accepted. Mr. Hindmarsh said he would accept the statement as far as statements made in the House were concerned. The denial could not apply to tho statements mado by the member for Napier outside tho House. The Speaker said that tho denial ought to be accepted. .Mr. Hindmarsh said he did not think it right for a member to try to make capital by imputing improper motives to other people. He was no particular friend of tbe member who had been referred to, and ho did not belong to the samo party, but ho liked to see justice. There was an unfortunato clerk in tho Education Department. New Zealand bred-and married to on English girl. This man had- no sympathy with Germany, but becauso of his ancestry he was being hounded out of (he Department. Why should this happen in a British country when tens of thousands of men of German blood vroro joining tho' American Army? Mr. Hindmarsh said that ho intended to refer again to the case of tho Education Department clerk. Such cases of in justice had their origin in Bills of the kind that tho member for Napier was now attempting to get before tho House. Such Bills stirred ignorant men and vindictivo men, and ho hoped that the sense of dignity of . members would induco them t,o support his protest. It was no proof of patriotism to attack a few unfortunato people who were doing no harm to anybody and who had no sympathy at all for Germany. He knew of a man, aged 70 years, who had left Germany when he was four years old and knew nothing of Germany at all. Yet this man had ■. been made to feel (hat he was a Ger- : man. Parliament ought to see that such people got justice. The British nation had reneoh to be proud of tho part it had played in tho war, and, it prided itself on being superior to the Germans. British soldiers fought fairly. Lot British civilians fight fairly, too.' If Bills of tho kind under review were necossary the Government should introduce them. Tho task ought not to bo undertaken by private citizens. Ho would ask the House' to vote the Bill out.

MR. M'COMBS (Lyttelton) supported Mr. Hindmarsh. Ho said tho House ought not to consider' a proposition to repudiate solemn contracts entered into hv the State and its naturalised citizens. He hoped the HOll6O would vote out the Bill as a mark of the indignationi that went through the Houso when a certain question was asked in the House. Mr. Massey: What is tho Bill?

Mr. Brown said tho Bill was simply a copy of a Bill that had been in operation in New South Wales for two years, It had been before tho House on two previous occasions, and had been kept at tho bottom of the Order Paper by the Government. Mr. Brown proceeded to re:id tho' Bill, which provided that naturalised British subjects of enemy origin should not bo allowed to sit in Parliament, hold public office, or votn at anv Parliamentary or local election. The Bill proposed incrensed restrictions on the issuo of naturalisation -papers. Mr. Brown said there was nothing in the Bill for a loyal British subject to fear. It was' a copy of the New South Wales Act, with soi"" additions on the lines of a British Bill. ,

The House 'was divided o« Ibn motion forgave to introduce the Bill. T.envo was granted by 40 votes to IS, and tho Bill was read a first time,