PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 35, 5 November 1919, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

THE PINAL RUSH

A HEAVY WASHING-UP BILL

Tho Legislative Council met at 10.30 a.m. yesterday. VOTING BILL. The Expeditionary Forces Voting and Electoral Rights .Amendment Bill was' passed. Tho measure is explained elsewhere. ' DIVORCE BILL. .Sir Francis Bell presented the report of the managers deputed to confer with managers from the House, regarding an amendment made by tho House, in tho Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill. The conference had agreed ■upon the. retention (with Slight formal changes) of tho amendment. Tho report was agreed to. FINANci~BILL. The Council passed tho Finance Bill, nnd toso at 2.50 p.m. At the evening session, Tho Council agreed to amendments which had been introduced by GovernorGnieral's Message into .tho following Hills:—Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill; Police Force, Amendment Bill; Shearers' Accommodation Bill. Tho amendments bad already been agreed to by the House. ; "WASHING-UP" BILL. Tho "Washing-up" Bill was received from the Lower House, and. read a first time. ' .

Sir Francis Bell moved the'second Tending. The Hon. G. .TONES objected to the course of action proposed by clause 50. which authorises' tho Governor-General to take certain lands in Palmerston North under tho Public Works Act to be used for the purposes of tho showground. Mr. Jones contended that tho land should be-acquired-by the Borough Council under the Public Works Act, and should then bo permitted by tho council to bo used by the Agricultural and Pastoral Society. Ho knew of no Daw authorising such a course'as tho clause proposed. Tho Bill was read a second time. .In Committee on the Bill, Mr. Jones again urged that it 'was preferable that tho municipality should liave control of tho land in question. Sir Walter Buchanan said (feat ho could have understood 3l'r. Jones.raising an objection if it was proposed that the land was to bo taken by any private person or by n company for pur- ■ poses of profit. But he could see nothing wrong with the land being taken for such a body as an agricultural and pastoral society. '. Mr. Jones.said that he did not ob J ject to the talcing of the land, but he desired that it should be taken in the right way. Th? Bill was reported with very slightamendment. It ivus rend a third tinio and passed. AMENDED 'BILLS. . 'The Council agreed to amendments introduced by Governor-General's Message into the Housing Bill and. thus Finance. Bill. The Council rose at 10.15 p.m., and will again sit at 10.30 o'clock this morning.