THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3927, 25 September 1875, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Tklkorapu ]

_ Wellington, September 25. afterammf 01186 ° f ‘' ei,reßeilUuivwj Ksteruay In reply to Mr Bradshaw, asking the Government if they had received the report of the Adult Commissioners on the management and working of railw ays, Mr Richardson said the Government had recived a report, which spoke favorably of the managemeet and working.

Air Macandrew gave notice he should move that all correspondence relative thereto be laid on the table.

I°. Mr the Native Minister said the conditions of the grant of 300 acres of land at the ihree Kings to the Wesleyan Society for eduoat onal purposes had not been complied with, and that the Government would take steps to u ilise the trust The Licensing Act Amendment Bill was read a second time, and is to bo committed on Wednesday. The Invercargill Municipal Council Waterworks Loan Bill was read a second time, and ■- omuiiited for Wednesday, the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Uamaiu Waterworks and Gas Bills were agreed to. A clerical error is to be amended. 8

The amendments in the Goldfields Act alteration Dt Act Wef6 agreed t0 with slight

m< J tlo, i °f Mr Swanson, a clause was added to the Highway Boards Amendment Act, empowering Highway Boards to levy a rate in excess of that at present authorised by the Highway Boards Act for the purpose of lighting streets, ihe Bill was then read a third time, and passed. The Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill was reported from committee, with several new clauses, and the amendment was oreJered to be considered on Tuesday. The amendments by the Legislative Council m the Taranaki Waste Lauds Act Amendment Act, the ! imam Municipal Waterworks Loan the Annie Hood Grant, aud Electric Telegiaph Bills were agreed to. The Otago Harbor Board Empowering, and Olutha Liver Conservation Board Bills were read a second time.

On the Public Libraries Powers Bill, Mr U Horke explained the object of the Bill to be to enable libraries to enfore iheir rules and regulations, and to receive donations, whether of ,p. or , | n o“cy, Ac. It was read a second time, mi 6 un , ar 1 u lowu Hall and Gasworks Site Uuls passed ihe third reading,Jim Clyde Waterwoiks Bill was reported Irom Committee, and passed the ihitd leaning. ihe VJoeraki Harbor Board BiU was read a second time.

On tbe motion of Sir Donald M‘Leau, the Bouse wib s t on .Monday, at 1>,3 ■, and take Uovermueut business, J leasurer announced that early next week the Government would be prepared to go on with the Estimates, auo alter some progress had been made, wouid inform the House what measures they would ask to be passed this ses--81% they proposed to abandon. Ihe Hou-e then went into Committee oa the Railway Companies BiU.

Clause 21 was being discussed at 5.30. Mr Yon Der Heyde authorises us to say that he voted last night with the noes, although his name was not oo the division list. Last evening’s sitting of the House was confined mainly to business of a private or semiprivate nature The following Hills passed : Railways Hill, Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, Marriage Act Amendment Bill. Marine Act Amendment "Bill, Anatomy Bill. The Criminal Children Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. In moving the second reading of the Friendly Societies Act Amendment Bill, Mr Bowen said some time ago in the South the treasurer of one of these friend 1 y societies could not be convinced of embezzling the funds of the society, because according to the law he was not a servant of the society in such a sense as to make him liable to the punishment falling upon the servant of any other society if convicted of embezzlement or larceny. This Bill simply provided that the treasurer of a friendly society should be deemed to be a servant of the trustees within the meaning of the Larceny Act of 1867. The second reading of the Bill was agreed to. Mr Bowen moved the second reading of the Evidence Act Amendment Bill. He said it was clear that by the restrictions now imposed by the law of evidence much useful evidence was shut out of courts of law. The law of evidence in England had lately been amended so as to greatly reduce the restrictions, and this Bill was intended to bring the amendment of the English law into force in the Colony. Parties in actions’ for breach of promise of marriage were to be competent to give evidence, and parties and their bus bands and wives were to be competent to give evidence in suits for adultery. It was also desirable to prevent that indecent haste-which was frequently to be seen in cases of assault with which parties rushed off to court to gain an advantage by getting out the firs, summons, In these criminal summary proceedings, where the offender was punishable by fine or imprisonment, the persons charged, and their husbands or wives, should be competent to give evidence, but not be compellable, unless the person charged had voluntarily been examined or submitted to examination It was proposed to get rid of the difficulty constantly occurring in wfe courts owing to the religious scruples of persons required as witnesses by allowing those objecting to take oath to make declarations, and be liable for perjury in case of making false declarations.