PARLIAMENT.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 33, 31 August 1889, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE; OF; EEPBESENTATIVES. (pkb united peesB association) Thtjbsday, August 29. The House met at 2.30, Mr Hamlio taking the chair in consequence of th* indisposition of the Speaker. The Premier moved that local Bills be. postponed with a view to referring; the Local Bills Committee to report which of those Bills were unopposed,, which might without eerious inconvenience he postponed till next session, and which wese opposed. The Committee could report by Monday, and! Monday afternoon and evening might be devoted to the Bills recommended by the Committee. This was agreed, to after discussion. : Mr Macarthur moved the adoption; of the report of the Public Account* Committee in favor of taking the control of investment of Saving Bank funds out of the handp of the Government and giving it to a Board ; also,, that the Government be asked to> bring in a Bill this session to give; effect to the report. Mr Allen expressed an opinion that the Government of the day, being responsible to the House, were more> competent than a Board to- deal with these funds. < ~ -

The Premier should not oppcme the< motion, and would, if ie were passed* bring in a Bili to give effect to- it, tufe he did not see that it would do any good. It would, however, take a great deal of trouble off the hands of the Governmeut of the- "day. Hepointed out that no had investment of these funds had ever bpen made.. The question of a Board, he might mention, had engaged hia attention, for some years, the difficulty being to. get a satisfactory JBoai j without great expense, Mr Seymour pointed to the failureof the Government Insurance Board. Mr Ballance said that *a» a politioal board. Be exDressed approval of the present proposal to- appoint * board, and said the House would stilt retain control. The motion was carried by 34 to 24> Mr Rhodes moved tbe adoption of a. further resolution passed by the Public Accounts Committee, to- the effect that no loans should be made out of Trust, Public Saving* Bank, o* public debt sinking funda^ or h* any way except under the Loans to Local Bodies Act,, or in Government securities p and that there should always be at least one- third of the amount to thecredit of the Post Office Savings Bank account invested in New Zealand Government securities, the interest on which is payable in London, and that such securities be deposited in London, to be used in case of any financial emergency in the colony. The Committee's resolution waa adopted by 38 to 31. i?h« Public Works Act Amendment Bill was committed, and clauses $ and 7 were struck out on the voices. I Progress was reported, and the House rose at 11,15. Friday, August 80. E*pljing to questions, the Minister of Lauds s»ud any explanation of the lottery •,,-, syetem in use iv disposing of Grown Land* ' would occupy him some time. -Many people put in applications on behalf of themselves and their • families. Under the ballot system a deposit waß necessary. ' Iv was not true that people had to go away because there was no land avail-able.-Mr Marchant moved the adjournment of the House. A lengthy discussion followed, and the Minister of Land* was speaking when the debate was interrU£uet%"the fi " 3o ad 3°Prninent. Ihe Chinese Immigrants Bill Act ' Continuance Bill waa received from th!. Legislative Council, aud read a first time. The Pubhc Works Act Amendment Bill wua committed. A number of small amendments were made, and at half- past 9 Mr Fish suggested, that as the Bill ws« provoking a great deal of discussion, pro. grew should be reported and the bill conl sideved by a committee. This was'n'eea tived, aud the Bill, was proceeded with" ■A -pat number of amendments we 4 made, and eventually the Bill. was reported with amendments at half-nast 1 " anl;the House rose, .. * •' *