HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 45, 1 October 1892, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, September 29. The Criminal Code Bill was committed! and several membtrs strongly opposed the measure and urged that it be dropped for the session, saying that they did not agree to this course the Bill would never get through. After considerable discussion, Mr Fish moved that progress be reported. The Hon. Mr Seddon said he was reluctantly compelled to bow to the inevitable and accept the amendment, as it was evident the Committee was not prepared to go on with the Bill. On a division Mr Fish's amendment was carried by 32 to 20. The Servants' Eegistry Offices Bill was committed. Clause 5 amended to provide that a license for a registry office may be issued on condition that a certificate of character is obtained from a Resident Magistrate, instead of two Justice of the Peace or two clergymen. The remaining clauses passed- with slight amendment, and the Bill was reported, read a third time and passed. Government Insurance Account, of £54,244. Mr Fish said this department was not so well managed as it might be, and he strongly condemned the dismissal of Mr D'Arcy Irvine, late Inspector of Branches, who had done more than the Commissioner to bring the department into its present state of efficiency. The Hon Mr Ward, who had charge of the Estimates, said no one could deny that Mr Irvine was a good officer, and the only reason why the Government had dispensed with his services was because of the differences between Mr Irvine and the head of the department ; the Premier had, therefore, to choose between the two officers, and he decided it was better for Mr Irvine to leave the service than Mr' Richardson. Mr Fish attempted to have the salaries of the Actuary and Secretary reduced by L4O each, the amount of increase, but the total vote passed without alteration. This finished the general Estimates, leaving only the Public Works and Supplementary Estimates to be disposed of. The Hon. Mr Cadman moved the second reading of the Native Land Validation # of Titles Bill, to provide for inquiry into the incomplete dealings with native land. He said attempts had been made for years past to deal with this question, and the Bill was another attempt to settle long-standing disputes in this direction. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. September 30. The Land and Income Tax Assessment Act Amendment Bill was further considered. The Hon. Mr McKenzie said he proposed to accept a certain number of the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Land Bill, and be should ask the House to disagree with the others. He took objection to the clauses empowering married women to become lessees under the Bill ; also to Clause 94 person taking up an area not exceeding 10,000 acres of land for any of his children ; also to Clause 123, referring to non-payment of rates. The Council altered this so that the Board, should pay overdue rates to the local authorities oub ol the moneys received by them from the improvements on land. He objected to the Council altering Clauses 138, limiting the cash sales in. the year to 250,000 acres, instead of the value of L 250.000. He proposed to object to the alteration made in Clause 190, no person, or company to hold more than one run. The Council altered this to the effect that it should not be competent for the holder of any run to hold more land than could carry 20,000 sheep or 4000 cattle, and he would ask for a conference on this and the other clauses he took exception to. He then moved that the Hon. Mr Seddon, and Mr Duncan and the mover be appointed a Committee to draw up reasons for disagreeing with the amendments made by the Council in the Land Bill. — Agreed to. The Legislative Council sent a message insisting on their amendments in the Electoral Bill, and sent their reasons for so doing. The Acting Premier moved that these reasons be disagreed with, and that a conference be asked for, which was agreed to. The third reading of the Taxation Bill was carried on the voices.