House of Representatives

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 75, 26 September 1893, Page 2

House of Representatives

The House met at 2.30. Mr Seddon stated, in reply to Mr Rolleston, that Government would not proceed with the adjourned debate on Colonel Fox's report, or with the following Bills : — Arsenic and Cyanide of Potassium Importation, Sale of Poison, Noxious Weeds, Auctioneer's Act it Amendment, and Imprisonment for Debt Abolition. He said there was no reason why, if the House got on with the work, business should not close by the end of this week. The consideration of local Bills occupied the House till the 5.30 adjournment. On resuming Mr Seddon moved that the report of the conference with regard to the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Bill be agreed to. Sir Robert Stout moved an amendment that consideration of the question be postponed for a month. He said he moved in this direction in order to show that he objected to the compromise which had been made. The amendment was lost by 30 to : si. J Mr Seddon defended the action of himself and other members who composed the conference with the Legislative Council on the Liquor Bill, and said they had acted for the best. The motion was agreed to. F Mr Seddon moved that the report i of the Privileges Committee with t reference to the control of Legislative ' officers be agreed to. He spoke ; strongly in favor of the control of these officers being placed in the hands j of Government instead of the Speaker, [ as at present. j Sir Robert Stout warmly opposed . the proposal, which he regarded as a 1 retrograde step, and moved as an \ amendment that the control of the j officers should remain with the I Speaker as had been the custom since 1862. i Sir John Hall pointed out that the I Privileges Committee was a party one, t and the report had be9n carried only • by a majority of one. The Hon. J. McKenzie aaid the 1 point was whether the colony would J consent to support a whole army of , officers to work four months of the . year, and go idle for eight months. 5 After a long debate Sir Robert Stout's , amendment was lost by 23 to 22. 1 The report was amended by striking . out the portion providing that in case of • vacancies occurring in the Hansard staff f preference should be given to Cml ' servants in filling the vacancies. The report as amended was adopted by . 21 to 18. * The House rose at 3.15 a.m.