PARLIAMENTARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 195, 24 August 1901, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

Legislative Council(By Telegraph—Press Association.) Wellington, last night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. Mr Jones withdrew the words “ detestable traffic ” complained of on the previous evening when referring to the drink traffic. He explained that his refusal to submit last evening was because he had not understood the Chairman to rule definitely that the words were unparliamentary, or that he had committed a breach of the rules.

Li i.'.anm ttee on the Shops and Oilices Bill. -Üb-Su Lion 2 of clause 24. which fixes the rate of overtime for office assistants and ledger-keepers, was struck out by 15 to 11. The Council resumed at 7.-'lo p.m. The Hon. Mr Bolt's motion to exempt warehouses from the operations of the Shops and Offices Bill was carried, and the whole clauses relating to warehouses were struck out.

A motion to strike out the clause providing for the closing of all shops not later than six p.m. on working days was negatived. On the motion of the Hon. Mr .Tonkins, a now clause was added to the Shops and Offices Bill to provide that barmaids be not employed in bars between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.

The Bill was reported as amended, and at 11.15 p.m. the Council adjourned till Wednesday week.

House of RepresentativesThe House met at 2.40 p.m. An Imprest Supply Bill for .£608,000 was put through all its stages. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Nurses’ Registration Bill and the Rotorua Town Council \ alidation and Extension Bill passed the final stages.

The debate on the Financial Statement was opened by Captain Russell, who said that the great increase in the Public J_>ebt caused the very gravest alarm throughout tins colony. It was the duty of the Premier to have taken steps to allay the alarm caused by his own statement about the finances of the country. The impression the Statement gave was that it was the last the Premier would bring down, and that he wanted to show how much better tilings are now than when the present Government came into olliee. He declared that the railways were being run at a loss, and said that lie could not see, if the existing lines of steamers could not make the Cape trade pay, how the Government would achieve any greater measure of succes in that undertaking. Messrs Napier and das. Allen also spoke.

The debate was interrupted at 10.80, and the House adjourned till 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.