HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1843, 25 August 1906, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Dating tho petitions tho Prtmior asked the leave of the House to depart from tho usual oustom with the sessional committoss. The Government, fo expedite buaiDees, proposed to circulate tho names pro* posed as soon as the petitions were over, with a view to taking a vote aftr r the end of the formaliies. The number of members in each oa9o had been reduoed o 10, with ooe exception, the native affii-s committee, wh ch would bo 14 with the addition of the native members Mr Massoy sa : d he would expodiio business with pleasure, but it must ie distinctly understood that tho fault, if aoy, lay with tho Government, txprossing satis faction at the same time at the reduction of the number of members from tho unwieldy propoitions of the last few years, Tho Premier said that be could not toe any faul\ The Government were proposing to bring on that day bu.inoss whioh could not otherwise corns on before Tuesday. Was that a fault ? Mr T. Mackenzie welcome 1 the redno Mon of the old numbers, whioh tad to the result that if 10 of tho oommittee met for deoision not three membsra had heard tfce evidenoe consecutively from end to ond, He suggested that some remedy should te found. Tho Premier thought if the committees chose they could settle the matter them* selves, namely, by permitting a oartain number of absenoes, and fining for all ths rest. The committee’s meetings weregivon notice of by the various Ministers. The bidden OommitSep, with the mover and seoonder, accompanied the Speaker to Government Honee, and presented the address. Oa their return the Speaker read the reply of his Exoallenoy the Governor. Mr A. L. D. Fraser was, on the mo ioa of the Native Minister, given a week’s leave of absence. Thß following Bills were read a first time: —Fire Brigades, Products Expart Amendment, Tourist and Hraith B saris OoDtrol, Groymonth Harbor Board Lear, New Plymouth Borough and Taranaki School Commissioners Exohange Doma n Board’s Funds, and tho City of Duned n Lands Vesting. The Bpoak.-r read to tho House Mrs Pinkerton’s acknowledgement of the sympathetic resolution of the House passed on the death of her husband, and the dcoumenl was added to the rooords. On the motion of the Native Minister, the seoond reading of the Poukawa Native Besarve B'll was pg-eed tr, ard th 9 Bill r.farred to tbo Native Affairs Committee, The Minister of Justioa moved the second reading of the Adspticn of Children Amendment Bill, explaining that the measure, though brief, is very important. First it supplied tbo omission of the Act tf 1905 by providing (Clause 3) in cibo of the oaooalm nt of tbo adoption of an order for the revival of the original parents’ rights and duties. Clausa 2 be did not think would be always cb ytd, 1 but the prinoiple of giving premiums for * the adoption of children was wrong, and should bo prevented by the Legislator . This touched a blot on our special syslpm whioh Parliament might do its host to remove. Mr Wilford agreed with Clou e 3, but he would oppose Clause 2 as unr.ocassary in view of the many sab guards isliU lished against baby . farming, and too drastic in interfering with Irgitimata provision for tho comfort and amusement of children. Mr Barclay agreed with Mr Wilford, adding that the ra.jority of people who adopt children are perficbly honest. Mr HaDan could underEtnrd a olause to meet the oaso cf persoDß making a practice of adoption, but clause 2, wiih its too drastio effect pressing on probably innooent psople, he could not. Mr Hike and Me Buddo opposed the Bill. Mr LaureDsen supported it, illustrating f case within bis knowledge in whioh the promise of a large sum hod been followed, by the death of a child. Mr Tanner would go so far 83 to vote for the second ri aling. Mr Izard said be knew of good adoptions whioh would not have been prevented had this Bill beea law. Baby farming and adoption, he romindtd the Minister, were two very different tbingi. The Native Minister, replying to Mr Htk\ said tho Bi'l did not apply to Maoris at all. Mr Witty did not like oithor clause of tho Bill. Mr Bennett was inaudible, and so was Mr Baumo. Mr Izard wanted more details. The Minister of Justice, in reply, urged that tho known misohhf dooo must be dealt with. Ho ridiculed tho acniitriDL t d argument employed us bascloss. Hj insisted that tbo Bill would rot prevent the adoption of children by worthy porsons. The Bill woe road a stoond time on tho voices. „ . , _ . Tho Premier movod the Begistration of Births Extension Bill, for tho 11 registration of children born previous to a period of six months before tbo pa-sing of tho Act, and be explained thoobj'Ctis to enable persons to do what lli y ought to have done before. It was not a ciso for reducing fees, but he would consider any reasonable suggestion in committee. Tbo Bi 1 was road asreond time, and the House adjourned a: 5 40 pm. At the ovening sitting, Sr J. Ward obtained tbo permission of tbo tfcu3e to biiog on tho Sessional Commilteos, and moved tbe appointment of tho first, commeroo extension, opening up, by general understanding, a discussion cf the who’o cf tbe 17 commilteos on the Hopplementary Q dsr Paper. JJr Allen oriticised tho composition all round, complaining that a few favored individuals were on a great number of committees, while many were loft a most nothing to do. Mr Massey doolared this to be tbe first time where a member bolding the position he occupies in the Hou.-e had been left out of tho Publio Account! Gemmistro. On tbe wholo ho feta flittered, as it showed the Government faared his persistent vigilance and powor of rcsoarcb. They wanted daikuoss, not light. Moreover, this committee, tbe most important of tbe House, was not provided with any power ■ #n»» nofanna anil nanoffl-

Tlid Premier: Tint’s never boon done. Ml- Mnssoy: Tint n not a muon why it should not bo done now Uo called upon tho Government to bo truo to thoir ullognd riputntion for husinoas capacity. Mr Biro lay resented being on thellouso Commi<too when ho could Jo gooil woik on inoro usoftil eaintuttees, Law, Lnbor, Ooramo-00, tho Library to wit. Mr FUlicr dotsiled tbo number of muubo a on four and five coinni ttros, while many Rood men wero pui on only

on. Mr IVrnj tr ngrood wi‘h that gonoradv. Mr Ed said tho complainants wore moil who hid askfd unsi loudly for roduo'-ioas. For his pa'-t ho fo't very keenly being 1. ft off tho L .bar Bils Ootuuiitt-o. LIo thought it very inexpedient to whittle tho Wa*to Lands down lo 19, and ho regretted that thiro was no* a single city ineiuoor on U. Ho would movo an mu'mini nt in th s direction at tho right time, Mr W. Fraser said tho toductton.-i wore right, and lito compositions wrong, and doitouucod tho ixjiusion of tho Loader of tho Opposition. Tho I’romior iniorjotocd tliai it was List Parliament, and was conlradieted by several

Mr li. Mekenzie was sorry that Westlam!, Nelson, and Marlborough, with 90,01-0 people, and many millions ol aeres, were not represented on the lands commit tec. Mr Hogg offered to withdraw from the Aceounls Committee to ease the position. Mr Fhitman relinked the Leader of the (tpposition for making insinuations which lie knew to he baseless and advised tho Government to show they did not tear him by adding his name to the Committee. Mr I terries, who thought Mr Massey ought to be on the Committee, urged that there was not a single member of the North Island. Mr McKenzie followed on the same line as to the Premier Mr Alison followed Mr Kerries on both lines.

Tho Premier explained that bo had suggested to a me uabor of tho Public Acoounts to make room for Mr Massey by retiring, but had been refused. Ho obj-oteG to the very unfair insinuations rnedo by tho other side that some new thing wns doro by tjae Government for stuoo sinister purpose. Ho bold in his band n copy of tho journals of the Heusa for 1889, and ho would read tbo terms from that of tho appointment of tho Public Aooonots Committee, aud tho Home would see that tbo wordiog was exactly tho same as tho wording in tho presoot case word for word. Ho would add that of tho oommittoo of tho yt ar 1889 tbrro wero members who did not support tho Government and eleven had supported tho Oppo.-i.ion. Now, tho balance cf patties was very different then ti what it was now, aud if there was anything in tho reasoning of the otbor side tbore ought to have been more thiu three Oppositionists. Ho read tho natuas, Mr Allen claimed that fivo wero Oppositionist*.

The Premier poioted out that two had aomeiimes voted with the Government. Ho bad been very careful in tbo ohoioe of b s words. The Premier thought if tho Opposition leader wanted for aoy reason to alter the Older and style of things wbioh had been uoa'tered for years, be ought to make his proposition, and givo reasona that would bs fair aod proper, bat ho had no right to insinuate (hire wa3 anything wrong. For his pari he would be very g’a 1 to see the Lead-r of the Opposition on tbo ocnamiltio. He had bien vory sorry that the question of North aud Seu-h had boon raised in this qu stion, a d ho urged hon, members to consider themselves broadly as New Zealanders. Replying lo the number for Wakatipu, he denied that the chairman of this committee last year bad done anything unfair, Mr Fraser denied that ho had said or hinted anything of the kind. The Premier aooepted the hou. gentleman’s assurance, and hoped toe harmony of the oommitteo’s proceedings would bo the same in future, under tho same obair man, as it had been in tbo past.

The following comraiitros wero o'eetod without discussion: Extension of Commerce, Publio Accounts, and Railways. Before the last, decision Mr Massey suggested the appointment of a Public Works Committee, and tho Premier replied that the responsibilities of the Government ought not to be transferred to a committee.

The other committees selected on the voices were the Reporting, Debates, Standing Orders, Local Bills, Gold Fields and Mines.

After a protest from Mr Hemes against the exclusion of the member for Bruce, an explanation was given by the Minister of Mines, who said that the members had to bo reduced to bring the Committee to 10, and the Government had taken off o Government and two Oppositionists. Petitions A to L, Labor Bills, Stock, Statues revision were appointed without discussion.

The appointment of the Waste Lands Committee was stopped, first by Mr It. McKenzie’s objection on the ground that Nelson and Westland wore not ropro* sented ; next by Mr Barclay's proposal to increase the numbers from 10 to 15 (lo strike out 10 witli a view, etc), which after some discussion was lost by 41 to 14 ;

thirdly by a general discussion which began with North versus South and got to leasehold versus freehold, and many other things. Mr Massey advised the Government to adjourn the debate, and consider the position in the light of the dissatisfation apparent. Liter on Mr A'tksn moved the adjournment of the debate, and the Premier diked tho Etouia not to proven! the Minister of Lands from replying by adopting tbe motion. The motion was lost by 14 to 47.

At 11 tho Minister of Lands replied. Ho stated for the information of the younger members that this turmoil is usual on the appointment of tho Lauds Committeo. Ho went on to point out tbe difficulty of forming tbe ommitteo on the redaction rc q'Fr.-d. Ho had whon forming the committee found ho bal not a Northern member. Ke bad got Mr Hogg to retire. He had gone to Mr Ballard, who refused, and he applied to tbe Leader of tbe Opposition for o augg s ion, and he had given him the names of two Southern members. He denied tho correctness of the assertion that there are ooly two leaseholders on tbe committee, and he showed there ere at least fire. Realiog tho names he exp'ained with regret bow be had notp'fCtd (? Mr Massey) ou all committees, as in re ducieg he oould not leave both him and Mr L lurenson thsro. After a few personal explanations tho Waste Lanls Committee war tlectrdon the vclcee, and the House adjourned at 11 25 p m.