PARLIAMENTARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2230, 6 November 1907, Page 1

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, Nov. 5. Tho Logislativo Council mot at 2.30 p.m. INFANT LIFE PROTECTION. Tho . Attornoy-G onorul gavo liqtico of tlio introduction of tlio Infant Life Protection Bill. ANIMALS PROTECTION BILL.

Tho Animals Protection Bill was recommitted. Upon tho motion of Mr. Rigg tho clause prohibiting taking game between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. was struck out. Tho limitation, howevor, was made to hold good in respect to tho opening and closing days of tho season. With this and minor amendments tho Bill was reported and read a third time and passed. LAND BILL.

Mr. Rigg resumed the debate on tho second reading of tile Land Bill. Ho was not blind to difficulties the Government had to contend with in framing this Bill, but ho felt it his duty to condemn certain clauses of tho measure. For L.I.P. tenants ho advocated the freehold at tlio original valuation .because-' sooner or later tho State would liavo to resume tlicso lands. People who held them for 999 years would not bo tolerated. He condemned the proposal to allow the tenant to pay off 90 per pent on his holding. Tho 10 per cent retained by the State would eventually go. Ho objected to tho preference given to married men with large families at tho ballot. A man’s fitness to tako up a section was not determined by tho sizo of his family. He declared himself a land nationalise!-, and said that democracy would demand tlio nationalisation of land and would not bo satisfied until it achieved that object. Ho approved of limitation, both of area and valuo.

Messrs Kelly, Carnoross, and Barr also spoke. Tho debate was udiourned at 5 p.m. till 7.30.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tho House met at 2.30 li.m. GAMING AND LOTTERIES BILL. The Premier moved that a Select Committeo bo appointed to whom shall bo referred the Gaming and Lotteries Act ' Amendment Bill, as follows: Messrs Horries, Ell, Wilford, Poland, Poole, Reid, T. Mackenzie, Davey, Witty, Malcolm,’ Lawry, and Sir Joseph Ward. This was agreed BILLS TO BE PASSED. Tlio Premier intimated that it was proposed to pass the following Bills this session: Maori Land Claim Adjustment and Laws Amendment Bill, Ngatimaru Landless Natives Bill, Government Advances to Settlors Bill, Local Bodies Loans Act AmendmentBill, Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Bill, Post Office Savings Bank Funds Investment Bill, Bills of Exchango Act Amendment Bill, Agricultural Implement Manufacture importation and Sale Bill, Police Offences Bill, Supremo Court Practice and Procedure Acts Amendment Bill, Marino - Insurance Bill, Fire Brigades Bill, Taumaranui Town Council Election Validation Bill, Scaffolding Inspection Act Amendment Bill, Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill, Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment Bill, Flour and Other Products Monopoly Prevention Bill, Sea Fisheries Bill, Tramways Amendment Bill, Indictable Offences Summary Jurisdiction Amendment Bill, Factories Act Amendment Bill, Christchurch District Drainago Act Amendment Bill, Agricultural Laborers’ Accommodation Bill. All tho foregoing Bills are at present on the Order Paper. Tlio Premier -added that Bills that had mot yet been circulated and which the Government intended to put through this session were amendments to the Education Act, Hospitals Act, Public Health Act, Defence Act Amendment Bill, Butter Export Bill, Divorce Act Amendment Bill. Railway Service Classification, Post and Telegraph Classification, Civil Service Classification, Civil Servico Superannuation, Infant Life Protect ionActAmendment, Industrial Arbitration Act Amendment-, Packet License Regulations Amendment, Sliojis and Offices Bill, Beer Duty Bill, Postal Stamping Machine Bill, Reserves Vesting Enabling Bill, Landless Natives Bill, Dairy Factories Act Amendment Bill.

Sir Joseph remarked that the only contentious measures were the Gaming and Lotteries Bill, Flour and Other Products Monopoly Prevention Bill, Tramways Amendment Bill, Nativo Land Bill, Civil Service Superannuation Bill, and the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill. He added that the Noxious Weeds Bill would be kept till next session, but 'a Bill dealing with the restriction of immigration of Chinese would bo gone on with. The Premier intimated that tho Public Works Statemnt would ho brought down on Friday," land ho hoped to take the debate on Monday. PROBABLE DATE OF PROROGATION.

Continuing, the Premier said that as a number of measures had reached their third reading stage, and a majority or other measures were lioncontentious lie hoped Parliament would he able to prorogue oil November 20tli. SECOND READINGS.

Tho Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Bill and the Ngatimaru Landless Natives Bill were read a second time pro forma and referred to tho Natives Affairs Committee. The Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment Bill was read a, second timo pro forma, and (referred to the select committee. The Flour and Other Products Monopoly Prevention Bill was also read a second time pro ; forma, and referred to tho Industry and Commerce Committee. Tho Harbors Bill was read a second time pro forma, and referred to the following committee, Messrs E. G. Allen, J. Allen, Buddo, Colvin, Graham, Hainan, Henries, Hogan, Jennings, Kidd, Lang, Laurcnson, Wilford, Wood, Duncan, Flatman, Millar, and Sir (Joseph Ward. ; FACILITATING BUSINESS.

The Premier asked the Speaker if lie would suspend the Standing Orders so that from now Bills could bo put through, at one siting.- The Speaker said that if a motion was made ho would bo prepared to allow of this being done from to-morrow. THIRD READINGS.

Amendments made in committee to the Government Advances to Settlers’ Act were agreed to, and the Bill was re,ad a third time and passed. The Local Bodies’ Loans Act Amendment Bill and the Hutt Railway 'and Road Improvement Bill were read a third time. The Post. Office Savings Bank Funds Investment Bill was read a third time and passed. BILLS OF EXCHANGE ACT.

The House went into committee on tho Bill's of Exclmngo Act Amendment Bill. , Clause 2 provides that all cheques, hills of exchange, promissory notes, or drafts in possession of the banker

on whom they arc drawn may be destroyed after tho expiration ol 10 years from tho dato tho documents nro payable. Mr. Reid moved to -strike out 10 with a view to inserting 15. Tho amendment was negatived by 43 to 14. Tlio Premier moved a now subclauso to provide that bankers, at tho expiration of 10 years, shall on demand hand over such documents to persons entitled to tho possession thereof. This was agreed to on tho voices. Clause 3 provides that in case of cheques so negligently drawn or luaclo as to offer any unusual facility for alteration, the drawer shall be responsible for fraudulent alteration. Mr James Allen contended that tlio clause opened tho door to unlimited collusion between a bank teller and payor or -any other fraudulently disposed person. Other members also expressed similar views, and tho clause was withdrawn and orogress reported. AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. Tho Agricultural Implement Manufacture Importation and Sale Bill was taken in committee. Clause 3 amends the Act of 1905 by omitting tlio words “of British manufacture” and substituting tlio words “manufactured ill tho United Kingdom.” Mr. Buddo pointed out that- this practically debarred Canadian manufactured implements, and -these- were largely used in Canterbury. Mr. Millar said the original Act was only intended to give preference to articles manufactured in the United Kingdom, But when American manufacturers found that the wording of the Act covered the colonies they started manufacturing on tlio Canadian borders, and thus got over the meaning of tlio Act-. Clauso 3, which extends the Act of 1906 to 1910, was amended, on the suggestion of Mr. Herries, to limit tho extension to 1908.

Mr. Malcolm, referring to clause 3, urged that it should be extended to include tho colonies. Mr. James Allen said that nowAmerican manufacturers had established factories in Canada that colony should not be penalised. Mr Aitken pointed out that Canada was given preference in certain manufactures, an.d ho thought that preference could be extended to agricultural implements. Mr. Millar pointed out that tho measure was enacted to protect the local manufacturers. The farmers were not being penalised by any duty, but if Canadian manufacturers were going going to dump down these implements the local manufacturers would bo ruined.

Mr. Malcolm said if was 'recognised that when a bonus was granted to local manufacturers it usually ended in tlio putting on of duty. Mr. Laurenson said the huge trusts had ruined the manufacturers in South America, and then had raised the price of their implements. No hotter implements were made than those being made by manufacturers in Otago and Canterbury, but if they allowed these huge trusts to dump their manufactures into the Dominion then the local industries would bo ultimately crushed, when up wppld go tho iiriees of the trusts’ imple-ments-and tho farmers would suffer. Mr. Malcolm said native industries had proved again and again that they could hold their own against foreigners, and he had no- fears in this direction, as the local manufacturers had not long distances of carriage to pay -for, but had tho farmers at their own doors.

The clause passed l>y 44 votes to S. On the motion of Mr. Millar, a new clause was added enabling the Board of Enquiry to go on with .its work in spite of the absence of one of tho members. Mr. James Allen moved a now clauso to provide that when Parliament is sitting the report of the Board shall bo laid on the table of the House upon the days of completion of hearing.—Agreed to. Tho Bill was reported with amendments.

Tlio committee then considered the Police Offences Bill, and tho House adjourned at 5.30.