PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Hastings Standard, Issue 59, 4 July 1896, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

IX HOUSE AND COUNCIL. ]/T Telk(;kaph.J 'From nitr t "nrrixpunihnl. / Wellington, this day. The Petitions Committee reported to the House yesterday with respect to the Mounsey-Austin tourists arrested on suspicion at Auckland as being concerned in the Rotorua Post Office burglary, recommending Government to send a letter to the petitioners in Sydney expressing regret they should have been subject to the indignities complained of; and asking them to allow the New Zealand Government to reimburse any expenses paid by them by reason of their arrest and two days' detention 111 the police station. The Petitions Committee have no recommendations to make regarding a batch of petitions from all parts of the colony in favor of the introduction of the Irish Scriptural Text Book, as a question of policy is involved. Ten minutes sufficed to clear the busine-s H't down for the Legislative Council yt rdav afternoon. This is what was done :—The Pharmacy Act, 1896. was read a second time ; the Sea Fisheries Act Amendment Bill and the Supreme Court Act Amendment Bill were passed through Committee with unimportant Amendments, and were set down for a third hearing on Tuesday next. . Though the Banks Committee matter did not last long yerterdffF afternoon, while it was before the House feeling was warm, particularly as to the refusal of the Government to place Mr Duthie on the Committee and the inclusion of Mr George Hutchison. Captain Russell explained that the reasons which induce his refusal to assist the Premier in appointing a Committee was that in 1890 the names suggested to represent the Opposition were not accepted, and on the present occasion the Premier had pointedly objected to the inclusion of Mr Duthie, whose long experience in business and his knowledge of finance fitted him to specially sit on the Committee. Mr Duthie said his exclusion was due to his outspokenness. Though he was engaged in commerce, he had never been placed on the Public Ac- j counts Committee, while respectable j farmers had been nominated by the Government. Ministers were afraid to put him on either the Public Accounts or Banking Committee. Some surprise was occasioned by Mr McLachlin moving to strike out the name of Mr G. Hutchison on account of his Jt incurable bias," and Mr La wry said that members would be justified 111 using every form of the , House to keep off ' that honourable j gentleman owing to the serious charges made by him in 1890 against the late Sir Harry Atkinson and Sir Frederick Whittaker. Commendation of the dignified course taken in the matter by the Opposition in declining to serve on the Committee was expressed by Mr Saunders, who said that the country could have no confidence in a Committee chosen by the Governmentwhen Government themselves were most concerned. Riccarton Russell raised a laugh by saying the Premier now repented of having even one independent member on the committee and so he had put up Mr NcLaehlan to move in the direction j of excluding the member for Patea. He evidently wanted a committee comprised of his most servile followers. When the motion to strike out Mr ! George Hutchison's name was put the j whole of the opposition, excepting Mr ! Wilson, Sir Robert Stout, and Messrs Earnshaw and Saunders walked out of the Chamber in a body, bringing to mind the scene enacted last year in connection with the public works estimates. A vote was then taken, with the result that that Mr Hutchison's name t was agreed to by 43 to 4, the minority* consisting of Messrs Lawry, Wilson, McLachlan, and Hall. The Opposition trooped in again, and the Premier said: "This is the last act (laughter, and a voice: ' No, only a prelude ') —the last act in respect to . setting up the committee." The Premier went on to say that the leader of the Opposition had shifted his | ground. Last week he had stated that I the objection of his party was merely I to the inclusion of the clause which J went on back to 1888. Captain Kussell: " That is entirely incorrect,"

The Premier said it was evident br> was not safe in speaking to the lead'T of the Opposition (Cries of '*Oh' j. If these disputes were to lako place, he would take very good care that in the. future anything taking place between that honorable gcntlema-R and himself should be in writing. So far as Mr Duthie's exclusion was concerned he was only the mouthpiece of the party in the matter, and they had resolved that the member for Wellington should not be allowed to sit on the Committee. So far as those who were dead and gone were concerned, he had already settled that they would be exempt from the inquiry. Mr Saunders and the "left wing " had made the banking question a party matter, and had done all they could to harrass the Government. As a matte* of personal explanation Mr Larnach said that he had not attended the Ministerialist caucus, and if he had done so he should have taken exception to the exclusion of Mr Duthie. The names of Messrs G. Hutchison, Tanner, Maslin, Guinness, and Major Steward were then added to the committee and consideration of the matter was brought to a close by Mr Seddon giving notice of his intention to move that Standing Order 229 be suspended with a view to'the proceedings been open to the Press. A similar motion has been tabled in to the Legislative Council. Questions were shelved yesterday afternoon in order that the sitting in the Banking Committee might be completed. Sir Robert Stout divided the House in protest against the constant refusal of Ministers to consider private members' motions, but was defeated by 87 to 30. No time is to be lost in getting the Banks Committee to work. The Committee is to be set up in the Council. On Tuesday or Thursday a chairman will be appointed, and on Friday next the taking of evidence will be begun.' The Hon George Jones had prepared a Bill for restriction of Chinese only but was dissuaded at the last moment by the Minister of Education not to proceed with it because it would overlap the Asiatics Restriction Bill No. 2. It is believed that the Council would pass a Bill aimed at the Chinese only, though opposed to a measure so wide in its scope as that which was recently before them and which was directed against all Asiatics, including naturalised British subjects. A further step towards the redistribution of seats on the basis of this year's census was taken yesterday afternoon, when the Premier gave notice of the introduction of the Representation Committees Amendment Bill. This will probably mean that the South Island will lose three, and possibly four, members, which the West Coast, Marlborough and Nelson will feel most owing to the decided shrinkage of population in that part of the colony. The question of morning sittings of the House was carried after a close division. Until the end of tho present month members will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10.30. Mr Seddon's amendment to the Criminal Code Act, raising the age of consent from 14 to 1G years, was carried without division. The second reading of the Rating on Unimproved Values Bill was carried after a lengthy debate by 29 to ;3. The Hon Jas. Carroll, who has been confined to his room for a fortnight from a severe cold followed by bronchitis, will be able to take his seat in the House on Tuesday if the weather is fine. 1 Fur a>ntinu<iti<m reailiwi matter see Fourth Pit;ft', j