Parliamentary Notes.

Hastings Standard, Issue 131, 26 September 1896, Page 3

Parliamentary Notes.

IN HOUSE AND COUNCIL

[By Telegraph.]

(From our Special Correspondent.)

Wellington, This day

In the Council leave of absence for the remainder of the session was granted to the Hon. Mr Swanson, on account of illness in his family. A motion by the Hon. Mr Rigg for a return of the number of actions heard in the Supreme Court under the Employers' Liability Act, with the amount of damages and the verdict in each case, was agreed to. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart complained that members of the Legislative Council were being canvassed and buttonholed on the Horowhenua case. The Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill passed its final stages. The features of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill are that it abolishes non-residential qualification ; provision is made in the case where a woman whose name is on the roll subsequently marries ; and it allows a return of the deposit when a candidate withdraws. In the House the Premier announced that the Mining Act Amendment Bill would be proceeded with on Monday evening and the Alcoholic Liquors Bill on Tuesday. The Public Works Statement would probably be brought down on Tuesday. In answer to the Hon. Mr Mitchel* son, the Premier added that he hoped to end the session about October Bth or 9th.

A motion for the suspension of Standing Order No. 85, to enable new business to be taken after midnight, was agreed to without debate. On the Hon. Mr. Carroll moving the third reading of the Urewera District Reserves Bill, . Mr G. J. Smith moved its re-com-mittal, with a view to the insertion of a new clause preventing the sale of liquor in the Urewera country. The Premier said an amendment of the kind should be made in the Alcoholic Liquors Bill, and the motion for re-commital was lost by 83 to 28. The motion for the third reading was carried by 87 to 11, and the Bill was put through its final stages. The second reading of the Trade Unions Act Amendment Bill, which has already passed the Council and which provides that persons of 14 years of age can become voting members oi trades unions, was agreed to on the voices.

The Premier moved thpsecond reading of the Chattels Transfer Act Amendment Bill, which, he said, was a purely technical measure, fh© motion was agreed to. The Horowhenua Block Bill gave ris# to a lengthy debate, in which the evidence given liefore the Horowhenoa Commission was freely quoted. Six Bobert Stool male & mrexe on-

Elaught on the Bill, and complained of the injustice it imposed on Major Kemp. The House established a record for the session last night, when no fewer than eleven Bills passed their second readings. The majority were, however of a technical character requiring no debate. After debate the second reading of the Ilorowhenua Block Bill was carried by 87 to 20. 'T'he other measures that passed the second reading ordeal were: The Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill, the Law Practitioners and New Zealand Law Society Act Amendment Bill, the Infant Life Protection Bill, the Factories Act Amendment Bill, the Sea Fisheries Act Amendment Bill, the Adulteration Preventiou Act Amendment Bill, the Rabbit-proof Wire-netting Fences Bill, the Electrical Motive-power Bill, and the Public Reserves Vesting and Sale Act Amendment Bill.