PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 602, 27 November 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

In the House on Thursday afternoon the Grand Juries Abolition Bill passed its first reading. The evening sitting was occupied with the further consideration of the State Guaranteed Advances Bill, which passed through Committee. One of the amendments made was to the effect that the local bodies should have the power to invest loans which were not Stateguaranteed as they might deem advisable.

The outstanding event in the House yesterday was the defeat of the Government, by 27 votes to 25, on the Prime Minister’s motion to revoke the alteration to the State Guaranteed Advances Bill, carried on Mr Sidey’s amendment the previous day, by which local bodies were given control of their sinking funds in connection with loans not guaranteed by the State. The Prime Minister’s motion to recommit the Bill in order that the clause might be further considered was adopted by 31 votes to 26, but on the crucial division the Prime Minister’s proposal to restore the clause to its original form was defeated. The. Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill was finally passed, and at n p.m. the Prime Mibister moved the second reading pf the Land Settlement Finance* Bill, which was carried, after an interesting discussion, after 2.30 a.m. The House will sit again on Monday afternoon.