PARLIAMENTARY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2578, 25 June 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OP REPEESENTATIVES,

Wellington, June 24. NOTICE OF MOTION,

Mr Fulton gave notice that he would ask if Government intended to introduce a measure for the more effective suppression of wife desertion, and thereby prevent women so deserted becoming a burden on the colony. Sir George Grey gave notice,he would on Thursday, 30tn inst., ask for leave to introduce a Bill providing for the establishment of a better system of local self government in New Zealand. LICENSING- BILL. The House went into Committee on the Licensing Bill. Clause 109—“ Application of fees.” Mr Turnbull moved clause be altered so as to make the fees colonial instead of local revenue. The House divided on the question that the clause as printed pass.—Ayes, 54, noes, 5. Mr Murray moved— “ That packet license fees be treated as colonial revenue, and not as revenue derived from premises situated in the place where the application is granted.” The clause as printed passed. Clause 126, on the motion of Sir Win. Fox, was altered to read “ no woman other than the wife or daughter of a licensee shall be employed in the bar of any licensed house for more than eight hours a; day,” &c. Mr Bowen moved as a further amendment —“ That no female, except as aforesaid, shall with or without her consent bo employed in the bar after 10 10 p.m. Agreed to. Clause 127 was altered so as to read prohibiting'*women and young girls from drinking in rooms and places where liquor is sold, and declaring any contract by which females are so hired null and void.” Clause 129 —Sir William Fox moved that it be altered to read “ every licensed publican shall at all times when the bar is open be compelled to provide a supply of hot tea, coffee, and similar refreshments.”

Negatived. Clause 134—Sir William Fox moved that the clause be amended to read “that liquors, etc., shall, only be paid for in current money, or cheques drawn by the party supplied.” The amendment was lost.

. .Mr J. B. Fisher, with the view of making provision for this reprehensible lambing down process, moved the following addition to the clause:—-“No licensee shall receive payment in advance for liquor to be supplied, and any sum of money so paid may be recovered, notwithstanding the fact of the liquor having been subsequently supplied.” The amendment was adopted. Clause 154 licensed house.”

Mr Sutton moved—“ That provision be made for opening houses between noon and 2 and 8 p.ra. to 10 p.m. on Sundays, provided the opening on that day bo at the option of the licensee,- and no public bar opening to any public thoroughfare be open on that day.”: Sir William Fox strongly opposed the amendment, which was negatived on the voices.

Clause 157—■“ Defining a bona fide traveller to be one residing at a distance of three miles.”

An amendment was proposed by Mr Bowen that the distance be ten miles.

The House divided on the question that the words remain as printed—Ayes, 33 ; Noes, 18. • Clause 167, “ supply of liquor to drunkards prohibited.” Mr Speight moved the words “ open Court” be altered to “Court.” He alluded to the injustice exposure in open Court might inflict. Mr Bastings said these attempts to cut and carve the Bill were bound to defeat its purpose, and the Bill would never find its way at this rate to the Statute Book, He would therefore move that the Chairman leave the chair.

Mr Hall objected. The fiill had been before the country for the last two years, and there was a real necessity for it. He saw nothing in the proposals for amendment to lead to the belief that the prospect of passing the Bill was hopeless. Messrs Steward, Pitt, and Montgomery could not support Mr Bastings. At the same time they complained against the Government for not standing by their Bill, but allowing one or two members to cut it up as they liked without Government making any apparent resistance. Mr Barron supported the motion. He complained that a clause had been imported into the Bill of a most vicious nature. The Bill altogether lacked that broad basis which was so necessary for a uniform measure like the one under discussion.

The motion for leaving the chair was put and negatived. Mr J. B. Fisher moved as a further amendment on clause 167, that after the words “in open Court,” “ or before two Justices of the Peace ” be added.

The house divided —Ayes, 13 ; Noes, 35.

The clause as printed was passed. The remainder of the clauses were passed without amendment, progress was reported, and at 12,50 a.m the House adjourned.