PARLIAMENTARY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2625, 19 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, Aug. 18. MOTION. Mr Reynolds moved members of (he Council should bear some relative proportion to the number of representatives of various districts of the colony.” After some debate the motion was rejected by 15 to 14. DISTRESS i'OR RENT ABOLITION BILL. Mr Whitaker moved the second reading of the Distress for Kent Abolition Bill. There was a debate of some length, Mr Waterhouse moving an amendment —“That the present law should be amended, but not abolished.” The motion that the Bill be read a second time now was rejected by 20 to 8 and Mr Waterhouse’s amendment was then ..legatived by 15 to 10. The question as to the second reading of the Bill will therefore come up again to morrow. At 5 p.m. the Council adjourned till 7.30 p.m. August 19. In the Council last night the Licensing Bill was further amended in Committee, and. notice given for its further re-committal. The Council’s amendments in the Gaming and Lotteries Bill were insisted on, and two managers were appointed to draw up reasons. The Fisheries Bill passed through Committee with numerous amendments.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NOTICK OF NEW BILL, Sir George Grey gave notice of bis intention to introduce a Bill authorising anyone to practice law in Courts when duly authorised by either party to a suit. ANNUAL PARLIAMENTS BILL. The motion for the second reading was lost on a division of 41 to 8, and the Bill was withdrawn. KAKANUI HARBOR BILL. The House went into Committee on the Kakanui Harbor Board Borrowing BiH. Mr Shrimski, who was in charge of the Bill, explained that the object was to enable the Board to borrow £BOOO. Mr Hall stated that he had received a statement of the probable income and receipts of the harbor, which were palpably so fallacious that he was bound to oppose the Bill. The Bill was read a third time and passed. PENSIONS BILL. Mr Shrimski moved that the Pension Bil be read a third time. Mr Hall said the Bill would throw great obstacles in the way of Government carrying out x'efcrcncbmwnfc by amalgamation of offices, as no retirement on pensions could be made during the recess. The Bill was read a third time and passed. August 19. The House hint night debated at 2 n.m. a motion for going into Committee on the Gold Duty Abolition Bill, which was agreed to. In Committee, Mr Seddon, who was in charge of the Bill, moved an amendment, as agreed by the Goldfields Committee, that the duty should altogether cease from January 1, 1883 (it being reduced in the meantime as proposed in the original Bill.) After considerable discussion a motion to report progress was lost by 28 to 15. Mr‘Reeves moved as an amendment that the duty cease from January 1, 1882. On a division Mr Seddon’s proposal for 1883 was carried by 26 to 10. Mr Sheehan proposed a new clause, leaving the abolition optional to local bodies. This clause was carried by 22 to 18, and it was added to the Bill by 32 to 8. The Bill was reported with amendments, and at 3.20 the House adjourned until 7.30 this evening.