WEDNESDAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 109, 4 July 1885, Page 5

WEDNESDAY.

Petitions. ] Mb Buoki&nd presented a petition from S. Bradley, of Onehunga, claiming compensation for the destruction of his house by fire, the said (ire 'being caused by sparks emitted from the railway engine. Mr HofcßS presented two petitions against the employment of barmaids.

Questions. Mr Brown gave notice to as.k the Treasurer if the new tariff proposals exempt blasting powder from import duty. He also asks the Defence Minister if he will cause a report to be made as to the value of New Zealand manufactured powder for cartridges and defence purposes.

Replies to Questions. In answer, to questions, • Ministers said they could not undertake to bring in an amendment of.tho Supreme Court Act providing for the payment of" expenses of witnesses of focused in criminal cases. The new tariff was proposed merely for additional revenue purposes, and not for protecting local industries in the case ,of imported boots. The preeent du£y came to about 10 percent, on the value of the boots, ajid it was proposed to raige it to -about 15 per cent. With regard to -woollen* '. goods, people who required their articles made more fashionably and luxuriantly tha«- those locally manufactured shauld^not object 1 to pay for the same. Government were, aware that /certain manufactories did not desire the imposition of the tariff proposed*, and that a jlarge woollen manufactory Jn Otago, rather than see another manufactory started, objected to the extra duty. Dr. Colei)8O was preparing his Maori lexicon, the first part of which would be finished by January next. There had' been no correspondence between the .Governor or Government and Canterbury. College respecting the action of the University Senate in prescribing a certain class of books to be studied by both female and male students. All the correspondence relating to Federation was .now in the h'andu of the printer. Mr Maq'andrew moved That 'for the remainder ..of the session this House shall meet at half pas,t 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and that*Jbhe Standing Orders Committee be instructed to ametid the standing" orders so as to 1 gijve effect to the above resolution. Having obtained permission toam*end the motion as it stood on the order paper by withdrawing the words, "and shall adjourn at half-past five o'clock in the afternoon," ho said that to his mind the matter was in a nutshell, and doubtless members had made up their minds on the motion. He asked that the proposed reform should be given a fair trial, as it would have tho effect of discontinuing the late sittings at night. If the proposal were adopted, it would very materially shorten the sessions. The only objection which could be urged was as to committees, who might sit in the evenings instead of in the mornings. Mr Stout said the objectionable part of the resolution, as it appeared on the Order Paper,' had been struck out, viz., the hour for adjourning, and if members preferred sitting at .10.30y -the Government would offer rto'objection. Major Atkinson and Messrs Kerb and Downie Stewart warmly supported the motion. The latter said night sittings were merely occasioned by following the practice of the Imperial Parliament. The circumstances at Home ware not applicable to this colony. Mr O'Connor disapproved of morning sittings. What they wanted to stop was late sittings. He moved, as &n addition to motion, that it be incorporated in tho standing orders, " That the House shall not sit later than 12 at night. " A lengthy debate ensued, fully a dozen members speaking. Sir George Grey stoutly opposed the motion, and caused a laugh by saying the proposal must be in the interest of those members who went to balls and parties. The hon gentleman introducing the motion looked guilty in this respect. Mr O'Connor's amendment was rejected on the voices. On the original question being put, it was carried by 38 to 31.

Suppressing Bores. Mr Fitzherbert, in moving " That it be an instruction to the Standing Orders Committee to consider and report as to the desirability of some rule in the amendment of the standing orders in the direction that whentheHousehasbeencountedtwiceduring the speech of any hon. member, such speech shall after a second-counting be deemed to be concluded," said that last session, as a new member, he was struck with the waste of time owing to the House being repeatedly counted out. Directly a member became a sort of bore, other members left the precincts of the House, and the motion was made with the view of curtailing speeches not acceptable to the House. Mr Beetham seconded, pro forma. Mr Stout hoped the resolution would be withdrawn, because, if persevered in, it would be sure to be rejected (uNo").( u No"). He was very sorry to hear that there were any hon. gentlemen who wished to interfere with their liberty and freedom of speech in this Parliament. Colonel Trimble and Mr W. ¥. Buckland {who pointed out that last session obstruction was in Committee, and that the motioh would not affect Committee proceedings)! also opposed tha motion, which was negatived on the voices.

Opening Unused Sections of Land. MrW. F. BuoKiiA^b'^&ve^tiQotdaslcihe Minister 1 "ttf Landa'-'wbtettigfc he will make. provisidn*fi|,she N £aflilrf«fi-H;, 1885?.*o* deal- \ ing with various urigra'tfted sections of land, origihally selected under the New- Zealand Settlement Acts. His object in asking the question is, that power will be given tothe Government to deal with vacant sections throughout Auckland that were originally selected by immigrants, but never taken up. There are a great number of these sections, and they are drawbacks to the advancement of the country. Nothing can at present be done with them. Mr Buckland's idea is that the Waste Lands Board should be empowered to deal with them; always provided that" -a certain time has elapsed since their selection — say ten or fifteen years. In almost every case he believes that the- original selectors have left the colony or are dead.

Plurality of Votes Bill. The first business of the evening was the Plurality of Votes Bill, the second reading of which was moved by Sir Geo. Grey, who forcibly argued that it was necessary for good government that no elector should be allowed to vote in more than one district. As the bill has been before the House hitherto, and arguments used pro and con, the measure has already been threshed out, Short speeches -were delivered ,by Messrs Trimble,' Peacock, Hobbs, Dargaville, Buckland, W. J. Hurst, Smith, and.the Premier. „ „ . , , The second reading wae then carried by 37 to 25, and its committal fixed for the 15th proximo.

Law Practitioners Bill. Another of Sib George Grey's pot measurea,is theLawPraotitioners Bill, the second reading of which was the next order of phe day., Its sponsor said he had adhered to this Bill with great persistency, because he believed in opening to the public every avenue of employment which led to distinction. ! Mr Hobbs said' the measure was a very dangerous one, and he would be false! to his conviction were he to support it, therefore he moved an amendment that tne bill be read that day six months hence. Mr Samuels, who is a lawyer, in ser onding the amendment, said that already the legal profession was crowded with too many incompetent andunscrupulous men — by that he meant law practitioners who made business for themselves w.hen they could get no legal business to do. Although the member for Auckland City East had the best interests of the people at heart, he assured that gentleman that were his measure to pass, it would inflict a terrible evil on those poor and ignorant people who had to confide their interests in the members of the legal profession. m , "Mr Moss went over a syllabus requiredto be passed before a candidate could qualify for the profession, and caused great fun by reading some of the questions which had been recently put with the mathematical portion of the general knowledge examination. The whole object of the bill was to encourage a thorough study of the law. Messrs Mackenzie, Joyce, Colonel Fraser, Turnbull, Hislop," Xevestam, Seddon, and Fisher also supported the measure, while Messrs W. D. Stewart and Monteath opposed it. Sir Georgk Grey replied eloquently to the arguments used by those objecting to the bill, and the House divided on the question that the bill be now read a second time, with the following result :— Ayes, 30 ; noes, 28. Its committal was fixed for July 15.

Presbyterian Church Property Bill. \ The second reading of this bill was < agreed to, on the motion of Mr Stout, who t said it had been approved of by the General i Assembly of the Church. £

Imprest Supply. The Imprest Supply Bill went through committee, was read a third time, and passed.

Adoption of Children. In moving the second reading of the Adoption of Children Act, 1881, Amendment Bill, Mr Stout explained that its object was simply to extend the powers of •Resident Magistrates so as to allow them to' niake orders for the adoption of the same, -as is now done by District Judges. '• The' House adjourned at 11,20".