PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 149, 18 July 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

[per press association.] »»_. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesaay, 17th July. The House NEW BILLS. The P(e*byterian Ctiurch of New Zealand, Welling on City Recreation Ground, and Wesluyan Church Reserves Vesting Bills were introduced and read a first time, QUESTIONS. Replying to a question, the Prsmier said that with regard to what had been taken to have a Bjard of Experis appointed to draw up a uniform system of book-keeping fir the benefit of local I icd'es, that was desirable, but he could lot compel local bodies to adopt any oystem. Farther, that the kubji>ot might be dealt; with when the Local Government Bill was under consideration. Replying to other questions the M'niiter said th\t the servioes of com-mi-sioned and non-commiss : oned officers *ho had nerved in South Africa wei e being utilised as far as for training volunteer forces.. That returned troopers * ould ba granted certifica'es of character and sit vice in due course, and that tbe question of issuing med li wis under considaiation by th ■ D fence Ddpartrmnt. Thit the Rev. Joseph Berry had cot beon appointed immigration agent or 1 c'urer in England for New Ze>>l>in-1, That the Land Purchase Board of Hawfos Bay had 'eport'd upon a b'ock of 3700 acres, 'ecomnrndiog its purchase for settlement, and the matter wou'd be considertd by the Government. That a daily through service from Welling'on •o New Plymouth wiuld be instituted du ing the s'lmme-. Tfiat the arrears of interest due o the Post Offio-i Savings Ba k by the Harbour Board w»s £I9OO, baing a reduction of X9OO as corapir.d wi'h 1-st yew, and that if •he Buard wre given timi the arrears •vould be paid. That the Health Department would C'-nsid-r the advisiblenws of inspecting and analysing drugs and patent: medi"in a, with a view to prevent adulteration, and requiring ingredients to be disclosed at or prior to sale thereof, That the question of inspecting roads with a view to preventing accidents was an important subject, but one that did aot come within the duty of the Governmnt to perform. That amendment* were m ce»sary in the Noxious Weeds Act by inflicting a penalty for the sale of chuff or other pioduce adulterated with weed*, and in other directions ; and that if time permitted a Bill would bj introduced to give offset thereto. That a Bill wll be introduce!, fcx'tnding the time for making improvements under the Land Act. That it wag not intended that the Noxious Weeds Act of last session <h<-'u''d be a dead letter, and that, so far, settlers htd merely been given time to pr.-paro to carry out its provisions. That step* were bnng taken to acquire suitable land in AucikUnd die riot for workmen's homes. That the protection to sto its and weasels should be removed in at least four larg-i centres of the colony. Mr. Massey moved the adjournment of the Hou--e to emphasise dissatisfaction with the reply to the last question, copending that the restriction should be remov d in all parts of the colony wh»re rabbits were not a nuisance.

Hon T. Y. Duncan advised caution in removing the restriction against the aatur.il enemy of rabbits, The debite was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. Evening Sitting. The Council met at 7.30 p.m. ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE BILL, Hon. Howard movfd the second reading of t l e EL-ctive Executive Bi'l, to provide for the election of the Executive Council. He said it carried to a logical conclusion the liberal doctrine of government of the p ople by the people and was intended to give , members freedom in consideration of ■ naeasarep, which was not possible under the present party system- He contended if the Bill could be to the people undtr the referendum claue which it was proposed to insert in committee, it would be adopted by a large majority. Sinoe the 811 was first brought forward, some yea's ago, it had been favourably 'lis:ussed by the press. Ha had also received numerous reFolutioos ,f om public bodies', and letters from p-omio- J ent public men, heirtily approving of, the Bill and urging him to proceed with it Major Steward t hen briefly explained the provisions of the measure, pointing out that any Minister who, on being elected, did not care to serve as a nrmbor of the team choßen, would hive an opportunity of withdrawing, and thus there wou'd be a fresh election. He agreed that a clause should be.inserei in committee to p'ov ! de 'hat the Bill, with exception of clause' 16, should not come into force until! if. tud been submitted to the referendum. He contended the H me would j work better under an executive of its own chousing, than under a Ministry sleeted by one man, and h>s.w no' reason why the House should n->t seUct an execi'ive as good and as capibleas could be chosen under thsj existing system. Mr. Willis spoke strongly against the Bill, and moved ttut it re read a second time that day six month". ' Mr. Monk thought the principle of the Bill was a go >d one, and he hoped the amendment would be withdrawn so that a straight out vote could be taken. Mr Barclay believed the Bill wis as bid a one as could be introduced, and ■was a conservative device to put a cl>g' oa the wheels of progress. ' Mr With; ford did not think it in [ ts f the people to brirg a l "out a' ci isis such as would-be produced by this Bill. I Sir Jos'-ph W»rd rem irked upon the conspiracy of S'lenjo on the part of I some members on an important question Ike thi«, and said he wished to put on word his prote>t ag inst the Bill. Io his opinion, the Bill proposed to create' a system of intrigue and under-hand procedure which would bring discredit oi the Hcuse and the country. Ha quoted fiom the provisions of tha rmasure to show that - , in ur-.ctio, the system would lead to chacs |*ndj intrigu», under which no ■nan. of independenci and self-respect could podsiMy iem.ii in a cabinet. What, he »sked, would have happened in Now Zwland during <hs last ten • earj undr this Bill? At one t me there was only a balance of four voies in favour of the ptrty in pawer, and he contended that had the elective executive held s.vay at the time, the Governmont eould not possibly have succeeded wi' h i's progressiva legislaion. The people of New Zetland poss»ss-.d a good deal more power under the existing system : than they would do under an elective i executive, and he behevsd if the i matter ware puS fairly before the ]

pooplo they would determinedly and firmly refuse to surrender their privileges under the party system, which had built the strongest nation the wo:Id Jhad lover sees. The House should hesitate before itasieoted to aoy alteration in a system under which New Zealand had obtained a worldwide reputation for its advanced and progressive legislation. Mr. Fisher strongly opposed the Bill. Mr. Seddon urged that no good reason had been shown for this proposed constitutional change. It had never been before people at an election, in fact the Bill proposed to undo what the people had decided on at the last general election, when a largely increased majerity had decreed that the Liberal tarty should remain in power. He warned members that, under clause 4, the House would be brought into conflict with the representative of the Grown, in other words they would bs setting at defiance the rapreeenta'ive of the Crown, and a grt-at constitutional change like this would mean cutting the painter with the old country. (Hon. members: No!) It was, he contended, impossible for Major Stewaid to nvet that objection. Another objection to the Bill was that it would take away the power of th<3 people, in that at present the Ministry was liable to bs challenged from day to day during the session, but under this Bill, after the start of the eessLn the Government could not bs fui ther impeached. H« asked the House not to make a change which would ba a step in the wrong direction. If this Bill passed into law its effect would bs to destroy our power for good, and substitute chaos for prosperity,

Mr. Fewlds said that the most rigorous whip of the past two or three sessions had been employed against this Bill, and nil the influenoe of roads and bridges had been used to prevent it beooming law. Sir Joseph Ward had s f ated that under this law there would be a system of intrigue, but he asserted that intrigue had been employ d against tbia Bill—Mr. 0. W. Russell claimed that the elective executive was one of the primary question* befote the electors at the last election. Under an eltc'ive executive there would bs pun administration and impartial administration on expenditure on public works, and a strengtheeiog ef the hands of the Ministiy. He asserted that whit the Premier wanted was only one party, wi'h himself as leader of it. He would vote for the second raiding, reserving to himself the right to suggest what he might consider necessary amendments in committee. Mr Napier would not suppon the Bill, but be thought some change was necessary, for since the Minis'ry was only a commute of the dominant party, the par'-y ought to be consulted in the election of tbe Minis'era. Mr Pirani supported the Bill. He said the agitation against the elective executive was p emoted by those who knew the inuep workings of the Government caucus. The senior Government whip bad oanvatsed thf Opposition members about this Bill, and Opposition members had been tiapp«d into giving purs on this question. Mr. Hogg said the p-inciple of this Bill was of a decidedly pernicious character, and should not have emanated from a member en the Government eide of the Home. To piss this Bill wou'd bo going b>ck to tbe dark ages. No Fane Liberal in New Zeasand could Bupport such a Bill. Mr. McKerzie expressed his belief that this Bill was brought forward annually to force a reconstruction of the Mmis'ry. He was convinced that a referendum on the question would khow that people did not want an) change in the present sys'eno. I Mr. Collins siid thit during tfce deb'ata he had not hetrd a single valid I argument agiinet tbe priocip'e underlying the Bill. There would always b Party Government, and this Bill could not destroy it.