PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 153, 24 July 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuusdat, 23ed Jt/lt. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. YOUNG PERSONS PROTECTION BILL, In committee on the Young Persons Protection Bill, in Clause 11, which deals with the arrest and detaining in custody at th« nearest ptlice station of youog person* found in gambling or disorderly houses, ths words "police station " were struck out on Hon. W. 0. Walker's moiion, and eha word| " shelter " substituted. Biil was also provided for in this clause, and a provision was added to the Bill empowering a Justice of the in the absence of a Magistrate, to grant bail to young persons in custody. Prognss was reported, Hon. Walker promising tore-commit the Bill to allow Clause 5, dealing with the treatment of young persons found loitering, to be further considered.

BILLS IN COMMITTEE. The Chinese Immigrants Amendmant Bill went through committee unamended, and passed the final stages. In committee on the Public Health Amendment Bill, Section 2, which givos power by Order-in-Conncil to prohibit; tbe importation of any material liable tocoavey infectious diseate, w*.s amended to apply to material which in the G»vernor's opinion is likely to convey infectious dise-se. It was further provided, on Hon. Walker's motion, that such importations shall be deiaaed pohibied goods under tbe Customs laws Consolidation Act, 1882. The Minister was also instrumental in adding a new clause putting th« power of exemption fiom vaccination in ths hands of a magistrate alone. The Bill was reported, with the amendment, aod the Council rose at 4.5 p.m.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, Jolt 23. The House met at 10.30 a.m. Mr. E. O. Smith took the cath and his sea*. FIKST READING, The Shipping and Seamen's Bill was read a first tima. SBOFS AND OFFICES BILL. Mr Wilford presented fifty-five petitioas from bank clerks in various parts of the colony protesting against the provisions ef the Shops and Offices Bill as applied to bank clerks. ADJOURNED DBBATB. M<*. Buddo resumed the adjourned debate on the second reading of the Land for Set.tlemm.ts Act Amendment Bill. He strongly opposed the clause (which proposed to give mirried men I preference in taking up land. He deprecated the gambling which went on under the Land for Settlements Act and suggested the abolition of land transfers under the Act, which he believed would almost put a stop to this objectionable practice. Mr. Herries was-sorry thera was no provision id the Bill to grant Battlers the freehold. S wner or liter that boon must be granted. He said the Assets Board, by asking prohibitive pricrs, was discouraging attempts made by genuii e settlers to buy land in the WaikUo district.

Mr, Bennett opposed the clause giving preference to married mon on the ground that it will be the means ef driving young men and young women from the colony. There was a demand for land for settlement in his district, out it had not been met, Mr. Napier regarded the Bill as an attempt to suppress girls' dummyism, especially by preventing a fictitious system of balloting, which frequently was worked under the present condition". Ho was in favour of elective Land Boirds, and believed they would bo conducive to better settlement of the country. Mr. Barclay strongly condemned the lease in perpetuity system, and said tna'.ss the value of land woold persistently rise the paople of the colony would regret the day they allowed that system t'i become la«. He also condemned the fet simple, which, he said, mnit ba deleted from the Statute Book. Mr. Graham considered that clause 6 of the Bill was objectionable, as he believed in the right of a parent, when given notice of intension to take his land compulsorily, to cut up that land, which he had worked hard for, among his sons, rather than let it go to strangers. He also objected to the clause giving preference to married men.

Mr. Hornsby expressed his preference for the fie hold system, provided there was every necessary safeguard against the aggregation of large estates. He thought that before the back blocks were opened up they should b» roaded. Ha objected to the re-valua-tion of Crown lands, and said the working of the Valuation Department at present was a perfect scandal.

The debate whs ioten upted by the luncheon adjournment. On lesuming at 2.30 p.m., Mr. S-ddon said Mr. Q. W. Rus'ell's figures were erroneous as to the quantity of land purchased last year by the Cover nm nk for settlement purposes. The su:n of .£350,193 was expended U'der this heading last year as against £353,000 for tho pr. vious year. Mr. Russell gave the figure? for last year as .£186,621, and Mr. Seddon claimed he was out to the tune of £163,573. Mr. Sadden went on to siy that if ths amount exp»nded on workman's homes last year was included the total expended for settlement purpows would be £356,000. The Government bad bven blamed for not facilitating the estib isbment of th«ee homes, but ha pointed out that 150 had bean established last year as against 50 for the pieviou* year. Mr. Tanner: You mean sections; nst homes. Mr. S.'ddon : No; I mean homes. Continuing, he said the Government had also been blamed for neglecting Canterbury in regard to land for settlement, but as a matter ef fact since the pass'ng of the Act a larger amount had been expended in that province than any otht>r district in the colony, viz., £774,000. Mr Seddon defended the Assets Realisation Beard from attacks made upon it during the debate. It would be unwise to furce sales of land by the Boird, as if that had bsen dore, the re c ult would have bean a heavy loss, Regarding Land Boards, he said if Sir John McKenzie had remained en the Treasury Benches, eo members of Parliament would have been members of L»nd Bmrds. J' The Bill was read a second time en the voices. | The Hcvisa then went into committee ' on the Bill. Mr Heniea a -id Clause 3 ' gave the Minister power to take land | for drains, roads and bridges, whether . owners consented or not. i Hon. Duncan said it gave bo further I power than existed at present, ' i

Mr. Ssddon stated the Grown law officers were of opinion that the clause would not interfere with the existing Act, but dealt more with the question of finance.

After a long discussion the clause was pasted unaltered. In clause 5, Mr, Jag. Allan moved an amendment providing that both sides should appoint an assessor within 21 days after the filing of a claim for compeesatioo. This was negatived by 40 to 15, and the clause was pissed unaltered.

i An amendment by Mr Seddon in clauie 6, to the effect that negotiations for the purchase of land shall be deemed to commence on the date cf the Itnd purchase officer notifying that the Governor had determined to purchase was agreed to, after debate, on the voices.

Mr Seddon moved a new eub-clause to provide that restrictions on subdivisions should c-ase twelve month* after notica of intention to acquire had been given, if the Governor did nob proceed with the purchase.—This was agreed to on the voices, and the clause added to the Bill, on division, by 41 vot"s t» 21.

Clause 8, " married men to have preference," was struck out on the Premier's motion. A verbal alteration in Clause 9, dealing with regulations of claims for ion peusation in respect of lands c»mpr'sorily taken, was agreed to, making it clear that tbe clause only referred to the principal Act. Captain Russall move* for the insertion of a new clause that where an owner has lawful children tbe areas limited by subsections 2 and 3 of section 12, Land for Settlement Consalidation Act, 1900, shall be increased as follows:—An additional 500 acres for each child of second-class land, and an additional 1000 acres of pastoral land for each such child.

Mr. Seddon said the House might as well repeal the Land for Settlement Act wi pass this clause. The hour of 10.80 having arrived, progress was reported, and' further consideration of the Bill was made the first order for 7.30 on Wednesday. Mx Seddoo premised to give up a Government day to private members who would suffer by this arrangement, and tho House rose.