PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 173, 24 July 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, July 22. After the Telegraph Office closed the following Bil's were read a second time : F-ncing Act Amendment, MiDing Ac•-. Amendment, and Distric Courts ! The House rose at 12.5 a.m.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. j Thukssdat, July 23. The Council met at 2.30. The Attorney-General moved th' second reading of the Lmd Agent/ Bill, which provides for the licensing by local b ;dies of all persons carrying on business as land brokers. The second reading was cirried on tht voices.

The First Offenders Probation Amendment Bill was committed, and reported with a slight amendmen* made by the Statute Revision Committee.

The debate on the second reading of the Tied Houses 811, and the am and ment of Mr Feldwick to read tbe Bil. six months hence was resumed by Hon. G. Jones, who strongly supported th' Bill, deprecating the attitude of the Attorney General and other members who expressed disapproval of its drai- ■■ ic provisions, and whom he declared to be suffering from mental and moral obliquity. For this he was oalled to order. He contended the Council, under existing circumstances, should be mended or ended. As licenses were granted fjr the convenience of the public, nnd not for publicans, no hotelkeeper had a i ight to complain if hi license was taken away for the public good,

Hod. T. K. Macdonald resented the rabid and fanatical attacks upon hotelkeepers, who, as a body, were respectn''h and honourable burners men. The Bill was one which amounted to cotfi:cation of property and seoaritiee, and no legislature in the world would agr-e to wholesale confiscation of this kind. Hon. J, M. Twom»y opposed the Bill. The debate was adjourned until tomorrow, and the Council rose till 7.30. The Council resumed at 7.30. The Imprest Supply Bili for £475,000 was put thrcugh all its stages without debate. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The Hous9 met at 2.30 p.m. NEW BILLS.

M". Ell gave notice to introduce n Totilisafor Abolition Refarendun Bill.

The following bills were introduced p.nl read a fLst time : Waiwera county (Mr El!),), Fme Arts Acts Amendment (Mr. FieM), Pjtrio'ic Funds (Mr, Seddon), Olutha Floods R-liff Fund Trustees Empowering (Mr. Seddon).

la correction with the Waiwera County Bill, Mr. Seddon intimated he would oppose eny alteration in the existing counties or constitution of new counties.

A Bill to provide for mining under the Kauri Gum Reserves was introduced by Governor's message, and read a first time. The Workers Compen - sation for Accidents Act Amendment Bill wa9 introduced by Governor's message and read a first time. A Bill to p-ovide for the Prohibition or Restriction of Coasting in New Zealand by ships of certain countries, was introduced by Governor's meesage and read a first time. A Bill to extend the time wherein loans under the Dairy Industry Act, 1898, may be made, was in'roduced by Gavertor's message and read a first time.

FINANCE. An Imprest Supply Bill for .£475,000 was brought down by Governor's message. Mr Maesev thought the House was entitled to Eome explanation as to bringing down tbis Bill on the fi-sS afternoon set apirt for local Bills this session.

Mr Seddon said it was negessary to introduce tha Bill to-day bacause the Governor was leaving for the north in the morning. Mr James Alien protested, and complained the Premier was not treating members fairly. Mr Seddon said he was busily engaged in the preparation of tbe Financial Statement, and would bring it down next week.

Tbe postponement of the orders of the day to enable the Bill to be gone on with was agreed to by 40 to 26. Mr if erries asked why the Bill did not provide for the transfer of any money from the consolidated fund to tbe public works fund. Mr Seddon replied (hat at present tho public works fund wss in a flourishing condition, aud there was no necessity for a transfer. He proposed to< obtain the opinion of tha House on cert*in questions before any more transfers were One of these was whether the £203,000 halance of eurplu-i thiuld be used for any other purpose outsida of the public works fund.

Mr Herries urged the Government 'to iisi a lit'le more speed in expanding publ c works money voted last s fi-iion. Mr Hall-Jones: "It is going on very nicely."

Mr said he believed the Public Works Fund was only in affluent circumstance* because money voted had not baen spent.

I Mr Sjddou retorted that members know about a million hid been expanded en public works last year, while a million and a quarter had been borrowed, arc] that there must ba a large amount of that loan in hand.

[ In the couise of a l)ng discussion ssveral mc rubers urged the production, at an esrly date, of 8.1. Return in order to throw light on tho financial statement.

| Mr Seddon eaid the 8.1. Return had ' never been available in Ju'y since Parliament first met in Now Zealand, ard it was utterly impossible to cm pile the return mid submit it to the during July. During the debate on the spcond reading, Sir Joseph Ward st\ted the postal revocue fur the Ju&e quarter showed an increase, ormpared with the June quarter of Ust year, tf nearly .£OO,OOO per annum. The Bill pawed its fin«l stages just before the diunei adjournmont. j

I Thursday, July 23. ! EvKKisa Simxa. j | Tho Hous? resumed at 7.30. I/TAT, BtLf.S. ! The W.-.J'.-i.t) Jtai'i-fluui'-o Reaorve Act Amfit'ipmii. R ; il »■:>» vivid n second ~ : V.1.i1. •. .I- ■,'.. M. Wo-! >-,-v-,\ • ~.,:.»•. .1 ..H.tiivn powering Auk, 11>92, Ameudweul lull,

and a loog debate took place oonsidernble opposition being snown to the Bill, on the ground that it is prop sod to repeal the clause in the existing Act requiring the Wellington dock fund to be kept in a separate fund. Eventually the second reading wu carried by 42 to 16. The Canterbury College Powers 1898 ; Amendment Bill (Mr. Lewis), Borough f Gore Elec ric Power Empowering Bill (Mr. M Na»>),Obris'chuioh Tramvays Difl rict Act 1902 Amendment liill (Mr. Witty), were read a second ' ime on the voices.

ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE. Mr. Steward moved the second reading cf 'he Elective Executive BUI, and briefly explained its provisions. le said tbat under the present system }f selecting the Executive it was reoarkable to witness the growing power f the Executive, end particularly of the Premier, which was fast transforming the Executive from the servants of ho people into the masters of the people. The ■ Bill now before the tlouae would alter that, and would give full effect to the first liberal principle of government of the people by the people. (Left Sitting.)