PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 183, 5 August 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

riß FHBBB AHSOUUTIOW. •

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Tuesday, August 4.

The Council met at 2.30.

The Attorney-General moved tha s cond tending of the Weight! and Mutoures Bill received from tha Hours. Tue diecu-Bion was confined to the clause providing that the metric system my ho proclaimed after January, 1906, bpaik'.rs generally agretiu'g upon the advisability of waiing until the system was adopted in- Britain and other colonies.

The second reading was carried on he voice*.

The Property Lvw Consolidation Bill was read u sucond time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Commi'tee. The Council rose at 3.20.

HOUSE OF REPRK3ENTATTYEB.

Tuesday, August 4.

The House mat at 2.30 p.m.

The State Fiie Insurance Bill was introduced by Governor's message and read a first time.

QUESTIONS. In reply to 'ques'ions, Mr Seadon seated tbat it was the intention of tbe Government to proceed with the Referendum Bill this session; tbat he was in favour of both parents having the right to vote for the election of school oommittees, but he was not sure tbat anything would be done in the matter this session; that a Royal Commission should be set up to consider the position of Native school reserves; that legislation would be introduced this session to suppress the ooupon system of trading, whio 1 ! had become nothing more or leas than a gamble; that the feeling of members would be ascertained as to whether it was generally desired that an amendment of the Libel Aot should be brought in this session to give to the press of tbia colony the same immunity frosa prosecution as is eDJjyed by the press of England; that there was not any intention this session of introducing legisla'ion to substitute annua! 1 oansing pods for the existing triennial polls; -hat the G 'Vt-rnaient could not see its way to reduce New Zealand poet cards from a peony to a half-penny. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.

Evini&ci Brrnra, The House resumed at 7.50 p.m. - OOUNTUU BILL. y On the mo.ion for the third reading of the Oounti«s Aot Amendment Bil',» long debate took phce, Mr Ling oansidered that if thr Premier was logical he should be prepare 1 to let thi local bodies rata up to any fi;u'e at all. Mr Taylor considered it would be a sound principle to refuse these country districts any further assisttnoa from . the general treasury until they hid rated themselves to their maximum.

Mr Ell thought subsidies should be done away with. Messrs T. Mackenzie, Bedford, Lewie, J. O. Thomion, Liurenson, Barber, end Mtßsey also spake. Mr Rutherford thought grante end subsidise should ba done away with, and tbe Government should take over the main roads and bridges.

Sir W, Russell said that a man who paid only a shilling in rates had all fqu 1 say in the raising of a loan with the min who paid a larga sum. They were thus departing from the original principle that there should be no taxation without representation, and apparently laying down the principle that there should be no representation where there was taxation, (Left Sitting.)