PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 226, 21 October 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

FEU PRESS ASSOCIATION, | LEGISLATIVE OOONOIL. Tuesday, October 20. Tho Council mot tit 2.30 p.m. The Gold Duties and Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bilk were read a second time and referred to Committees. The Crown Grant Amendment 13i.1l j end Muuicipil Corporations Ameud-j inent Bill wure read a second time, I The Attorney-Ganer.il moved th=t ' 6:c >od reading of the Water Pow ir Bill. ! Tho second reading was agread to. Tee Auimils Protection Kill (second reading) debiti was interrupted by thu i 5 o'clock udj iurr,m int. The Council resumed at 8 p.m. The Anumls Pro ection, Said Drift, Hust Ho id, and Sea Fisheries Bills pas* d tlifiir second reading. The Cook and O.her islands Bill went through committee withou amendmant, was read a third time and passed. The Council rose >it 9,10.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, October 20. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Petitions were pre«nced by Mr Mfts-ey for the ameudmeat of the Public School Teachers Salaries Act. They were referred to the Education Committee. The Gold Duties Abolition Bill and Dentists Act Amendment Bill were lead a first time. The Native Land Rating Bill (Oarroll) was re»d a second time and referred to the Native Affaire Committee. The New Zealand Institute Bill, Poukawa Nativa Reserve Bill, and Olutha Fbods Helief Panda Trustees Empowering Bid were put through thoir final stages.

PUBLIC LOiNS. Mr Sedilon movel the second reading o£ the Public Loins Renewal Bill to facilitate the renewal of certain public loans by extending the existing statutory provisions under which the loans were raised. He said the loans nnder the Aid to Public Works and Land for Settlements Acts fell due next year, and legislative power was required to renew them. The total amount was £1,600,000, and he did not auticipata there would be any difficulty about the renewal of it. Mr Masaey regretted the 'Premier had not devoted more time to expl lining what was one of the most important financial Bil's that had bean brought before Parliament. He believed that this and Bills conaernlng tho rate of interrs 1 ; would have a bad effect if the maximum rate of interest was fixed »t 5 per cent. There was no mistake those people who had money to lend would demand a maximum rate, and this increase in rate of interest would spread to the mercantile and other pursuits, and to some extent would spread to the other colonies. The Government took credit tor the fall in the rates of interest some years, ago, and they must, by the same reasoning, accept toe responsibilty for the inorease now proposed. He urged that the operations of the Bill should be limited to two years,

Mr James Alien inquired* whether tho Government intended to treat their own departments, whose funds they had " collared," in the same way as th* foreign money-lender as to rates of interest to be pud. The Government had come to rely so much on the Post Office Savings Bank deposits that without them they would be very much at sea.

Sir Joseph Ward pointed cut that it had already been stated that it was not intended to raise the money at five per cent, nor would the Bank interest go up. The desire of the Government was to guard against the very possibility of those things happening which the Opposition predicted. I) would - ba a mistake to limit the operations of the Bill to one or two ye-trs No one had felt during the last two years the withdrawal by the Uov*rn ment of money from the, lending institutions. The Government had obtained a million in that way and no one, comparatively, knew anyhing about it Saving* Bank depositors were paid a lower rate of interest than the foreign lenders beoause th« money was at call, while the loins extended over a number of years. The million it was proposed to raise within the colony would be spent on reproductive works and wou'd only be taken out of one set of pockets and put into another. Mr Taylor end the Opposition wa*", always objecting to the Government going to London for its loans, and now they also objected when it was proposed to raifio the money locally. The debate whs interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment,

Evening Sitting. The Houhb resumed at 7.30, Mr W. Frassr resumed the debate on the Public Loans Renewal Bill. He considered the occasion for passing it was one that ought not to have arisen, but the ue cossity for the Bill was due to the policy of issuing short dated dobantures within the colony. The dabate was interrupted by a Governor's message introducing the Licensing Act A.roondment Bill, and thrt Maori Lant Laws Amaadment Bill. Mr Scddon intiraited that he did not intend to take the first reading of 'latter Bill until the n«xt day. LICENSING. A discussion on the Licensing Bill was opened by Mr Ell, who complained of the action of thu Premier in interrupting the debute on an important financial Bill, to introduce a Bill which he did not intend to go on with this session. It was tufting with thn question to bring in suoh a Bill witbiu ft fortnight of the olown cf r;ha session. Mr Sedi'on: Oh! We will be hero till Christmas. Me Taylor said there was no demand for comprehensive licensing legislation. All that was wanted was an amendment of the El"C'oral Act, to ensure « straight out fair fight (very three years. He believed 'ho Givtrnmant d-sired to d) something fir the prohibition party, but judging from whit was said to deputations, tho Premitr had already taken sHes against, 'his r«refoim. (Mr Sertdon; "No.") He urged that Government bad only mala a sho v of dealing with the this session on acoount of pressure from the trade which hid realised iis. danger. Mr MeL-eMan sp->kp. Mr Btdf >rd said the past aoMoos of the Premier and his Government on the licensing question gave rise to distrust. Mr Remington considered the country was indebted to Mr Seddon and bil

party fur giving the people the right to deal wiih he licensing question. Mr Barber failed to see any urgent need to dual with the question this isetsion. Mr Major declared his belief that Id she true interests of the piople the Premier had brought down a Bill which would satisfy the majority of tho people. If the Premier had not brought it down he would have been taunted with >\it having had the courage to do so. | Mr Seddon asked what grounds were j there for the attacks made upon him raid the Government, He had letters j n'l speeches from the temperance iisoplo, in which they thanked God for viuit bad boon done on their behalf. A large mij uifcy of members had de- <•:• ired tint the law should be amended daring the first session. No doubt it iculd not p'eas4 everybody, but he ii.l not think there would bs that untagonism to i", or take up so much i rasas borne people feared. The Bill its Jf was a i-utlicii nt justification for i:» submission, and he hopad it would <or some years stop the liquor quettion being th« dominant question in the politics of the colony. The House then went into Committee to consider the message of the Governor transmitting the Bill. Mr Taylor considered the proposal to set up a Commission torrpirton the question .of the sale of Hquar in the King Oountry was simply playing with the whole thing. Mr Seddon further explained the ( provisions of the Bill and contended that several of the provisions had been | recommended by the temperance people, including that of raising the [ age under which young people could -iot be supplied (this was also recommended by the trade.) He contended chat occupies of premises on which ' large sums of money had been epent should be placed on a more secure footing than those on which nothing j had been spent for many years. g Mr. Dathie inquired who wag author a of the clause prohibiting liquor being kept in private houses in no-lioeoM district)). Mr. Seddon: I am, and if no other

slause in the Bill is passed, I hop* that will be. At 11.40 the BiU was read a Ant time on the voices, The Speaker announced that the conference on the Bunh and Swamp Grown Land Settlement Bill had arrived at an agreemant. The debate on the seoond reading of the Public Loans Renewal BiU was then resumed. Left Sitting.)