PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 234, 30 October 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE! COUNCIL. Thursday, Oc'obrr 29. Tim Ccuiicil in S at 2.30 p.m. L \.i o l ii'osuuca io.' the nmiinder of ii ■s: -lo , w,n jrr uti'il to the Hon, Gi u.-.-o O'. u'.,uus »i ill health, i 'J', i-1 ■ :r ii he weeij Uio two Houses •'on ;.i. U ii fiiil'n uriiu dnif-nt to clause 21 of the Sti'..i i'ii-1 Intturincs Bill <ic • ipi -d tii-) who!-) afternoon sitting. In accord lice with the resolution of .'' Ll.ius) i'in JJ il was received back (-oin :hi-. 'himbi.-for the reconsider..u .ii i)i' u iu< oUus;, T .e Sp ■ k'.T announced he could iii'l uo p.'cda-.t for the coarse sidjutcl, a-A ho :\sk*i tlio Council to i>p n~, a iS-l.'c - ; O-muittei to Uy .i nn '.ho COUIU3 of pucoodure to be . Jl.iwod. Tno Attorney-General said the House hid seat bick the 811 and it was bofore the Council. The former wis master of id own proceadiogs, as thi latter wag of its actions. He moved thnt a Select Committee be ap-rioi.-ited consisting of tbeSpeaker, Hun. tfullie, Sir A. J. Cadman. T. Kelly, Mil!-r, Biwan, Rig;;, and the mover to -r ■. ch for preced.-n 8 and recommend what piocwdura be adopted Hou. Kelly und Sir A. J. Old man vrged the Council should follow the example of tha Hoosj and mike a precedent. Hon*. Rigg and Miller pointed out that putting the amendment in antique typo wai an admission that thaOiunoil had no right to make the amendmsnt. Hon. McLjao again contended that the ditfic jlty cauld best be ovarcome by a new Bill baiDg introduced in the Houee with the Council's amendments. Hon. Jones moved an amendment to refer tha question to the Standing Orders Committee. The Attornsy-General urged that the Council, b -ing a nominative body, should ba the first to consent to com- ; promUe. Tee motion was lost by 25 to 8, and the amendment lost by 27 to 6. The adjourned debate was then resumed oa the report of the third conference, and en the motion of the Attorney-General that upon the State Fite Insurance Bill being received from the House, it ba returned to that House by the Oounoil with amend[meat in olmse 24, printed in antique j s>'po. I Hod. Ormond moved an amendment that the Council is of opinion that the Bill was returned to the Council in a m inner not in conformity with the Standing Orders, and that there are o'h-ir mnthoiis that would be in accordance usual custom by which the Kousa could placa the Bill b.ifore the Council for furtbor consideration. i T"is was strongly opposed by the I Attorney General. Hon MicJonald thought it desirable to hare an alteration of the Sanding o:ders in regard to Bills of thh kind, bus thi Bill ought not to be jeopardised meanwhile. The country desired the Bill and the Council should not thwart fchn desire. Tha debate was interrupted by the dinner adjournment, and the Oounoil idjourned until 8 p m.

EVESINQ SITTIK*. The Council resumed at 8 p.m., The Attorney-General's motion to return tho State Fire Insurance to the House with au amendment printed in antique typo, was curried by 17 to 13, and an si Idewlum by Hon. Pinkerton that the decision shall not be considererod a precedent wa3 also agreed | to. •▼ The Products Exports, and Local Bodies Loans Bills were read a third time and passed. Tlie Shipping and Seamen Bill was recommitted for further consideration, and after being amended in several clauses, was reported as amended. The Council adjourned at U.lOp.m,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thubsdat, Ocrocsß 29ts, The House met at 2 30 p.m. The Hon. T, Dune. ,i\ gave notice to introduce the Agricultural and Pastoral Soaieties Am<in<iaiont Bill. An Impreßt (Supply Bill was introluced by Governor's message. On the mo'ioc to go into Committee of Supply, Mr Massoy moved as an amendment, that this House is of jpinion that the Government should early next session introduce and gift Parliament an opportunity of pawing into law legislation providing for the reform of tue Legislative Council. It was the system he said whioh was wrong and required amending. The qualification for a seat in the Council was 6ubsorvienc3 to the party in power. The remedy wag ta irnke the revising •iiamW elective. Ho suggested the election might be by the Hare system -hy members of Parliament or the people. By running two electorates ia'o one they would have 40 members. All he wanted at present was to hays ho principle of an elective Legislative Council affirmed. Hon, Cirroll did not consider the end of the session was the proper time for the House to discuss a large qu*stion of reform like this; it should first ; le threshtd out in the oountry. \ Mi Laurenson siid he was opposed to the Legislative Council at at present constituted, but he objected to being used by Mr Massey as a oatapaw to give a slap in the face to the Govern'mant. He would vote against the amendment.

Mr Jas. Allen said Mr Liurenson <vas tied to pirtyr raoie than to political honesty. He (Mr Allen) challenged the Premier to takfl up the Elective Liaixlatitfe Co'ioci! Bill. Mr R. urged that the Pr--ini<irt»iye tbe House an opportunity of r msid-ring th,i Elective Legislative 0..i,.,cii Kill. Mr Taylor said ho would vote for the amendment. At Saturday night's banquet Mr Masaey declared in favour of reform of the Legislative Council, and ypscerday afternoon Mr Ssddon deliberately stole from him the only plank in thfl political platform. Sir W. Russell spoke against the abolition of the Upp->r House and urged the nes.'ssity for legislative re««ion srmßwh re or other, Mr Withef.ird coinphinsd of large policy uiMßures being kppt back till i';e end of the session, and thought the apposition could be better employed h&n in attacking members of another placß who could not reply. Mr Ell said that though a Supporter )f an elective Legislative Council he »ould_ not Huppjrt the Leader of tbe 3pp isition for party purposes Mr Buddo was also in favour of an deotive Legislative Council, but was ;ot going to be caught napping by tbe ueader of tbe Opposition,

Mr Mi'lar said that tha LfgU'atiw Couucii should be abolished altogether, that was the oaly logical pasitior. Mr Seddon said there was a in the amendment which was not; •■<- ceptible to members who were in f -wour of an el-ctive Legislative Council. Mr Maeeey was absoiu'elycommittiig 'lit rn by the amecdmet.t to an election Legislative Council, which was first mooted by Sir Fredk. Whittaker, who was always a CoLservativo. An elective Council meant thai; tha Council wou : d claim superior power, and tberrf wou'd bestruggi s b-t.woen the two Cbambns far beyond th-it now proceeding on Fire Irka-inis. Whfln the Bill oms down for i.rxJkhicg Legislative cilMr Mass y :"W!ien !

Mr Seddon : It is much neiivr than you think ; you will ail vote against i . He (Seddon) said the old Cons:-.rva'iv-Party had appointed men who had been rejected at the polls, but tho last batch of appoint men - s made by the prveect Government did not contain the nam" of a single man who bad been defatted at the polls. As leader of this Hou-e and the Liberal Party in New Z9 ihtd, he refusrd to be pledged by tho leaile; 1 of the Opposition to bring down any Bill?. Be would, this ses-ion, afk thp House to calmly and deliberatuly consider something tangible, namely, the abolition of the Upper Hou^e. Messrs Baumc, Rsmiogton, Witty, Wilford, and Rutherford also opposed Mr Maesey's amend nil nr, and Mr Herdman supported it, and, on division, the amendment was negatived by 44 to 23. In reply to Mr Mwsey, Mr I§Bddon said the Public Works Statement would be brought down in a few day. The discussion was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. '

Evening Sitting. The House resnmed at 7.30. Tbe discussion on the Imprest Supply BUI was continued. Mr Massey said there was an intense feeling of dissatisfaction through - out the country at the condition of affairs in regard to public works expenditure, especially as to roads and bridges, and that feeling was intensified owing to recent cancellation of votes by the Public Works Department. These votes they were told, would be replaced, but the work would not be gone on with during the summer months} and that meant another winter of misery. He hoped the works would be gone on with at as early a date as possible. After furtber discussion Mr Seddon said the mind of the country was thit there should be a reduction in public works expenditure. Mr Massey : No, it is not. ; Mr Sf ddon : Members have urged it on the Government. Mi* Massey: I deny it. Mr Sneddon said the Government bad been accused of increasing the public indebtedness, and in so doing the-; were condemning the Government for borrowing money for public works As the Government had reduced their borrowing powers they must reduce the expenditure. If they had gone on at the rate they were going their credit would not have recovered.

Mr Massey emphatically denied that the opposition hid suggested that th public works expenditure should be reduced. They had asked the Government to practice economy in other directions. " { Sir Joseph Ward said the public works expenditure had been reduced by £750,000, and he had no doubt tha the country would adapt itself to the altered circumstances without being affected in any material degree. The lengthy discussion which ensued interrupted by the return of tbe State Fire Insurance Bill frcm the Legislative Council. Mr Massey nised a point of order that the proceedings were not in accordance with constitutional practice', but Mr Reddon declared that everything was in order. The Speaker said that owing to the importanca of the point raised he would defer his ruling until the next afternoon. The amendments made by the Council in the Products Exports Bill and local Bodies Loans Amendment Bill were agreed to. , Further discussion ensued on the Imprest Supply Bill. (Left sitting.)

TTTANTEOKSfOWN-BLaOKFAMILT, i lY Mondaj and Tuesday next.