PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 152, 1 July 1904, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Legislative Council. THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1904. Tim Legislative Council mot at 2. :HJ /MISADDRESS-] N-REPLY. Hon. T. KELLY (Taranaki) moved the Addresfi-ui-lteply. lie congratulated Lord I'lunket on his arrival in the <olony, and said the King's representative would lie loyally received in all parts oi the country. Tho position of affairs in the Fur East should bo u lesson to New Zealand to be in readiness for jany war emergency. Referring to the prosiK'i'ity oi the colony lie at[mbuted it to tho hard work of the colonists, which had resulted in a great increase of imports, exports, I and internal trade, and increased doposits at the Post Ollico Saving's Bank. On the land question, Mr Kelly believed the Royal Commission proposed would result in much useful i»formation being obtained ; but as far as the freehold was concerned he thought tho 999 years' lease an ample tenure. Hon. A. I3ALDEY (Otago) seconded the motion, agreeing with all the mover haid said. He thought it would be a mistake to convert the leasehold into trochoid, as the former left a valuable asset to the State.

Hon. H. SCOTLAND (Taranaki) said with reference to an inci-eased ! naval grant that the colony did not require so much militarism. It was : absurd for New Zealand to pose as a great military or maritime power. Ho deprecated the reference to the Chinese in South Africa, and said : "Let us mind our own business." Ho did not see the necessity for a liigh Commissioner. The AgentGeneral did very good work. The reference in tho Speech to reform of the Legislative Council was a stall in the back. IJt might be Imperialism, but it was not English. »Notwithstanding all that was said about it the Council was still respected, and a. necessity. Hon. Captain IiAILLIE (Marlborough) dealt mainly with the necessity for roading the back settlements. He hoped competent men would be appointed to tihe proposed Royal Commission on lands for settlement. Hon. J. MARSHALL (Westland) upheld the perpetual leasing system. Hon. W. M. BOLT (Otago) moved Uie adjournment of tho debate, which was agreed to, and tho Council rose at 4.5 o'clock. House of Representatives THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1904. Tho Speaker took tho chair at 2.30 p.m. LIQUOR IN COOK CROUP. A batch of petitions from various parts of tho colony was presented, protesting against tho importation and sale of liquor in the Cook Group FIRST READINGS, The following bills were introduced and read a first time :—Stratford District Hospital (Symes), Rating on Unimproved Values Amendment (Fowlds), Factories Act Amendment (Taylor), Native Licensing (Major), Town Districts Act Ro-enactment (Lethbridge), Regulation of Local Elections Amendment (Tanner), Canterbury College and Canterbury Agricultural College Amendment (Ell), Local Elections il Sorvico .(^tfoid), Licensing Act AmendmenL,^lndustrial Conciliation unl ' ArtfflJatnon Amendment, School Attejj#s anou Act Amendment, MidwJWes, Payment to Members, Wine yffdiilteratkm Prevention, Shops and Ollices, Referendum, Teachers' Superannuation, University Degrees, Fire Brigades, Land for Settlements Act Amendment, Trade Monopolies Prevention, and Hokitika Harbour Board Empowering (Soddon), Native Land Rating (Carroll). ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. At ton minutes past throo Mr E. M. SMITH (Taranaki) resumed tho debate on tho Addres»-in-licply. Ho said ho wus very sorry that the Premier should have asked for a Royal Commission to consider the land question, ana urged that the Premier should have definitely statod that he had no intention of interfering with tire existing land system of the colony. Ho defended tho land policy and administration of the Government at some length, and said ho would do his level best in' and out of sessiion to warn, .Crown tenants not to be led astray by tho Opposition doctrine in regurd to the freehold. He did not agroo with tho proposal to appoint a High Commissioner, being of opinion that the present Agent-General was Iqfiito sufficient and the colony could not afford any extra expense in that direction. Mr Smith complained of tho treatment accorded to old ago pensioners, owing to what ho regarded as the harsh interpretation of the regulations, and said ho would call

for a committee of inquiry into the working of Iho department. Mr J. DUTME (Wellington City) considered the most cheerful feature of the Address was that them wore so few measures proposed, as the colony was labouring already under a surfeit of crude and ill-digested measures. It was, however, discouraging to find that no definite promise of local government reform had'been mado. Thcro was no excuse for delay in this respect. There was no ground for tho boast that the efioct of ttio esta|t«lishment of the Stato Firo Insurance Department had been to cut rates, and ho said the Government could not run an independent tariff. Ho adversely criticised U\c Government contract with tho Federal Company for a steamship service between New Zealand and port,? on the west coafJt of Knglland, and complained that whem the contract was entered into the Shaw Savill Company intended to give a servico direct from west of Engjland ports to New Zealand. Yet the Government accepted the Federal steamers, which did not give a diixct service at all, but came via Australian ports. Referring to the question of precedence, and correspondence that had taken place between the Premier and the Chief Justice, he said no sufficient reason had Jfc(c«sn given for the change, and it was regrettable that the question haid not been left alone until the conclusion of the term of office of the present Chief Justice. He comikiatted the Premier's assertion that within a given area Wellington had a denser population than some of tho cities in tho Old Country, and suid the official who supplied the figures should bo taken severely to task. The debate concluded at 4.50 o'clock, and the Address-in-Heply was agreed to on the voices. RETUHNS. Several motions for returns were agreed to, and tho House rose at. 5. 30 o'clock,

EVENING SITTING. Thp llruso resumed at 7.30 p.m. COST OF "MAORI LORE." Several returns were ordered to 1» laid before the House, among them being a return showing the cost to the colony of tho compilation of a 'book (intitUxl "Maori Lore," HOURS OF MEETING. Mr SEDDON (Premier) moved that for four weeks the House 011 Tuesdays and Wednesdays meet at 10.30 a.m. and adjourn at 10.30 p.m., \yit'h tihe usual intervals for luncheon <and dinner. The SPEAKER ruled that under tho Standing Orders four days' notice must be given of tho motion. Mr SEDDON indicated that he would got over the difficulty by moving to-morrow that the House at it* rising adjourn tillvlo.3O^ m . on " Ti.ncih'.r^.