PARLIAMENTARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81831, 25 August 1906, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

TER PRESS ASSOCIATION.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FRIDAY, 24th August.

The Council met at 2.30 p.m.

Tim debate on the Addrcss-in-Re-plv was continued bv the Hon. W. T). 11. BAIU.IE. Tie dealt with defences and said he hoped the rnggestion of the Commandant of the Forces that officers should receive better remuneration would be carefully considered. The Hon. I'. TRASK congratulated the Hon. A. Pitt upon being appointed Minister of Defence, and then went on to deal with defence questions, making- special reference to the necessity for encouraging rifle clubs. The Hon. S ,T. GEORGE, refer ring to the Hon. Mr Rigg's suggestion that there should be an Australasian navy built, said it would involve infinitely more cost to this colony than our defence system had done in the past. lie thought the colony should very largely increase its contribution to the Imperial Navy. He expressed the opinion that it would be advisable to have a volunteer corps attached to each school; by this means we would in a few years have a large and competent force of volunteers. W'ith regard to Old Age Pensions, he would like to sec this scheme placed outside of charity. It ought to be considered payable as a right, and and he would like to see the pension made general in application. This could be done by setting aside certain Customs duties, say tea and sugar, for the purpose. He hoped there would be no reduction in duty upon tobacco. In reference to the tourist traffic, he hoped the Government would see its way to induce English companies to extend the voyages of their steamers to New Zealand, and it would, he was sure, result in a huge increase of the tourist traffic.

Tho Hon. T. KKLI.Y approved the intention of tlie Government to bring Native Lands into acquisition. If the Natives were left to deal with their lands, they would eventually be left in a destitute condition. He held that the back blocks ought to be considered before the tourists.

The debate was adjourned on the motion of the Hon. Mr. Mac Donald, and the Council rose at 5 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. SESSIONAL COMMITTEES. _ During the Petitions the Premier asked leave of the House and dopart from the usual custom with the Sessional Committees. The Government, to expedite business, proposed as soon as the petitions were over, will' a view to taking a vote after the end of the formalities. Tlie number of members in each case had been reduced to 10, with the exception of the Native Affairs Committee, which would be 14, with the addition of the Native members.

Mr MASSEY said he would expedite business with pleasure, but it must be distinctly understood that the fault, if any, lay with the Government. lie expressed satisfaction at the same time at the reduction of the numbers from the unwieldly proportion of the last few years. The PREMIER said he could not sec any fault. The Government were proposing to bring on that day business which could not otherwise corner on before Tuesdav. Was that a fault ? Mr T. MACKENZIh welcomed the

reduction. The old numbers led to

the result that often, when the Committees met for a decision, not three members heard the cvi di'ncc consecutively from end to end. He suggested that some remedy should be found. The PREMIER thought if the Committees chose they could settle tl'e matter themselves, namely, by permitting a certain number of absences, and fining for all the rest. The Committees were given notice;

of by the various Ministers. The Address Committee, with the mover and seconder, accompanied the Speaker to Government House, and presented the Address. On the return the Speaker read the reply of His Excellency the Governor. LEAVE OF ABSENCE.

Mr A. L. D. Eraser was, on the motion of tho NatiVe Minister, given a week's leave of absence. FIRST READINGS.

The following Bills were read a first time: Fire Brigades, Products Export Amendment, Tourist and

Health Resorts Control, Greymoul

Harbour Board Loan, New Plymouth Borough and Taranaki School Commissioners' Exchange, Domain Boards' Funds, City of Duncdin

Lands Vesting. The Speaker read to the House Mrs Pinkcrton's acknowledgment of the sympathetic resolution of the House cm the death of her husband, and the document was added to the records on the motion of the Native, Minister.

The second reading of the Poukawa Native Reserve liill was agreed to. and the Bill was referred to the Native Affairs Committee. ADOPTION OF CHILDREN.

The MINISTER OF JUSTICE moved the second reading of the

Adoption of Children Amendment Bill, explaining that the measure, though brief, is very important. First, it supplied the omission of the Act of 1905, by providing (clause 3) in case of the concealment of adoption an order for the revival of the original parents' rights and -duties. Clause 2 he did not think would be always obeyed,'but the principle of giving premiums ftr the adoption of children was wrong »nd should be prevented by the Legislature. This touched a blot 011 our social system, which Parliament ought to do its best to remove.

Mr WILI-ORU agreed with clause

e. but he would oppose clause 2 as unnecessary, in view of the many safeguards established against baby farming, and too drastic interference with legitimate provision for the comfort and amusement of children. Mr BARCLAY agreed with Mr Wilfnrd, adding that the majority of people who adopt children are perfectly honest.

Mr 1-1 AN AH could understand a clause to meet the case of persons making a practice of adoption, but clause 2, with its too drastic effect pressing- 011 probably innocent people, lie could not.

Mr IIEKE and Mr BLDDO opposed the. proposal.

Mr_L.AURF.NSON supported it, in st,mring: a case within his knowledge, 111 which tlu; promise of a large sum bad been followed bv the death of the child.

Mr TANNER would go so far a to vote for the sec, lid reading-. Mr IXAR!) knew of good adop tions which could not have been pre vented bad this Bill been law. Bab\ farming and adoption, he remindct the Minister, were two very different thing's.

The NATIVE MINISTER, replying- to Mr Hoke, said the Bill did not apply to Maoris at all. Mr \\ITT\ did not like either clause of the Bill.

Mr III.NNE 1 T was inaudible

Mr BAUME said ditto to Mi Izard, with more de'ail.

The MINISTER OF JUSTICE, in reply .urged lhaL llie knpwn mischief done must be dealt with. He ridiculed the sentimental arguments employed as baseless, and insisted ui«'l this Jliil would not prevent the "doption of children by worthy per50:i

The Bill was read a second time on the voices.

UF.CISTIATION OF BIRTHS. I lie PKKMIER moved the Registration of Births Extension Bill, fo, tin: registration of children born previous t I a period of six months be lore the passing of the Act. lie explained (lie object wa< to enable persons lo do what iliey ought to lunr donr taotoro. Jt wns not n ra-0 f-r reducing fees, but he would consider any reasonable suggestion in C.oinml'lee. I he Hill wa i re; l '! a second time. The I louse adjourned at 5..10 p.m. EVENING SITTING. PI'RSONNFt. OJ." COMMITTEES Sir 1. (t. WARD obtained permission of the 11 use 10 bring on the Sessional Committees and moved the appointment of the first, 1

Commerce Extension, opening up by general understandnig discussion of the whole of tho 17 Committees on the supplementary Order Paper. Mr J. ALLEN criticised the com position all round, complaining that a few favoured individuals were on a great number of Committees, while many were left with almost nothing to do.

Mr MASSEY declared this to bo the first time when n member holding the position he occupied in the House has been left out of the Public Accounts Committee. On the whole he felt flattered, as it showed the Government feared' his persistent vigilance and power of research. They wanted darkness, not light. Moreover, this Committee, the most important of the House, was not provided with any power of calling fox persons and papers.

The PREMIER: "That has never been done."

Mr MASSEY: "That is not a reason why it should not be done now." He called upon the Government to be true to their alleged reputation

: or business capacity. Mr BARCLAY resented being on

the House Committee when he could do good work on more useful Committees, Law, Labour or the Library, to wit.

Mr FISHER detailed numbers ol members on four and five Committees ,while many good men were put on only one.

Mr MAJOR agreed with that gen erally. Mr ELL said the complaints were from the men who had asked most loudly for reductions. For his part, he felt very keenly being left off the Labour J3 ills Committee. He thought it very inexpediate to whittle the Waste Lands Committee down to ten, and lie regretted there was not a single City member on it. He would move an amendment in these directions at the right time.. Mr W. FRASER said the reductions were right, and the composition wrong, and denounced, the exclusion of the Leader of the Opposition.

The PREMIER interjected that it was so last Parliament ,and was contradicted by several members. Mr R. MACKENZIE was sorry that Westland, Nelson, and Marlborough with Qo,ooo people, and many millions of acres, were not represented on the Lands Committee. Mr HOGG offered to withdraw from the Accounts Committoe to ease the point. Mr FLATMAN rebuked the Lead-

er of the Opposition for making in

sinuations which lie knew to be baseless,. and advised the Government to show they did not fear him by adding his name to the Committee. Mr HERRIES ,who thought Mr Massey ought to be on the Commit tee, urged that there was not asingle member of the North Island. Mr T. MACKENZIE followed on the same lines as the Premier. Mr ALISON followed Mr Merries on both lines.

The PREMIER explained that he had suggested to a member of the Public Accounts Committee to make room for Mr Massey by retiring, but it had been refused, fie objected to the very unfair insinuations made by the other side that some new thing was being done by the Government for some sinister purpose. He held in his hand a copy of the Journals of the House for 1880, and he would read the terms from that of the appointment of the Public Accounts Committee, and the House would see that the wording was exactly the same as the wording in the present case, word for word. He would add that of the Committee of 1889, three were members who did not support the Government, and eleven had supported the Opposition. Now the balance of parties was very different then to what it was now, and if there was anything in the reasoning of the other side, there ought to have been more than three Oppositionists. He read the names.

Mr ALLEN claimed five Oppos: tionists,

The PREMIER pointed out that two had sometimes voted with the Government. He had been very careful in the choice of his words. .The Premier thought if the Opposition Leader wanted for any reason to alter the order and style of things which had ten unaltered for yars, he ought to make the proposition and give reasons that would be fair and proper, but he had no right to insinuate there was anything wrong. For his part, he would be very g'lad to see the Leader cf the Opposition on the Committee. He had been very sorry that the question of North v. South had been raised in the question, and he urged Ilo*. members to consider themselves broadly as New Zealandcrs. Replying to the member f,,r Wakatipu, lie denied that the Chairman of this Committee last year had done anything unfair. Mr FRASER, denied that ho had said,,or hinted ! or intended anything of the' kind.

The PREMIER accepted the hon. gentleman's assurance, and hoped the harmony of the Committee proceeding- would be the game in the future under the same Chairman, as it had been in the past.

The following Committees wero elected without discussion:—Extension of Commerce, Public Accounts, and Railways.

Before the last decision, Mr MAS-. SEY suggested the appointment of a Public Works Committee, and the Premier repled that tho responsibilities of the Government ought not to be transferred to a Committee. The other Committee sleeted on the voices wereßeporting Debates, Standing Orders, Local Bills, House, and Native Affairs. Elected after slight discussionGoldfiekis and Mines. Elected after a protest from Mr Herries against the exclusion of the Member for Bruce, explained by the Minister of Mines, who said that seven members had to be reduced to bring the Committee down to 10, and the Government had taken out five Government and two Opposition : Petitions A to L, Labour Bills, Stoclc, and Statutes Revision. The Waste Lands Committee was

stopped first by Mr R. Mackenzie's

objection', on the ground that NelS"n and Westland were, not represented; next by Mr. Barclay's proposal to increase the number froni 10 to 15, which after some discussion' was lost by 44 to 14; thirdly, by a general discussion which began with North v. South, and got to leasehi Id v. freehold and many other things. Mr MASSEY advised the Government to adjourn the debate, and consider the position in the light of the dissatisfaction apparent. Later on, Mr A.itken moved the adjournment of the debato, and the Premier asked the House not to prevent the Minister of Lands from replying by adopting the amendment. The

'notion was lost by 17 to 47. At 11 p.m., the Minister of Lands

replied. He stated for the information of the younger members that thisNturmoU is usual on the appointment of the Waste Lands' Committee. He went on to point oul the difficulty of forming the Committee on the reduction reqjiired. He had. when forming (his Committee, found ho liad not a northern member Ho had got Mr Hoc? to retire. He had gouo to Mr Bo'lard who refused, and he applied to the Leader of the Opposition for a sug. gestion, and be had given him the names of two Southern members. He denied the correctness of the assertion that there are only two leaseholder:on the Committee, and he showed thai

there are nfc least five, reading tlx- 1 names. .Me explained with regret how lio hadn't placed Mr Jill on llie Committcj, as in reducing lie could nol have both him and Mr Laui'enson there.

After a few personal explanations, the Waste Lands Ccminitteo was elected on the voices and the House adjourned at 11.25 p.m.