PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 127, 7 September 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Teiegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the Council this afternoon the At-torney-General gave notice to int jduce the Inalienable Life Annuities 8i... The second reading of the Ron. .n Catholic Archbishop of Wellington Bill, vesting in the Archbishop certain lands at Napier and Wairoa, was moved by the Hon. Johnston, and agreed to. The Indecent Publications Bill was read a third time,'and the Companies Amendment Bill and the Phosphorus Matches Bill were put through their stages. The Exhibitions Bill was taken in committee and progress reported. The Council then rose. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. The Land for Settlement Finance Amendment Bill was introduced by Governor's message. Replying to Mr. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward said the Bill was intended to enable officers to be appointed specially to carry out the intentions of the principal Act in negotiations for the disposal of land between the Minister and the Association. The maximum area of land that can be acquired was raised from 200 to 500 acres. Mr. Massey quoted from the Act to show that the Minister of Lands had a direct voice in the purchase of estates, so far as making an offer for land was concerned. Sir Joseph Ward said Mr. Massey's impressions were unfounded. The Minister could only act on the recommendations of the Board, nor could he take part in negotiations or make offers for the purchase of lands. The Fon. T. Mackenzie said that so far as the Government was concerned, their care and : honesty in regard to the purchase of estates could not be questioned. His own opinion was that the Government was not paying large prices for estates in many, cases, and its attitude was, if anything, too conservative, with tire result that many good estates were lost to the country. Other Bills introduced bv Governor's Message were a Bill to encourage the beet sii?m* .'n-bistvv, an Act authorising the. exwHitir-e of an additional sum of £35.000 on tV Hutt railway, the Government Railw,iT« Amendment Act, Canterbury Agricultural College Act Amendmpnt. and a Bill to amend the law relating to the. control of mentally defective persons. The House ros* at 5.30 n.m. EVENING SESSION. The House went into committee on the Native Townships Bill. Mr. Herries moved an amendment to clause 19 (which provides for the sale of land to the Crown), giving power to the Maori Land Board to sell land in native townships to any person other than' the King. . ,