PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 202, 5 December 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Night. In the Legislative Council, a long discussion! was initiated by Hon. W. 1). H. Baillie on the quality of the liquor supplied by Bellamy's, but no resolution was come to. In the evening, the Appropriation Bill was put through its final stages. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Saturday. In the House after 2 o'clock, the debate on the Public Works Estimate was contined. Mr. T. Mackenzie said that the tourist traffic to Mt, Cook was now showing a profit. The traffic had been doubled. •The estimates were passed without amendments. The Council's amendments in the Maori Washing Up Bill were agreed to. The supplementary estimates were brought down. The House adjourned at 4.50 a.m. till 10.30 a.m. The House met at 10.30 a,m. The House went into Committee ol Supply on the Supplementary Estimates. Replying to Mr. Allen, who asked what was the position in regard to the Vancouver mail service, Sir Joseph Ward stated that he had cabled to the Canadian Prime Minister offering £20,000 a year subsidy towards the Vancouver service. He had also cabled the Federal Prime Minister to the same effect, but owing to the Commonwealth not being able to agree to vessels calling at Auckland no arrangement had been come to. The whole matter was standing over until efforts could be made to bring the three countries into line. The Dominion could not agree to join in any service unless the steamers called at Auckland.

After 12 o'clock Mr. Laurenson moved to reduce the item of £20,000 for new Parliament Buildings by £l, as an indication that before expending furthe* sums on Parliament Buildings the Government should consider the advisability of removing the capital.,fxojn--Welling-ton. This was defeated by 39 to 23. On the item £SOOO compensation to J. J. Meikle, in full and final payment for wrongful imprisonment, Sir J. G. Ward considered that though the members of the Cabinet were unanimous thai the Government had done its duty in the matter, they felt they were bound to provide substantial recompense to Meikle for wrongful imprisonment. Mr. Hogan referred to the claim ot Oliphant Hughes, of Wanganui, who was wrongfully convicted, and advocated having him before the bar of the House.

Mr. Massey agreed with Mr. Hogan. Mr. Anderson moved to reduce the vote to £l, on the ground that there was no reason to reverse the former decision of the House. This was lost by 20 to 15. Allusion was made by speakers to a syndicate said to be behind Meikle, and various suggestions were made to invest the money or give him a pension in place of a lump sum. Another amendmnt by Mr. Anderson to reduce the vote by £4500 was lost by 29 to 17. Mr. Buick moved to reduce it to £2500, which was carried by 26 to 18. The House then adjourned till 2 p.m. Wellington, Saturday Night. . The House resumed at 2 p.m., when the Supplementary .Estimates were dealt with. CORONATION AND IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. At the item of £ISOO for the expenses of the Prime Minister attending tub Imperial Conference and the Coronation, Sir Joseph Ward said he had received no official invitation, but a confidential communication had been forwarded, the nature of which he could not divulge. The Attorney-General would accompany him on his trip Home. Dr. Findlay's services would be required in connection with two important cases, namely, the Te Akau case, involving £50,000, and the Webster claim, upon which it had been decided to set up a tribunal to decide upon the issues raised. The amount involved, so far as New Zealand was concerned, was half a million. The Tribunal would sit either in New Zealand or in America at an early date. In addition to attending to these legal cases, Dr. Findlay was also invited to attend the Imperial' Conference and take part in the proceedings. Replying to Mr. Allen, who asked if any opportunity would be given to discuss the notices of motion for discussion at the Imperial Conference, Sir Joseph Ward said the matter might be allowed to rest with the laying of these before the House. The Conference would be open. to the Press, and reports of the proceedings would be the best means to educate the public on Imperial questions. Whatever .was done by the Conference would be open to discussion by the House. CONGRATULATIONS TO ROYALTY. On the motion of Sir Joseph Ward, the following resolutions were passed: That the House desires to record its respectful congratulations to His Majesty King George on the occasion of his coronation, and to express the hope that the reign of His Majesty and Queen Mary will be a long and happy one. Also, that a Tespectful address be presented to His Excellency the Governor, requesting him to forward the resolution to the Secretary of State. NEXT SESSION POSTPONED.

Replying to Mr. T. E. Taylor, the Premier said there was a clause in the Appropriation Bill postponing the next session of Parliament till 31st July, 1911. He had desired to extend the life of the present session till the second week in February, with a view of allowing the leader of the Opposition and other members to go Home and attend the Coronation. Mr. Massey explained that for private reasons he found it impossible for him to visit England, but wished h understood that his decision was not due to any desire to be discourteous to the Imperial authorities. THE APPROPRIATION BILL. The Appropriation Bill was introduced, and read a first time. Sir Joseph Ward, in moving the second reading, explained the new clauses, the chief of which are: Clause' 13, giving, power to transfer £BOO,OOO from the Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund; clause 28, which grants power to make advances to dairy companies; clause 29, which authorises local public bodies to expend moneys in celebration of the Coronation; clause 30, which extends the appropriation for the financial year till 31st July, 1911,-which means postponing the opening of the session next year for a month. Mr. Massey raised objections to the postponement ! of the session. The House ought to meet at the end of June as usual, under charge of one of the Premier's colleagues. No difficulties would be placed in the way by the Opposition as the result of Sir Joseph Ward's absence.

Sir Joseph Ward said there were difficulties in the way of carrying out Mr. Massey's suggestion, owing to Dr. Findlay's absence from the Council. No inconvenience, would be, caused by. shorted ing the session. . '

On a division the clause was carnevi*! by 27 to 22. J THE SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. 4 Mr. Anderson moved to reduce th« '-}. total vote for miscellaneous services by \- £5, as a protest against the vote of \ £2500 being passed for James Meikle. '". Tlie amendment was lost on the voice* \ Mr. Hogan moved to reduce the vote by £l, as an indication that legislation : should be passed prodding the right of appeal in all such cases as that of OHphant Hughes.—This was agreed to on the voices. Considerable discussion arose over the item of £1320, refund on duty on a patent flax-dressing machine. Hon. T. Mackenzie explained that the cost of the machine was over £6OOO, and the duty was 25 per cent. The machine was designed to use the byproducts of flax, and it was with a view to assisting the industry that the refund was made. Mr. Hogon moved a clause to enable Oliphant Hughes, of Wamganui, to secure a new trial.—lost on the voices. Aftr some discussion on the third reading,, the Bill was put through its final stages. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m., and when the formal business had been completed, the Premier announced that he had received advice from London that £IOO,OOO of the crip of the new loan had been underwritten at £9B 10s. The cost of raising the loans of £1,250,000 and £600,000 under the Finance Act fon aid to public works and land settlement for 1909 was £37,108 4s 7d. At 8.30 p.m. a message from His Excellency the Governor announced that the Appropriation Bill, Shipping and Seamen's Act, and other Bills as passed by the Council had received the Royal Assent.

Replying to Mr. Hogg, who had brought up the question of misleading statements published.in the British Press regarding the emigration of boys to tho Dominion, Sir Joseph Ward said the High Commissioner had replied to hi* cable to the effect that the statements referred to, and which were of a misleading nature, had not appeared in the Press. END OF THE SESSION. The usual speeches of felicitation addressed to the Speaker and Chairman of committees by Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Massey, and the Tepliea by those gentlement, concluded the final sitting of tiie session, and the House rose at 8.55 p.m.