Parliament.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 127, 22 October 1914, Page 4

Parliament.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21. AFTERNOON SESSION. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. AVellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.i». LOCAL RAILWAYS BILL. The Local Railway s Bill was ra-eoau-nuiuted for the purpose of making a machinery amendmuit. to e'ta,Uß"e 74, The Bill was read a tturd tiane and passed, NATIONAL PROVIDENT. The National Provident Amendment Bill was .put ;hrouglh committee and' reported with amendment*. The Council rose at 4.15 pom HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AFTERNOON SHSffiON. ■ '-flhra Ifouse met »t 2.39 p.m. OOOK ISLANDS. The Statutes Revision Committee reported iiat ihe Coot Islands Bill bo aJlowed to proceed. lion, llerdman said that ao material changes had been made in the Bill, which it was proposed to send to tilid Native Affairs Committee, afiier which he would be p.>nscd to fully explain t*e alterations made. END OF THE SESSION. The Premier made a statement a« is the business to be put, through tliis scs--sion,, at the conclusion of which he stated that he saw no reason why the session should not conclude by Kotuir«lay week.

TIH LBGJSLATIVB COUNCIL. The Premier then proposed to go iniio eommitkie on the Legislative Oouncil Bill, but, at the request of Sir Joseph Wind l , deferred it till 7.30 p.a. During (he discussion on Sir Jost'jA Ward's proposal the, Premlier said he .was not responsible for rumors, but he could go so fna- as to say that no further appointments to tho Council had been considered by the Government. WORKERS' DWELLLSrC®'.

The House went into committee on the Workers' Dwelling Amendment Bill, whick wan passed without amendment. LAND BILL. The Land Laws Amendment Bill was next taken iu comjnittee. A new clause, iht, providing that lessees in 'perpi-iuity of ordinary Orown Land may require the fee sinjplo of the Whole, area, notwithstanding pro-visions as to limitation of area, waa challenged by the Opposv.iion. but was owned by 36 to 21. »

Clause 9b, giving similar concessions ko lessees of betllement landi was also ohallenged, and carried by 36 to 18. The right of leasees of small grafting •runs to acquire the freehold under clause 12 was also contMed, but ,iihe Government slijjlutl increased its majority. The committee. wa* considering new clauses moved by Mr. MeOaJlum when tho Premier moved to report progress at the dinner adjournment. THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME.

The following are the Bill* which the Pruniier announced' that the Government proposed to put on the Statute Book Jhis suasion: Legislative Council, Workers' Dwellings Amendment, Land Laws Amendment, State Advances Amendment, Wages Protection and Contractors Liuis Amendment, Taiuri Land Drainage Amendment, New Zealand University i.iver Boards Amendment, Hallway* iniprovenienli Authorization, Legislative Auiendment Bill (.No. U), Native Land Amendment, Orchard and Garden Di-siases Amendment, Medical Practitioner*, .Shipping Documents During the War, Agents Amendment, -Cook Island Mining and Coal Miners' Amenuuicnt. Mr. Masaey also sta.'.od that a Loan Bill would bo brought down, and could he discussed when debating the i'ub'.ic Works Statement. Several auall Bills not yet draited would also be in'j'oduced, and thare would be two ''washing up" Bills. He would give the House an opportunity oi determining whether it would go 011 with the, 'lndustrial Concil'iu'uion and ArIntra: ion Amendjui'iit Bill, introduced bv .i*. Hind-niarwh, and 'tlbe Industrial Unions and Tiade Unions EiiaMing Bill, introduced 1 by Mr. McCombe. Local Bills would prokiibty ba discussed, on Saturday, or Saturday week, Proposal* to increase the graduated land tax would be introduced next session . The. House rose at, 5.30 p.m.

EVENING SESSION. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL. When the Houso resumed at 7.30 p.m., the Legislative Council Bill was taken in committej. I Sir Joseph Ward moved that progress be reported upon the Bill so that, 'the electors at the coming elections s'l*ouid' have an opportunity 01 expressing an opinion on the Bill. The electors .ha, 1 the right 10 an opportunity »t considering such important changes. As a precedent for this claim ho quoted the procedure, in Australia;, and instanced the case of the rejection by t'Jio people of BUgjrcsjfed clianges in ,the constitution. He could sec.no necessity for putting the Bill through this session, when the nieiisn.ro was not to become operative, until 1916. ' No montber, however experienced, could say what the peoole would do at the polls. If tho Opnositiion wero 'returned to nower, it would 'be stopped flay the personnel of tho Council, and the only course open would be to make frndi appointments to swamp the appointmenis, .recnitl" made. "Mr. Massi.y said the principle of the Bill was to .ireukc the Council representative, and this principle had been discussed upon wcxy platform of New Zealand. The party in power was returned pledged to 'bring about a ohangs in. the constitution of the Council Jlfo also pointed out llhat tho House had passed resolutions affirming tho principle of the present Bill. The country and the Legislative Council had agreed that n change waa necessary, and that the Council should he demiocratiaad. No one f could say fftiuit flic present method was satisfactory. '■ Up to tlbe SUMM adjournment, the discussion was to 9 fi'eafc extent a repetition of tho second reading debate, centring Tound the question of proportional representation as an electoral Rystem. The Opposition contended' that it ought lirst to be applied to the representative chamber. At 11 o'clock the division on Sir J. Ward's motion was taken, when the proposal to report progress was. rejected Iby 35 .to 23." ' The division list was as follows: — Ayes: Brown, Bmido, Buxton, Carroll, CoWn, Ciaigie, Dickie, Ell, Glover,

'J lift. HanM, Hindnmnm . jr.t, Atcualhunv V» , er t' ?f* U ' Polantl > "Oiwruon. CT sell, feeddon b,de,>, u. ,v. .«mi,j, j a leUorg; tfortw* .ud Pujnu J n^f^T^'f 1 ' Awha ' i »«" l » J. Bollard, Bollard, Bradney, Bu.cK.OamT X JEscotL l*her IW, Harris, Her A HW Lea, Wander, JWy, L , wn)an j£ ijawman, Noswor.uay, Oicev, keed Tdkw. Guthrie and jfcCoiu zie, Rantfluroa aa« Alikrj Aots: Wilsouand jierdmaa; Pouure and P. H.

The dausc* the* mpidl;> , un . tJ claw, , was w f le / Mr> Veitcn moved an aiiieudmant Tho Pr«ui«r 6U wu. h. tou 'ld not. occept *h« proposal of to member for but wa* .mpA,,,ed «.th thefact that the olauke M u Boot , mi , fc be .improved and i v - -.vouad have W matter looked into b., ol ,'th e Bill passed its final staaw. Th 8 cause was then At clause 13, Sir Juutjih Ward moved ,1o increase the eWorj.. divisions ft om four to eiglh,i v i/ut ■to was negatived by 31 to 26. At clauso 1» Sir Joaiph Wurd moved an amendment, the .tfaa of which if carried, would be thai A,- full Council 'be elected 1 in 1017. This was'lost br , 30 to 26. / . At elauso 18, Dr. N.wnian moved thai women be eligible lor i.iwu-ion to tn* CsuMtl. Tlie Premier said he wa» prepared to. accept the amendment, and vot it; and the amendment was earned amidst dhoers, by 3V to 18. Mr. Ve'itch moved a« Amendment pro.. riding tliat vacancies which ocour in the Council prior to tlho first election be filled by .members ot ..V House, not by mcnibars of the Council. The amendment was lost by 27 to 25. At' clause 22, Sir Joseph Ward moved that Maori memibers be elected. The amendment was left, on Hie castingvote of the chairman.

Sir Joseph Ward furlher moved that all councillor (exceTit life members) should retire ia 1917. The Premier characterised the am, ndment as a gross % treach of faith, with the members appointed for eeve» years. The amendment was lost.by 20to 24. The remaining twenty clauses were parsed in a few rainuaes without amendment.

Mr. McComhg Moved a new clauso, the effect of which ie that the Council t» fully elective in 1020. The. Premier acci-pted the amendment, which was carried. The Bill was reported at 1.19 a;m. LOAN, BILL. A Loan Bill, amifliorisina: tlhe raising' of 13,000,000, iu aid of public works and land saltlenienit, was introlueed by Governor's Message, and read a first time. The Bouse rose ait 1.24 a.m.