GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2235, 1 August 1891, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wellington, July 29. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mr Buckley, in reply to Mr Stevens, said that it was not the intention of the Government to exempt annuities or pensions from taxation under the income tax. - July 30. ’The Council met at ; 2:3o;p.jnK FIRST READINGS. The Shop Hours: Bill, ..Truck Bill, Employers’ Liability Act Amendment Bill, and Adulteration of Food Prevention Bill were received from the House Of and read , a first time. , . •. ’ NORTH DUNEDIN CEMETERY EXTENSION BILL.

The North Dunedin Cemetery, Extension Bill was thrown out-, on the motion for the second reading ;by 9to 4. . .; HOUSE, OP REPRESENTATIVES. • The following is the concluding portion of our report of Tuesday nights discussion on the- ... • , ' SHOP HOURS BEL. , .' . ‘ Mr Thompson (Marsden j moved to alter clause 9 so as to. make it read “ Nothing in this Act shall apply to shops where persons employed therein are members of the shopkeeper’s family.” This was negatived, and on the motion of MrEarhshaw the elapse was struck out. Clause 13 was amended so as to provide ‘ ‘ That no Justice of the Peace who is a shop-keeper shall ’sit or act as a Justice under this Act.” Mr Fish moved a new clause, which he said would prohibit any shbp Jfe allowed to remain open from selling any goods sold in shops which were prohibited from opening.—Carried by 29 to 8. : Sir J. Hall moved an additional clause that nothing in the Act shall prevent the sale or repair of any parts or fittings of: agricultural implements. —Agreed to. , ■. The Bill was reported, and the House rose at 3.10 a.m.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. CHRISTCHURCH ELECTRIC LIGHTING Blt.T-

The Christchurch Electric Lighting Bill was lead a third time by 26 to 15,

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr George Hutchison, Mr Reeves said thlat . the Premier intended asking the House to meet on Monday next at 7.30 p.m., for the purpose of discussing the Federation question. To Mr Bryce Mr Reeves said that the Government were not negotiating for the sale of the New Zealand railways. ' EMPLOYERS LIABILITY BILL. ! ’ The Employers Liability Bill was read a third time and passed.

TRUCK BILL. r On the motion for the third readingV of the Truck Bill, Mr Rollestonr deprecated the discussion of these important measures at 3 o’clock-in the morning.; There was <no reason why they should not have had time for tT discussing the Labor Bills, especially as they had so little explanation of them from the Government benches. His opinion was that the tendency of those Bills would be to promote a period of unrest and disquiet amongst the people, and to postpone the reconciliation of the interests of labor and capital. The Truck Bill was in fact a clumsy attempt to effect the! object in view, and it would prevent the free exercise of competition and would reduce the . amount of work given to workmen themselves. As to the Shop Hours Bill he hud heard it stated that its effect would be to createa strong and violent revolution amongst the working classes, Mr Reeves denied that the Bills were the creation of a few agitators. They were introduced by the late Government last session, and received large support from the present Government party. He dissented from the prediction uttered by Mr Rolleston as to the dire results that would ensue from those Bills becoming law. If the Truck Bill was likely to injure the manufacturing industry, why had it not done so in* England, where a similar measure had been in force for the last sixty years ?. If aiiy panic resulted from these, Bills it would be solely due to the action of certain politicians and newspapers.

The Bill was read a third time and passed. , ,

SHOP HOURS BUX.

After a short debate, the Shop Hours Bill was read a. third time and passed.

< ■ ADULTKIIATION PREVEjmO’V The Adulteration Prevention Act Amendment Bill passed through com' mittee without amendment.

The House rose at 6,30 p.m., and. resumed at 7.30. AUCTIONEERS BILL. The Auctioneers Bill was committed.- >

' Clause 8, license , fees* to be paid to the local authority, was passed, as u was also clause 10, allowing tioneer to appoint a substitute in case of illness. Clause 15, prohibiting: night auctions except as regards cattle, was amended to include. land, wool, tallow, and book sales, and prohibiting the sale of property after 6 o’clock* Clause 16 was altered so as to provide that account sales must be rendered by auctioneers and paid over within fourteen days after receiving a demand from the vendor of the property. TJie 1 remaining; clauses passed with slight

alterations. A new clause was • inserted to the effect that no person holding a pawnbroker’s license shall hold an auctioneer’s license. The Bill was reported as amended. PARTNERSHIP BILL. The House went into committee on the Partnership Bill, which passed throngh without amendment, and was reported, read a third time, and passed. repeals bill. The Repeals Bill was considered in committee. No alterations were made, and the Bill was read a third time and passed. The House rose at 11 p.m. July 30. The House met at 2.30 p.m. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

Replying to questions Ministers stated that the Railway Commissioners were hot aware that the railway employes had received an intimation that unless they left the Railway Servants Society there was no chance of their being promoted; that steps would betaken to stop the destruction and exportation of oysters at the Bay of Islands; that the Government did not consider that business had progressed sufficiently for to justify them in bringing down the Public Works Statement as yet ; that the Government were considering the expendiency of opening an intercolonial cable, and that if it could be arranged it would make a great reduction in the cost of cable messages; that the fines collected froih telegraphists for mistakes in transmitting telegrams were put aside for the special purpose of assisting; ’ officers who were in financial difficulties, and whose cases were such as warranted assistance. THE AGENT-GENERAL.

Replying to Mr Bryce, Mr Reeves said that the Government had not yet "decided who was to fill the vacancy ip the Agent-Generalship in London. V PERSECUTION OP RUSSIAN JEWS. On the motion of Sir George Grey, .seconded by Mr Ward, it was decided that a' memorial be addressed to the Czar of Russia respectfully praying that’ all exceptional and restricted laws which afflict his Jewish subjects may be repealed, and that equal rights with those enjoyed by the rest of His "Majesty’s subjects may be conferred upon them, and that the said memorial be signed by the Speaker and be by him transmitted to His Majesty. 'The House rose at 6.30 p.m., and resumed at 7.30. A PROTEST BY THE OPPOSITION.

Mr Bryce said that he wished to refer to the attitude assumed by the Government towards the Opposition, an attitude which he considered unfair, unjust, and particularly obnoxious. He and other members denied having been guilty -of obstruction, and complained that they had been grossly misrepresented by Ministerial papers. After some further discussion the matter was dropped. INDECENT ADVERTISEMENTS BILL. On the motion of Mr George Hutchison the Indecent Advertisements Bill was read a second time. GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT. ' Mr George Hutchison moved the second reading of the Gaming and Lotteries Bill, to suppress improper pastimes, and to regulate the use of lotteries. The motion was agreed to. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL APPOINTMENT CANCELLATION BILL.

The House went into committee on the; Legislative Council Appointments Cancellation Bill. Sir John Hall gave a long list of appointments made by previous Goviernments as showing that more than one Government had tried to obtain an undue proportion of power in the Legislative Council. He was inclined to move that certain names be. added to those contained in the Bill. . Captain Bussell moved that all the names in the Bill be struck out. He objected to- this “ society hunting.” Liet them carry on their business like Sensible men, aind not go on playing like a lot of schoolboys. Mir Seddon agreed with the last speaker, that very little would come of this measure. Mr Rees Said that he was willing that progress should be reported after a. vote had been taken on Captain Bussell’s amendment. Sir Geoage Grey was not satisfied that the Bill should be Withdrawn. It was their duty to carry Bill, and if the Legislative Council rejected it they should put a sufficient number of new councillors into that Chamber to caVry it. Captain Russell’s amendment was lost by 28 to 19. The following is the division list:— Ayes’ (19)’ —Bryce, Buchanan, Bucklahd, Duthie, Hall, Hamlin, Harkness, Lowry, Scobie Mackenzie, T\ Mackenzie, Moore, Newman, Rhodes, Richardson, Rolleston, Russell, Swan, J. W. Thomson, and Valentine. Noes . :(28) Buick, Carncross, Dawson,; Duncan, Fish, Fisher, Fraser, Grey, Hall-Joues, Hogg, Houston, G, Hutchisou, W. Hutchison, Joyce, J. Kelly, W. Kelly, Mackintosh, Meredith, C. H. Mills, Pinkerton, Rees, Sauuders, Shera, E. M. Smith, w. C. Smith, Tanner, Taylor, T. Thompson. Pairs—For: Wilson,Wright,Blake, Mills. Against; O’Conor, Reeves, Macdonald, Palmer. Mr Rees moved to report progress, which was agreed to, and the Bill was ordered to be considered that day irotnight. .. ,' £|)e House rose at 12.10 a.m.