GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2379, 7 July 1892, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time :—Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Bill, Settled Land Act Amendment Bill, Provincial Ordinance Bill, Adulteration Act Amendment Bill, Testamentary Trust Restriction Bill, Courts of Justice Defects Removal Bill. The Council adjourned at 3.25 p.m.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to questions it was stated that the Government hoped to bring down the Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill in about a fortnight. The Bill contained a great many amendments, which were being very carefully supervised. The Government proposed to introduce legislation dealing with properties in the colony, the ownership of which was unknown or doubtful. The Government did not intend to take any steps with respect to the proposals of the New Zealand Midland Railway Company, The Government gave no instructions to the Agent-General to the effect that duplicate taxation on debentures and mortgages would not be enforced. When the Land and Income Tax Bill was brought down the intention of the Government would be declared in that respect.

NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr Reeves gave notice to move that there be erased from the Journals of the House the motions of censure passed from time to time on the following gentlemen, none of whom held seats in the House at present:—Messrs Curtis, Pyke, Ormond, Gisborne, Vogel, and Bryce. The Premier gave notice to move on Friday that the House express its disapproval at the introduction of Kanaka Bab or into Australia as being a most retrograde step, and that the H°nse authorise Sir George Grey to represent tips colony in Australia in reference to this question, QUESTION OF PUIVILEOE. Mr Fisher called attention to the speech made the previous evening on a Wellington platform by the Minister of Education, which he (Mr Fisher) regarded as a breach of the privileges of the House. In that speech Mr Reeves had stated that the Government had no v, ish to force a dissolution, but thpy were determined nof to jdjow their measures and their usefulness as a Government to be interfered with without appealing directly to the people, He thought that that was a deliberate intimation to overawe the representatives of the people while Parliament was in session. He moved that the words used by Mr Reeves be read by the Clerk of the House. The motion was lost on the voices. SESSIONAL COMMITTEES.

The various Sessional Committees were set up. MINES RILL. Mr Seddon moved the stmoqcl reading of Mppug Apt, 1891, Amendment Bill. It contained, he said, several techanical amendments and some now clauses. The motion was agreed to. BANKRUPTCY BILL. Mr Reeves moved the second reading of the Bankruptcy Bill, explaining that the measure was the same as that cu last session with a few amendments. The motion was agreed to. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.30,.

CIVIL SERVICE, 811,1,. The Premier moved the second reading of the Civil Service Bill, to organise and regulate tho Civil Service. The measure provided for a Board of five members, to be selected from the heads of Departments residing at the seat of Government. The Board were to be appointed for three years and nominated by the Government The most important payt of the Bill is the pensiqq scheme- Whou members of the Civil Service became 00 years of age they were to bo entitled to an annuity for life. The Bill also provided that every officer to be appointed to the Civil Service should be required to effect a policy on his life with the Government Insurance, LUjpfirtment, a monthly dedv.wtion from sslary beiim mad* to secure tho benefits of iusurahee. Classification on a more complete scale than formerly was afso provided for. Under the 818 tf\o control of tlie Civil Service woqlil md. however, bo tahen from the House, and * u amouuif? received by oilier— _ -m placed before th» TT -- would be ..nuse every session, of the Rust and Telegraph Uepartment were to be brought under this Bill, so far as not to conllict with the operation of tho Post and Telegraph Classification Act, 1.890. There had previously been no insurance scheme of that kind that bad not entailed heavy liabilities on the colony, but this Bill involved none. Power was given by the measure to bring within the service the police force, school teachers, railway servants, messengers, warders of prisons, and other persons in the permanent employ of the Government.

Mr llolleston approved of the Bill. There was no doubt that the Civil Service was now in an exceedingly unsatisfactory position, but he thought that the Bill would remedy that to a great extent. He should do his best to assist the Government in passing the Bill in its main features.

The motion was debated at great length. The Premier in replying agreed to postpone the committal of the Bill for a fortnight in order that it might be circulated throughout the colony. As to the admission of the police force, teachers, railway servants, he said that the Government would confer with those bodies before any change was made. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. THE ELECTORAL BILL. On the motion for the committal of the Electoral Bill, a lengthy debate took place. The clause conferring the franchise on women gave rise to long speeches. The motion was eventually agreed to on the voices, progress was reported, and the House rose at 1.35 a.m.