GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2380, 9 July 1892, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Standing Orders Committee presented their report as to the mode of electing a Speaker. The Surveyors Bill and the Libel Bill were read a second time without debate. On Thursday the report of the Standing Committee re election of Speaker was adopted. The Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Bill and the Adulteration Prevention Bill passed their final stages. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions it was stated that the Government were satisfied with the Midland Railway Company's contract, andthatitwaa for the company to take the initiative if any alteration was required ; the question of the construction of a line between Canterbury and Westland was part of the contract, and the Government were anxious that it should be pushed on as rapidly as possible. That under the Land and Income Tax Act foreign insurance companies doing business in New Zealand would have to pay income tax. That the Government did not propose this session to bring in a Bill to abolish capital punishment. That the Government hoped to make provision for the employment in the Government Printing Office of fill printers at present out of work in Wellington. That the Land and Income Tax Act gave relief in cases of people who had invested their earnings upon mortgage, the interest upon which does not exceed £3OO per annum. THE STOCK TAX. A motion by Mr McKenzie (Clutha) to the effect that the Stock Tax be abolished, was lost by 43 to 14. COAL IMPORT DUTY. Mr Reeves (Inangahua) moved that in the opinion, of this House it is necessary in the interest of the coal-mining industry of the colony that an import duty should be placed on all coal imported into New Zealand. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. SECOND READINGS. The Printers and Newspapers Registration Act 1888 Amendment Bill and Offensive Publications Bill were read a second time. The second reading of Sir John Hall's Women's Suffrage Bill was postponed for a fortnight. LOCAL BILLS. Several local Bills were passed through their second reading. The House rose at 8.10 p.m. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on ThU?«J* day. COAL IMPORT DUTY. Mr Seddon resumed the interrupted debate on the motion-that an , import duty should be placed on all coals imported into the colony. He said that the Railway Commissioners had reduced the cost of coal from the mines at Westport, the reason for which given by them being that they found that coal was being delivered in Wellington from Newcastle at 6s per ton less than West Coast coal could be delivered, and the cause of that was that the Newcastle collieries had lost their markets, and| were now sending supplies to New Zealand. He stated that last year 120,000 tons of coal were imported into New Zealand. He moved that the matter be referred to a Select Committee to make enquiries, after which the House could deal with it and come to a definite decision. Mr Rolleston said he should not be a party in any way to entertain by Committee a question of this magnitude. It was undoubtedly a question of freetrade against protection, and the Government should bring down a resolution and stake their existence on it. The debate, which lasted the greater part of the afternoon, was again interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. SECOND READINGS. Mr Taylor moved the second reading of the Coroners' Inquests Bill, which provides that the dead-house of a hospital shall be a public morgue, and that jurors at inquests be paid at certain rates.—-The motion was agreed to. Mr Lawrie moved the second reading of the Compensation to Licensed Victuallers Bill, and in doing so thanked those members who were strongly opposed to the measure for not putting any obstacles in his way in bringing it before the House. He said that he had been accused in taking up the Bill of being hand-and-glove with the liquor traffic, but ho had publicly stated that lie should vote for compensation for loss of license. Messrs Meredith and Buick spoke against the Bill. Mr Pish thought the Bill contained | such a fundamental principle of justice that he was surprised it was so much opposed. The Premier said he could not agree with all the provisions of the Bill, but as he agreed with the principle of compensation he should vote for the second reading with the intention of amending it, if possible, in Committee. He believed that the Temperance party, by their extreme views, injured their own cause, and there was no doubt that some of the committees acted in a harsh and arbitrary manner. Tliere were cases in which committees had, without the slightest consideration, utterly ruined people, and who had gained by this ? Not the Temperance advocates, but other licensed houses in the locality. He was of opinion that local bodies should pay some compensation. Aa to the argument that Government should take up this question, every member of the cabinet had his own views on it. He should ask the House to carefully consider this matter, and not be influenced by public feeling but by a sense of justice. If it was right to take away a publican's property without compensation, it was right to take away every other man's property without compensation and in the case of obtaining possession of large estates, he held that those who owned them should receive full compensation. Mr Duthie moved an amendment that the Bill bo withdrawn, and that the Govern mo ... (n.» id ..-big in a Bill, dealing with ih-.i wl a) . licensing question. Mr ft 'Hi .'it - agreed with Mr Duthie'a ameudmeiil, a he thought the question was of .such importance that the Government iihou Id deal with it. Ho had never been a consenting party to doing what was not practical, and if they had tonn»rr"W total prohibition, such as had t.ken place at Sydenham, they would ii ve .-ly grog soiling and evasion of the t.i.v. Although he could not agree with the extreme views of the Temperance party, lie could not at the same time admit that any compensation was due to publicans for licenses issued during the last fifteen years. A large number of other members took part in the debate, The motion for the second reading was negatived on the voices, and Mr Duthie's tuneiidnieut was lost on a division by 27

The following is the division list :- Ayes—22. Allen, Blake, Buckland, Dawson, Duncan, Duthie, Fish, Fisher, Fraser, Harkness, Hutchison G. (Waitotara), Kelly W. (East Coast), Lake, Lawry, Mackenzie T. (Clutha), Moore, Richardson, Rolleston, Russell, Swan, Taylor, Wright. Noes—27. Ballance, Buick, Cadman, Carncross, Carroll, Earnshaw, Hall-Jones, Hogg, Houston, Joyce, Kelly J. (Invercargill), McKenzie J. (Waitaki), McLean, Meredith, Newman, O'Connor, Palmer, Pinkerton, Reeves R. H. J. (Onehunga), Reeves W. P. (City of Christchurch), Rhodes, Sandford, Saunders, Seddon, Shera, Tanner, Thompson R. (Marsden). No correct list of the Pairs is available. The House rose at 1 30 a.m.