GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2692, 31 July 1894, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. FIRST READINGS. The Designation of Districts Bill and Destitute Persons Bill were read a first time. THIRD READING. The Poisons Importation and Carriage Bill was read a third time and passed. INDUSTRIAL BILL. The Industrial Conciliation aud Arbitration Bill was further considered in committee. Mr McLean moved an amendment to the effect that information obtained in court from tradesmen’s books should not be made public.—Agreed to. Dr Pollen was unsuccessful in his amendment to excise the clause relative to disputes arising between the Railway Commissioners aud their employees being referred to the Board. The clause, he thought, was needless, as employees generally exercised a block vote, aud through the constituencies were generally able to take care of themselves without the aid of Parliament. Mr Montgomery expressed a hope that the amendment would not be agreed to. It was only fair that the railway people should be placed on the same footing as other artisans or private employees. Mr Bowen and Mr McLean supported the amendment. Mr Oliver thought that if the amendment was carried it would mean an acrid and futile war between the two branches of the Legislature. He considered that by the wording of the Bill tho Government intended as early as possible to resume control of the railways. The responsibility of the Bill rested with the Government and the electorates, the latter of whom knew how to deal with the question at the proper time. The amendment was lost by 16 to 10. The Bill was reported with amendments. SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill for £258,000 was passed through all its stages, GAMING BILL. The Gaming Bill was read a first time. legitimation. The Legitimation Bill was further considered in Committee, and after discussion was reported as originally introduced and the third reading fixed for the 10th August. The Council then adjourned until the Bth August. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The, House met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. member for tuapeka. The Hon. J. M. Larnach, tho newlyelected member for Tuapeka, took the oath and his seat, being introduced to the House by the Premier and the Colonial Treasurer. SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill for £258,000 was passed through all its stages, questions. In reply to questions it was stated that no recommendations had been made by the Government to the Governor on the subject of further appointments to the Legislative Council; that the Government would consider tho advisability of bringing in an amendment of the Workmen’s Wages Act, to provide for compulsory payment of shearers once a week ; that it was not intended to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into the working of the Patents Act and the Patent Office; that new postal regulations would be issued to allow a young married woman to retain possession of her savings earned before her marriage; that the Government intended to provide cool sior/lgo for dairy produce at the principal ports of ike colony ; that tho Government had no intention of introducing a Revaluation BiL ; that the Government did not intend to ask tho House to vote a sum of money to assist vaiious local bodies to deal with the unemployed difficulty. WET SHEEP. Me Kelly (Invercargill) moved the adjournment of tho House, and referred to tho harsh treatment at present in force on tho Orari woolshed respecting shearing typt sheep, which compelled the men either to shear sheep when they were wet or to lose their if they refused. He thought tho courts® proposed by the Minister for Labour a peoppr one—namely, to provide for the compulsory payment oi shearers once a week. Thd uubjeet was discussed at some length, it bC ;u S suggested that an amendment should 00 Workmen s Wages Act to prevent m s feeing withheld if they refused to 'bear sheep. Captain Russell doubted the statement that owners of property would deliberately compel tho men to shear sheep which were in a wet condition. During his 30 years’ experience he had never known a case where an owner had been anxious to shear wot sheet, but he had known cases where the raon wero anxious to do so. It was of the utmost importance to an owner that his wool should arrive Home in good condition, which could not pofoihly be the case if wool wore shipped wet, and there was also danger of spontaneous combustion. On the other hand there were caret where the men themselves wanted to finish their work, aud would therefore be anxious to shear wot sheep. M essrs Duncan, Steward, Buchanan Fraser, Flatman, Montgomery, O’Regan Reeves, Wilson, aud Mills alt > spoke. Alter a full ventilation of the grievance the motion for adjournment of the House was lost.

MIDLAND RAILWAY. A Select Committee was set up to consider the correspondence with reference to the Midland Railway. COUNCIL’S AMENDMENTS. Amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Auctioneers’ Act Amendment Bill aud Taonui Branch Railway Bill wore agreed to. Tho House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. aud resumed at 7.30. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT. Mr Stevens resumed the debate on tho Lands for Settlement Bill. He hoped that the Minister would agree to increase the area of first class land to be held to 2000 acres instead of 1000 acres, aud that the Bill would be made to apoly more particularly to largo estates near largo centres of population so that population might bo relieved, lie generally approved of the Bill. Sir Robert Stout congratulated tho Minister on having improved the Bill since last session. Ho was in favour of tho principle of tho Bill, but pointed out that it practically abolished freehold in tho colony. Although ho was uot altogether against that, it might bo asked whether there was any need for this Bill, as many of the huge estates would probably bo offered for sale without it. Ho entirely objected to tho constitution of the Board under this Bill, and urged that Governmen' servant; - .should not he on tho Board as they would bo under the power of tho Minister. The only fair thing to do was In eiablish a proper laud court, which would have power to take laud and fix u

price for it. The Bill, in his opinion, was to give large holdings to large farmers, and was not in the interests of the poorer people at all, and this differed from Mr Ballance’s Bill of 18«7. If they wanted to give laud to the landless they should see that small areas were provided for under the Bill. The Bill required the utmost caution as it would change the whole land system of the colony. He thought that the £200,000 proposed to be spent under it was quite unwarranted and that the £50,000 in last year’s Bill was sufficient for the purpose required. Mr Flatman supported the Bill, and if there were any defects in it they could be put right in Committee. He knew that there was a clamour for land, and people of his own district were forming associations to enable them to acquire land for settlement. They should, however, be careful, and feel their way; and he agreed with Sir R. Stout that poor people should not be forgotten. Mr O’Regan, while giving the Minister for Lands credit for best motives in introducing this Bill, said that he was under the painful duty of having to oppose it on the ground that it was contrary to the best interests of the people. Mr Collins strongly supported the Bill, holding that it was the duty of the Government to find laud for the settlement of our young people, and for the comfort and happiness of family life. Mr Buick held there was no doubt at all to the right of the State to acquire land for settlement. That was a principle that bad long ago been conceded, and where it had been shown that large estates were a barrier to settlement it was the duty of the State to remove that barrier by the introduction of a Bill of this hind. The Bill was a very good one, and its value was testified to by the absence of any organised opposition to it. Mr Russell (Riccarton) supported the BUI Mr Earnshaw opposed the Bill. Mr Buchanan, in referring to Cheviot, said that the purchase was not all that had been claimed for it. Mr Thompson opposed the Bill. Mr Morrison supported the Bill. Mr Tanner, in resuming the debate, said that this Bill had carried the constituencies in Canterbury for the Government at the last election. Mr Carnell said that the Bill was the beginning of a new and better condition of things for the colony. Mr Harris and Mr Maslin supported the BUI. Mr Hone Heke opposed it. In reply to Mr Hone Heke, Mr McKenzie said that there was no intention whatever to apply the Bill to Native lands; it only applied to European land in centres where land was required for settlement purposes. Messrs G. J. Smith and Hall supported the Bill. Mr Graham moved the adjournment of the debate till next sitting day.—Agreed to. The Hon. Mr McKenzie, in referring to a question that had cropped up earlier in the evening, said that a number of members who g ve general support to the Government seemed to be supporting this Bill out of personal feeling for him (the Minister of Lands). Mr A illar’s motion for adjournment of the debate was supported by every member of the Opposition and by the opponents of the Bill, and if it had been carried he would have left the Ministerial benches. If his party could not support him the sooner he left the benches the better. He was not here as a time servant, and his health was affected by the late sittings. If members could not support this measure on its merits they ought not to support it at all. They were not obliging him by supporting the Bill. He pointed out that it had been arranged by the whips to parry on till 2 a.m., but those members of the party he referred to would not consent to this, Mr G. J. Smith disclaimed any intention to kill the Bill, and pointed out that a largo proportion of those who voted for tho adjournment were supporters of the measure. Captain Russell strongly protested agajust.the attitude taken up by the Minister of Lands over the question. If that hon. gentleman was pp dictate the hour at which the House was to adjourn and then threaten to leave the benches because he was thwarted, it was reducing party government to a farco. The members of the House were scolded and driven like children. In former times a certain amount of courtesy was observed in the House, and the Opposition takeu into consideration when an adjournment was arranged, but it seemed now that Ministers and whips were to say when the House was to rise, and they were told that Pk e gag waß to k® put into tb® mouths those 'wm swfrod to support the Bill. °* Tl Premier said Phvp the Govern--JU no f* for ft fair and reußouable w ® measure, which contained a £1?*“ principle, but in order to get through the work a sacrifice must be made, especially at the end of the week. Ho strongly supported the action of his colleague in saying that the Bill was an impi rtant policy measure. They would know how to treat tho opposition to it. The Hon. Mr Mackenzie in replying said that the position of Minister of tho Grown was not an enviable one, aud he desired to push on the Bill in order to save it from its enemies ; but if he was not backed up by tho supporters of the Government the sooner he left the benches tho better. He would not care whether he left the benches next morning. He wished to God' - he could leave them with honour; it would bo to his own personal interests in every shape to do so. He wished the Government party to distinctly understand that it was no favour for him to sit on those benches, aud if they thought they supported the Bill as a personal favour to himself they made great mistake. Sir Robert Stout aud others were really giving the Upper House the lead to throw out tho Bill, aud some members who professed to support the Bill were deadly opposed to it, but were afraid to speak their minds. Cries of “ Name, name.” The Hon. Mr Mackenzie; “Well, I name the hon. member, Sir Robert Stout.” The Speaker said Mr McKenzie should not attack another hon. member in his absence. In conclusion the Minister of Lands again stated that ho was quite willing to leavo tho benches of tho House. Tho House rose at 2.30 a.m.