GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2727, 20 October 1894, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. THE TRUSTEES BILL. The Trustees Act Amendment Bill passed its final stages. SECOND READING. The Tongariro National Park Bill was read a second time. BILL THROWN OUT. On the motion for the second reading of the Ministerial Residences Sale Bill Mr Shrimski moved as an amendment that the Bill be read a second time three months hence.—After a short discussion the amendment was carried by 21 to 13, and the Bill thrown out. BILLS PASSED. The Native Laud Court Bill and Mining Companies Bill passed through committee without material alteration, were read a third time, and passed. The Council rose at 5.10 p.m. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. WILSON LAND BILL. The Wilson Land Bill was read a second time. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN’S BILL. The Shipping and Seamen’s Act Amendment Bill was committed. On the second clause Mr Montgomery moved to report progress. Dr Grace said that they were passing a Bill that would affect the liberties of the people, and a Bill which many members confessed they did not understand. Mr Oliver said that the Bill was of such a complex character, and so important and far-reaching in its effects, that members of the Labour Bills Committee viewed it with a considerable amount of misgiving. Mr Kigg did not believe that there, were any misgivings in the minds of members of the Labour Bills Committee on this Bill. The evidence taken showed that there was urgent need for legislation of this kind. Mr McGregor thought that there was a great deal of good in the Dill. Mr Reynolds said that he would like to see the Bill thrown out. The motion to report progress was agreed to on the voices. TONGARIRO NATIONAL PABK BILL. The Tongariro National Park Bill passed its final stages. The Council rose at 5 p.m. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday. BILLS TO BE DROPPED. The Premier said he would announce next day what Bills the Government intended to drop. WILSON LAND BILL. The Wilson Land Bill, to allow James Wilson, the only surviving member of his family, which perished in the Poverty Bay massacre, to hold land awarded him free from restrictions, was read a second time and referred to the Goldfields Committee. POST AND TELEGRAPH BILL. Mr Ward moved the second reading of the Post and Telegraph Department Bill to amalgamate the two departments; to appoint a secretary of the department and a superintendent of electric lines, to constitute a board of appeal for the service, and to deal farther with the classification question. After a short debate in which several committee objections were raised to the measure, the second reading was agreed to on the voices. BONUS BILLS, The Export Bonus on Coal Bill and Bonus on Production of Sugar from Beetroot Bill were introduced by message from the Governor. The House rose at 1 p.m. and resumed at 2.30. BILL THROWN OUT. The Export Bonus on Coal Bill was thrown out on its first reading by 31 to 20. The following is the division list:— Ayes (20).—Cadman, Collins, Duncan, Harris, Houston, Larnach, Lawry, Mills, Macintosh, J. McKenzie, R, McKenzie, Millar, Montgomery, Morrison, O’Regan, Pinkerton, Pirani, Reeves, Seddou, Ward, Noes (31). Alien, Buchanan, Buddo, Cam ell, Orowther, Duthie, Barnshaw, Fiatman, Fraser, Green, Hall Jones, Heke, Joyce, J. VV. Kelly, W. Kelly, Lang, Maslin, Massey, Mohub, MsGqire, McGowan, MoLachlan, Mitehelson, Meredith, Newman, G. W. Russell, G. J. Smith, Stewart, Tanner, Teao, Thompson. ; Pairs. Ayes : Hall, Buick, Hogg, Graham, Wi Pere, Carroll. Noes: T, Mackenzie, W, R. Bussell, Button, Wilson, Carncross, Bell, BEETROOT SUGAR BILLThe Beetroot Sugar Bill was read a first time. L4NP AND INCOME ASSESSMENT BILL. Mr Ward moved the second reading of the Land and Ineome Assessment Act Amendment Bill, and explained its provisions. Sir Robert Stout submitted that triennial, valuations were fair and should be maintained. After a short debate Mr Ward replied- Re said that he was prepared to allow » landowner to have a revaluation of his laud, which he thought was only fair,—-The second reading was agreed to on the voices. WILSON LAND BILL. The Wilson Land Bill passed through committee without amendment. POST AND TELEGRAPH BILL. The Post and Telegraph Department Bill was committed, and a number of amendments were proposed and lost. Mr G. W. Resell moved to strike out the amount of £650 fi&p down for the assistant secretary and inspector, with a view to insert £550. —Carried by 32 to 47. Mr Ward suggested that Mr Russell should substitute £6OO instead of £550. Mr Russell refund if) accept the suggestion, and the diseuwion I;wted tijl the 5 30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr G. W. Russell’s proposal to fix the salary of the assistant secretary and inspector at £550 instead of £650 was 10.-. tby 43 fco IJ. The Premier then moved that iha salary by £6OO which he i bought was a fair compromise. This was agreed to on the voices. IN COMMITTEE. The Sea Fisheries Bill passed through committee without material amendment. The Land And Income Assessment Acts Amendment Bill wa» committed. In clause 5 Mr T. Mackenzie objected to the proposal to require animal igturns of land and m rtgages, and moved that it struck out. Tne amendment was carried by 23 to 21, and the clause as amended was added to the Bill. On clause 6—as to returns of laud and mortgages—Sir Robert Stout pointed out that some amendment would have to be made in this clause consequent on the amendment made in the previous clause.

Mr Ward said that there had been some misunderstanding iu the vote on Mr T. Mackenzie’s amendment in the previous clause, and he would therefore have the clause recommitted. Iu view o' this he did not propose to accept any consequential amendments in the succeeding clauses.

Subsection 1 of clause G was struck out ou Sir Robert Stout’s motion by 27 to 24.

Mr Ward moved that progress be reported. He said that the inOtion just carried would mean an additional expenditure of £20,000 a year. Sir R. Stout: Not "20,000 pence. The motion was carried on the voices. BILL PASSED. The Wilson , Land Grant . Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. THIRD BEADING. iOn .the Post and Telegraph Department Bill being reported from committee Mr J. W.,Kelly asked if he could move for the recommittal of the Bill for the purpose of making a small increase m the salaries in the second schedule.

The Speaker ruled that a private member could not propose an increase in the appropriations. The consent of the Crown must first be obtained.

On the motion for the third reading of the Bill, Mr Pirani moved as an amendment that the Bill be read a third time that day three months. Mr J. W. Kelly seconded the motion. The Premier asked that the amendment be withdrawn, as it was evident it was made as a protest against the decision just given. The rejection of the Bill would cause great injustice to a large body of men. Mr Duncan, Sir Robert Stout, and Mr Earnsbaw also spoke. Mr Ward upheld the chairman’s ruling and hoped that the, amendment would not be forced to h division.

Mr Pirani then withdrew the amend meat.

The Bill was read a third time and passed. The Sea Fisheries Bill was reported and put through its final stages. The Premier said that in view of the slow progress of business it would be impossible to close the session this week. The House rose at 1 a m. The House met at 11.30 a.m, on Thursday.

LTITLB BARRIER ISLAND PURCHASING BILL. The Native Affairs Committee recommended, that the Little Barrisr Island Purchase Bill be allowed to proceed, with certain alterations.

Mr Hone Heke strongly opposed the Bill, and would oppose it at every stage. The report was ordered to lie on the table. THE EQUITABLE INSURANCE ASSOCIATION. The Public Petitions Committee reported on the petition of certain shareholders of the Equitable Insurance Association of New Zealand. The report stated that the allegations in the petition affecting the bonafides of the directors and other officials of the company, had not been sustained. The moat that could be said against any of ■ the directors or officials was that from 1888 to 1891 very many blunders and mistakes were made by them which resulted in great financial loss. The directors represented before the committee were willing that the Supreme Court should forthwith be moved for the appointment of inspectors to examine into all the accounts of the company which is now sii liquidation.

BILLS DROPPED. On the motion of the Premier the following Bills were discharged from the Order Paper:—Workmen’s Wages Bill, Distillation Act Amendment Bill, Bettermeats Bill, Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Bill, Supreme Court Act Amendment Bill, Public Reserves Sale Bill, Animals Protection-Act Amendment Bill, Newspaper Libel Limitation Bill, Debts Limitationßill, Shearers’ Accommodation Bill, Patea Foreshore Vesting Bill, Waimea and Inangahua Counties Boundaries Alteration Bill, Public Abattoirs Bill, and Invercargill Racecourse Empowering Bill. The motion to discharge - the Southern Railway Bridges Bill from the Order Paper was carried by 42 to 28. The House rose at 1 p.m. and resumed at 2.-30-p.m.

VEHICLES LICENSING BILL. In committee on the County Vehicles Licensing Act Amendment Bill, a new clause was added, providing that notwithstanding that the average rateable value of laud held in fee simply exceeds £2 per acre,dt shall be competent for' the local authority to make by-laws for vehicles other toau traction engines, on--the petition of a majority of the ratepayers. The. Bill- was reported, read a third time, and passed.

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, it was stated that the ! Minister /of Education .. was waiting for the advice of the Law Officers of the Crown, and for the concurrence of the Cabinet, before taking any steps to appoint a council for the Middle District of New Zealand University; that the whole question of old soldiers’ claims jpust stand over till pext session; that it wais agafngt tfie spirit of the law that licensing committed should afjqwa transfer of license from one township to another; that the Government intended to have an examination of the railway plant, permanent way and bridges, made prfop £q tajfing over the railways from the Commissionml j that jf vf oijld depend on circumstances whether the GqyepnnjQqt would make further calls, to the Legislative Council; that it was now too late in the session for the Government to bring fu a tfkorp Bill, raising the poll tax on Chinese and Q l h0? Asiatics '*9 at least £SO ; that tfie Bilji tp % introduced wquld nut beyond all doubt the quqstiqn as to hpW far the power of veto of the president of the Bank of New Zealand would prevent apy amalgamation { that no change .was contemplated in, the .direction of giyingthaColomal Bank A sharp of the (Joverumeht hanking ancomK j that the Government did not think It desirable to introduce .cloaur? rules into the Standing Orders q£ the House. LAND COURT BILL. The amendment* n>nde by the Council in the Native Land Ooprt JHjill we rp disagreed with. 'Pfpt adjournment 0 f the House was pjoyed, and ths of the afternoon was 1 <meut in diecus/jing th. e sp,swers given to several of the questions on jth.P v 9f t * or Paper. The House rose at 530 p.m. and resumed at 7.30. CRIMINAL £ODE AMENDMENT BILL. Fresh Managers were appointed to a conference on the amendments in dispute iu the Criminal Code Apt Amendment Bill. SECOND HEADINGS. The Public Trust Office Consolidation Bill was read a second time. Mr Ward moved the second reading of the Government Life Insurance Acts Amendment Bill, which raised the ;paximui« iu l)o jffjjt on mortgage from £SOOO to *lo,ooo,'"aud gayp thp department power to tall? proceedings under the law of libel for any newspaper attacks madoon the institution. — The motion Was agreed to. The Post Office Bill, a consolidating measure, was read a second time and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.

The Premier moved the second reading of tho Westport - Ngakawau Railway Extension Act Amendment Bill, to enable the colony to acquire tho WestportNgakawau railway. The company had offered the lino to tho colony for £20,000, and he believed that that would bo a fair price for tho line, which, it was necessary,

shouKThe acqllired m the interests of the" coal mines of the West Coast. The motion was agreed to. The ..Railway Authorisation Bill, authorising the Wh&ngarei - Kamo. extension and Helensville northwards, was agreed to.

BANKING BILL. yThe Banking Bill was circulated by the Hon. Mr Ward. The Bill is a short measure of three clauses, Clause lis the title. By clause 2 the words “by at least the sum of paid-up. capital” in the first proviso to section 5 of the Bank Note Issue Act, 1893, are repealed. Clause 3 provides that it shall not be lawful for the Bank of New Zealand to amalgamate with any other banking company or corporation whether by way of purchase or sale of assets and business, or otherwise howsoever without the consent of Parliament. IN COMMITTEE. j The , Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill was farther considered in committee. iClause 6 was amended to provide for triennial returns iusteadpf annual returns. Clause 18 was amended by striking out the provision relating to obsolete machinery and by the excision of the provision against deduction in respect of accident assurance. A new clause proposed by Mr T. M|cKenzie, enabling two or more persons owning land in partnership to claim exemptions from taxation- as if they were npt in partnership, was rejected by 36 ‘ to 19. BILLS PARSED. ,The Unclaimed Lands. Bill, Public Trust Office Consolidation Bill, WestportNgakawau Railway Extension Bill and Railways Authorisation Bill were committed without material amendment, read a third time, and passed. LIFE INSURANCE BILL. In committee on the Government Life Insurance Acts Amendment Bill, clause 4 was amended so that not more than onefourth, of the moneys to the.credit of the insurance account should be invested in Government securities instead of not. less than tba|, amount. Clause 6 was amended so that, the limit' of advances on security ,of real estate was fixed at three-fifths, as in ihe case of the Government Advances to Settlers Bill. ; The Bill was then reported and put through its final stages. THIRD READING. ;The Land and Income Assessment Acts Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. MIDLAND RAILWAY. The Premier gave notice to move next sifting day r that the Midland . Railway Contract Bill be now read a. second time, jSir R. -Stout said .that it, was fooling with the, House to give .a notice of this kind.: What he would .like to know .was, was the House going to prorogue ? The Premier said that he would not discuss the. matter that, night. ■ He would give reasons for his motion on Friday. The House rose at L2O a.m.