HOUSE OF REPRENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3005, 2 October 1878, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRENTATIVES.

AFTERNOON SITTING.

Tuesday. \ After some preliminary business, the; House went into committee on the postponed clauses of the Land Tax Bill, which passed without material amendment. Several new, clauses were introduced, which took a good deal of discussion, but ultimately passed on .the voices, and the bill was reported in committee, and ordered for Thursday next. [■ Mr "Wakefield will move the recommittal of the bill on the motion for the third reading. . '. : " : The remainder of the afternoon was spent in discussing the Judicial Commission; Bill. ;. , „ „,..., , .-3:,;;; 1 ,*..,,., ,r . , \ Mr Fox went carefully into the facts of the case,; and gave as hit view that the errors lay on both sides, but that the provocation to the Judges was great, and some of the language used by Mr Barton was not to be tolerated by any Court; on the other hand he thought the Judges would have acted more judiciously had they ' simply refused to hear Mr Barton in Covrt until he apologised. The punishment was fearful to one in Mr Barton's position, still, when the Court fined Mr Barton he defied them, and said he would not pay a penny. On the whole the danger of interfering with the powers of independence of the Supreme Court was so great to the liberty of the subjects , he hoped the House would not interfere. Mr Macandrew warmly supported the bill. Neither kings nor judges were infallible, and their powers should be limited by statute. j Mr Macfarlane thought, the judges should have power only to commit for a few hours, so that bail could be found and the offender tried by jury. The Premier will resume the debate. Later. This day. In the House last night,— Mr Ballance briefly moved the second reading of the' Customs Tariff Bill, which was agreed to on the voices, and the House went into committee on the bill. Considerable discussion ensued on clause 4, Mr Wcolcock endeavoring to

obtain the remission of ths duty on sugar, treacle and mollasses, while Mr Bowen moved that the clause be struck but altogether; - Mr Woolcock's amendment was ■lost by 38 to 21, The clause then pasted Without amendment. The remaining i clauses of the bill passed without amend- ' ment. 1n...t1tp.. tirtit schedule Mr Sauride'rs moved (list, the 2s 6d duty on flour sacks be stni, k out, but the item was retained by 29 to 21. In schedule 2, after some discussion, Mr"Baliance agreed to include timber in the list of articles on which all duty was to be removed. Mr Whitaker thought such a'course undesirable. Mr J. K. Brown 'hoped the grain' growers of tie South and the timber settlers of the Jforth Island would not be laid at the feet of the Tasmanian settlers on one hand aod Californian grain-growers on the'others. After, considerable discussion the item " grain " was retained .'by-25 against 19. Mr Tuiiibull moved that the next item "grain gkound"' be' si ruck out, but the amendment was lost by 24 to 17. ; *Ua the motion of Mr Baliance the words, "limber, »awn palings, shingles and laths ''were inserted on the voices. The quesaon was then put that the schedule as amended pass, but Mr Macfarlane called for a division, and the schedule was passed by 27 to 11. . The Bill was reported and ordered to be 1 read a third time on Thursday next. The House adjourned at 1.30.