PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3016, 12 October 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

| LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (By Telegraph—Abridged from Press Association Report). WELLINGTON, October 10. The Legislative Council resumed at 2.30 o'clock. The Coal Mines Act Amendment, Land Tax and Income Tax Bill, and Maori Land Laws Amendment Bill were put through all stages without amendment and phased. The Council adjourned at 5 p.m., and resumed at 9 p.:a. On the Council resuming the Appropriation Bill was received from the House, and put through all its stages without amendment. The Council rose at 11.50 o'clock, and the session terminated.

HOUSE 07 REPRESENTATIVES. The House met in Committee at 3.30 o'clock. At the item £26 compensation to John Freebody for alleged wrongful imprisonment, Mr Hornsby entered a protest. The Government had itself established the innocence of Freebody, who did not ask for compensation, but only for a sum equal to the old age pension. He moved that the vote be reduced by £1 to mark disapproval of the Government's action. The motion was carried by 36 to 25. At the item £16,633 for miscelaneous services (Department of Industries affairs), Mr Hornsby moved to reduce the amount £SOOO to J. J. Meikle by £4,999. He contended that the country should never pay a penny to a man whose innocence had never Deen proved, and who had villified public men all over the country when other men whose innocence had been established got nothing. Mr C. E. Major took a similar' ground, and said that rumour had it that there was a candidate behind Meikle.

Sir J. G. Ward pointed out that two judges of the Supreme Court had declared that Meilde should not have been convicted on the evidence adduced. It was the duty of the Government to give fair compensation, and that had been assessed at As to abuse every public man was abused, and if he could not stand abuse he had no business to be a public man. The motion was carried by 37 votes to 26. The result of the division was received with applause. The House adjourned at 5.30 o'clock. The House resumed at 7.30 o'clock.

Objection was taken by some members to the Government spending £I,OOO as a contribution to the tercenten3iy memorials in Canada without authority. Th 6 Hon. J. McGowan said *hat contributions had been sent from all parts of the Empire. The vote was passed. ' At the item £10,7F1, Department of Agriculture Mr Massey moved to reduce the salary of the Secretary to the Department bv £1 as a protest against the new dairy reaul,u:.ma. which, he said, constituted a serious and unnecessary tax upon dairy farmers. The regulations had caused a storm of r.nxiety and judignat'on all over the Dominion. Presently every dairy farmer would have to pay 10s if he milked more than ten cows. The Hon. R. McNab sai.i that, much of the misconception at first aroused in the minds of dairy farmers by these regulations had been removed. Complaints now only came from that section which could not tolerate State interference in anything. Were it not for the action of the State our industry would not enjoy its present reputation on the London market. The motion was defeated by 33 to 19.

Thereat of hi estimates were passed without alteration. The Apnropriation Bill was brought down and passed all its stages without debate. The Bill was returned from the Council at 11.25 p.m. A "tangi" was then held, and the third session of the 16th Parliament concluded shortly before midnight.