PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9670, 8 December 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

■ By Telegraph—Press Association. j WELLINGTON, December 7. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 o'clock. ; Tne Magistrate's Court Amendment Bill was put through the Committee stage, read a third time and passed. The Shipping and seamen, Designation of Districts, and Land Settlements Finance Bills were read a first time. j The Council adjourned at 2.45 o'clock. '. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ; In the House this afternoon, on j the resumption of the interrupted de- ! bate on the qi e&tion that the report lof th:-> Lands Comnmlee on the Land Laws Amendment ail] do lie |on the table, Mr F. M. B. Fisher j (Wellington Central) moved to add I that in the opinion of the House the ■ la Hi proposals of the Government | were unsatisfactory.

j Tne amendment was not seconded, i and lapsed. I Replying to Mr J. C. Thomson I (Wallace), the Prime Minister said ! that the Government intended to

j issue instructions throughout the < Dominion about the beginning of I February to inquire and report into j the claims of old soldiers.

I The House then went into Cotnj mittee on the Land for Settlements | Administration Bill. At clause 3, providing that all settlement land j and moneys shall be vested in a super;nt.ndeut, Messrs J. F. Arnold j (Dunedin Central), and W. H. Berriea (Taurancja) expressed disapj proi'al of lands being so ve^tad.

j Mr A. W. Ho£g (Masterton) i thoughr t'iat land shoul 1 be vested in I local bodies, a view supported by

Mr D. McLaren (Wellington Kaft). j Mr J. Allen (Bruce) • contends! j thn' we were handing over Crown ■' 1 ndu w, i *h<? money lender in England. »if moved that "superi:it3n-

dent" be struck out of the clause with a view to adding other words. The amendment was lost on division by 53 to 4, and the clause passed as printed.

At clause 9, providing the means of raising funds for the purposes of the Act, Mr W. F. Massey (Leader of the Opposition) moved to add the following new sub-clause "To provide further funds the Minister is hereby empowered to sen to any lessee of land held under this Act the fee simple of the land occupied by such lessee subject to the following conditions:—!. The purchase price shall be the original value of the land. 2. Any lessee of aloresaid land on any day appointed for the payment of the land may pay to the superintendent any sum not being less ihan one tenth of the capital value in part payment of the purchase monty freahok: of the land, and his future rent t.iall henceforth be proportionately reduced,"

The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 o'clock adjournment. In the House in the evening the interrupted debate on Clause 9 of the Lands for Settlement Administration Bill and Mr Massey's amendment thereon was resumed.

Mr Massey''contended that lessees who had taken up land on the lease-in-perpetuity should be allowed the freehold of their lands on the same terms as those having the optional tenure on paying a difference of one per cent, between their rental and the rental on the ootional system. Mr T. E. Taylor described the Government's land proposals as nebulous and unsatisfactory, and declared that Mr Massey's amendment was not an honest proposal.

After much further discussion Mr Massey's amendment was lost by 42 to 21.

Mr Massey then moved a new cub-clauses—"the owner of a lease under lands for settlements may purchase the fee simple for the lands occupied by him. at the original valuation." The Chairman said the amendment was substantially the same as the previous one.

Mr Massey then moved to report progress in order that the Speaker's ruling might be taken on the point. This was rejected by 33 to 30. The following is the division list on Mr Massey's amendment to clause 9:—For the amendment (21): Messrs Anderson, Bollard, Buchanan, Dive, J. Duncan, Greenslado, Guthrie, Hardy, Herriee, Hine, Laing, Mander, Massey. Newman, Noseworthy, Okey, Pearce, Phillips, Scott, Smith, G. M. Thomson. Against'the amendment (42): Arnold, Brown, Buxton, Carroll, Clark, Colvin, Craigie, Davey, Dillon, T. Duncan, Ell, Field, Forbes, Fowlds, Glover, Hall, Hanan, Hogpn, Hogg, Laurenson, Lawry, Macdonald, R. Mackenize, T. Mackenize, McLaren, Millar, Ngata, Parata, Poland, Poole, j Reed, Ros3, Russell, Seddon, Stallworthy, Steward, T. E. Taylor, TeRa Kihiroa, J. C. Thomson, Waxd, Whitty, Wright. Clause 19 (which provides for classification and limit of area according to section 97 of the Land Act, (1908) Wjs amended on the motion of the Premier by the omission of the words "and the limit of area in the case of each class," and the substitution of a sub-clause providing that for the purposes of the Act one acre of first-class land be deemed equivalent to 2J acres of third-class land. Mr E. Newman (Manawatu) moved a new sub-clause that an owner whose land has been taken may in addition to the area mentioned in sub-clause A retain 100 acres first-class land or its equivalent, on acceiint of each adult son, providing he can satisfy the Board that such son intends to follow agricultural or pastoral pursuits.

Sir J. G. Ward refused to accept the amendment. Mr Newman's amendment was lost by 39 to 25. The debate was proceeding at midnight.