PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10120, 15 October 1910, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

j LEUISLAUVE COUNCIL. ' (By Telegraph—Press Association.} J WELLINGTON, Last Night. I INDECENT PUBLICATION?. i ' In the Legislative Council this j afternoon, the / ttorney-General moved that the Council disagree with ! the amendments made by the House lin the Indecent Publications Bill. In | Claue 3, specifying the offences, I the House had added the words "knowing or having reasonable mean 3 of knowing, that such document is indecent." , The Clause, as j it left the Council, was, perhaps, a little too drastic; but in its amended form it opened the door to the very evil they desired to check'. Be suggested that the flou&e might be induced to agree to make the Clause read in a way that would hit the evil aimed at. fi> more serious alteration was that made in Clause 8, which originally provided that the absent eof guilty knowledge should be no defence. Hie House had added a proviso, "unless he proves he took all reasonable means to ascertain the nature, as regard decency or inderency, of such document." It was easy to see how, this opened the way of escape, 'ihe absence of guilty knowledge was no defence in other (la-ses of offence, and ought not to be in this one. 'ihe Act would break down altogether if the Clause, as amended, was allowed to ftand. He hoped tr. ( e Council would support him in getting the Clause, in its original form, retained.

- Ihe motion wa3 carried, and a f'ommittee was set up to prepare reasons for disagreeing with the amendments. DEFENCE FILL.

'he Defence Bill .-econd reading debate was resumed, and further adjourned, after which the Counicll rose. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. > The House of Representatives met at 2. HO. THE ESTIMATES. The house went, into t ommittee of Supply on the, Estimates. Internal affairs, £2Bs,o9B.—Considerable discussion arose,* on the Electoral Vote of £6774, regarding the anomalie'of th* electoral rolls, and the system generally. j The '-> on. "- v bua( o; replyingr. said that since last general election the corrections in toe electoral rod amounted to 30 per cent. It would be inadvisan-le to practise cheese* paring economy in connection with the electoral cenartment.

'• Mr 1* if her mcv d that the item of £SOO, printing and preparation of roll-, be reduced by £1 as an indication that great jr. freedom should be allowed the jclectqral Cmmissioner in in order that they might conserve that community of interest whichis so essential and right throughout tne district.

Mr Arnold moved as a prior amendment tnac tue item be reduced by ail a * an indication that the present system n-f the rolls was unsatisfactory.

• ,'L'ne Mr Buddo, replying tcj Mr Maaaey, said the Legislative Bill, which it was intended to pass this session,' made provision, not only for purging the. roll, but for an electoral census, ttfat ip, a door-to-dcor canvass to ascertain if people on the roll were actually residents in districts.

Mr Arnold's amendment was lost on the voices.

The House rose at 5.30 p.m.

EVENING SITTING.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. On the House resuming in the evening, considerable discussion took place upon the vote for the High Commissioner's office, £8375. Mr Buchanan contended that the Dominion was not' getting an adequate return for the expenditure upon this office.

Mr Wilford wished to see the vote for office equipment, including publications, increased 'from £SOO to £2OOO, which he would expend in disseminating information'.regarding the conditions of labour in the Dominion. The Immigration , Officer ought to he instructed that there was no room for clerks and artizans here.

The Hon. Mr Buddo said the present was not the time to deal with immigration.

Mr Laurenson said it would be foolish for the Dominion to spend a large su,m of money in bringing out people to settle on the land in the Dominion, which} was limited, and the local demand could not he supplied.

Mr Massey said that the debate, while it had been a little tedious, had brought home to the Minister the fact that there was a growing feeling in the House and in the country ' that the administration of the High Commissionher's office was an extravagant one.' He was in accord with Mr Laurenson in the opinion that it was undesirable to encourage farmers to come to' New Zealand. His reason, however, differed from that of Mr Laurenson, being based on the fact that the Dominion could not offer farmers a secure tenure.

Mr Poole emphasised the necessity for inducing the proper class of emigrant to come to the Dominion, but no obstruction shouid be placed 'in the way of those desirous of improving their position in life. Young men used to clerical life came here and were prepared to do anything, ande ultimately become gocd settlers. MUSEUM. At the Museum item, £2*ll, Mr W ilford moved to reduce the vote by £1 as an indication that the Mu-eum should be vested in a Board of Trustees and an annual sum of £2500 granted for expenses.