PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3868, 24 July 1891, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE op REPRESENTATIVE THURSDAY, JULY 23. The Speaker look the chair at 2. Petitions. A large number of petitions w banded in in fa?our of the Licens Act Amendment Bill. . PAYMENT OF MEMBERS BILL. The Premier gave notice thai would, the next siuiug day, introd the Payment of Members tfill. VENTILATION. The Hon Mr Bryce and sev< Other memhers complained of the I ventilation of the House, in ans to which the Minister for Pul "Works said the matter was be enqflied into by the Goyernmi officers and an outside architect. OTA6O RETRENCHMENTS. The Minister for Defence, replyi to Mr Fish, said Inspector Moore h been retrenched andlnspecior Hicks< retained becsuso alter careful coi sideration they had come to the coi elusion that the latter was the superior, besides being a senior officer. As to the offences charged against Inspector Hickson, they had been committed in 188 a, and it would noc be fair to bring them up against bini now. not consider an injustice had Seen inadvertently com-mitte»-^'_J} LAND TRANSFER.

The Premier, in reply to a very engtby question by Mr Swan, said his attention had not been called to the necessity for an amendment of the Land Transfer Act in the direction of limiting the power of mortgages, and giving struggling settlers more equitable terms in regard to borrowing than they now enjoy. The Government was not prepared to amend the Act as suggested. He would ever, submit the question to the Registrar-General of Lands iud obtain from him a report on the question, «jd give the matter consideration. The Government would not be pre - pared to undertake so laige an order during the present session. 'FRISCO MAIL. The Postmaster-General, replying to Mr Fisher, said it was the intention of the Government to apply for * renewal of the San Francisco mail service for three years.

LICENSING ACT AMENDMENT BILL. This Bill, the second reading of which was proposed by Mr G Hutchison, proposed to amend the law by making the hour of closing 11 instead of 12, and it repealed the section of the Act of 1882, by which Licensing Committees could raise objections which they themselves had to decide upon. After some discussion the second reading was negatived by 28 to 21. MUNICIPAL FIRE INSURANCE BILL. The second reading of this bill was negatived on division by 23 to 15. OTHER BILLS. The Book Purchasers' Protection Bill was carried on the voices, as was also the Friendly Societies Acts Amendment Bill. The House rose at 11.50.