PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2978, 15 August 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THURSDAY. Tub Council met at half-past two. The Libel Bill was further considered in C'immittej. The following new clause was inserted : •'This Act shall not apply to the case of any libel against any candidate for public office or position in the colony unless retraction of the charge is made editorially in a conspicuous manner at least three days before the election." The Liill was reported as amended, the third reading being fixed for next day. FRIDAY. The Libel Biil was read a third time and passed. Tho Imprest Supply Bill for £230,000 was passed through all its stages. The Factory Bill was read a first time. The Truck Bill was re-committed and reported as amended, the third reading being fixed for Tuesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WEDNESDAY. Tho following is the continuation of the debate upon the Land and Income Assessment Bill after the Telegraph Office closed on Wednesday night :— In place of clauso 2, a new clause was inserted taxing private bondholders of companies whether they aro residents in New Zealand or not. The schedule as amended was agroed to. Schedule, clause 2, income from business : Mr Ballance moved the following addition " Income derived from business shall include income derived from any pastoral lands ot Crown lands in New Zealand held by any person under lease or license issued by the Grown." Agreed to. Schedule E passed unaltered. Schedule F, miscellaneous rules as to assessment of income. Mr Ballatice moved a new clause to the effect that when any person effects insurance of his own life, or for the benefit of his wife or children, with any company, he shall be entitlod to deduct from his income the amount of premium paid in any year, hut not more than £50 shall be deducted. Agreed to, and the schedule was added to the Bill. Tha liill was reported with amendments, which were ordered to be considered on Fliday. The House rose at a quarter-past one a.m. THURSDAY. The Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteers' Lund Claims. The Committee presented reports recoinmonding inter alia 1. That a Royal Commission be set up to report upon all claims which have so far been rejected, and which may yet be sent in. 2. That members of tho old Wellington defence force should be honourably and equitably dealt with. 3. That widows and children of old soldiers, whether in the Imperial or colonial forces, should be ontitled to claim. Mr Ballance moved tho second reading of the Distillation Act Amendment Bill to enable the owner of vineyards to keep and use a still of not lass than 25 gallons, nor more than 50 gallons capacity for the purpose of distilling spirits from wine, the produce of his o.vn viuuyard.

Agrood to. The House went into committoo cm the Factories Bill. Clause " was amended to provide that the (Vet shall come into operation on tho Ist January, 1892. A discussion lasting nearly three hours took place on the interpretation clause, tho stumbling block being the definition of a ■' factory or work room." Country members while agreeing that the Hill was very desirable as far as tjwus and town districts were concerned, urged that it would prove most harassing and vexatious if applied to country districts.

The Hon. Mr Reeves pointed that tho object of the liill was not to limit the hours of labour of male adults, or to affect the rate of wages, but it was to protect females and children, and prevent that abominable system of sweating which had existed so long in towns. Kventually the clause was altered defining a f ictory or workroom as any office, building, or place iu which one or more persons are engaged in a city, borough, or town district, and in which throe or more persons are engaged in country districts for the purposes of manufacture. Clause 2'J: Notice of accident to be sent to tho Mayor and to the medical authority, was altered compelling tho occupier of a factory to send notice within twelvo hours instead of six hours.

Clause 35 : Power to exempt certain factories from being lime washed. Flax mills, dairy factories, and cheese factories were exempted from the provisions of tho Bill in this respect. A motion that Hour mills be exempted was lost by 21 to 21, as also was a motion lo exempt breweries. Clause 51!: Limit of hours of labour of boys and girls. Mr Fisher moved, " That the age at which girls may work as type-setters in printing offices be fixed at 18 instead of 10 years." The motion provoked considerable disj cussion, several members contending that I this was an attempt to drive woman from the printing trade, and others taking the stand that women were not physically fitted to boar the strain of the trade. Tho Minister in charge of the Bill asked the enmmittoo to vote for the age being raised to IS, as from personal oxperionce ho could say that the printing occupation was particularly unhealthy for women, and even men broke down under it. Mr Fisher's amendment was lost by 10 to 21. Other amendments were made of a trivial character and the Bill was reported as amended and read a third time and passed. The House rose at 1.33. a.m. FRIDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to Sir George C4rey, Ml- Ballance said the Government intended to proceed with the Payment of Members Bill uext week.

The Ribbit Nnisanro Act Amendment. Bill. tr. give effect to the ivconirneo'lation of the Stock Committee with r.'sp.-ct t" rabbit-proof fences, was read a second time. Tho Hon. Mr Reeves moved the second reading of the Workmen's Ijieu Bill, to make better provision fir securing payment of wages due to workm"n. He s iij it was one of the Labour Bills, anil would be passed onto the Labour B'Us Comoiitte\ Agreed to. Mr Ballance moved tho second reading of the Consolidated Stock Bill, to enable the Government to bring loans raised under several Acts under tho New Zeulaiii Consolidated Stock Act. He explained that tho total amount of loans proposed to be converted into stock under this Bill was two and a half millions, and most of the socurities fell due in about fifteen years. Agreed to, and tho Bill was referred to the Public Accounts Committee. Tho Marriage Act Amendment Bill was passed through Committee with verbal amendments. Tho Distillation Act Amendment Bill was committed. Some discussion took place on clause 2, which gives the Commissioner of Customs the power to grant a wine still license. Mr Bryco said the most formidable objection to the Bill was that it would facilitate smuggling and make it impossible to detect it. Mr Ballanco replied that smuggling had not taken place in the other colonies where a similar Act was in force. The Bill passed through Committee without amendment. Sir John Hall presented a petition in favour of the franchiso being extended to women. Tho petition, which was sevonty yards long, contained tho signatures of MSo persons. The Customs and Excise Duties Bill, Trustees Act, 1883 Amendment Bill, Post and Telegraph Classification and Regulation Act Amendment Bill, Piillic Bodies Powers Act Amendment Bill, River Boards Act Amendment Bill, and Public Revenues Bill passed through Committoo without material amendment. Tiie House rose at 0.00 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Tho Selectors L mds Re-valuation Considered in committee, when the amendtinuance and Amendment Bill was conments made by tho Waste Lands Committee were agreed to. The Electoral Bill was further considered in committee. The question before the committee on a former occasion was that a person does not include females, and Sir John Flail's amondment that " Person includes fenwlo in tho interpretation clause. Being put, Mr Fish moved that tho chairman leave the chair. Ho said tho Promier had been guilty of a gross breach of faith in giving his consent to the moving of tho amendment providing for giving tho franchise to women. He did not blamt) Sir John Hall for moving his amendment, as ho had been a consistent advocato of female franchise, but ho did not think the Government, whom ho (Mr Fish) had hitherto supported, should give countenance to a proposition of this kind. It was only small sections of tho women of ttie colony that asked for tho franchise. Ho spoko at very great length in opposition to Sir John Hall's amendment. Mr Ballance said ho should liko to know whether Sir John Hall had not a perfect constitutional right to move his amendment, and yot Mr Fish wanted him to act like a tyrant to prevent an lion, member from exercising his undoubted right. The hon. member for Duuedin ought to see that a largo majority of tho Houso were in favour of Sir John Hall's amendment, he did not see that any harm whatever would result from giving women the power to vote and he hoped Mr Fish would treat the question in a reasonable manner and uot stonewall it. If a majority of tho Houso wished that tho woman franchise should bo embodied in a separate Bill he would p.-.y duo dofferenco to that opinion. Mr E. M. Smith supported the amendment and Mr Taylor opposed it. (Loft Sitting.)