NOTES FROM THE HOUSE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 28, 9 July 1903, Page 20

NOTES FROM THE HOUSE

« PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT The House of Representatives commenced business in earnest on Wednesday alternoon, when nearly fifty Bill-s were introduced and read a first time. In the evening Mr. Rutherford nuneJ the Address-in-Roply, in the course of which he took the opportunity of fully endorsing the polio ol the Government, but took exception to .some of their administration, and suggested that under-secretaries should be appointed so that the g-owing administrate c woik of the Colony could be properly coped with. Mr. Rutherfoid has a pleasant bantering style, and his speech, punctuated as it was with many humorous allusions, was highly appreciated by the House.

Mr Major, in seconding the motion, made an excellent speech. He said he was distinctly m favor of a preferential tan.'T, and held that -so fai as Freetrnde was concerned it was no longer the keystone of Biitish supremacy. The Americans had announced their intention of dominating the Pacific, and we should take the opportunity to protect ourselves against anything of that kind. The progn ss of the Colony under the Seddon regime had been phenomenal Of couise, mistakes had been made , but that was only human, and to be expected.

Mr. Massey, as an Opposition member, strongly ci iticised the policy oi the Government, and said that Seddonism did not mean liberalism, noi did it mean good or honest government, and government was in danger unless country was put befoi c party and unless information was supplied to merubcis in regard to expenditure iyvd finance Mr Hogg defended the system of co-operative works and condemned the freehold tenuie, contending that the Government had no right to sell a solitary acie of the land of the Colony under such conditions

On Thursday afternoon the Add''e<-s-in-Replv was moved in the Council by the Hon T. X Macdonald and seconded by ITon S. T George, both of whom were only recently called to the Upper Chamber 'On the same afternoon Mr. J A Millar was, on the motion oi the Premier, elected Chairman of Committees.

In the evening the debate on the Aridress-in-Reply was continued in the House, Messrs E M Smith, McNab, and O'Meara speaking in support of the Ministerial policy, and Mr. J. Put hie adversely ci it icising it The debate was renewed on Friday e\enmg, the speakers being Messrs Bedfoid and Tavlor and the ITon. \V Hall-.l ones The speeches so far — save those by the mover and c etondcr of the Ad'riress-in-Reply — have boon very disappointing, the expected criticism of the policy of the Government being very mild and ineffective.