TO-DAY'S PARLIAMENT. A

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE LATE CLEBK OF TIEE HOUSE. When the House met this afternoon Mr. Speaker said it was his painful duty to announce tho sad news of the death of Mr. George Friend. During the long period for which Mr. Friend had, served the House, he (the Speaker) had had ample opportunity of observiug his worth. He was a most painstaking officer, and one whose accuracy and attention to his work couid be absolutely relied on. Both personally and on public grounds he deplored the death of Mr. Friend. The Premier said he was sure every member would regret the loss that had occurred, and jt would be difficult indeed to fill Mr. Friend's place. He had been an example of a public officer, and all would sympathise with his widow and only daughter. He moved, " That the House desires to place on record its high, sense of the faithful services rendered to the House of Representatives during 35 years by the late Mr. G. Friend as Clerk Assistant and Clerk of the House, and respectfully tenders to his family its assurance of sympathy with them in their irreparable loss." The Hon. Mr. Rolleston, in seconding this, said that Mr. Friend was courteous, obliging, capable, industrious, and, as had been said by Mr. Speaker, accurate in the performance of his duties. All. would deplore his loss. The motion was carried in silence, and the House adjourned till 7.30 p.m.

The Chief Justice gave judgment to-day in a case relative to the will of thf* late Mr. Tiffen, of Napier. The matter came before his Honour in the nature of an appeal against a decision of the Commissioner of Stamps as to the duty which ought to be assessed upon a conveyance and an assignment of property from one of Mr. Tiffen's sisters to another. The Stamp Department demanded and obtained duty on the full value of the whole property as a gift to take effect on the death of the brother. The Department, however, consented to an appeal from its assessment being made. His Honour allowed the appeal. with £10 10s costs. The adjourned meeting of creditors iv the bankrupt estate of James E. Read, held this morning, was presided over by Mr. E. Ge'rard, Deputy Ollicial Assignee. Mr. Sidey expressed his opinion, after enquiries made by him, tbat tho propert}', or rather the interest that bankrupt had in it, was North not less tbau £900. It was resolved that Mr. Sidey should act in conjunction with the Ollicial As^igupe in tbe disposal of bankrupt's interest in this property. The meeting also decided that the Official Assignee be instructed not to recognise Mr. Smart as a secured creditor, and that the bankrupt be allowed to retain the whole of the furniture. This resolution was moved and carried on •iccount of Mr. Smart holding an unregistered bill of sale over the furniture. The bankrupt was recommended for his discharge. The affairs of the now virtually defunct Freights Reduction Committee were further disclosed during the cross-examination of Mr. Munro shipping manager for J. H Stanley & Co., in a civil case heard in the IVlagistrate's Court this morning. The •witness repudiated an insinuation by counsel that hp had experienced great difficulty in carrying out the contract with the Committee, and said :— " To carry it out was a mere triile, but the whole troublo was to prevent impositions by agents and others." Tho witness admitted, though he at first protested against being mado to reply, that a certain amount of " iinnncing " had to bo resorted to, and that " we hadn't a great deal of money." As to the extent to which the company fulfilled its undertaking Mr Muuro said, " Out of 40,000 bales only 1000 bales were not shipped as agreed," and that, he explained, was duo to the sinking of the 'barque "i/iira at Dunedin wharf. The men Basan and Courtney, who were before the Magistrate's Court to-day, again appoarod bef ore" Messrs. Bannister and Arnold, Justices, this afternoon. Dr. Vindlay, instructed by Mr. Wilford, asked that the cases should bp. adjourned till I'Viday, but the Bench decided to proceed with them. Evidence having been taken in regard to Basan, he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Tho charge against Courtney was dismissed conditionally on his leaving the town by Thursday for Danuevirke, where he has an order for work from the Labour Bureau. The case oi D. T. Orr and another v. Philip D. Davis — a claim for specific performance of contract — is to be heard before the Chief Justice to-morrow.