LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wellington, Tuesday, Sept. 11. The Public Health Bill was read a first time, and the Bank of New Zealand Officers Guarantee and Provident Association Bill was passed. The New Zealand Ensign and Code Signals Bill was read a second time, and the Sale of Poisons Act Amendment Bill was put through Committee without amendment and passed. The Criminal Code Act, 1893, Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee, progress being again reported. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. On the House meeting this afternoon the Minister for Public Works gave notice to introduce the New Zealand University Act Amendment Bill,and the Premier announced that he would introduce a Limitation ofWorking Hours Bill which, he explained, was another name for the Eight Hours Bill. A bill to regulate the law relating to the postal service was introduced by message from the Governor and read a first time. The Hou6e went into COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY on the general estimates class 2. Messrs Pirani and Massey wanted information as to how far it was intended to go with the estimates and protested against the continuance of last week's late sittings. — The Premier said he could not give a definite answer but he had no intention to force the estimates through and would be satisfied with a reasonable amount of progress. On the item " Electoral Department, £4850," Mr Bollard asked what course the Government proposed to take in regard to the registrars of electors in Auckland and suburbs. He alleged many serious irregularities in connection with the compilation of the rolls and the registration of voters. — Mr Ward admitted that there had been irregularities in various parts of the colony, but he hoped before the session closed to introduce important proposals for electoral reform. He also promised that steps would be taken to prevent the recurrence of failures to retain on the rolls the names of persons who had voted.— Mr Tanner approved of the Government appointing agents to place the names of voters on the rolls but could not congratulate the Government on the character of some of the men who had been selected for that purpose.— Mr G. W. Russell contended that the lawshould bemore explicit on the question of defining an informal voting paper.— Mr Bollard complained that the salaries of returning officers were too small. — In reply to a question as to the returning officers under the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act, Mr Ward said it was intended to introduce amending licensing legislation this session. On item "Audit Office, £6242," Mr Meredith urged that in view of defalcations that had lately taken place in financial institutions a more careful and thorough system of audit should be observed with respect to public and local bodies' accounts. —Mr Ward said that the Audit Department had nothing whatever to do with the audit of the Bank of New Zealand's books, and therefore could not be held responsible for the defalcations at Rangiora. Nothing could be urged against the department, and if there were any complaints against indij vidual officers it was' the duty of those interested to apprise the department to that effect. He urged that the department was understaffed, and that complaints were rife against local bodies that they could not, without unreasonable delay, get their accounts audited. Agent-General's department, £4600— Mr Ward, in reply to Mr -Massey, explained that the addition of £250 to the AgentGeneral's salary was for the simple reason that the salary previously p*id was not sufficient. As to Mr Reeves' ter"m of office : he had originally been appointed for three years, which had expired, and he now held the position from year to year. On item "£2OO, grant in aid of the Swimming Association," Mr Ward said he would undertake to increase the amount if necessary and to see that school committees who taught swimming would participate in it. A discussion was initiated over the vote of £5000 as an advance to the Cook Islands Government for the purchase of an auxiliary schooner. Members professed to discover in this the first step in the direction of the Premier's foreign policy — the federation of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. They claimed that the £5000 was nothing less than a gift to the Cook Islands Government. Mr Herries moved that the amount be reduced by £1 as an indication that the House desired fuller information on the subject. The Colonial Secretary and the Premier expressed every readiness to give ample details. The effect of their explanation was that our trade with the islands was fast slipping away to America and Australia owing to the want of a small tender to readily distribute cargo among the smaller islands and to collect fruit from the latter. It was intended to have the vessel built in Auckland, and though a vote of £5000 was asked as an advance it was improbable that the amount would be expended. Mr Herries' motion to reduce the itemby£l was rejected by 27 to 23. A lengthy discussion ensued over the item " contributions to Ottawa relief fund, £5134." Mr Massey led off by moving that ) the item be reduced by £1, quoting figures to show that Canada waa not in need of

such aid.— Messrs J. Hutcheson, R. McKenzie and Atkinson urged that the Government should have looked after the interests of the poor in the colony in the first instance. Others, who had answered the Premier's circular favouring a grant urged that Parliament was besmirching its generous act by debating the question. Eventually tho item was passed on the voices. The committee then went back to Mr Hogg's amendment for reducing the cost of the peace celebrations, but the vote was retained by 50 to 5. At 1.30 a.m. the Colonial Secretary's Department, which had been under consideration from 3 p.m., was still being discussed. GENERAL. Provided the Public Health Bill passes the Legislative Council this week the quarantine restrictions now imposed on vessels arriving from Australian ports will be removed from Monday next. Such, I learn, is the decision of the Cabinet. From a return presented to Parliament to-day it appears that the convictions for sly grog-selling in various electoral districts in 1899 were as follows : — Ashley 1, Bay of Islands 2, Bay of Plenty 2, City of Auckland 5, City of Dunedin 1, Clutha 3, Grey 2, Hawera 2, Invercargill 4, Marsden 2, Patea 1, Taranaki 5, Waikato 15, Waitemata 1, Wanganui 3 — total 49. In-pre-vious years the convictions reached the following totals :— 40 in 1895, 40 in 1896, and 73 in 1897 and 1898. A return laid before the House showing the amount paid by the Government to the Stoke Orphanage reads : " Amount paid by the Government to manage St. Mary's Industrial School from Ist August, 189S, to Ist August, 1899, £1447 7s; from Ist August, 1899, to Ist August, 1900, £1163 10s— total, £2610 17s. Note.— St. Mary's Industrial School consists of three parts, namely ( 1 ) for girls at Nelson ; (2) for young boys at Nelson ; (3) for remaining boys at Stoke. The above figures are in respect of all boys paid for by the Government at St. Mary's Industrial School. Separate records are not kept of the numbers of boys paid for by the Government at Stoke and .[Nelson respectively, the two institutions being parts of one industrial school under tlie same manager." Lady Yogel, H. B. Yogel, J. L. T. Yogel and Phoebe E. Yogel are petitioning tlie House for commission due to the late Sir Julius Yogel on the conversion of £1,600,000 (being part of the 1897 loan of £5,000,000) between 18th February, 1881, and 17th June, 1881, together with interest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum. The petitioners ask that this claim maj" be distinguished from any previously made in the matter. If the opinion of the Crown law officers should " be favourable on certain points the petitioners ask for a grant of £2000 with interest. Mr Hanan [is urging the Government to set up a select committee to consider and report as to the best means of developing the fishing industry. He is also asking for votes for roads in Richmond Grove and Seaward Bush, and has advocated that Southland should be constituted a separate police district,