PARLIAMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 4363, 4 December 1897, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. j '

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph. Willington, December 3 \ The Council met at 2 30 p.m. I, BILLS ADVANCED. j ' The Coroners Bill and the Napier Muni- ! ' cipal Corporation and Napier Barbor Board ■ < Exchange of Lands Empowering Bill passed ) their final stages. { . The Counoil adjourned at 2.45 p.m. |'

1 . HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, j

Wsllinqton, December 3. * The House met at 2.30 p m. I SILL ADVANCED The Hawera Gasworks and Electric Lighting Bill passed iis final stages. A DKNIAL. Mr Ward, as a personal explanation, 1 denied the statement, made during oon- , sideration of the Estimates, that a member i of the House had been granted a free telephone to his private house. OLD AGS FBNSIONS BILL. Mr Seddon moved that the amendments made in the Old Age Pensions Bill be agreed to. As an amendment, Mr Larnach moved | that the Bill be recommitted in order to 1 reconsider clause 56. The House met at 7.30 pm, Captain Russell said that there were few who would deny that appropriations for pensions should be made annually. He contended that it was flimsy finance to depend on a surplus for pensions. Mr Ward ventured to assert that the real object of the motion for the recommittal of the Bill was to ensure the destruction of the scheme. He criticised at considerable length Captain Russell's annuity proposals, and pointed out that Captain Russell's scheme made no provision for those who were sixtyfive years old at present. Sir Robert Stout said that the BUI was not the same as that which was before the country at the elections, and as it had emerged from Committee it was contradictory, as its provisions conflicted. Mr Hogg contended that the Bill would help those who urgently required assistance. Mr Fraser and Mr Taylor spoke in favour of annual appropriations. The amendment was negatived by 33 to 30, and the motion agreed to. The Premier moved the third reading of the,. Bill. He said that tbe amendments made in the measure had not increased the total amount which would be required for pensions, and he had no hesitation iu 1 stating that £20,000 would be sufficient for the first year. As there were only three months to run till the end of the financial year, he had no fear that tbe finances of the colony would not be able to bear the cost of the scheme.