HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8742, 16 December 1913, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WELLINGTON, December 15. Supplementary Estimates. The House continued discussion on the Supplementary Estimates after the luncheon . adjournment, the last item being passed at 3.35. Various Bills. The report of the conference on the Law Practitioners' Bill was agreed to. An amendment provides for the Minister to make regulations to govern the auditing of trust funds in the hands of solicitors. The Hon. A. L. .Herdman moved.the adoption of the report of the managers on the Municipar Corporations Bill. He agreed" to proposals' for no restriction to be put on cities or boroughs regard-, ing the _ establishment of "bus services, except in Auckland. There, if the Tramway Company thinks its rights are being invaded by the City Council, proceedings may be taken under an originating summons in the Supreme Court to test the question. . The motion was agreed to by 35 votes to 13. The Victoria College Act Amendment Bill was read a second time without debate. ?.," Defence.

On resuming ,;ttie debate on the. Joint Defence Legislation Committee's report/ Sir Joseph Ward read the resolutions passed by the Christchurch Navy League against the building of ships in defence of New Zealand. He contended that these resolutions were condemnatory of the Government policy. He claimed that the 1909 agreement ought to be carried out and declared that no satisfactory information had ever been before Parliament to explain why the agreement had hot been carried out. The Hon. W. P. Massey denied that the responsibility rested on the Government. They had asked- to have the agreement completed, but the Admiralty declined. So far as the building of ships was concerned, the Government did not at present propose to build ships for the defence of New Zealand, but if within reasonable time the Admiralty was not prepared .to send Bristol cruisers to New Zealand waters the Government would ask Parliament to vote £400,000 for the purpose . of building a cruiser for the protection of commerce. The discussion was interrupted to consider the amendments made in the Labour Disputes Investigation Bill by the Legislative Council. The amendments were agreed to, after a protest by Mr J. Robertson. On resuming the debate on the defence report, Mr 'Isitt claimed that the recommendations of the . committee were a duplication of the view he had been impressing upon the Minister. He was glad to see them* now adopted. Mr Hindmarsh contended that although he and others had been jeered at for supporting Mr Isitt, he and those who had voted with him were completely vindicated by the report of the committee. .

The report was agreed to. Other Measures. The Hon. J. Allen quoted a letter circulated by the National Peace Society regarding the formation of the Farmers' Union Constabulary Force, in connection with which he desired to say that no such force would be permitted to be armed. ' - The Appropriatibn Bill was introduced at 5.50 p.m. The Bill was reported from the committee without amendment and passed at 6.16 p.m. The House adjourned at 6.17 p.m to resume at 8 o'clock! Appropriation Bill. The Appropriation -Bill was put through- committee and finally passed at 6.16 p.m. j The Final Scsne. At 8.48 p.m. the Speaker an-! nounced that the Legislative Council had passed the Appropriation Bill. He then repaired to Government House, and at 11.10 returned with His Excellency's signature to the Bill. The Prime Minister said that the session, for its duration and quantity of business transacted, was easily a record, and he desired to congratulate the Speaker, the Chairman of Committees, and officers of the House, upon the faithful manner iii which they had discharged tho onerous duties falling to them. As to the Opposition, he said that he was glad? to know that, although the session had been a strenuous one, their difference* were only .political and not personal. Sir Joseph Ward also conveyed liis

felicitations to the Speaker and Chairman of Committees, and after MiLang had repied, Mr Massey moved "That the House do now adjourn till Saturday." ' ■ A division was called for, the motion' being carried by 23 votes to 13, and the | third session of the Eighteenth Parliament came to an end at 11.3-1 p.m. '