PARLIAMENTARY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 2799, 18 August 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE Of REPRESENTATIVES,

August 13,

The Lyttelton Harbour Board Bill (Mr Witty) and Canterbury College and Canterbury Agricu'tural College Amendment Bill (Mr Ell) were introduced and read a first time.

The Hon. T. Y. Duncan moved the second reading of the Bueh and Swamp Crown Lands Settlement; Bill, to provide for the encouragement of settlement on bush and other Crown lands. A long discussion on the Bill ensued.

Mr Witheford said he thought the reason why the North Island woe being eettled so slowly was that the adrr inhtration of the Lind Department was so lax, and he moved —Thai, the land administration of the Government is unsatisfactory, a Ministerial change is detirable.

The Premier said he considered it too muoh altogether to have a no , confidence motion each night. He did not think Mr Witheford could be serious, and he atked him to withdraw the Bill in the interests of the North Island settlement, of the returned troopers, and of land settlement generally. After a long discussion on the Land ques' tion had followed, Mr Witheford said he had no wish to press hie amendment to a division.

The amendment wai put and lost;, and the second reading of the Bill was agreed to oa the voices. August 14. Mr Taylor gwe notice to aek the Premier why the Crown law officers and other legal gentlemen should be allowed to govern the Executive if Mr Seddon informed some Newtown electors that these same gentlemen's opinion on the proper interpretation of clause 3 of the Alcoholic Licquors Act, 1895, was entirely wrong. Notice was given of the introduction of the following BilU :_Electoral Acb Amendment Bill, and a Bill to ametad the Reenlation of Local Elections (Sir Joeeph Ward) Native Land Rating Bill (Bon. J. Carroll), Mixed Cloth Bill, Crown Grants Bill, Land for Settlements Act Amerdment Bill, Teachera , Superanuation Fund Bill, Referendum Bill and Wines Adulteration Bill (Right Hon R. J. Seddon). The following Bills were introduced and read a first time:—Police OHencee Act

Amendment (Hon. J. McGowaD), Arbitration Court Emergency (Right Hob. R. J. Suc'don), Companies Act Amendment (Sir Joseph Ward), Maeterton Hispital Contributors Empowering (Mr Hogg), Law PractioLsrs Acts Amendment (Mr Liurenson), Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment (Mr Lawiy). T! c l'rcmier moved the recohd reading of the State Fire Insurance Bill. He conBide: ecJ that the charges of the private companips were so abnormally h'gh, and their piofite so great, that theie was no risk what ever in the Government undertaking Fire Insurance He felt sure that the demands of tho people would bo met in a better spirit After a good deal of discussion, the second reading was passed by 33 votes to 9,