LATE PARLIAMENTARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 189, 9 August 1895, Page 4

LATE PARLIAMENTARY.

(BY TELEGRAPH. —PARLIAMENTARY RE-

jV Wellington, this day. THE AGE OF CONSENT. The Premier last evening, laid upon the table of the House the report.of the conference of members on the Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill, providing for the raising of the age of consent. In doing co, Mr Seddon said that the Legislative Council in this matter, had shown itself stubborn, projudiced, and factious of spirit, and had positively refused to raise the age of consent, or exfeend the time during which information could be laid. Under these circumstances he did nob think there was any use in asking for a second conference on the Bill. H« simply moved that the report of the Conference be, laid upon the table of the House. This course was agreed to. JOTTINGS. J * -: The Premier asked Mr Smith, of Christchurch, this afternoon, if in giving notice of his amendment that the tariff proposals wore unsatisfactory he had consulted the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Smith replied that he had nob spoken to Capb. Russell, nor to any otbsr member of the House. He acted on own responsibility. He hoped the amendment would not be treated as a waut-of-con-fidence motion, but simply as an attempt to get the opinion of the House on the | merits of the proposals. The leader of the Opposition gave an assurance that he knew nothing of the amendment. By an amendment in the Service Registry Office Act, the Labour Bill Committee has provided thab the Governor shall have power to prescribe a scale of fees to which everyone visiting a registry shall have access, and the keeper of the office shall bo bound to charge nothing beyond these fee?. He is further prohibited from being interested in any lodging house.

The Public Petitions Committee has referred to bho Government tho petition of the Whangarei Hi£rh School Board of Governors, praying for £300 towards increased school accommodation.

MrKolly, of Invorcargill, is introducing the Domestic Servants' Half-holiday Bill.

The petition of the North Auckland Charitable Aid Board prayed that Charitable Aid be madeacharge on iheconsolidatedrovonue or that each County Council be constituted a Board to administer chairoable aid within its own boundaries.