PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 291, 15 December 1897, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY.

(By Telegraph.-Parliamentary Reporter.) " WELLINGTON, Tuesday HOROWHENUA AGAIN. ' When the House met to-day the Hon Rolleston presented a petition from Maim Kemp praying to he heard by counsel "at the bar of the House against the passing | the Horowhenua Bill. The petition having been read,. Mr Rolleston gave notice to' move that the prayer of the petitioner b granted. ' . ■~,_.;' CHEVIOT ESTATE. The Cheviot Estates Amendment Act was brought down by message from the Governor, the Premier explaining that it makes provision for handing.over the coalI ing wharf to the County Council, and for" an appropriation being, made for roading the estate. The Bill was read a first time LEAVE OF ABSENCE. One week's leave, of absence was granted to Mr Herries on account of illness. ■ •: BANK OF NEW ZEALAND ACT. The Premier moved the second reading of the Bank of New Zealand and Bankino x\ct Amendment Bill. In doing so hcsstil he quite coincided Avith the contention-that there should "be finality in banking le<nslation, but this Bill was merely' a machinery measure. Proceeding7 to eipkiff^&p&fM^features of the Jill he reifeWd/m^ 8P t# WW3? W^m% the introduction of the Bill, whicKT wink you fully at the time. It might be uro-ed he said, that, the proposed Board \voul2 be too large, but'he would leave the.decisioi; of that point to the House. The Government would exercise every, care to ensure that no person should be appointed whe mightmisusetheposition or his knowledge'ol the affairs of the Bank's clients. So far as the ' balance-sheet of the Bank was cdp. cerned the Government had no knowledge., of the details, and in the new regulations the accounts were similarly safeguarded It had been said that the agricultural interests -had not received the attention they deserved from the Bank, but that wa9 >a matter in the discretion of the management. On the question of auditing he did not think the interests of the country were sufficiently provided for. It was necessary to have an auditor constantly in Wellington to consult with the manager. He condemned the unwarranted , and ungenerous charges levelled against the Government of evading its duty and ignoring the recommendations of the Committee of 1896 as to the position of the shareholders of the Bank and those of the colony. He thought, having regard to- the fact that had riot the Government' come to the' rescue of the Bank the shareholders would have lost their investment, the representation ef the colony on the Board as proposed by'the Act was not too large. In respect to the general business and profits he believed they were rapidly coming up to expectations, and that this result had been largely promoted by the purchase of the Colonial Bank. The falling-off was not enough to justify anxiety. He would ask the House in Committee to eliminate the clause providing that the banks should retain aa amount of assets in the colony equal to their liabilities, though he still believed it would be to the advantage of the colony.if the principle were insisted on. . .There had been occasions when this colony.'had suffered financially through the withdrawal of money to meet losses with which New Zealand was in no way connected. While he intended to withdraw'the provisions in regard to limiting the banks ownership of .properties ••■andjjgfl estate, in order that it might be Snelneftkl in a general measure to be introduced next session, he approved oi sueb, a restriction being imposed. . 'Without it many 6i; the banks holding Properties for unlimited periods showed fictitious profits on them, to the general1 injury of banking business and the community generally. Over a quarter of a million of money had been realised by the Assets Board, and he recognised the necessity for that Tttbdy cordially co-operating with the bank. • He. felt sure the' time"wa'3 not remote when those who had most strongly condemned the action of the Government would come round to the opinion that it was dictated by patriotic motives. Mr Rolleston declared the Premier1? speech was. apologetic in character, and snowed there was no" urgent need for the present Bil. "■ He 'condemned the -connection of the Government with the Bank, and expressed the belief that the sooner the colony got- leave of it on fair terms the better it would be for all parties. The Standing Committee really meant' the Governor-in-Council with the regulations. To his mind, that was the prominent feature in the proposed, change of management. The proposals for abolishing the office of President was uncalled for." He hoped the Bill would be rejected. ■ He would oppose the second reading. Mr R. Mackenzie (Motueka) moved that the Bill be read this day six months, which was not seconded.

Mr G. Hutchison supported the secopd reading, in order to enable the Bank to recover its position, but in Committee he would oppose the increase oh the Board and local directors.

Mr Miller thought the Bank would get along all right if left alone, and he intended to oppose the second reading. Mr" Bollard condemned, the Bill, which he said would place the Bank under Ministerial control and destroy public confidence. ...', Mr Larnach said the cost of the machinery of the new system of management would amount to £4,950, which was not in the direction of economy. He condemned certain clauses of the Bill, ana announced his intention of proposing amendments if the Bill got into Committee. He would vote against the .sll becauseatwas no improvement iijaoW^sT,' Mfßugmmiffiszs&nx** °* r'rr -'" ■ ;■, ■" Mr Wilson condemned the proposal to appoint local boards. "We all know, said the member for Wellington suburbs. " what the local boards did for Auckland. "Hear, hear," chimed in Mr Crowther sympathetically. ; It was very evident that the president of #he Bank had a good many zealous friends in the House who were very solicitous for his interests, and the Premier made pointed allusion to this in his reply, asking whether the apparent change in the attitude of some of the members was attributable to a " power behind the throne greater than the throne itself.' He went on to argue that this Bill was. necessary in the interests of the people of the colony. What was the cause of the failure of the Bank ? The fact that the Board was concentrated in Auckland, instead of being a wider representation ol the colony. Something like 60 per cent, of the "total losses of the Bank were sustained in Auckland. o£ instance the case of the Australian Mutual Provident Society as an example of the success attendant upon a central system of management with local boards. Referring' to the predictions that the result of the proposed legislation would be to convert the Bank into an enormous political institution, he retorted by reminding the House of the political pressure exercised by the Bank in former years, ac affirmed the necessity that as soon as tne machinery proposed in the Bill was sec up the Bank and the Government should be as far apart as the poles. Intimation htu been given of several intended amendments, and, in order to afford members an opportunity to put them on the wer Paper, he would not press the Bill tnis evening. «\«, a The motion for the second reading ol cne

gill was 'carried by 42 to 20, the largest maiority the Government has had this session- • ne committal was fixed for Wednesday, the Premier promising when tbe proposed amendments are printed he Toll intimate those he will accept. CONSOLIDATED STOCK ACT. A message having been received from ♦he Legislative Council enclosing the Consolidated Stock Act Amendment Bill with a n amendment, the amendment was agreed YOUNG PERSONS PROTECTION BILL. In committee on this Bill there was a Ion" and at times rather lively discussion, the°discreet woman mentioned in the Bill jjeiijff. the subject of many sarcastic remarks. Mr Rody Mackenzie • made the fun fast and furious, and set up a most determined stonewall. At one o'clock he moved that the Chairman leave the chair, which was negatived by 26 to 15. An amendment to the effect that no ' policeman or officer under the Act should be permitted to enter a private residence unless provided with a warrant was also lost by 24 to 19. A motion to add a new clause making the bringing of the Act into operation permissive with local bodies was defeated by 27 to 2. The Bill was reported with amend- . ments. :' BILLS PASSED. ! The/Houston'Laij^^GfanC £!IV'£anW '• andliicome Tax' Assessment Amendment, ' and Young Persons Protection Bills were passed, and the House adjourned at two a.m.. OLD AGE PENSIONS SHELVED. The Legislative Council, after further discussion, laid the Old Age Pensions Bill to rest, for this session at least, by rejecting the second reading on a division by 20 to 15. The division list for the second reading was: Ayes: McCullough, Barnicoat, Smith, W. Kelly, Kerr, Rigg, Jones, Jenkinson, Harris, Reeves, Feldwick. Pinkerton, Jennings, Bolt, W. C. Walker. Against: L. Walker, Stewart, Richardson, Baillie, Bowen, Scotland, McGregor, Swanson, Shrimski, Tairoa, Bonar, Stevens, Ormond, Holmes, Grace, McLean, Williams, Peacock, Montgomery, Reynolds. Pairs: For the Bill: Kelly, T. Ark■wright, Kenny. Against: Johnston, Oliver, Morris.

A motion to insert Mr Bonar's amendment that the Bill be laid aside was then carried by 19 to 7.

CYANIDE PROCESS BILL

■ The Goldlields Committee, on the Cyanide Process Gold Extracting- Bill, recommend that it be, allowed to proceed with amendments. The amendments are chiefly those'on Clause 8 "-No person to use patent rights or similar process without a license." The Committee struck out sub-sections one and two, " in the absence of tlie said patent rights or in so far as they or any of them may cease to exist, or may not extend any process wherein cyanide of potassium, or any process of cyanogen in any form, combination, or strength," whatsoever,isemployedasasolvent." In Clause 10 "The royalty is reduced to one and half from two and a-half per cent. The following new clauses are added, " Nothing in this Act contained shall prejudicially affect any rights lawfully created by virtue of .any letters patent heretofore or hereafter duly registered in New Zealand ; in the exercise by the said Company of the rights reserved to it under clause three of the memorandum of agreement set forth in the schedule hereto. The maximum amount which the said Company shall be entitled to claim or recover from any per-, son or company shall not exceed five per' tent, of the total value of the gold and silver produced by such person or Company by means of the use or infringement of the said patent rights. So long as sections 8 to 14 of this Act continue in operation no action or other proceeding shall be brought to impeach the validity of the said patent rights or any of them. THE MINING BILL. The Goldlields and Mines Committee report on the Mining Bill that, owing to the limited time at its disposal, the Committee recommend that further consideration of the Bill be postponed until next session. JOTTINGS. The following measures have passed final stages, in the Council: Consolidated Stock Act Amendment Bill, Members of the House of Representatives Disqualification Bill and Fisheries Encouragement Act Amendment Bill.