PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7411, 10 September 1889, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

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[rSOIC OTTK SPECIAL COEJB—SPONDKNT.] WELLINGTON, September 9. The Ward-Hislop affair haa not been the nine days' wonder immediately to lapse into oblivion, as most similar occurrences are, and it still forms the topic of conversation in the lobby. Last night I gave you at sotpe length Mr Ormond's views on the matter so far as they related to Mr Fergus. To-day it was currently reported that the member for Napier, f-»eling very strongly that Mr Fergus should have an opportunity of setting himself right with the House, and bearing in mind the Premier's statement the other day that he would be happy to give any explanation asked for by any member on his own side of the House, would to-night ask Mr Fergus to give the ' House an explanation of his conduct in connection with the Ward - Hislop affair. I have made inquiries on the subject, and am assured that the statement is incorrect. It is understood that at an opportune moment the Premier will make a statement in vindication of the action of the Minister for Justice. Mr Fergus has received telegrams from his constituents absolving him from all blame in- the matter of the Ward-Hislop correspondence. This afternoon a of Messrs Feldwick, Walker, Duncan, Turnbull, Major Steward and the Hon. E. Richardson, waited on the Premier, and urged him to afford facilities for the passage of the Employment of Females and Others Bill, introduced by Mr Turnbull. The object of tne Bill is to enable employers of steam power to grant their employees a half-holiday on Saturdays, whilst the shopkeepers may give the halfholiday to their employees in the middle of the week. The former find it inconvenient and expensive to have to stop work in the middle -of the week, as that involves the necessity of getting up steam twice a week,whilst shopkeepers, in view of the fact that in all smaller towns Saturday is market day, cannot spare their assistants from business on that day. Mr Turnbull's Bill merely provides that different days in the week may be taken for the weekly half holiday for various classes of workers. After some discussion, the Premier promised to obtain the opinion of the Cabinet as to whether the Bill should be taken up as a Government mea-iure and passed this session, and the deputation withdrew. There was a short discussion, this afternoon on the question of opening the: Parliamentary Library to any one but the. Governor and members of Parliantent, up to the present some hundred or two favored individuals having been allowed the privilege of using the Library, which during ■ the recess,. has. -to., a great extent, become aLmere lending library, for those < wha -b_v£ the get fcnt boo__ v _tntheniselves have not scrupled ,■ to get books for their friends also, and it was to put a stop to this abuse'that the Legislative Council the other day PS—ted a r_»Sbtion restrictingthe use of^tfis !__ibr__<y to the Governor and members Of Parliament. The Joint Library Commiijbee embodied this resolution in a report which was presented to the House to-day, and their report gave rise to the discussion referred, to. Dr. r Newman was very wrath at the ; me_t£tffe4 ment of the privileges of hisfccbistituents, and assured.the House that heads of departments obtained statistics and reference books fijpm the library solely to assist them in governing the country; There was a broad grin on the lace of the House at this assertion, for it is well known that the books in the Parliamentarjf Librarymost sought after are of' the yellow-bac-description, and thai; the people who so Use belong to the wealthy class...- : At ; any rate, apart ■ from the pleadings of the member for Thotadon; the House agreedwith the Premier that the Report of the' Joint Library Committee was in quite a wrong direction and decided, upon his motion, to-refer the refjprt Committeei fo_; further , The position is somewhat peouliapfc for the library is managed by a Joint Committee of both Houses, both during the recess and the, Session, stythat if the Legislative Council in-: sists upon its recommendation being carried out and the House declines to give 'effect to the recommendation, it' is —_icttlt to •see is going to.be the result. A number of minor Government Bills are being dealt with,to-day. ; ! Mr Rhodes to-day brought up the report! of the. Committee to whom was referred the I Land Transfer Bill. The Committee; recommend that the Bill as amended be allowed to proceed. The amendments consisted in striking out -, clauses dealing with Native matters, with fraud and forged j instruments. The which takes ! away the liability of the assurance fund: in certain cases was aW_truck out. ■ Good progress has been made with business to-day, and at half-past ten Government had to adjourn the-House, having nothing to go on wifcfc.' This is a aafcisfac- '■ tory sign, and it is almost certain now that business will be finished this week. Bir John Hall wanted :to diseuas the question of aui__ge for an hour or two, but the fioiise was-much against the proposal, and Upon the Pre__ier blandly* j offering to give the hon. gentleman a day' next week for that purpose. Sir John succumbed, and the House roared and adjourned. •'■ .