GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8867, 9 August 1894, Page 6

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The Legislative Council resumed after the ten days' holiday. In the absence of the Speaker the Chairman of Committees presided. A motion of condolence with the Speaker on his recent bereavement was unanimously passed. The Shipping of Damp Wool Committee was allowed a further week; a motion referring to the currency and cognate questions was lost; the Designations of Districts and the Destitute Persons Bills were read the second time, and the Council adjourned. In the House of Representatives, leave of absence was granted to two members, the Premier promised that a report on the condition of the bridges on the Southern railways should be made, and the debate on ; the Budget was resumed. The debate was \ not closed whon -the House adjourned at twenty minutes after midnight.

(PRBSS ASSOCIATION XBUQBAM.)

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wednesday, August 8. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Chairman of Committees took the chair in the absence of the Speaker. COSDOLENCE. Sir PATRICK BUCKLEY referred to the recent bereavement sustained by the Speaker, and remarked that he was only echoing the sentiments of every member of the Council when he said the Speaker had his fullest sympathy in the loss he had sustained... \- SHIPPING OF DAMP WOOL. MrSHRIMSKI moved—"That a further period of a week be granted the Select Committee to enquire into the shipping of damp wooL" Agreed to. STAIE BANK.

Mr RIGG moved—"That a Committee be appointed to consider whether our present monometallic currency is a sound oue, and sufficient to perform efficiently the money work to be done, also the advantage or otherwise of (1) a State Bank of issue and deposit, (2) a Bimetallic currency, (3) State inconvertible paper." He thought such a Committee would have the effect of effacing the ignorance upon this subjtcs which universally prevailed. In the course of a long epeech the hon, gentleman said that the cheap money the Government (proposed to lend the farmers at 5 per cent, would torn out very dear money to those farmers who might borrow from the State. Sic GEORGE WHITMORE remarked that the address of Mr Bizg was, no doubt, very interesting, but at present no good could possibly result from pursuing the subject, which was an inexhaustible question, and, therefore, he hoped the motion would not be agreed to. Mr MONTGOMERY remarked that Mr Bigg's order was a large one, and would occupy the whole of the session without any result being arrived at. The colony had no power to act in the matter, and, therefore, ne hoped that the motion would be permitted to dtop. Messrs SCOTLAND and STEVENS also spoke against the motion, which, if carried into effect, would have no possible weight with the European powers.. Mr Stevens remarked, that if the motion only dealt with the questions of paper money and a State Bank ho would probably support it, if only to expose the ignorance of • certain newspaper, people who wrote so glibly about these questions. The motion was lost by 15 to 7.

DESIGNATIONS OF DISTRICTS. The' COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the second reading of the Designations of Districts Bill, which he explained proposed to eaable the Government and local bodies to alter the names of- places, towns, cities and* boroughs within the colony. The postal authorities experienced a considerable amount of difficulty in delivering letters to persons who resided in places of which there may possibly be two or more in the colony. Mr BO WEN supported the motion. He hoped that the aboriginal namea of many places which were at present incorrectly melt would be amended. He should also like the Government to consider'the expediency of changing the name-of the : ,coloßy from New Zealand to Sealand, which he regarded as most appropriate. They had a precedent (Tasmania) for altering the name 'of s> colony. - Mesara-BONAR and JENNINGS supported the BilL They objected,* however, to the alteration of New Zealand to Sealand. . Mr KELLY also supported the Bill, and hoped it would provide for a better nomenclature of streets. The motion was agreed/to. ' - ' ' DESTITUTE PEpSONS. The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved theaecond reading-of the Destitute Persons Sill. The measure was a consolidating one and provided for.a wife keeping her destitute husband.. . The motion was agreed to, and the Council then adjourned.