EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9882, 12 November 1897, Page 3

EVENING SITTING.

Che House resumed at 7.30. BILLS.

Mr SEDDON moved pro forma the second reading of the Wages Protection Bill, to better secure to workers the payment in full of their wages. Agreed to, and the Bill referred to the labour Bills Committee.

Mr SEDDON formally moved the committal of the Land and Income Assessment Sill, to consolidate and amend the laws regulating the assessment of land and income tor taxation purposes. / Agreed to, and the Bill referred to the Public Accounts Committee.

The Sunday Labour in Mines Prevention Bill was reported from the Committee, read ft third time, and pasaed. The Explosives Act Amendment Bill was committed, read a third time, and passed. Mr SEDDON moved, pro forma, the Mcond reading of the Victoria College Bill. Agreed to, and the Bill referred to the Biatutes Revision Committee. COMMITTEE OP SELECTION. Jto GUINNESS moved that a Committee IT auction bo appointed, consisting of Umn Hall-Jonae, Geo. Hutchison and ■Twee, Major Steward and the mover. .Captain RUSSELL pointed out that this Committee contained the names of four Government supporters and only one Oppositionist. It might appear to be a Wry unimportant Committee, but in the Home of Commons the Committee of Selection was a body which had to select members to sib on Special Committees other than those appuinted on Sessional Committees; and those Committees were invariably selected free from party influence. He thought, therefore, that the House should endeavour to follow the example of the House of Commons, which provided that the Selection Committee should be beyond cavil and free from party influences. Mr SEDDON said Captain Rnssell had abandoned his contention, if his argument applied to all Committees, as he had previously contended that a certain number should bo selected from the Opposition, and mat he (Captain Russell) should be conMlted as to the names. He wished to point out, however, that the House of Commons elected the members of we Committee by ballot, JJ™. ■$ had n °t always been the practice in that House to appoint all the members of Special Committees. The present Committee waa the ordinary Sessional Committee, and wasinaccordance with the Standing Orders. He noticed that Mr Hutchison was the only member of the Opposition on the Committee, out he should ask Mr Guinnese to add another name to it. If there was any trouble about suspending the Standing ween in order to allow this to bo done, probably a member of the Committee would Wore to allow a member from the other •Mβ to be appointed on it. -Stt Robert Stont, and Messrs Buchanan, «*. W. Thomson and Allan, also spoke on ine motion.

.. U * BCOBIE MACKENZIE asked whether wMsrremier would give notice to put an "ppoeition member on the Committee i> l ono oi the Government supporters *woa would make the Committee three to Wo. MrSEDDONeaidhe had already stated **F°posed to add an Opposition member, ■oa that was all he was prepared to do. • v SC0BI] ? MACKENZIE said that *ovid make cix, fouc Government to two opposition. Mr BERRIES appealed to the Premier «»»~i r """.Committee so as to give fairer "presentation to the Opposition. |p Jkjsr9 McGuire and Brown having rt^ r e HOLLAND moved the adjournment &Pt*in RUSSELL objected to the S?? ment, nml aske,i Ministers what they j?Pw to gain He held it was time *"** tommittees were set up, and if the £°«c were adjourned that could not be *»• that night. dJw S * SDI>ON sad the reason why the j"~*J* should be adjourned was that he saw would be made that night, and "*vj oould get on with other busineee. He """"a support the adjournment. 4 lengthy debate ensued. Mi«u L DON,in reply to Mr Buchanan, r"* d< ; a bould postpone setting up the Rail*yitotnmittee, the Mines Committee and ""WS to which objection were taken, in r~Y.to set up those Committees to which '"objection was made. » rfii n RU ? SE LL said there was scarcely Wp* Committee to which objection would r*j>e taken on the ground of unfair x Tj*entation of the Opposition on them, a further lengthy debate, the motion **.««» adjournment of the debate was T*™ tho voices. •*M House rose at 12.5 a.m.