EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10450, 14 September 1899, Page 6

EVENING SITTING.

The Houte met at 7.30 p.m. SECOND READINGS. Tit* Slaughtering and Inspection, Orchard and Garden Pestn, and Noxious Weeds Bills Wore read a aacond time pro forma. GOVERNMENT LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. The Government Loans to Local Bodies i 'A*t Amendment Biil was introduced by Go--1 .toNMfs tanfttetft. Ik* sMMttrt is iMMUhi

to reduce the rate of interest to local bodies. Mr a. HUTCHISON did not think the Bill would confer any benefit upon settlers. The PREMIER said he intended, on the second reading, to bring down a i_ole showing how the reduction in the rate of interest worked out. Mr ALLEN contended that long < before the period of maturity of the loans the rate of interest on money would be greatly reduced, therefore the Bill would be no benefit to settlers. It would be far better to reduce the rate of imereet to 2 per cent, and let the local bodies make -their own roads, and thus relieve the xfpuse of the logrroliing that went on in connection with such works The PREMIER said iue actuarial vorkin b - out of the amount payable showed a reduction of J per cent. The settlers had asked that the rate of interest should be reduced, and the period of repayment extended, aim the Bill proposed to do so. The Bill was read a first time on the voices. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT BILL. The PREMIER moved that tie amendments made by the Legislative Council m the Lands for Settlement Act Amendment Bill be agreed to. Mr G. HUTCHISON moved that the amendment made in clause 7 be not. agreed to. The dame provides that native land should be exempt from the operations of the Bill. V The amendment was ruled out. of order. After discussion, the motion that the amendments be agreed to was carried on the voices. ...*''. LOCAL GOVERNMENT VOTING. The motion to commit the Local Government Voting Reform Bill was carried on the casting vote of the Speaker. The 8.11 was discussed at sauce length; Mr ROLLESTON said Xhtfr the Bell was so confused that 'he came to the conclusion fbnjt it was intended to carry a revohittioseiry measure in an improper way. He was prepared to meet in a reasonable way the demands for a change in the system of voting, but would not aeree to such a chaotic Bill. The PREMIER eaLd tie main feariaire of tihe Bill did away with the absentee vote, so preventing tihat vote havilng weight in determining any proposal submitted. The real pcamt a£ issue now was os to whether the one man one vote principle should apply to rural local bodies, and he agreed that residential votes should not count in the loan proposals. The question of the bare majority ihe would leave to the House. Eventually the PREMIER moved an amendment to clause 2 to the effect that in borougjhe a three-fifths majority would be -neoessary to carry a proposal, and that residential votes do not count. j The aaieisdjnsttt . wais agreed to on tihe ivaJces;- v * d"' * ""-' { L A motion that die chaarmam do leave the chair wae negatived. A new clause was moved by the PREMIER to enable a poll to be taken, in any district under the polling conditions above on the question of bringing into force the rating on unimproved value, the p6il to be taken «t any time after the passing of the Act, but when once taken tihe question not to be again submitted for "three years. On a division the motion was lost by 35 votes to 24. ' The PREMIER moved that the voting outside a borough be one vote up to £1000 valuation, two votes for £2000, three votes for £3000 and upwards. Mr PIRANI moved as am amendment that one vote be allowed up to £5000 valuation. The motion by the Premier was carried by 46 votes to 9. The Bill was then reported with amendments. ' GOVERNMENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE. The House was in Committee on the Government Accident Insurance Bill, but progress was reported by 36 vote* to 20, and the House r *» at 1.40 a.m.