HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10784, 11 October 1900, Page 6

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30. p.m. ' COMPANIES BILL. The Companies Act Amendment BUI was committed. In clause 4, transfer of promoters' shares, an amendment was made that promoters' ehaies"be not transferable until two, instead of three years, after the date of registration, or, in the alternative, until such company shall have paid a dividend on twelve months' operations. The Bill was reported as amended. ANIMALS' PROTECTION BILL. In Committee, on the Animals' Protection Bill, Mr LANG proposed to add a new clause, giving a settler or owner of property power to give to another person an order to shoot over his property. This was lost by 33 votes to 23. Mr LEWIS moved a new clause, to provide that any person found in the close season carrying a gun within the haunts of native game, shall, prima facie, be .deemed guiity of being in pursuit of game. This was lost by 30 votes to 24. Mr HOUSTON moved a, further new clause, that there be a close season for native pigeons every three years. This was carried by 24 votes to 21. ■Mr Mt'LACHLAN* moved to include pukaki. This was carried by 25 votes to 20. Air PIRANI moved to insert kakn. This was carried by 26 votes to 20. A further amendment, proposed by Mr WARD, making the season for Otago and Southland from the Ist April to the 30th June, and for the North Island -from the Ist May to 31st July, was carried. Clause 4, stoais, weasels, etc., not to be liberated on certain islands, was struck out, with a view to inserting it in the Rabbit Nuisance Act. ' The Bill was reported with amendments. MORTGAGES OF LAND. The Mortgages of hand Bill having been committed, Mr ATIvINSQN moved to report progress. The discussion was interrupted by the 5.50 p.m. adjournment. EVENING SITTING. The House met at 7.30 p.m., and resumed in Committee on the iJortgapes of Land Bill, and Mr Atkinson's amendment to report progress on the ground that it was too kite to waste time on Cue measure this session. After some debate, the , motion to report progress was carried by 28 votes to 23. BILLS PASSED. The Animal.':' Protection Bill was read a third time ;«n«.l passe'!. The amendments by the Council in the Technical and Manual'lnstruction Bill vacagreed to. REPRESENTATION BILL. Mr SEDDON moved the second reading of the Representation Act Amendment Biil. and explained that the Bill provided for six additional members. Looking at the greatly increused population since the Act was pns?ed in 1887. he did not think objection con!.! be raised to Bill. The fact that tbs nuin2i?r of Ministers bad been increased wm another good reason for increased number of representatives. He would probrs'.ir be told that the constitutional course ■•,• .. ■ that if there was an alteration in the tuiin.- ; of members there should b* a dixsoluti'jj. but be contended that that was not nece- ,- sary, as there waa a pre«4cnt for effect iiii an increase without appealing to the cotmtr*. In his own opinion, there ought tc> b;- : greater increase than proposed by the Bili Captain RUSSELL said he objected t an increase in the number of Ministers because it involved aa increase of member.

It could not be denied that constitutionally if the number of members were increased a fresh election should take place. He supported the reduction in the number of member- to 74 under the impression that with fewer members the system of begging for roads and bridges would disappear; but in that hope he had been disappointed. He hoped that the matter would be discussed, and that afterwards a motion would; be carried adjourning the debate for six months. Mr T. MACKENZIE contended, looking at the hard work entailed upon a member for a country district, that the question of area and community of interest should rank as equal in importance to the question of population. Mr HOGG saw no necessity for the B_J. The addition of six members would proportionately increase the length of the session and the amount of discussion without any improvement to legislation. Mr MONK asserted that the Premier would never have introduced the Bill but that he wanted the increase in the salaries and in the number of M__krters. He would vote for a dissolution if the Bill were carried.

'Mr HE__RIES thought there should be a larger increase than that .proposed, but was prepared to take six as an instalment. Mr R. THOMPSON would prefer to see the old number, ninety-four, and that after the census was taken next year there should be a dissolution.

Mr McLACHLAN thought the most popular proposal would be to reduce the number to fifty instead of making an increase. He hoped* the Bill would be defeated. Mr IW. FRASER" considered that six additional members would not restore the equilibrium between the House and the increasing number of Ministers. Mr TANNER said there must be an increase in the number if the numerical relation of the House to the Ministry was to be maintained. He failed to understand that the increase in the number of members necessitated a dissolution.

Mr PIRANI would be no party to any increase of members simply because Ministers and their salaries were increased. It was utter nonsense to say that the additional six members would improve either business or legislation. Mr ELL thought the area of the country electorates was too unwieldy, and that the 28 per cent, allowance to cities should be abolished. Mr SEDDON having replied, the motion for the second reading was carried by 38 votes to 13. THE NEW ZEALAND CONTINGENTS. The Bill to make the Military Pensions Act apply to members of the Contingents sent to South Africa was introduced by Governor's message. Ths PREMIER said the proposal was to put th. name of every member of the Contingents on* the pension list so as to stop any future applications for pensions. The proposal would be augmented by the Imperial pension. In reply to a question, the PREMIER said if members of the Contingents left our Contingents, they would not be entitled to a pension. The Bill was read the first time. In order to expedite the Bill the PREMIER moved ths second reading. Mr HEP.RIES objected to the second reading before the Bill was printed. He objected to the small pensions named in the Act of 1866 being applied to the South African Contingents. The House ought to rise superior to the miserable dole stipulated in the Act of 1866. Mr COLLINS said the Contingent, were promised, before they left, that the colony would look after them in case of being wounded or incapacitated by sickness, or their relatives in case of death, but the proposals in the Bill fell far short of that. In the course of further debate, attention was called to the disproportionate amount payable to commissioned as compared with non-commissioned officers and privates. The PREMIER, replying, contended that with the funds contributed by the public and the Imperial pensions, the proposals in the Bill provided for fair treatment for tbe men. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. WORKERS' COMPENSATION FOR ' ACCIDENTS. • The PREMIER moved the committal of this Bill. Mr WILLIS (bought the Bill would prove a great hardship upon many employers. Mr LEWIS said unless the Government took any risk that was offered, some alterations would have to be made in Committee. Mr WILPORD intimated that be would move certain amendments in Committee. Mr BUDDO approved the Bill, and hoped it would pass. Mr BARCLAY also supported the general principle of the Bill, which, however, required amending. (Left sitting at 2 a.m.)