GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11102, 22 October 1901, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

| (press association telegram.)

Monday, Octobeb 21. HOUSE OF. EEPKESENTATIVES EVENING SITTING. The House of Representatives mst at 7,30 o'clock. ' LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Mr Morrison was • granted leave of ab sence for the remainder of the session on account of ill-health. MAORI LANDS. Mr CARROLL moved the second reading pro forma of the Maori Lands Administration Act, 1900, Amendment Bill, and that .the Bill bo referred forthwith to the Native Affairs Committee, from which he hoped it would have a speedy return. Mr G. W. RUSSELL raised the point that the Bill should (have been introduced ■by Governor's message. Mr, CARROLL eaid the Bill did not contain any appropriation provisions. The motion woe agreed to on the voices. Mr CARROLL moved the (second reading of the Pariroa, Native Reserve Bill to vest a .certain native reserve in the Patea district in tie Public Trustee, and to empower the Native Land Court to ascertain the beneficial owners thereof. After a short debate the second reading was agreed to on tbe voices. . r Tbfe Bill passed through Committee Without amendment, . The third reading was postponed to enable the Deputy-Speaker to consider the point that had been raised that ihe Bill contained appropriation clauses, and should be introduced by Governor's message. INSPECTION OF MACHINERY. Mr HALL-JONES moved the second reading of the Inspection of Machinery Bill, which is designed to meet the case of the issue of certificates to engineers on gold dredges. Tlhe second reading was agreed to on the voices. t The Bill passed through Committee without xnaterM amendment, and was subsequently read' a third time and passed. NEW ZEALAND FISHERIES. In Committee on the Fisheries „ Kn'oottragement Bill, that portion of Clause 2 which provided for a sliding scale of bonus after tlhe year 1902 was struck out. The Bill was then put tlirough its Uiml stages. EDUCATION BOARDS.. In Committee on the Education Boards Election Bill new cTauses were added dealing with the procedure with respect' 'U> elections,- the duties of returning cdicevy, end elections on an extraordinary vacancy occurring. The Bill was read a third time and passed. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID , BOARDS. Mr HALL-JONES .moved- the second reading-of the 'Hospital and. Charitable-Aid Boards : Election Bill, .which he said proposed that members of such boards tthall be elected by the general body of burgesses. The (present members of iiuch boards • would' hold office until the next election \f local bodies, and would then/ be 'elected o$ the same time as members oi those bodies. (Mr BOLLARD pointed out that tlhe local bodies that at present elect members of hospital arid chtoatable aid boards did not all go out of office at the same time. Consequently, the elections did not all take place at the same time. , Was it intended ■that (members of these boards elected under tbe proposed new system should hold office -for three years? Mr HERRIES said there had not been eu-Bcient reason' jjp-en T fojr tho drastic change (proposed m the election of these boards. Under the present varying dates of elections, of local bodies it would be almost impossible to casry out tlhe provisions of the Bill. - \ Mr CX>LLXNS said it was not made clear as to mho would be eiigsble to stand for election «fl a member of a board, ■ and there were W*'provisions lor" candidates'. , iHe wanted to see women made eligible .for election, - Mr HALL-JONES— r, They come within the Bill." - ' Mr THOS. MACKENZIE said the publicwould appreciate the measure, and he' thought representatives of the public should bo elected to visit our asyiums, Mr'O: W. RUSSELL said the whole agitation in favour of the new system of erection originated in Obrtetdiurcb, and al* most .exclusively from ft certain section of the community, vrfho were disappointed be.cause the local bodfies declined, to put one or two ladies on the, Hospital Board. It would, be found, hiowever, that under the l . proposed system women, would have less chance of being elected than at present. . Mr-FIELD-urged that after the second reading the Bill should be carried no further, "but circulated among the country local bodies, and their opinions askedj so. .that members might be better able to legislate on the subject nejet session, Several, other members also spoke* Mr HALL-JONES, in replying, urged that-the best way to ensure the management of our Ihoepitals was that the general body of ratepayers should elect the men who managed those institutions. . Tho Bill made every provision for. the elections, except specifying who would be eligible for election, to which the principle of one-man-one-vote ought to apply. The proposed scheme would be Very inexpensive, and h» could see no. reason for not passing the Bill this session. The second reading to on the voices. . TRUSTEE AMENDiMENT BILL. It was decided to disagree with the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Trustee Amendment Bill. PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE. Mr SEDDON moved the second reading oi - the Pttblio Trust Office Amendment Bill, which he said was of a purely technical character. ' Agreed to ori the voices. . OHATHAfM ISI^ANDS. Mr SEDDON moved the second reading o! the Chatham Islands County BUI, to provide a system of local governittsnt for, tbe Chatham Islands. Mr PARATA objected that, although the Bill affected natives, it had not been translated into Maori. i The DEPUTYhBPEAKER rn«>it that the Bill should be translated. Mr SEDDON accordingly tha adjournment of the debate, which was agreed to. ENSIGN BILL. Mr SEDDON moved the second reading of the New'Z land Ensign Bill, which is on tbe lines of the similar Bill of last session, but amended is accordance with the wishes of the Admiralty. The second reading was agreed to on tha voices. The House rose at 12.30 a.m.