HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11394, 3 October 1902, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Webvesdat, Octobeb 1,

MIDLAND RAILWAY BILL

After the Telegraph Office closed, the debate on the second rending of the Midland Railway Petitions Settlement Bill waa conticwvL

% MASSEY supported the Bill, believing tlie colony owed the company the value of the line "at the time it was taken over by the colony, and that no technical plea ousrht to be taken advantage of to escape liability. Mr LAURENSON Raid the debenturcho'.ders, iv advancing money for this line, bdkvcd that they had the*first call upon ■hs assets, and no legal technicality could rid us of the moral «bli(ration. Mr G. W. RUSSELL said that we did not live in a time when we could afford ;o hare the fair fame of tie colony blackened y:i the London inonsy market, and he con-

idered that tha Government was acting wisely and prudently. Mr HONE HKKE supported the Bill. Mr HORXSBY entered a most emphatic protest against the payment of this money, and said he -would use .every endeavour to prevent tho Bill passing. The House had •r> right in the dying hours of the session to authorise this payment, and he doubted reiy rnach whether tli? people of the colony approved of the proposal.

Mr W. W. COLLINS felt very strongly 'bat the money should be paid, holding that tlve company had a just and moral claim that the colony could not ignore.

Mr BARCLAY opposed the Bill, and said that the claim of the debenture-holders was only ent«nain«l because of their influential position in London.

Mr WILFORD eaid he would do hie best to prevent the passage of the Bill at this stsee of the session

Mr ELL caw no reason for urgency in the matter. The Bill ehould be deferred till next session.

Mr .HOGG had been unable to discover where the moral claim of the debentureholders came in. The colony was not so much under the thumb of the London Stock Kxchanjre that it need pay hush money of tfai:< kind.

Mr PIRANI thought that taking all the circumstances into consideration the debenture holders were entitled to some coo-

siderarion, but he had no sympathy with the shareholders, who had taken the risk of all speculators.

Tdr R. McKEXZIK said he had always heen in favour of extending some consideration to the debenture holders, because ha believed they had lent their money under a misapprehension, but he strongly object* r<l to a Bill of this nature being infcro* rtuced in the dying hours of the "session, and would vote against it. Mr HERRI KS supi>orted the "Bill, on t'i«s> ground that in equity and justice the debenture holders, vme entitled to consideration. Sir J. <;. WARD, replying at 4.15 a.m., said the OoTerrn'pnt would have been g|!ad to bring down legislation dealing with this question very early in the session, but the lirst eonimiinkatioD the Govermnenti !uvd received , on the subject from the de» lier.tura. holdc-irs only came t.o hand five, day* α-go. It had been complained during the debate that tie interest of the ta-xpayera of the colony won Id he detrimentally ai« feeted by this legislation, but he pointed n;ri that, the cojony would have loans to lioat on the London market, and their success might be interfered with if the. claim of the debenture holders wiis r.ot admitted, aivd thus indirectly the taxpayers would suffer by the House -declining , to pass the Bill. The Houso ought to remain in see> sion, and sea the matter through. On a division the tvuond wading vras carrkd by 47 votes to 8, the noes being— Messrs Barclay, KH, Fisher, Hogg, Homsby, R. McKeiwie, O'Mcara, wid Wilford. immediately on (he Bill being committed, .Mr FLSfIER moved to report propves. and the dircussion wns carried ca by Messrs Fisher. Hornshy, Hogg, R. MβK>nzie, Barclay, and Wilford, who eipressed strong opposition to the Bill being further prceetK'H with. At 8.15, Mr Fisher"s motion to report progress was lrst by 25 votes to 8. Mr HORXSBY 'then moved that the Chairtnim leave the chair, the object being to kill the Bill, as he regarded it as ?n iniquitous mea.\ure3, aimed at the hart interests of the people of the colcvny. The discussion was continued without even an interval for brentfast, the speakers l«ing Messrs Hornsby. Wilford, Hojg, and Barulay. The position of Chairman of Committee* was filled in turn by Messrs Steward, Pirani, aaid Mc Nab. Shortly after eleven o'clock Mr O'MEARA and Mr ELL joined in the dascuwion in opposition to tlie Bill. Mr GILFEDDER also the BilL Mr PIRANI relieved Mr McNab in tihe Chair, and endeavoured to limit the scope of tba d«baite to the motion that the Chairman leave tbe Chair. At nooii Mr FISHER mov«l to report) progress, so thai the Speaker's decision should be obtained cm Mr Piraiu's ruling Th* matter ha\4ng Irem referred to the Speaker, acd it being explained to him that the debate had proceeded in an orderly manner, he expressed his concurrence with such conduct, and said he would leave the Chairmaa to interpret the rules of debate in n liberal spirit. Mr MoLACHLAN hoped the House would see the matter through, and grant the debenture holders something. At one o'clock th? debate was still proceeding. At 1.10 p.m., the motion that the ChairI man leave the Chair was lost by 32 rotes to 8. " ... .., Sir J. a. WARD said statements had been made during the debate that were ah~ I solutely oontrary to fact. Tbia legislation could not have boetn introduced aban earlie.- date, and the attitude of ttese' who were obstructing ihn BMI had n«fc been in any way provoked by tine GoTernmeni' The Government recognised the serious responsibility of the position, and he aeke& meanI bera of hie party to stand by the Ministry and tea the «ad of the obstruction co fan as this BiHl was concerned. The honou? and oredit of the colony were at stoke, and! in this legislation the O-ovemment had taken th© only oouree coasirtent with "the honour of the country. At 1.20 p.m., after nearly nine honrs , discufision, tbe short title of the Bill was agreed to on the voices.

At 1.30 o'clock. Mr FISHER moved an amendment to clause 2, to provide tfliat the sum of £150,000 should be psioV otoi three months after the Ist December, 190$ by which .time tie paople of fche ootary would have had time to consider the proposals in the measure.

fc>ir J. G. WARD said he was prepared tv accept tibe amendment, provided thai th-« sum should be paid on January- Ist." Mr FISHER, however, adhi&red to hij ameodmeat, and discussion procejed^V pa the lines of the previous nine fcours At 2.30 o'clock Mr Fisher* amend-m-ait lest <m tho voices, and on SU J. G. WARD'S motion, the clause was al< tered to provide that the stock debenture* or securities raised to provide the £150,000, shall be raked at pa?, id, C interns* at ptr cent. On Sir J G. WARD'S wotiM- * new douse was added, providing. that ; for payment of the money ehall be obtained from the Receiver, the Attorney | n / w Zealand of tab© Company, adtnwrledging that euch securities are received in full satisfaction of nil questions and grievances raised by the petition of the partief receiving the same.

At 2.40 o'clock the Bill waa reporW with amendments, whkSi were agreed to ™ C) ™^ e motioa fof <*« third reading, Mi' FISHER entered a protest against t£r whole transaction, and he was quite prepared to. accept the verdict of Us consti tucnts <m the attitude he 'had taken oi the Bill.

Mr HORXSBY also entered a last pro. test against the Bill, The R mall requirements of the back block settlers had been ignored, but when it came to a question 01 closing the mouths of detractore of the colony, £150,000 w«e deemed not too a price to pay.

Mr BARCLAY contended that but f< t tht social and titular rank of -the petitioneiß, their petition would not have hni the attention it hed received.

Mr ELL urg*d it ww not because of the social raok of the petitioners that m much attention had been paid to their representations, but because of their powej ■to injure the financial credit of the colony. Mr O'-MEARA explained his opposition io the Tia«surfl was tliafc it should no* have been ■brought up in the dying hoari of the session, and before constituencies had been consulted upon the subject Mr G. W. MJBBELL nubiaitted that doing a wimple act of justice to the debentufre~hal<ierß of the railway would ami in any way prejudice the votes that had , already been passed for roads and bridge this session, and it was absurd on the part of oppoDi-nls of the Bill to advance such an argunwat.

Mr MAS.V— x denied the insinuation that the Opposition had , entered into a compact with th«i Government to support the Bill. The Opposition had supported the Bill because the honour of the colony was conc&rned, not kgally, but morally, and in equity.

Mr HOGG complained that the Bill had b?*n sprung upon the House without warning, within a few hnuxs of the close of tbs fieseion.

Mr E. ar. SMrrH said the action of die coiony so far in regaa-d to the Midland Rail-way had been very prejudicial to its financial interests.

Sir J. «. WARD, in reply, twid the question of the Midland Railway had been before the country for years. Hβ denied that there had he-en any m connection with bringing in the Bi'.f, < r that the construction of roads and bridges would be in any way prejudiced by the vote prcpote-d in the Bill. He did not think the Liberal Party -would' sanction the wholesale robbery -which failure u> crant the concession to the debentureholders involved. The Government had taken the responsibility of terminatinsr t-ne comtract and seizing the railway, without an appeal to i-hs constitutnek's, and why should the Govemßwut adojrt such a course niyiv in bringmq to a satisfactory and &kil conclusion a difficult Tha consideration that-actuated the Government in bringing down th* Bill was a sense <*f responsibility and a conviction thiK. in a mora.l ob-igatian, they were acting in the best interests al the colony.

Tlhe third .reading tv«w» -carried by 50 votes to 9, and the Bill passed its fin« 3 stages al 4.60 o'clock.

The Speaker. Sir MAURICE O'RORKE, complimented the House on the manner in which the protracted proceedings had been conducted. BILLS PASSED. The following Bills were reported from Committee and passed their stages: — Methodist Church of Australasia in New Zealand. Pharmacy A<-r, Amendment, TauTanrra Educational' Endowment Reserves Bill, Inebriate Institutions Art Amendment, MilrLnry P»:-nsii»ns, Municipal Cor(porataoTie and" Tublic Heakh Amecdmect. RAILWAY AUTHORISATION*. Th« Railways Authorisation Bill passed Ibrough Committee. The House roso at 5.30 j'.m EVENING SITTING Tbe House resumed at 7.30 o'clockIN COM>nTTEE. The Xotive nnd Maori Land Laws Amendment Bill parsed through Committee, with techiiicai amendments. The Workers' Compensa/ion for Accid«ute Ac!. Amendiivnt, Bill was further considered in Committee. Cflauae 4, dealing vritii the application of the Act to agricultural labour, whs altered, on ilr iMcNAB\S motion, to read aa follows:—"From end after the commencement of this At, the principal Act. ebuJl apply to the employment of workeni in, agriculture." Mr HALL-JON"S moved a new clause, t«i provide that tV liability of tlw employer *hall commence one. week (instead erf two weeks) alter the accident.

Thia was agr«d to on the voices. The Legislative Council Act Amendment. Bill pas«yi through Committe* , . Th« Factories A<A Amendment Bill was further considereti in Cnmmitt^*.

Mr HALL-JON"KS said it wiia with very great regret that h.icl to announc* ;<» tho House thAt it bad bef n deci-ded to drop the claiwo proix>s«l at a prwioun sitting, (relating to the half-holiday for shops and factories in small boroughs. Next session they would eitlver hay« to pays such a clause, or make the Saturday half-holiday apply to both <*hops and factoriwj. Mr HERRIt'S objecteni to the clause being -withdrawn, Ihint on a division the tbrnmit-t**, by 36 votes to 24, agreed to the withdrawal.

'Mr A. L. D. moved a n*w clause, to provide that section 31 of the Factories Act shall not apply to dentists.

This wan carried l b- 27 voted to 24,

In the course of the <Leba.te that ensued it -was objected that unlew th« system of premiums were allowed to dentists, those ■who rwiahed to learn that profession would have to go outside the colony. On the other hand, it was objected that if premiums were permitted to be charged in one profession, they ought to be permitted in all, and the result would then be that the higher professions would be closed to the children of poor men.

At 10.45 o'clock it was agreed, on slr HALL-JONES'S motion, to report progress.

BILLS PASSED. The following Bills were put through their final stages:—Railways Authorisation, Native and Maori Land Laws Amendment, Workers' Compensation for Accidents Art Amendment, and the Waihi Hospital District. COMPANIES BILL. It was announced that an agreement had bien como to between the two Houses on the points in dispute in the Companies Act Amendment Bill. STREETS IN TOWNSHIPS. A Bill to amend the law relating to the width of the main streets in townships •was introduced by Governor's message. Mr"DUNCAN explained that tie Bill provided that where under special circumstances of. the case it in, in the opinion of the Minister, inexpedient that the main street or streets of any township kid off on private land or on Crown land*, should be of a width of 99 feet, a* provided by eection, 17 of the Land Act, 1892, he may, by notice in tlhe "Gazette" authorise the laying oft of such main street of euch leas width (bat not lew than 66 feet) as he thinks fit. The Bill passed all itr stages. FACTORIES BILL. The dommittee then rcnumed ooneideratkm Jβ the Factories Bill in Committee, and, <m tie MINISTER'S. motion, it was decided to drop the clause relating to dtentiste, which had earlier in the evening been proposed by Mr A. L. D. Fraser. After come debate the Factories Bill paeeed ita final et&ges. r- A LOCAL BILL. Siwvft time wee spent in Committee on the New Plymouth High School Board Leaeee BiH, a good deal of hostility being ehown to the Bill. Eventually a motion - to report progress wae carried by 29 totes to 28. . ' ooMMrrrEE of supply. At 1.25 the House went into Conunitteo of Supply for the consideration of the Supplementary Estimates. MxPIRANI moved that the Hem "Refund, to Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., of the amount deducted for absence under the Payment of Members Act 1892, £144," be struck out. He objected to ani exception of thislqnd being made in favour of one individual member of the House. Sir J v 6. WARD eaid when Mr Smith vets absent from hie place in the House last tension he wa* in England bn busaes*, ttfrich if it had turned out successfully a would have been of great benefit to the 'cc'lony. ( Diecusaion wae proceeding when the telegraph offico closed at 2 a.m.