PARLIAMENTARY.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXIV, Issue 1221, 26 November 1897, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, Thursday evening. [Fkom Our Own Correspondent.] This afternoon the Premier carried a motion that the House meets on Monday evenings. He wished it to meet also in the forenoons, but owing to committee work and midnight sittings, consideration of this was postponed. The House went into committee on the Old Age Pensions Bill. This is the fourth day the House has spent on the eighth clause. If oarried the bill is certain to lsad soon to increased taxation. This taxation is almost certain to fall on land and this will make the Act unpopular with property owners. The general opinion is that if the bill passes the House it is almost certain to pass in the Council which has been stul'i'ed with Government supporters. Since the all-night sittings over the Estimates very little business has been done in Parliament. Although the Session seems already drawing towards a close the usual (Sessional Committees have only just been appointed and have not yet got settled down to work. Indeed, after the long hours they had been keeping, members were physically utterly unfit for work, and on Saturday morning a large number of members, with their wives and friends left by the Tutanekai for a trip to Nelson, Blenheim and the Sounds, at the public expense. After heartily enjoying themselves for a few days the party returned to Wellington' fit a late hour on Monday night. The only measure of any importance that has been dealt with in Parliament is the Old Age Pension Bill. The second reading was moved by the Premier on Thursday evening. A long debate ensued, during which the bill met with a great deal of opposition. The second reading was however, carried shortly after 2. a.m. The House went into committee on the bill on Friday evening, when long discussio.is ensued, and numerous amendments were moved . before progress was reported at half past two o'clock on Saturday morning. The bill was further considered in committee at Tuesday afternoon, and evening sittings and at Wednesday evening sitting. It has been so amended that it is impossible to say what its . provisions now are. It seems probable that, in some shape or other, it will pass the House of Representatives, and it is possible the Government may also succeed in getting it through the Council, where, however, it is ■ certain to. meet with very strong opposition.