PARLIAMENTARY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3112, 18 June 1881, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday. The House met at 2.30 p.m. NEW MEMBER. Mr Bastings, the newly elected member for Waikari, was introduced by Messrs Ormond and Eichardson and took Mb seat. ADDBESS IN EEPLY. An adjournment took place to afford time for presenting the address in reply to the Governor. On the House resuming the Speaker reported that his Excellency had been pleased to receive the address and had read a reply thanking the House for the same. NOTICE OF MOTION. Sir William Fox gave notice that he would move that a conference of both Houses be appointed to consider the advisability of abolishing the sale of spirituous liquors in the Parliamentary Buildings. IEAVE OF ABSENCE. Two ■weeks' leave of absence was granted to MrSheehan and MrMoorhouse* QUESTIONS. Eeplying to questions, it was stated that the Government had under consideration what railway works should be gone on with, and on arriving at a decision they would say whether or not it "was their intention to proceed with the Windsor-Livingstone line, and that as regarded the unemployed who where said to be dependent on the resumption of that work steps would be taken to distribute them over the colony so as to afford them the opportunity of getting work ; the Gambling and Lotteries Bill of last session would bo re-introduced, and if possible passed this year ; the Government had not handed over to Mr Thos. Eussell, or any person acting on his behalf, any portion of the Te Aroha block; enquiries would be made into the circumstances under which two men were committed to prison at the Waimate E.M. Court for refusing to pay a fine of £5 5s 6d to Michael Studholme for trespass in pursuit of game ; a reserve at Oamaru recently given to the County Council there was in lieu of another section previously promised. Mil BBY.CE AND THE GOVEENOE. Mr Bryce, as a personal matter, drew attention to a despatch from the Governor to the Secretary of State referring to his (Mr Bryce's) resignation as Native Minister, and saying that an extract from the New Zealand Herald was supposed to give Mr Bryce's own version of his reason for retiring. He desired to say that he had made it a point of honor to fulfil the promise he had given to his colleagues not to make to any one any statement of his reasons for retiring. He had not done so, and he was astonished at the Governor's statement. "Wore he to characterise his Excellency's action as he very well might, he would use precisely the terms that were iised by the High Commissioner in reference to the conduct of the Intercolonial Conference in acting on newspaper statements. He asked the Government to give the same publicity to his real reasons for retiring as was given to the erroneous statement. Mr Hall said that Ministers knew nothing of the despatch till long after it was sent. They would endeavor to comply with Mr Bryce's request. CHINESE IMMIGRATION BILL. The House went into committee on tho Chinese Immigration Bill. A proposal to raise the Chinese poll-tax from £10 to £50 was negatived by 24, to 23. The following is the division list, the ayes being for retaining the poll-tax at £10, and the noes for raising it to £50 : — Ayes, 24. Noes, 23. Atkinson Alwright Bastings Bain Bryce Ballanee Colbeck Fisher, J. B. Collins Fisher, J. T. Dick Fox Fulton Harris Gibbs Hutchison Gisborne Jones Hall Kelly Hirat Macandrew Hursthouse Mason Johnston Montgomery Levistam Mos3 Lundon Ormond M'Lean Richardson Pitt Eussell Eeid Shephard Rolleston Speight Saunders Stevens Studholme Sutton Swanson Thomson Trimble Tole Whitaker Other amendments of an unimportant

nature were, however, assented to, and the bill passed through committee. On the House resuming the bill was reported with amendments. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House met again at 7.30. LICENSING BILL.

On the motion for the committal of the Licensing Bill Dr. Wallis criticised the Bill at considerable length, maintaining the justice of giving compensation when licenses were lost through the operation of local option. Sir W. Fox regretted the discussion being reopened to delay the bill going in'.o committee, but replied to and combatted Dr. Wallis , arguments about compensation. • Mr Jones objected to several details of the bill, but thought licensing one of those subjects which should be dealt with as part of the local government scheme. In committee clauses 1 to 11 were paesed without amendment.

On clause 12 being put Sir W. Fox moved an amendment providing- for . the annual election of licensing commissioners by the district ratepayers. After considerable argument this -was carried on a division of 3i to 19. The following is the division list on Sir W. Fox's amendment of clause 12 : — POX THE AJIENDMBNT AGAINST THE AMENDAndrews MBNT. ]3 a in Atkinson Ballance Brandon Barron Colbeck Bastings Collins DeLautour Dick Fisher, J. T. Gibbs Fox Hall Fulton Hur9thouse Gisborne Johnson Grey Kelly Harris levestaiu Hutchinson Pitt Jones Reid . Levin Kolleston Lundon Stevens McAndrew Studholme McLean Button Montgomery Trimble Moss Whyre Miu'ray Ormond Richardson Eussell Saundera Shepherd Speight Swanson Tawhai Ewheoro Thomson Pole Wallis Wood The remainder of the sub-section of the clause was struck out, and the' clause as amended was then passed. Mr Bastings proposed to strike out clause 29 respecting the family hotel license. The House divided, with the result that there were 10 for the clause as printed and 27 against it. On clause 30, respecting club licenses, Mr Levistam moved that the hours for the sale of liquors in clubs be restricted to from 6 in the morning to 12 at night. After considerable discussion the amendment was agreed to on the voices, and the clavise as amended was passed. At 12.35 progress was reported and the House adjourned.