PARLIAMENTARY. Friday, 25th August.

Evening Post, Volume XIV, Issue 49, 26 August 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY. Friday, 25th August.

The last statement made in the House was the hrst in interest. It was made by the Premier in moving the adjournment. 1 1 was that on Tuesday next the Government would intimate to the House the course which theyjn-. tended to pursue in regard to the appointment ot Agent-General. During nearly the whole sitting the House was in committee on 'the Hating Bill, and engaged in the discussion of a single section of a postponed clause. The section was the fourth of a series of exemptions from the clause relating to rateable property, and was to this effect :—" Lands occupied by churches aud chapels, or by the dwellings ot officiating ministers of religi6n, or py Hospitals or lunatic asylums, or other buildings used exclusively for religious or charitable Hi !*i by Govern ' u °nt schools or schools established by some religious body." Nearly TZStt T te r^ was P r °P oscd to be or .omitted , and there was a succession of t !ThTv Called , f01 \Oll\ 011 each amendment. The * yZ Ju Sp6eches by eacb s P eaker WftS gre»«y above the average The principal speaker were two— Messrs. Button and subject was one-religion. First It was proposed to omit " churches and chapels," but the amendment was negatived. It was then proposed to substitute for the words " the dwellings ot officiating ministers of religion," the words •athenaeums, museums, and mechanics' institutes," but this was negatived by 32 to *f \< Subsequently the words, with the addition of "public libraries," were inserted. The proposed insertion of "Masonic, Odd Fellows',and (I m, pl ? re HaUs " was negatived by 46 to 16. The words " schools established bysome religious body were retained by 84 to 24. Mr Button's proposal to add " any schools maintained by subscription » was rejected by 31 to 19. On Mr. Stout's motion, colleges and universities were also exempted. On the whole clause being put Mr. Reynolds contended that the results of the division were not the opinions of the majority of the House, and intimated that he would move the recommittal of the clause for the purpose of expunging all reference to religious institutions. Mr. Inlanders was disposed even to go the length of moving for a call of the House. The bill afterwards was recommitted, when Mr. Reynolds moved the omission of the exemption of ministers' dwellings. On a division, there was a tie— 2o to 25— and the chairman gave his casting vote for the clause as it stood. To the section of the clause exempting lauds held for gold-mining, additions were made empowering rates where rates are now levied, as at the Thames, and specifying that lands held for other descriptions of mming should only be ratable on their surface value.