HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. YESTERDAY.

Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 77, 27 September 1884, Page 2

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. YESTERDAY.

The Houße, in committee, adopted resolutions giving the Colonial Treasurer power to raise .£50,000 Treasury Bills and .£200,000 as supply, which resolutions were reported to the House, and an Imprest Snpply Bill passed. The Mortgages Belease Extension Bill was read a third time. The Local Courts Bill was considered in committee. Mr. ConoHy thought that to compel Kesidsnt Magistrates, before giving them the extended jurisdiction, to become barristers or solicitors would not be conduoivo to the public interests, as he knew from experience that legally bred men did not make good Eesident Magistrates, tho'contrary being the case. Mr. Harper spoke in the same direction. Mr. Holmes and the ftenu? 11 supported the clause {10) objected to by .Mr. Conolly. Mr. Grigg took a aimilar view, while Mr. Levestam strongly objected to the clause. Mr. ConoUy aaid that Mr. Gngg was quite in error when stating that many Heiident Magistrates lyere not sufficiently competent ; too many unsuccessful suitors were in the habit of attributing to the trant of legal knowledge of Resident Magistrates the decisions which were adverse to tbem. Mr. Bryce said that lawyers who were worth their salt made a good income in New Zealand, and under the Bill none bnt utterly unfit men in the profession woujd acce.pt office. Mr. Levestam as»eited that a lejal education rendered the mi^ds of men crooked. Mr. Hurst and Mr. Gillies thought that it would be a hardship to take away the extended jurisdiction from old and experiene°d Resident Magistrates, who, possibly though not being any longer young, would not be able to read up and qualify as barruten or solicitors ; an extra cost would, besides, be

inourred. Mr. Stout remarked that the Bill was permissive. Tho clause was passed without amendments. At 5.30 progress was reported and the usual adjournment took plaoe. At 7.50, when tho House reassembled, Mr. Fulton moved tho second roading of the Anatomy Act Amendment Bill. He said that he had introduced tho Bill at tho instanoe of several Professors of tho New Zealand University. It provided that "cases" in gaols, hospitals, Ac, should bo handed over to the niodioal authorities for disßootion under certain restrictions. Mr. Shrimßki thought that tho Homo was not justified in passing such a measure. He wu generally opposed to what might be called the art of dUseotion. Tho Bill favoured tho rioh as against the poor. Mr. Peacook ¦aid that suoh a moasure wan necessary. Mr. Gillies was in favour of the Bill, and contended that scientific pursuits in the colonies should bo assisted more than was the case at the present moment. The Bill was read a second time. Mr. BradBhaw moved the Boooud reading of the Employment of Females and Othora Act Amendment Bill. It provided that no children under 12 years of age should bo omployod in faotories. and that boys should not be made to work at night. Mr. Levestam said he would, in committee, move an amendment to the effeot that the Aot should havo no force in the caso of certain spooifiod trades. Mr. Steward moved the second reading of the Sohool Committees Election Bill, the purpose of which, ho said, was to abolish tho oumulativo vote at tho olootions of school committees. The Bill had been twice before the House, aud on each occasion had had a narrow escape of beooming law. While not a single petition had boon presented against it, G7 petitions on tho contrary had been sont in in its favour. Mr. Walker strongly supported tho Bill, and alluded to the discreditable manner in which, at times, the elootiona of oomraitteos had been conducted, whon bribery even had been roßortod to. Mr. Shrimski thought that tha Bill should not bo allowed to go on any further, as tho voico of miuoritieß should be allowed to be heard. He moved that the Bill be rood that day six months. Mr. Hurst spoke against tho Bill. Mr. Forgus denied that thero was any ptiblio fooling in favour of the measure ; that feeling, if any had been fostered by Mr. Steward. There was a feeling abroad, however, that at tho present moment Catliolios could not got a neat on sohool committees. The pasting of tho Bill would intensify that feeling very greatly. If suoh a measure were wanted, the question was large enough to bo dealt with by the Government of the day, and it should not be introduced by a private member. The Premier opposed the eeoond reading. Tho prosont mode of election was ft perfectly legitimate one, and based upon oommon sense. The proposod alteration, besides, would entail unnecessary expense. It was sometimes a good thing that oorttin pooplo did hold different opinions and disagree. Mr. Shephard supported the Bill, and Mr. Smith epoke in a similar direotion. Mr. Turnbnll repudiated the idea that Catholics would ever car* to take a part in the management of the public sohools j he considered the Bill a very URoful one,' Mr. Dodson donounood the eduoation»l system generally, and stood out warmly as tlio ohampion of Roman Catholicism. Membors of that denomination, ho asserted, wanted no conoe-eious, and would decline to entertain any offors at conciliation. After the shortest debate whioh had yet taken gl&oo upon the consideration of this Bill the [ouso divided, Mr. Steward having even deolinod to reply. Tho second reading wan carried by ono. Ayes, 33 ; noes, 32. Mr. Fitzhorbert moved the seoond reading ef tha Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment Bill. Ho said that the object of the measutv wai to allow people to have small sweepstake*, with iv proviso that they should not exceed £2. Tha Aot of 1881 legalised the lotaliBRtor, whioh had proved of groat benefit to tie colony. There was very little difference between the working of sweepstakes and of the totalisator ; and, besides, the ladies who cared not to approach that instrument, had great fondness for sweopa. Certain laws nowadays wero of a Draconian character, suoh as, for instance, were tho licensing laws and the Corrnpt Practices Aot, whioli fclio knowjn- onca oon}d ptlws^rs defy. (Oh, oh!) Mr. Joyce supported tho Bill, and said that had he had oharge of the Bill ho would havo mode it of only one line— a line whioh«would simply repeal the present absurd and ridionlous lav not establish a State lottery to extinguish our national debt P iMr. Hobbs said he wished to oppose the Bill, and he rogrottod that Mr. Kitznerbert had selected tho present modoof distinguishing himself when coming as a now man, (Oh, on !) That gentleman had mado use of an extraordinary argumont when aav> ing that most repressive laws wore bo easily broken, suoh as the Licensing and tfro Corrupt Practices laws. " Tho idea," continued Mr. Hobbs, *' of bringing in the name of th« ladies as anxious to gamble upon race? courses !" Arguments might be adduceq that, boeauie thieves often escaped detea* tion, thero should bo no laws to punish larceny. Tha prosont Bill was one whioh asked the Houbo to legalise vice. He moTod that it be read this day six months. Mr. Ltvestani would tell Mr. Hobbs that gambling in numborlom shapes^ was indulged in all over the civilized world. He would support the second reading. Mr. Turnbull said that tha Bpl was neither one thing nor the other ; tho tondonoy of tho age was, unfortunately, towards more gambling. Perhaps the Bill might do mdre good than harm, and, although reluctantly, ho would vote for the Bill. Mr. W. F. Baokland did not sco why innocent relaxation should not be permitted, even upon ranonourioa, }Jo would support 'the Bill. Tho Promlor saitf he would oppose the Bill. (Hear, hoar.) He looked upon gambling as one of th» worst vices of the oolony, one whioh hod destroyed a great many of tho youths of the colony. What did small sweeps meanP Why, it was notorious that very many working men wilted their savings on raeooourses. Reoords of Police Courts would show that gambling was at the bottom of many orimes. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Fitr.herbort, in reply, said that the Bill nod nothing whatever to do with "consultations,'' r^e oomp hon. gentlemen eoomod to imagine. Feopjp could not bo made good and moral by Acts of Parliament. Drunkennoss was an evil, but it did not follow that all men should become teetotallers; and this applied as woil to excessive smoking and to men who lost their temper at whist. (Laughter.) Legislation should bs njad« to benefit the greatest number, whioh mi^ht certainly in» oludo the well-thinking portion of tho oonij munity, who should not bo ruled by the other. Tho second reading was carried by nine— Ayes, 38 ; Noes. 29. Captain Morris moved the second reading of the Ohinemuri Goldfields Revenue Adjustment Bill, whioh was agreed to. Mr. Buchanan moved that a committee of the whole Honse do sit to oonaider am address to the Governor, requesting him to place » sum on the Estimates towards building necessary houso accommodation for railway workmen where Buoh accommodation was deficient or unobtainable. The Minister for Public Works said that ho would eu. deavour to havo something done in the direction indicated consistent with the necessities of the cases, and having due regard to economy. Mr. Fitzherbert spoke in favour of the motion. Mr. Fulton deprecated the House interfering in matters of tho kind, which were purely matters of administration. He suggested that the motion should be withdrawn. Several members took up the cudgels on behalf of the rojlway work* men who, they asserted, wen in many cases ill-used individuals. Mr. Bnohanan complained that the loaves and fishes dispensed by the Government appeared to reach their supporters with greater oasa than their opponents. Perhaps Minister* would in the present case consider the claims of those railway men along the lines. When railway labourers were absolutely unable to house themselves, he thought that it was tho dnty of the Government to house them. He would ask leave to withdraw the motion. Leave wm granted. The House vent into oommitteo on the Workmen's Wages Bill (Mr. Oadman). Mr. Thomson objected to 'the clause which protected merchant* who supplied materials to workmen. Why not also include the traders who supplied thorn with stores, &o. ? The Premier said that the question was whether contractors should be treated as small capitalists or not ; thoro wero many contraotora who speculated, and were not able to meet their liabilities, they obtained bnilding materials on credit,- and neither paid for them, nor did they duoharge their liabilities towards the wages men. Mr. Reese said that he had hsd considerable experience in contracting for buildings; the clause in the Bill involved very serious considerations, »nd Bhould not be dealt with lightly; he suggested that that clause be withdrawn, as it was evident that the Committee scarcely understood its full significance. Mr. Birron hoped the clause would be retained. Mr. J. C. Buckland said that the clause meant doing away wit), small contractor!. Mr. Levastun gave it as his experieence that any contractor tendering for a reasonable sum could always procure materials on credit.' Mr. White complained that there was no guarantee in the Bill protecting workmen. He would oppose the clause. The Bill was not a real Workman's Wages Bill. There was no guarantee that the money paid to a contractor by the person owning the bnilding would go to the person who gold the material to the contractor. The Premier tried to explain that the Bill met these objections, 1 but Mr. White, Mr. Hobnen, and toveral other hon. gentlemen refused to bo comforted, and called for a division on the clause which enacted "That persons furnishing ma; teriak for work would have the same redress in obtaining payment as the workmen. The clause was struck out by 8. Clause 14, providing that no payment in advance should be mode for work under construction, was then discussed. Mr. Leveetam mdred itS rejeotion, and Mr. Reese supported him, pointing on t its utt*r praotioal ueelegmess; amounting to absurdity. Mr.J.C.Buc.klatu| was of opinion that striking out that clausa as well as thl preceding one was actually taking the life out of the Bill. (Hear, hear ) Mr. Levestam said that the claune was merely a theoretical one. The Premier said that the clause meant to prevent contractor! from applying moneys received for the purpose of paving for materials, to liquidating

•other debts unconnected with the building! for which the advance was made. Mr Steward contended that the olauie prao tioally gave no suoh guarantee as that Bag gested by the Premier. Mr. J. C. Buoklanc said that tho Bill had already destroyed all chances of small oontraotors being assistoe by raorohants in their undertakings ; should this clause bo passed the person building would havo to go personally and watch the contractor paying every one of the workmen in his employ with tho money advanced, Mr. Montea'ch opposed tho clause, as in praotioe he thought it would press most unfavourably upon the workmon. Mr. Holmes would tako it that the clause did not imply payments in the Dense of progreu payments, whereat the Premier explained that there could be no wages due unless there had boen work done. At this point tho committee teemed to be more in a fog than ever an to what the Bill really meant or intended to enact. The half dozen hon. gentlemen taking the lead in the debate appeared to understand less of tho issues before them than when the now muoh batterod Bill was first broutfht up for dissection. The praotioal knowledgo of the four hon. members present versed in building and contracting lore, failed to dovetail with the argument* enunolated by the Premier and other hon. gentlemen representing the legal profoulon. Confusion seeming to grow wone confounded, Mr. Levestam moved that progress be reported. Mr. White gave variom illustrations showing how utterly tho Bill would fail in either protecting the workmen or the trader*. Mr. Hatch, speaking in the light of a peacemaker, informed the committee that moat hon, gentlemen were fighting with shadows; the clause was all that could be desired. The Premier, for at least the ntfh time during the debate, endeavoured to drivo into the minds of the Committee that were the olauso strnok out, the workmen would be entirely at the maroy of the contractors- Mr. Hurst flatly disagreed with any suoh oonolusion. Mr. Holmo* moved as an amendment that any employe 1 or workman omploying contract money in a manner nqainst the Aot should bo fined jBSO or three month's imprisonment. Mr. Menteath characterised this propoial as ono making it a nrlme for anyono to pay his just debts ; it was, he thought, simply ridiculous. Several members again moved that progress bo reported. Dr. Newman wanted to know what progress payments meant, which query tho Premier at once satisfied. Mr. Leveßtam said that more than two hours had been consumed on the disoussion of the olauso, and the Committee wore as wise as they were when the debate began. (Laughter.) An amendment proposed by Mr. Thompson to the effeot that no persons for whom work was done should mako_ any progress payments, was lost on a division. Mr. Holmes' penal amendment was then put, when Mr. Gillies denounced it as monstrous. The question of reporting progress having beon lost on the voioes, Mi*. Holmes' amendment was put and lost on a division. On the adoption of the olausa as printed being put, it was retained on a division by 4. Tho Bill, as emasculated, was read a aeoond time and .reported. The Sharebrokers Aot 1871 *Bepoal Bill, under the oharge of Mr. Hurst, was then taken into committee. It wub passed without amendment. The Chatham Islands Animal Bill was oommitted, Mr. Wakefleld piloting it through Committee. The Bill hod been bron«ht in, Mr. \\ akefield said, because of a petition from the inhabitants of the islands, expressing a deniro to prevent the importation of hares and rabbit* there. The Bill was passed with a slight amendment, and reported. The House adjourned at 1.40 a.m. Viy — — - — - ' — —