PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 26 August 1904, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTINGS. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. nOKITIKA HARBOUR BOARD. Tlio- Hon. E. Cv J. Stevens moved, with 1-cferonco to tho table of .secunties held »tii account of tho I'ost OiHco Savings Bank Fund ns on the December, 1903, nnd the item Hnkitika Hmboiir Board Debenture*, £10,000, therein appearing nij being overdue on tho 11th November, 1896, and aa being over five years in arrear ' of interest, that il is expedient thnfc the Council should be informed what fitepa £ho Government propose Cq lake to secure to the Post Office Savings Hank Fund repayment of the overdue loan and interest. Tho Attorney-Clonoral stated that Lho Post OlHce was satisfied that there was ample security in thin matter, nnd I hut it was not necessary to take immediate Kteps to enforce payment of tho loan by the Board. Besides the security of rates and, rent*, the Board's reserves, 28,293 acre?, wero given o» security to the Post Offlc*, and were valued, with the timber rights, at £32,391 i The Board itself was asking Parliament to pass a Bill to remove some presenjb disabilities, and to give the Bdard 'power to deal with its reserves, which il could not now owing to restrictions in tho Mining Act and other circumstances over which tho Board had no control. These wero the causes of the interest being in arrears. After some further discussion, Tho motion was ogrecd to on tho voices. BOXING CONTESTS. The Counpil went ipto Committee on tho postponed clause (4) of the Police Offences Act Amendment Bill, which provides that no boxing contest shall be held except by permit granted on tho application of a registered association. Tho Attorney-General mot tho Hon J Rigg'n objection — that tho clause meant "giving a- monopoly to associations —by offering to insert a proviso that the Colonial Secretary may, subject to such conditions as he may think fit, permit any person to hold «. boxing contest without) complying to the foregoing provisions of tho Bill. Thie was agreed to on the voices. Tho clause passed 08 amended, and the Bill was reported. CORONERS BILL. In Committee in tho Coroners Bill, clause 2 (a Justice of the Peace may exercise thecoroniM powers of the Magistrate in the hitter's absence) was amonded so aa to provido that the powers may be exercised by any Justice "whom the Coroner may appoint to act in his stead." Tho Hon. J. Rigg stated that ho would movo to recommit the Bill to substitute for clause 2 a clause making provision for lha appointment of Justices as acting-coronet*. Cause 2 paoied M amended, and the foljowing o'.ausea up to 9 passed without amendment. < '< In clause 10, • the provision that t|i* Coroner need not view tho body unless he thinks fit was struck out by 19 to 4. This leaves the law oj| at present, viz., that the Coroner must viov the body. Tho remaining olausos of tho Bill passed without amendment, but on tho proposed now cUuses recommended by the Statutes Revision Cqmmittco a- desultory discussion ensued, and progress wa« reported. * Tho now clause* provide .for Coroner's juries not exceeding six, with a provision that tho concurrence of four will be sufficient. Tho Attorney-General stated during tho debate that \\t did not confer Coroner's juries necessary, but would admit the clauses rather than lose tho Bill. . TUo Council rose at 4.80 p.m.