PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 101, 26 October 1904, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTINGS. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE LICENSING BILL. The Licensing Bill was, after considerable debate, read a third time and passed. A repoit oi the debate appears elsewhere. THL BALTIC FLEET. A resolution bearing on the encounter between the Rurekin Baltic Eieet and the trawlers off Dogger Bank was agreed to by 19 vote to 3. FIRST READING. The Land and Income Tax Bill was read a first time. . PUBLIC OFFICERS. The Public Officers Appointment and Powers Bill was committed, and some machinery amendments, including a clause to provide for temporary appointments (in cases of illness, etc., of the AgentGeneral of Audit Officer), were made. The Bill as amended was reported, read a third time, and passed. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. The Payment of Members Bill was reported without amendment, and put through its final stages. NEW ZEALAND LOANS BILL. The Attorney-General moved the second reading of the New Zealand Loans Bill. The second reading was agreed to, and the Bill was committed, reported without amendment, read a third time, and passed. The Council rose at 10 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House continued its sitting yesterday afternoon. LOCAL BILLS. Some amendments proposed by the Joint Committee on Standing Orders to the rules relating to the introduction of Local Bills, so as to bring them into accordance with the Legislative Council's Standing Orders on the same subject, were agreed to. THE OUTRAGE BY THE BALTIC FLEET. Considerable time wa" occupied in debating a, motion by the Premier concerning the outrage on' British fishing vessels by the Baltic fleet. The debats is re- [ ported elsewhere. LAND AND INCOME TAX. The sessional Land lax and Tncome Tax Bill was brought down by Governor's Message and read a first time. It was subsequently read a second time without debate, and put through its remaining stages. LOAN BILL. The Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Bill, (providing for the raising of a loan of £750,000, at a maximum rate of 4£ per cent., was also brought down by Governor's Message and read a first time. The Piemier, in answer to a question by the Leader of the Opposition, said that before bringing down the Public Works Estimates it was necessary to carry this Bill. The Estimates and Pub* lie Works statement were in a very forward state, and he hoped to bring them down on Thursday night. There was not much new money to be voted. The Government intended to cut do.wn public works' expenditure, but it was very difficult to be economic in a young country like this. However, the Government would do its best. The Prettier was understood to say that the Loan Bill .would be considered on Wednesday. Afe to the business on the Order Paper, there wore a large number of Bills there, but the country would not suffer if a great mwny of them were held over till next session. (Hear, hear.) The Leader of the Opposition did not agree that it was necessary to pass the Loan Bill before bringing down the Public Works Statement, and he pointed out that on pfevious occasions the debate on the Loan Bill and the Statement had been taken together. He urged that the Statement, should have been brought down a month ago. Ho wae sorry to hear that the public works expenditure was to be reduced, and urged that ie would have been better to reduce expenditure in other direction^. The Premier said when money was required for public works estimates, and that money had to be raised by way of loaji, the Minister could not say what he proposed to spend until the authority to raise the amount was given. As to economising in other directions, he- declared that on the Consoldiated Estimates the tendency was to increase the votes, and the Leader of the Opposition supported those increases. The Leader of the Opposition : No 5 I supported many decreases. The Premier went on to say that for a colony oi c 800,000 people to spend a million and n, quarter on jtoblie 'works was quite sufficient. REFERENDUM BILL. The Referendum Bill was further cOnsideied in Committee. The House rose at 1.50 a.m.