IN PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue LXXVI, 1 July 1908, Page 8

IN PARLIAMENT.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at -2.30 p.m. The Hon. J. T. Paul presented a petition asking that the local option question should be determined on a majority vote. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. The Hon. C. Louisson moved the Ad-dress-in-Reply. He referred approvingly to the statement in the Speech that his Excellency the Governor had been personally acquainting himseH with different parts of the Dominion. It was pleasing to know that in the unavoidable absence of Sir Joseph Ward from the Canadian tercentenary celebrations fnat New Zealand vraa to be represented by an exGovernor (Lord Ranturly). The Hon. Mr. Jenkinson : There should have been somebody from the Dominion. Mr. Lonisson : ''I am quite sure the majority of members will agree that we could not have got a better representative." (Hear, hear.) He went on to refer' to the prosperity of the colony, touched upon the importance of the visit of the American fleet, the -desirableness of maintaining friendly relations with that great English-speaking nation, and the reappointment of the Hon. W. P. Reeves as High Commissioner. It might be advantageous if Mr. Reeves was to visit New Zealand, ana personally reacquaint himself ■with local conditions, but too much had been made of this matter. Mr. Reeves's knowledge of our affairs was up-to-date. The objection to the appointment on the score of long absence was not very well-founded. He hoped that when the next appointment was made that a gentleman as capable as Mr. Reeves would be found. (Left sitting.)