PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 44, 20 August 1913, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL The Legislative Council met at 2.30 o'clock this afternoon. One week's leave of absence wbb granted Hon. Major Harris on the ground of illness. COUNCIL REFORM. On the application of the Hon. 0. Samuel, the Legislative Council Constitution Reform Committee was granted an extension of three weeks in which to report. BILLS RECEIVED. The following Bills were received from the House of Representatives and read a first time : -^-Local Bodies' Loans, State Advances, Methodist Union, and Roman Catholic Archbishop Empowering Bills. (Proceeding.) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. PRIVATE BILL. The Church of England Trvwt Bill, promoted by the Anglican Bishop of Wellington, was read a first time. NEW BILLS. The following Bills were read a first time :— River Boards Amendment (Hon. Mr. Herdman), Land Drainage Act Amendment (Hon. W. F. Massey), Local Elections and Polls Amendment, Counties Amehdment (Hon. Mr. Herdman), and Science and \rt (Hon. jtfr. Fisher). In regard to the Science and Art Bill, the Hon. Mr. Fisher said it proposed to set up a Select Committee to enquire into the question of a site for the Dominion Museum and Art Gallery, and the constitution of a Board of Science and Art, tohose functions would include that of dealing .with historical documents. PUBLIC TRUST, OFFICE. The Hon. A. L. Herdman, in answer to Mr. G. W. Russell, said there was no report in the possession of the Government from the Public Trust Office which the Government was required by law to lay before Parliament. DEFENCE. In answer to Mr. Webb, the Hon,. J. Allen said that it was quite true that some youths (about fourteen, he thought) had been sent from the West Coast to Ripa Island to undergo detention for failing to comply with the provisions of the Defence Act. He was not aware that a youth flamed Burns, who had served a term on the island, had been rearrested at Lyttelton Wharf and sent back for further detention. It was quite true that a good many youths had not complied with the law, but h© did not think there were thousands of them. It was a difficult job to get hold of them, but there was no discrimination. Regarding the case of Burns, he would make enquiries. (Proceeding.)