POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 11694, 27 September 1902, Page 6

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[From Ora Paruamintaxy Rkpobtxb.] WELLINGTON, September 27. SOLICITORS' BILLS OF COSTS. The Acting-Premier yesterday afforded an opportunity to the House to consider a few private members' Bills, which had been allowed to survive last week's slaughter of the innocents. First in order of these crme the Solicitors' Bills of Costs Bfll, in the name of Mr Pirani. The object of this was to give increased facilities for the taxing of costs. The Bill was put through its remaining stages, amendments being made in committee whereby the magistrate or registrar may tax costs, and the risdit of awarding reasonable co?ts to either psrty, and taxation, being confined to the magistrate"! MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS. The second reading of Mr Laurenson's Medical Practitioners Bill, which enables a medical man who may have been struck off the medical practitioners' roll to appeal to a Judge of the Supreme Court for reinstatement, was aereed to in ■ the House without debate. The Bill was passed through its final stages. POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICIALS.

When the Post and Telegraph Department Bill was in committee on Thursday night an amendment of considerable interest to a large section of the officials in this department was made on the motion cf Mr Millar. This improves the position of assistant despatch clerks by enabling them to reach the maximum salary of £l2O in seven years instead of ten, as first proposed in the Bill. Another necessary alteration to meet the cases mentioned bv Mr Millar at the second reading of the Bill will do away with the Sixth Standard certificate requirement before any person can be promoted to the second division of the nonclerical department. The only persons affected by this proposal are men who were in the service as letter-carriers or messengers years before any standard certificate was required, and who, owing to this regulation,, are debarred from promotion to the mail room, although fully qualified to do th.; work. The Po--tmaster-Gener.il has promised to see that this regulation will be so amended that this injustice may be removed. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The following third readings werc'atrreed to yesterday-:—Sharebrokers. B:rds Nnisr.nce, Tauransa Educational Endowment Reserves, and Inebriates' Institutions Bill-. Tbe Legislative Council Amendment Bill (the main feature of which provides for an extension of the term Of the Speaker if it expires when Parliament is not in session) was read a second time, and its committal deferred till Monday. by the House in the Old Age Pensions Bill was agreed to. The Council ah-o accepted th«s amendments made by the other Chamber in the Fisheries CoWervation Amendment Bill. A second conference has been arranged over the Mining Act Amendment Bill. While the House appointed a new set of managers, the Council, following the lead of the Hon. G M'Lean, agTeed to be represented by those of its members who took part in the first conference. LOCAL BILLS. Several local Bills (not relating to your dif-trict) were put through the uncompleted stiges in the House yesterday. After Major Sttwatd had moved the second reading of the Oamara Endowment Lands Resumption for Mining Bill, Mr Millar raised the point that the passage of the measure ought to be arrested in that it contained an appro priation clause, and ought, therefore, co have been introduced by Governor's Message—Sir G. M. O'Rofke said that sub clacre 3 appeared to impose .a charge on th.» Consolidated Fund, but he was not cJear at present that he should stop the Bill.— The House thought the best way of placing the matter beyond doubt was to kill the Bill, and so by 55 to 7 the second reading was refused. GOVERNMENT RAJLWAYS SUPERANNUATION. A sitting of the Legislative Council was held last night for consideration of the Government Railways Superannuation Fund Pill. The amendments recommended by the Select Committee regarding the scale of contributions to the fund were agreed io. A proposition by the Hon. A. Lee Smith to strike out the general manager from the membership of the Board of Administration was lost by 19 to 6. The Committee's recommendation to give increased representation on the Board was adopted by 15 to 10. The quorum of the Board was fixed at four instead of three. The proviso to clause 14 "If the business of any railway company is taken over by the department then the continuous service in the employ of the company of any contributor shall be deemed to be service in the departnent"—was struck out by 12 to 9. The Committee's proposed new sub-clause to clause 16, enabling a widow to be paid in a lump sum the amount of compensation due, was adopted by 17 to 13. The Hon. Mr Jenkinson succeeded, by 12 to 8. in deleting from clause 20 the provision that a contributor may have his retiring allowance .forfeited if he is convicted of any crime or indictment. It was argued that this proviso meant punishing a man twice, and also ■ punishing his family. The provision that the retiring allowance may be forfeited if a contributor knowingly becomes ths associate of thieves, prostitutes, or other persons of bad repute, was also struck out, but-.i new sub-clause was added at Ihe instance of the Hon. C. C. Bowen to till effect that if the contributor is convicted of any crime or indictment, or is convicted of being the associate of thieves and prostitutes, his retiring allowance shall be administered for the benefit of his wife and children, if he have any, as the Board may think fit, or for his own maintenance when the Board are satisfied that he is of good behaviour—The Bill was reported as amended, but the Hon. Mr Jen Vinson gave notice to move for its recommittal, :

[Prat ; UmTKD ?RESS AsSOGtiXIOBT.] After 1 the. telegraph office closed this morning some hostility was shown to Mr Laurcnson'i Medical Practitioners Bill, and

after 'a longdiscu^on^'mctibnrtoieport progress was carried;, igpß&fo 25. ' ' '-^ ' THE, LICENSING GOMMTTrBBS' L Quorum £n& -■ : (Wafer Steward),* which reduces* to four, was -commit&d.' &A* was added on the motion of Sir J. r G. Ward to provide that licensing committees should, notwithstanding anyialterataon in the boundaries of their distrfcts,'"remain in office until the ordhury date of next'election. Another clause .providing for a recount of votes in the" licensing poll l was "added on' the motion of Sir J. G. Ward,' "* This clause provides that if the remit of any-licensing pclbis disputed any, elector may apply to a stipendiary magistrate for a recount, such application to do accompanied with a deposit of £2O. The magistrate may issue an order as to costs incidental to such recount, and, subject to such order, may permit a return of the deposit.—The 801 subsequenily passed its final stages. THE LEGITIMATISATIOJf ACT 1894 , AMENDMENT BILL (Mr Lawryj was read a second time on the voices, but on going into committee progress was immediately reported. ELECTORAL BILL. A number of amendment's in the Electoral I'-ili were brought down by Governor's Message. The principal among them was a new clause providing that every person who at any time between the issue of a writ oiid the day of poll publishes or exposes or causes to be published or exposed to public view any document or writing or printed matter containing any untrue statement defamatory of any candidate, and calculated to influence the vote of any elector, is liable to a penalty not exceeding £SO or to a term of hnpr'sonment not exceeding three irrnths. Another amendment was that Ihe registrar of electors is made a parly, with the returning officer in the case of any mistakes which might occur. ;arid can be mulcted with him in costs should any action res-ult from such mistakes. After considerable dis-iussio.i the amendments were agreed to. ~ - " :^ GOOD BOYS. Sir j. .3. Ward stated that'the good work done by the House during the last two days rendered it unnecessary to sit on Saturday. At 3.40 a.m. the House rose till 2.30 p-m. oa, Monday.