CLOSING DOWN

Evening Star, Issue 14530, 5 December 1910, Page 7

CLOSING DOWN

PARLIAMENTS DYING HOURS. After the Supplementary Estimates had been disposed of on Saturday, it was unanimously resolved, on the motion of the Prime Minister—" That this House desires to record its respectful congratulations to His Majesty King Gcorgo on the occasion of his Coronation, and to express the hope that tho reign of Hie Majesty and Queen Mary bo a long and happy one; also, that a respectful Address bo presented to His Ecelloncy the Governor requesting him to forward" tho resolution to tho Secretary of State for the Colonies." APPROPRIATION BILL.

The chief provisions in this years Appropriation Bill are clause 13, giving power to transfer £BOO,OOO from the Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund ; clause 28, which grants power to mako advances to dairy companies; and clause 29, which authorises local public bodies to expend moneys iu celebration of the Coronation. —A Truly Unfortunato Man.— Mr Hogan moved a new clause with tho object of granting a. ne>v triai to Olaf or Oliphant Hughes, of Wanganui, who is undergoing a'sentence of twelve months' imprisonment at Wauganm for perjury; or, failing that, tho Government should introduce legislation with the object of givin" redress to aLI persons who are able to show that thsv have been wrongfully convicted. He contended that Hughes was tho victim of a gross miscarriage of justice, yet there appeared to bo no legal means bv which the man co'.dd clear 'us character. His friends in England had offered to provide the means for him to return to the Old Country, but Hughes refused until his good name had been fuliy re-established. It was a cruel thing 'hat a man who wa,s believed by nine out o: every ten persons who wero acquainted with" tho facts should languish m gaol and be depj-lved of the means oi establishing hLs innocence. If way a case that cried aloud for immediate relief. Surely tho Justice Department could suggest some method bv which such a palpable wrong could be "righted.—Sir Joseph Ward 6a'd that he was m thorough sympathy with the member for Wanganui. and so far as he was personally concerned he would do whatever he couid to give Hughes an opportunity of establishing his innocence. But the matter would have to bo dealt with on a general principle, not in regard to a partictdar case. He appealed to the member for Wanganui to be content witii his assurance that the Government would endeavor to deal next session with the general question oi appeal in criminal cases—Amid cries ot " Withdraw !'' the motion was put to the vote and negatived on the voices. The Bill was then put through its final stages. LOAN TRANSACTIONS. Sir J. G. Ward announced that he had received advice from Loudon that £130.000 of the scrip of the five million loan had been sold at £9B 10s. The cost of raising the loans of £1,250.000 and £600.000 foV aid to public works and land settlement for 1909 under the Finance Act was £37.108 4s 7d. MISLEADING STATEMENTS.

In replying to Mr Hogg, who brought up the question of misleading statements published in the British Press regarding the emigration of boys to the Dominion, the Prime Minister said the High Commissioner had replied to his cablegram to the effect that the statements referred to, and which were of a misleading nature, had not appeared in tin Press. LAST SCENE OF ALL. The usual speeches of felicitation, addiessed to the Speaker and tho Chairman of Committees, by Sir J. O. Ward and Mr Massey, and the replies, concluded the final sitting of the session, the House rising at 8.55 p.m.