NEW BILLS

Evening Star, Issue 18044, 11 August 1922, Page 3

NEW BILLS

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, August 10. SEA CARRIAGE.—IMPORTANT

LEGISLATION.

The Hon. E. P. Lee, as Minister of Trade and Commerce, formally moved the second reading of the Sea Carriage of Goods Bill to-night, with tho object of referring it to the Statutes Revision Committee, which will take evidence from the chambers of commerce and other interested persons. There are nine' clauses in the measure, but seven have been taken unaltered from the Shipping and Seamen Act, the latter clauses relating to _ epa carriage being repealed. Clause 5 is a new and important provision, stating: (1) Any clause written or stamped upon the face of a bill of lading or other shipping document relating to the carriage of goods, purporting to describe the conditions of packages or goods referred to therein, shall be null and void unless the attention of the shipper h.as been called to the condition of such packages or goods at the time of their delivery to the ship, and the fact that attention has been so called has been noted on tho receipt then givwi i (2) when any package is delivered broken or showing signs of having been tampered with or pillaged, the production of bona fide invoices shall be sufficient prima facie evidence that tho of the package were in accordance therewith, and the onus of proof to the contrary shall rest upon tho ship owner. Another new clause provides that all parties to any bill, of lading or'other shipping document relating to the carriage of goods from any place in New Zealand to any place outside New Zealand) shall be deemed to have intended to contract according 'to the laws of New Zealand in force for the time being; any stipulation or agreement to the contrary, or purporting to oust or restrict the jurisdiction of courts of New Zealand in respect to that bill of lading or document shall be null and void. MERCANTILE LAW.

An amendment of the Mercantile Law Act extends clause 15 of the original Act by providing that a bill of lading in the hands of the consignee shall be conclusive evidence not only as against the master of the ship but as against the owner and charterer of the vessel. The Bill was also formally read a second time and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. SETTLED LAND. An amendment of the Settled Land Act, which was read ■ a second time formally to-night on, the motion of the Minister of Justice, was referred to 'the Statutes Revision Committee. It ■ extends from forty years to sixty years the period for which the Supreme Court may lease settled land • the court is also given wider powers to deal with settled land for mining purposes where it is in the best interest of the beneficiaries.