PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Hastings Standard, Issue 50, 24 June 1896, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

IN HOUSE AND COUNCIL. (By Telegraph. ) f iniii "Ur Sjuchil ' <•>'!'< nt. i Wellington, this day. The Government have determined to give the experiment of day-fitting a fair trial, and the Premier has announced his intention of moving that the House meets oil Tuesdays, Wednesday*, and Fridays at 10.80 a.m. Thursday forenoon is to be reserved

for Committee work. The proposed reform is likely to meet with very considerable support. Me -rs i[. D. Bell and G. Hutchison took their seats yesterday afternoon, th,- member for Waitotara at once giving notice that when the Banks Committee came on he would move as ;>n am- lenient to exclude from serving all the members who acted on last year's Select Committee : 011 this question, also, that Standing Orders 228 and 229 be suspended, so thai when the Committee examine the witnesses, the press may be permitted to report the proceedings, with a view to their daily publication. The senior of the Independent Liberals (Mr Saunders, member for Sehvyn) has received the following strongly-worded resolution, passed unanimously yesterday by the Executive of the Canterbury N\ omen's Institute :—'• That this Institute, feeling that the cause of Liberalism in New Zealand D at stake, deplores the attitude adopted by the Premier when defending his late colleague, and when replying to the strictures; on his own connection with a- foreign syndicate. It also considers that the recriminations of the leading political opponents during the " \\ ard debate ' afforded overwhelming evidence that party government, which has become government by an autoeratand his lieutenants, is injurious to the best interests of the colony." Mr T. McKenzie lias given notice to ask the Government to set up a Royal Commis-ion to inquire into the working of the liquor laws in the colony, particularly in their relation to the Clutha district. Speaking to the proposed old-age pensions legislation. Mr Morrison (member for Cavershami said that as a Friendly Society member and as a practical man who had studied the question from every phase, be warned the Premier as to the absolute necessity of having the active co-operation of Friendly Societies in dealing with the subject. The reason assigned by District Judge Ward for refusing the appointment as a Puisne Judge is that- owing to a recent family bereavement he is •' quite broken down in health and heart." The Premier says he hopes to be able to announce in a day or two that the vacant Judgeship has been filled. The general opinion is that Mr \\. B. Edwards is to lie immediately approached. Mr George Hutchison's Photographic Copyright Bill aims at the protection for a period of five years of photographs not copyrighted under the existing law, and makes clear the right of persons paying for their photographs to prevent their reproduction without the consent of the original. The Wages Protection Bill introduced by the Minister of Labor is to secure workers payment in full of their wages and prevent certain abuses at present existing' on the gumfields of the colony. The primary object of the measure is to provide against some employers of insuring workmen under the Employers' Liability Act and deducting premiums. The Csury Prevention I»ill, for the introduction of which Mr Seddon is also responsible, is intended to prevent the charging of excessive rates of interest, the maximum rate of interest payable or receivable under any contract or agreement being 8 per cent, and when no rate of interest is specified not more than 0 can be recovered and loans are to be made in money without any deduction. Pawnbrokers are restricted to the rates of interest of a penny per month for every 2s Gd loan where the pledge does not exceed £lO, and where it exceeds £lO interest at the rate of 25 per cent per annum. Where articles are sold for more than the amount of loan and interest due the overplus, deducting the necessary charges of sale, is to be paid to the Public Trustee, who will hold it in trust for the person for whom the article was pawned. The Council had another short sitting yesterday afternoon, when two measures —The Adulteration Prevention Act Amendment Bill, dealing witn short weight in tinned goods, iVe.. and the Medical Protection Registration Amendment Dill, increasing the course of medical study to five years — were read a second time. Sir Maurice O'Rorke resumed the Speakers' chair yesterday afternoon. In answer to Dr Newman, the Premier stated that the appontments held by Mr W. C. Walker and Mr T. Thompson as members of the Cabinet were without salary. The Address-in-Ileply occupied the afternoon sitting. Messrs Morrison and McGowan supported the Government policy, while Mr Massey was not inclined to think that the colony was as prosperous as the Governor's Speech wished to imply. Mr Buddo spoke up for the Advances to Settlers' Administration, and Mr Maslin found fault with most of the actions of the Government. The Address-in-Reply fizzled out early in the eve*ing, after Messrs Crowther and Eraser had spoken, and the Address was agreed to 011 the voices. An Imprest Supply Bill for £BII,OOO was brought down by the Premier. The Premier, replying to Sir Robert Stout, stated that the loan money and the money for the North Island Trunk Railway "was exhausted, and that Government was now constructing the latter work out of the Consolidated Fund. The Ota go Central account was overdrawn £4.000, and £150,000 would be transferred from the surplus to the Public "NA orks Fund this year. The Premier moved the second reading of the Asiatics Restriction Bill, and he asked that the Bill be put through all its stages at that sitting, as the matter was of great urgency considering the influx of Chinese at present. Sir Robert Stout said he had always been opposed to the Chinese, but suggested that the Bill might be improved

Jiv inserting the names of the races it was intended to exclude. Dr Newman supp-n-ted the m< a-ure, and Mr Duthie or U. Messrs Buchanan, a and Collins also favored the Bill. After the IV-'dor hnd replied, the second reading was carried on the voices. The r.m was p;!s s eil through Coinmi t tec wiih slight alteration, read a third lime, and passed. The .second reading of the Contagious Diseases Repeal 13111 was proposed by the lion Mr Hall-Jones. The Hill was read a second time, passed through Committee, then read a third time, and passed. The debate on the Juries Act Amendment Bill was timed. The Premier pronn. . to circulate the Licensing Bill next week. The llou*e ro.se shortly before midnight.