PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 August 1924, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

BILL BY AIR PARRY.

A CLOSE DIVISION

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 27. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-dav. The Leader of the Opposition (Air T. At, Wilford) gave notice of his intention to introduce an Agricultural Bank Bill. The Premier gave notice of his intention to move that on and after September 10 Government business shall take precedence on Wednesdays. Air AV. E. Parry (Auckland Central) was about to move the second reading of tile Miners’ Phthisis Bill when the Minister for Alines raised a point of order that it was an appropriation Bill and could not be moved by a private member. Air Parry said this objection had not been taken last year, when the Bill was allowed to go to the second reading. He appealed to the Alinister to Avitlidraw his objection. The Speaker upheld the Alinister’s objection, but said that as the Bill was ] obviously an appropriation Bill and it would be his duty to rule it out whether the Alinister objected or not, the second reading could not be proceeded with. On a motion that the Bill be discharged from the order paper a division was called for, and the House decided by 31 votes to 29 that the Bill should not be discharged from the order paper. The leader of the Labour Party (Air H. E. Holland) explained that the division was not a challenge to the Speaker’s ruling, and the Speaker replied that he quite understood that. The Hon. W. D. Stewart moved the second reading of the Bills of Exchange Amendment Bill, which had already passed the Legislative Council. The operative clause of the Bill provided that where a banker, in good faith and without negligence, paid a cheque drawn on the bank, and the cheque was so drawn as to afford facility for fraudulent alteration of the amount thereof, and the cheque had been so fraudulently altered, the bank shall not instil' any liability by reason of its having paid the cheque. The mover said he was moving the Bill as a private member, and not as a Alinister. The Bill was intended to bring the law into line with other countries, but he was prepared to have it referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.

Several speakers unreservedly condemned the Bill, and the second reading was rejected on the voices. The House went into committee on the Local Authorities Superannuation Amendment Bill, which was passed unamended, as was also the Alassours Registration Amendment Bill. Both measures were read a third time and

passed. The Births and Deaths Registration Bill passed t|je committee stage and was set down for consideration next sitting day. The House rose at 10.55 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.