HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10057, 26 July 1895, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thubsday, July 25. The Houee met afc 2 30. TIIE TOTALISATOR. A motion by Mr Cnniell for leave to introduce ft bill to amend the Gaming and Lotteries Act) in the direction o.f (ilio'iiahlnp tho nsfi of the totnlisator, wnß carried by 40 to 19, and tho bill was read a first time. 81L1.9. Local bills occupied tho attention of tfie House during she whole of the afternonn. Tho Homo rose at 5. H0. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed ao 7.30. COP.ONEIiS' JURIES. The Coroners' Inquests Bill was com> mitted.— On clause 1 being put Mrli^eves asked the House to remember that one phase of this bill would canse a permanent charge in the Justice Department of £1200 a year, and that the expenditure would rise year by yeit as population lnnreased, and Inquests became more frequent. . There was one remedy, namely, to abolish Coroner's juries altogether. He held there was no necessity for Coroner's jnries at all, a'jd they should be able to tru9t their coroner's to mnke intelll« gent inquiry. He moved that the short litle be altered to " Abolition of Coroners' Jnries Bill."— Major Steward said tbe Minister had not ihe oonrage his j opinion to briog down a bill to effect his I object, bnt be must try to pet It in as a private member's bill by a side wind. He objected" 1 altogether to Mr Reeves' proposal. The bill had passed the Honae seven times, and its eecoud reading the other night had been ngreed to wibhout any protest fiom tbe Government. — Mr Reeves held that (ha Government had a perfect right to propose an amendment in private members' bills. As to Major Steward's remarks about want of courage, he was perfectly prepared if that gentleman reported progress on tbis bill to bring down a bill to nbolleh coroners' juries altogether. — Sir R. Stout hoped Coroners' juries wouldn't bo abolished. — Mr Seddon admitted there_ was some force in MBJor Steward's objection to the coarse proposed, but he thought it as well to take the voice of tbe House as to | whether these jntles shonld be abolished. — After a long discussion Major Steward said if the committee allowed the bill to go through he shonld postpone the third reading so as to givo tbe Minister for Justice time to bring down a bill to aholhh coroners' jnries. — Mr Reeves' amendment was lost by 40 to 20 and tbe short title retained a* it stood.— The bill passed through committee without amendment, and was subsequently pat through its final stages. BILLS. The Harvesting Machine Owners Lien Bill was committed, — A new clause waa substituted for clause 3, providing that when any agricultural or other Hen exists | on any grain threshed by any contractor, and Is enforced by the lienee, »hen sneb Hence shall be responsible to the contractor for the full cost of threshing such grain. — The bill was reported from commitfee nnd tho third reading postponed. Mr Millar moved tha second reading of J tbe Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill, | which provided for accidents to a man bainc promptly reported nnd check weigherß bfipf» appointed in the interests of men workirg in a mine. His principal object was to enable men who might bo injured to get the full benefit of the sick and accident fund. — Mr Cadman would vote for tbe second reading, although he did not ngree with all the details of the bill.— After a short debate the second : reading wan agreed to on the voicea, and th& bill referred to the Goldlielda Committee. The House rose at midnight.