PARLIAMENT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11901, 19 July 1901, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

Thuesdat, July IS. The Council met at 2.30.

PETITIONS. Tho Petitions Committee reported upon petitions from tho warehousemen of Auckland and Christchurch against their being included in the Shops and Offices Bill. These petitions were both referred to the Labor Bills Committee. YOUNT, PERSONS PROTECTION. The Hon. W. C. Walker, in moving the second reading of the Young Persons Protection Hill, said it was much the same ns last session’s measure, but in tho present bill the power of issuing search warrants with respect to suspected houses was confined to the Magistrates, and not shared by Justices of the Peace. The bill would be a great preventive of criminal tendencies if the administration were put in proper hands. The’ lion. G. M'Lean opposed tho bill on the ground of the laid effect on the | future of children dealt with nndor it. It passed it would probably remain inoperative like tho Inebriate Homes Bill. Another inoperative measure, the Contagious DiseasesJAot, should be enforced. The lion. H. Scotland said the bill was much required in Auckland. The Hon. S. E. Shrimski defended Auckland, and considered the bill too drastic. The Hon. C, C. Bowen spoke of parental laxity, and supported the bill. The Hon. W. T. Jennings opposed, stating that a brand would be put on children that would never be removed. The Hon. A. Lee-Smith thought that parental opportunity should not be limited. The Hon. J. M. Twomey supported, stating that there were people about who would take advantage of loitering children. The Hon. D. Pinkerton opposed the bill.

The Hon. W. C. Walker said that ho understood Magistrates’ inquiries as to children brought before them under the bill would not bo in open Court. The second reading was carried by 2(J to (i. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. The School Attendance Bill, extending the school age to U years, and compelling an attendance of three and a half days in the week, was read a second time on the voices. The Council rose at 3.55. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, July 18. The House mot at 2.30. PETITION. A petition was presented from S. 0. Knight, Wellington, praying the Government to grant perpetual leases of land to all people who have seven children and upwards.

NOTICE. Mr Seddon gave notice to move,—A respectful address to be presented to the Governor asking him to petition the Secretary of State for the Colonies to hold an impartial inquiry into remarks made by tho Governor of Fiji with regard to the Government ot New Zealand faking away tho lands of the natives. FIRST READING. The Land for Settlement Act Amendment Bill (Mr Seddon) was introduced and read a first time. BECOI'D HEADINGS. Mr Wilford mo red the second reading of the Wellington Harbor Hoard Act, 1808, Amendment Bill, to' increase tho country representation of tho Wellington Harbor Hoard.—Agreed to on the voices, Mr O’Meara moved the second reading of tho Woodvillo County Bill, which he scid would merge four local bodies into one, and considerably lesson the cost of administration.—Agreed to on the voices. The Invercargill Reserves Leasing Bill (Mr Hanan) was read a second time. WITHDRAWN. Mr Hogg withdrew his District Courts Act Amendment Hill, as the Government has a similar measure now before tho House.

CYCLE HOARDS BILL. Sir Fowlda moved the second reading of the Cycle Hoards Bill, which is intended to enable cyclists to tax themselves for tho purpose of making and maintaining cycle tracts for their convenience. He urged that the cycle roads formed by the Heards in outlying districts would bo useful tor footpaths for settlers in tho winter time, and would give cyclists better opportunities to see the country, and would generally be the beginning of an era of better roads. Cyclists in all parts of the colony hud petitioned in favor of tho measure, which was permissive, and could only be brought into operation by all cyclists in a district being practically unanimous. fc'ir Joseph Ward complimented Mr Fowlde on having introduced the bill, which, it passed, would do an incalcuable amount of good to a large number of people throughout the country. He would cordially assist him in passing the bill.

Mr G. ,W. Bussell thought the Boards would be likely to spend the money near towns, and tbo interests ot the country cyclists would be neglected The districts proposed were too large, and the taxation proposed would cause more dissatisfaction than did the dog tax among the Maoris.

Mr Jackson Palmer hoped the bill would be made a good, workable measure for cyclists, but ho saw no reason why cyclists, more than any other section of tbo community, should ba taxed to provide good reads for themselves, Mr R. Thompson failed to see why cyclists in outlying districts should bo taxed to provide cycle tracks for residents in the large centres. Mr E. Meredith said the bill required considerable modification in committee.

Mr M’Gowan supported tho principle of the bill, and would vote for tho second reading, but. thought amendment desirable in the direction of providing that money collected in a particular district should be expended in that district.

Messrs Bollard, Wilford, Pirani, and Wiiheford supported the Bill, and Mr Flatman opposed it in its present form Mr Fowlde, in reply, said he would accept reasonable amendments in committee. He thought the central Hoard would take care that the country districts received a fair share of expenditure, but he was prepared to accept an amendment in committee, to provide that any district could upon petition be excluded from the provisions of tho Act if it was not being justly treated by the central Board.

The second reading was agreed to on tho voices. STATUTES COMPILATION. Major Steward moved the second reading of tho Statutes Compilation Bill, to provide for tho compilation and printing of Acta of Parliament with their amendments, which he believed would bo of considerable assistance and benefit to the public.

Mr Wilford. Bi;d there could be no question as to the necessity for an innovation of this kind. It would be of especial value and assistance to Justices of Peace, and Major Steward bad compressed into a short and comprehensive measure everything that was required. Mr Jackson Palmer also spoke of the necessity for a bill of this kind. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. PEDLARS AKD HAWKERS. Mr Hou-ton moved tho second 'eading of the Pedlars and Hawkers’ Bill to provide for the licensing of pedlars and hawkers. He said the principal feature of the bill was the provision that licenses f*hall be issued only to British subjects who have resided in New Zealand not leas than 112 months. This clause was directed against “Assyrian” hawkers, who did a great deal of harm in the country districts. After a short debate in which considerable opposition was shown to the measure, particularly in regard to the proposed inclusion of commercial travellers within its scope, the second reading was negatived by 30 to 24, and the Dill thus thrown out. The House rose at 5. SO. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. COSI PULKORY DRILL. The State School children’s Compulsory Drill Bill was committed. Mr Piruni moved that the word “compulsory ” in tho title of the bill he omitted.—A long discussion followed, in which the question of military and physical drill in all its bearings was exhaustively dealt with. Finally the amendment to strike out the word “compulsory ” wag carried by 30 to 24. In clause 2, which made it compulsory to teach military and physical drill to boys and girls attending public schools, Mr Millar moved an amendment to provide that the clause should apply only to physical drill, thus deleting military drill Irom tho provisions of the bill—After considerable discussion Mr Millar’s amendment was agreed to on the voices. —Mr Atkjnson pioved an addition to the clause to the effect that evpry Board may at its discretion cause military drill to Ijo taught to boys over the prescribed age.— This was negatived by 34 to 13.—The clause as amended was agreed to. In the subsequent clauses all reference to military drill were struck out. The bill was reported as amended, and the third reading set down for this week.

EIGHT HOURS BILL. The Eight Hours Bill was read a second time by 25 to 17, and the House rose at .midnight,