HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4285, 21 July 1899, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thobsdat, July 20. I CUSTOMS. I Mr Fisher gave notice of moving amend- j ments to the Customs Tariff. NEW BILLS. The Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Bill was introduced by the Premier, and read a first time. - SECOND HEADINGS. The Sales by Mortgages Bill.— Referred i to Statutes Revision Committee. Mr Lawry moved, without speeoh, the seoond reading of the Deceased Husband's Brother Marriage Bill. On division the motion was carried by 29 to 23. LICENSING AOT AMENDMENT BILL. Mr Gilfedder moved the second reading of the' Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Aot Amendment,. The mover explained that under the Act of 1895, after Prohibition had been carried in a district subsequently altered, it might happen that a hotel would be included in the amended district. I The Bill proposed to do away with suoh an anomaly. The Premier seconded the motion. He thought that those who were in favor of temperance reform could not refute to vote for the bill. He also wanted a community who voted for prohibition to have gome opportunity of carrying re-instatement. Mr G. J. Smith looked upon the Bill as an insidious attempt to prevent the people of Clutha carrying out their views on the subject. Mr Morrison blamed the Commissioners for tacking a hotel on to a prohibition district. In the interest of morality, he said, the sooner licenses were restored to Balolutha the better. There had been so muoh lying, hypocrisy, and perjury created in Balclutha since prohibition had been carried that the sooner the law was altered I the better. He aßked the prohibition members if they felt so sure of their position to support the Bill and let the electors of Balclutha decide whether they wished prohibition to continue or licenses reinstated. Mr Pirani asked if the people of Balolutha were suffering from disabilities why did they not petition Parliament to remove these disabilities? Mr Taylor contended that no decent man could get liquor in Balolutha, and he challenged the member for Caversham to give the name of the man who imported liquor into the district in a kerosene tin. He denied the charge made that sly grog-selling was rampant in the district. Mr Guinness moved that the Bill ba read that day six months. If the Bill got into Committee no one could aay when it would come out. The debate was ultimately adjourned and the House rose at 12.30 a.m.