PARLIAMENT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 70455, 5 October 1900, Page 2

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, October 4. The Council met at 2.80. The following bills passed their second j readings : — Land and Income Assess- ; ment, New Zealand Consols Act Amendment, Midland Land Settle- ■ ment. Government Loans to Local Bodies, Fisheries Encouragement, : Botorua Town Council, and West Coast Settlement Reserve. The Old Age Pensiens Bill passed through committee without amendment. In committee on the Trading Stamps Abolition Bill, the Hon. W. C. Walker announced that it was not intended to go on with the clauses providing for the Government issuing discount stamps. The Hon. J. Bigg moved an amendment to the discount stamp clauses, by deleting the reference to the form and denomination of stamps. After some debate the amendment was agreed to. Hon. G. McLean's motion to delete clauses referring to discount stamps was carried by 17 votes to 9. The bill, as amended, was reported. The Old Age Pensions Bill was read a third time and passed. The Council rose at 8.30 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, October 4. The House met at 2.80. NATIVE LANDS. Tho Maori Lands Administration Bill and Native Lands Control and Administration Bill were read a second time pro forma. SECOND BEADING. The Pacific Cable Bill, Hospitals and Charitable Aid Boards Bill, and Sale of Poisons Act Amendment Bill were read a second time, and passed through committee without material amendment. The Public Works Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. ELECTORAL ACT. The Electoral Act Amendment Bill was committed. On clause 2, which provides that no Registrar shall act as Returning Officer, Mr Ward said, in reply to representations, that he would, wherever possible, appoint postmasters as Registrars. Mr Atkinson opposed the proposal, in malting rolls complete, to enjoin the police force to assist the Registrar in placing qualified persons on the roll or removing unqualified persons. Mr Ward deprecated an attack upon tho clause, which was designed to make the rolls as correct and complete as possible. Mr Bollard complained of the manner in which the Auckland rolls were compiled. Mr J. Hutcheson asserted that clause 4 would let loose myriads of canvassers on bobalf of Government candidates. Mr Ward said the whole object oi the clause was, as far as possible, to see every qualified person on the roll. He wanted to go further, and say that under proper conditions he would allow every person to vote whether they were on the roll or not. Mr G. W. Russell approved of an\ effort to have the names of every person on the roll, but the bill proposed to place the Government officials in a false position. Mr Lewis deprecated putting the names of irresponsible persons on tbt roll. 1 The bill was reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. BILLS PASSED. The Pacific Cable, Hospitals and Charitable Aid, and Sales of Poisons Bills were read a third time, and passed, The House rose at 4.10 a.m.