PARLIAMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12933, 29 September 1902, Page 6

PARLIAMENTS.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Saturday, Sept. 27. RAILWAYS SUPERANNUATION FUND. The Legislative- Council met at 11.30 a.m. The Government Railways Superannuation Fund Bill passed its final stages. An amendment by the Hon J. E. Jenkineon to recommit the Bill for the purpose of increasing the representation of the second division on the Board was lost by 24 votes to 7. The Nelson Harbour Board Bill, and the Victoria College Site Bill passed their final stages. The following Bills were read a second time:—Savings Banks Profits, Law Societies, Post and Telegraph Department, Land and Income Tax, and Kauri Gum Industry. The Council rose till 2.30 p.m. AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council resumed at 2.30 p.m. BILLS. The Inspection of Machinery Bill, Local Bodies’ Loans Amendment Bill, 'Pacific Cable Extension Bill, Cook and Other Islands Government Act Amendment Bill and Australasian Naval Defence Bill were read a second time. \ BANK HOLIDAYS. The Bank Holidays Bill was committed. Clauses 3 and 4 were struck out, and provision was made for special bank holidays that no day or portion of a day should 1 ba appointed a special bank holiday except with the consent of the Colonial Treasurer, and that no employee of a bank should bel employed during bank holidays except for dealing with urgent business. It was also enacted that 'these provisions shall nob apply in the case of any person employed on any one of the seven days immediately preceding or following the day upon which the! bank balances its books. The Hon H. FeldWick moved 1 a new schedule of holidays, increasing the number by two annually. This was defeated by 20 to 8. The Bill’ was reported as amended. INSPECTION OF MACHINERY. The Inspection of Machinery Bill ■ wan committed. The proposal to, do away with the minimum, penalty of £5 for obstructing an inspector was defeated by 13 to 10. Provision was made in Clause'4s for a restricted second-class enabling a person who has been in charge of a ten-horse power engine for two years to act on a gold! dredge only. The Bill was reported 1 with amendments. COOK ISLANDS. In committee on the Cook and Other Islands Government Act Amendment Bill, thei Hon J. Rigg moved an amendment to Clause, 3 in the direction that none of the laws ofi New Zealand should be brought into force in the islands without the consent of Parliament, signified 1 by resolution. This was lost by 12 to 9-. FINAL STAGES. The Cook and Other Islands Government Bill, Local Bodies’ Loans Act Amendment Bill, Pacific Gable Extension Bill and Australasian Naval Defence Bill were reported without amendment. The whole of the Bills which were put, through committee at the day’s sitting passed their final stages. At 5.30 p.m. the Council rose till 2.30 p.m. on Monday. • HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, Sept. 26. MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BILL. After the Telegraph Office closed some hostility was shown to Mr Laurens on’s Medical Practitioners Bill, and after a long discussion a motion to report progress was carried by 24 votes to 23. LICENSING COMMITTEES. The Licensing Committees Quorum Bill (the Hon'W. J. Steward), which reduces a quorum to four, was committed, and a new clause was added, on the motion of Sir Joseph Ward, to provide that Licensing Committees should, notwithstanding any alteration in the boundaries of their districts, remain in office until the ordinary date of the next election. Another clause, providing for a re-count of votes in a licensing poll, was added on the motion of Sir Joseph Ward. This clause provides that if the result of any licensing poll is disputed, any elector may apply to a Stipendiary Magistrate for a re-count, such application to be accompanied with m deposit of £2O. The Magistrate may issue an order as to the costs incidental to a re-count, and'subject to such order may permit the return of the deposit. The Bill subsequently passed its final stages. LEGITIMATION AMENDMENT. (Mr Lawiy’s Legitimation Act 1894 Amendment Bill was read a second time on the voices, but on going into committee progress was immediately reported. LAWYERS’ COSTS. The Solicitors’ Bill of Costs Bill passed its final stages. AMENDMENTS PASSED. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Sharebrokers Bill, the Birds Nuisance Bill and the Second-hand Dealers Bill were agreed to. THE ELECTORAL BILL. A number of amendments in the Electoral Bill were brought down by Governor’s message. The principal among them was a new clause providing that every person who at any time between the issue of the writ and the day of the poll publishes or exposes, or causes to be published or exposed to public view, any document or writing or printed matter containing any untrue statement defamatory of any candidate, and calculated to influence the yote of any elector, is liable to a penalty rot exceeding £SO, or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months. Another amendment was that the Registrar of Electors is made a parly with a returning-officer in the case of any mistakes which might occur, and could be mulcted with him in costs should any action result from such mistakes. After considerable discussion the amendments were agreed to. PROGRESS OF BUSINESS. Sir Joseph Ward stated that the good work done by the House during the last two days rendered it unnecessary to sit on Saturday. SOUTH AFRICAN LABOUR MARKET. Sir Joseph Ward read a cable message he had received from Mr Pilcher, of Gape Town, in reply to inquiries as to the state of the labour market in South Africa. The message stated that a demand exists for skilled artisans in the following trades: Carpenters, tinsmiths, coach and waggonmakers, body-makers, coach-painters, wheelwrights, saddlers and harness-makers, cutlers, fitters and tailors. Mr Pilcher added that the present high wages would decline as the supply increased. At 3.40 a.m. the House rose till 2.50 p.m. on Monday.