HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7401, 17 September 1902, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 5.110,

Sir Joseph Ward ruadfj a .tntement with rogerd to Bills that were to bo dropped this fc_-ion unless the Houso felt disposed to fit until th" end of November, lie nin-.td that tho following Government Bill, bo discharged f om tbe order pap-r:—Pubic Keserves Act, 1931, Amendment ; H.bea. Corpus Extension; Products Export ; Land Transfer Act Amendment; Bating on Unitnprov.d Value Amendment ; Property Law Amendment; and Criminal Jurisdiction of Justices,

He moved also for ihe di.-ichnrge of all Private Members' Uil's on tho order pap*., with ths exception of the following :—Licen-irig Committees Quorum (Steward) ; Abeoiuto Majority Vote (McNab) ; and Legi-imafon Act, 1894, Amendment (Lawry.)

lie mlded that it was intended to introduce a few rnoro Bile before the clcse of tho session, among tbem h'ing tbe Military Pensmt-s Naval Contribution ; Post 'and Telegraph Classification Amendment (to mrrke iho necessary increase in somo of tho salaries in tho department' ; and tho Land fir Settlement . ct _u_en_raent.

Mr James Aden enquired whether the Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill was to ba brought down.

Sir Joseph Ward said that was too big a job to be p_.>c:cded with thi* see'sion. It would occupy too much timo as it would require careful and exhaustive consideration. It would proposp a material change in tbe whole sy?tem of audit of \\,i Pubic Works account", and would provide for a pos" audit system instead of the prcrnudit.

Mr Massey asker'i what was tho position in regard to tha Land Bill, which was before a SeVct Committee.

Sir Joseph Ward said a decision would be come to on that Hill when it was reported from the Committee.

Mr Mas3ey erqiiired whrthc-r it was intended tv in rorluea an amendment of the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act so as to __<ike, it cleir whether tho Act applieit to agricultural lshourors.

Sir Joseph Ward replied that the natter was now under consideration, but he hoped to be able to introduce an amending bill in which would set at rest tbe doubts that eiisted a. to tho position of farm labourers under the Act, and it would defino the time for which a worker shall receive the benefits of tho Act, . A division was oalled for on three of •he Bills.

The Public Reserves Bill was struck off by 35 to 18, and tho Bating on Unimproved Value Amcndm.nt Bill was di.chi.rged by 45 to 12.

Tho Houso by 37 to 19 refused to allow tho Solicitors' Bills of Costs Bill to be be struck oil,

The motion for tbe discharge of the other Bills mentioned by tho ActingPremier was agreed to on the voces.

Sir Joseph Ward moved tbat the report of the Publio Accounts Committee regarding tho correspondence relative to the payment of a pennon to tho widow of the. lato Lieut-Colonel F. W. Francis, should be agreed to. This report agrees to the payment of the pension.

Sir Joseph Ward went on to say that tho impression sought to be created bysome members waa that the law officer of tho Crown merely gave such local advice as the Government wish d, was entirely erroneous. To attribute bias to the Solicitor-General was extrem- Iy unfair, The law offiocra of tho Crown, Sir Joseph Ward slid, were doing their duty impartially to the best of their ability. He explained tbe difference between the Treasury and Audit Office in Lieut.Colonel Francis' case. As to tho date when LieutColonel Francis was ' first certified to bo ill, such difficulty would ba obviated in future by an extension of time under the Military Pensions Act from six to 12 months, nnd that would bfl done. There was no doubt it was the proper thing to pay this pension. Mr James Allen blamed Ministers for not having extended the Military Pensions Act of last year. Mrs Francis would then have obtained a legal pension, but there was no doubt that under the present conditions the pension was illegal,

Mr' Pirani pointed out that Jiy the refusal of the Government to appoint an Attorncy : General, who would be a member of tho Legislature, and therefore answerablo for his political misdeeds, thoy wero able to shift tbe blame in cases like tho one under review on to the shoulders of a permanent official. He moved as an amendment that tbe Government be recommended to introduce retrospective legislation on the basis of tho Imperial warrant, providing for the lapse of time being extended to 12 months.

Sir Joseph Ward opposed tho amend, ment.

Several other members also took part in tbe debate, which wan interrupted by the dinner adjournment. ' ; The' Mining Apt Amendment Bill was received from tho Legislative Council wllti amondments, which Mr MeGowan moved De agreod to.

After further debate tbo report of tho Public Accounts Committeo on tbe Francis case was agreed to.

Sir Joseph Ward stated he would take tho Publio. Works -debate on Friday next.

. The Unclaimed Moneys Act Amendment Bill passed its final Btages, Considerable debate took place on the second reading of tho Land and Income Tax Bill. .

Several members objected to the proposal to reduce the morigago tax from Id to 3d. while others urged that the tax should be abolished altogether. The Beoond reading was egreed'to on the voices. .••.;.