PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9333, 6 October 1910, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

• LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. , I(Pee'Pbeßß Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 5. The Council met' to-day. The Wanganui Church Acre Bill (Mr Callan) was read a third time and passed. The. following Bills .passed the second reading:—Nelson City, Drainage Loan and Empowering, Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement, Government Railway Amendment, Immigration Reduction. Amendment. The Defence Amendment Act, 1910, and the Education Amendment Act, 1910, were read a first time, and the Council rose. . ' HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE CRIMES BILL. The -House met at 7.30 'p-tai Replying to questions, Ministers stated that it is hoped to introduce tfie Libel Act Amendment Bill this session, but much depends on the progress of public .business; that reports have been recently received through the High Commissioner on various schemes of insurance.,-against the unemployment instituted or proposed in different parts of Europe, this information being gone into with a view to steps being taken in the Dominion as early as possible; that the Government has in hand measures which may result in the extension of trade with Canada; that provision is being made in the Education Act Amendment Bill now before the House for placing the finances of School Committees on a more satisfactory footing. It is not intended to make ; the provision retrospective. The Destitute Persons Bill was read a second time pro forma. The House then went into Committee on the Crimes Amendment Bill. At clause 3, providing for a reformative sentence after the expiry of an ordinary sentence, Mr Russell objected to euch drastic power being granted to judges. * He moved to amend the clause so as to provide for a Crown Prosecutor drawing an indictment against convicted persons as being habitual criminals, and if on , trial euch persons were found guilty of the charge, the judge may order their, detention for reformative purposes. Hon. Mr Millar, who was in charge of the Bill, said he could not accept the amendment. There was nothing in tho clause to interfere with the Probationers Act. Prisoners had the right of appeal once in not less than three months., "After considerable discussion the amendment was negatived on the voices. The House divided on clause 4, which gave power to a Magistrate after a summary conviction to impose a period of detention.- The clause was retained by 36 to 31. . The Bill was reported with amendments. The'lndecent Publications Bill was taken in Committee and passed without amendment and reported. ANIMALS PROTECTION. The Animals Protection Amendment, Bill was taken in Committee. Several members were against doing away with the use oF cylinders for duck shooting. "Mr Rhodes moved that nothing in clause 2 shall prevent the use of cylinders on Lake Elleemcre. The amendment was rejected by 42 to 15. On the motion of Mr Witty, clause 4 was amended in the direction of allowing the Minister, to grant permission to any person to hold native game for a longer period than seven days for exhibition purposes only. 'At the instance of Mr Rangihiroa, the Minister moved to add a proviso to the clause exempting nativrj game called huahua from the provision. On a division the amendment was affirmed by 32 to .25. Mr Witty moved to add a new clause allowing persons'to kill stoats and weasels, except where acclimatisation districts claim protection for these animals.