House of Representatives.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7466, 3 July 1902, Page 2

House of Representatives.

The House met at £ p.m

A largo number of petitions were presented praying for tho suppression of the totalisator.

Mr Collins presantod a petition from J. H Kewlyu, of Cbrislchuruh, urginp his claims as the originator of the cheap inouey scheme.

Notice was given of the introduction of a large number of Bilis, among them beiug Rings and Combines Suppression (.Hornsby), Absolute Majority (McNab), Coal Mines Amendments (Guiuness), Po!ice Oftence* Amendment (Willis), Elective Executive (Stewaidt, Parliamentary Reform-lVferendum (R. McKenzle), Smoking by Youths Suppression (Field), and Libel Bill (Fisher), The Speaker, Sir G M. O'Rorku, extended to thu Houso his sincere thanks for the extended leave of. absence that had fteen gian'.ed him last session on ' accouuc of illness, and expressed his apprficiatibn of th" services rendered by Mr Guiuness and Major Steward ie his absence.

Sir Joseph Ward expressed pleasure ai seeing Sir G. M. O'Borke amongst them again, and hoped he would have many more yeurs iff the House. Aii Imprest Supply Bill for £571,000 was introduced by Governor's message.

Sir William Eus'ell said he couid not urge the Houae to refusa to pa°s tho Bill, but he pointed out that the Government bad three tuontbq after the end of the financial -yecr in which it could spend money without- .au'liorifev, but session after session the Standing Orders were becoming mere and more a' farce, and iho result was that ihe House was now in the position. of having eitYier to consent to setting aside the Standing Orders or to refuse to pass this Bill, and thus put the country to great inconveniences. The system that was growing up of the Crown getting money from the House without proper explanation was against constitutional principle. Parliament should have been called together earlier. After a brief discussion-, in which Messrs Wilfcrd, Monk, Pirani, and Fisher took park, Sir J. G. "Ward, in reply, said (he opening of Parliament bad beeo delayed to suit the convenience

of members under very exceptional

circumstances, aa there was a general desire on the parti of members to be iv their own localities on Coronation Day. For his own part he thought Parliament should meet a good deal earlier than has b c:en the practice of lale. There was a precedent for ihe delay in calling the members together this session, and he was sure the right coarse had beon adopted. The motion to suspend the Standing Orders to allow the 13111 to go through all its stages at one sitting wns carried by 44 to 10. On the motion for the second reading of the Bill, Mr Herries asked for an explanation of the sudden discharge of men from the publio works last December. Mr Fcaser a^ked why the Hill proposed to trarntef .£IOO,OOO ftorn tha Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund, seeing that on the loth March there was v balance of nearly half a million. Sir J. G. Ward said the stoppage of public worki had not bava on account of the shortage of funds. The season was that throughout the coumry there had been a groat demand for Iho prosecution Of putlic works during the simmer months, and the Government imiJ to take caro that the total iiusonni; of the appropriation had not beon exceeded. As to the state of the Public Work Fund, members must bear in mind that ths Government praoticully had to carry on without authorisation of Parliament uutil .September next, and the amount available on Disc March last was required in most cases for woks, baildinp. etc., which were in progress and could not b'l diverted to other public works. Ho declared again that the stoppage in December last was brought about sololy on account of the cure taken by rhe Government not to exceed the total nmuunt of its appropriations, and emphaticttllv diin'Oil l! >- political cqij-sidor.-itions hud avtn '.■■ n. to do with tha treatment acoordod i,o ihe various .districts. The Bill Ihea paase-l it-3 final stages. The House rcue at 5.10.