PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 211, 5 September 1891, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

" (FttJm onr own Correspondent.) t'S't WmtINSTOF, Septemher 4. . W _^_*olle^^Claiifn^ ; Strong 'feeling has been raised among economists in regard to Dr Pollen's olaim to arrears of pension. The Pubho Accounts Committee presented a report on the subjeot this afternoon recommending that Dr Pollen be paid a sum equivalent to his pension for a period from the 3rd of July 1873 to the 30th of Ootober 1876, which would amount to £1880. Some very warm language was applied to the case by Messrs Turner, R. Thompson, and Hogg ; and the two last named had to be called to order by the Speaker. All tbe members of the Committee save Mr Saunders, the chairman, were in favour of the report, but that gentleman made a statement to the effect that Dr. Pollen's olaim related to a period of three years -during whioh he was Premier and Colonial Tree surer. D r Pollen claimed th at he was also discharging the duties of seven offices whioh he had held in the ciyil service though not drawing pay for them. '"' The Electoral Bill. The Electoral Bill reoeived its finishing touohes in -so far as the House of Representatives is conoerned to-day, but no attempt was made to restore the freehold propetty qualification, as was expected, A . clause inserted by Mr Buick the other night, to the effect that the ballot boxes from small polling places should be sent unopened to the Chief Returning Offioer for the district so as to prevent employers from knowing how their men voted, was reconsidered and stiuok out. There waß a long disoussion as to the electoral privileges of half- cast Maoris. Ultimately it was decided to give them the option whether they would register upon -"the European rolls or vote for the election of Maori members. On behalf of the prohibitionists the Premier endeavoured to get a provision inserted dosing all public houses on polling days, but though toned down so to apply only to hotels within two miles of a polling booth, tho clause was rejected by 32 to 13. The bill will run the gauntlet of the Legislative Council next week, . The Property Tax. As was stated some time ago, the property tax is intended to be collected up to the Ist Maroh next. .For this purpose it is necessary to pass an annual bill re -imposing the tax for a year. The measure was introduced this afternoon by message from the Governor and passed through its initial stages. New Taxation. The Stamp Act Amendment Bill, which was . read for the first time in the House yesterday, imposes a totalisator tax of 1J per cent on all money invested in tbe maohine, and also makes passenger tickets representing more than £2 in value liable to penny stamp duty, the same as all other receipts. Educational Delegates. A Bum is to be placed oh the supplementary estimates to defray the travelling expenses of the delegates of the educational Institute to the annual meeting to be held in Ohristohuroh next January. The Land Bill. The Legislative Councillors are girding up their loins for a vigorous onslaught upon the Land Bill, Only one speeoh, that of Mr Stevens', has yet been made on the motion for its seoond reading, but that gentleman waff severely oritioal, especially in regard to the restrictions opon the purohase of land for o%sh find upon the requirement of properly in trust. He altogether ridiculed the one man one ran clause. As soon as the hon. gentleman bad finished speaking the debate on the Bill was adjourned until Monday. Proposed Agricultural Department. A resolution wbb moved by Mr Stevens in tha Legislative Counoil to-day affirming the urgent desirableness of having a well equipped expert agricultural department to advise cultivators as to animals and vegetables, the ! businees of cultivation in the oolony, and the best means of dealing with it. The Colonial Secretary Baid that the initial coat of suoh a department would be between £2000 and £8000 which the oolony could not afford. The debate was not completed and stands adjourned till Tuesday next. The Late Mr Turnbull. A brass. tablet in memory of the late Mr R. Turnbull, member for Timaru, has been erected in the main. lobby of the House. "'"' The Auctioneers Bill. The country members have foregone their objections to the allocation of auctioneer's revenue to the local body where the auotioneer has hia usual place of business. The proposal was agreed toby the House this afternoon. Progress of Bills. The Seleotors Land Revaluation Bill has now passed all its stages in both Chambers. . The Female Suffrage Bill has reached the Upper House and has passed its first reading. ; The Customs and Excise Duties Bill has passed all its stages in the same chamber. Legislative Council Reform. The various means by which the Legisla- | tive Council might be reformed were gone - over by members of the House of Represen- j tatives to-night during the committal of the , bill to limit the term for which future nominees to that Chamber can hold office. , Mr O'Conor pleaded with the House to refuse to pass the bill at all, aB it would only i tend „. to postpone a real reform by whioh the Counoil would be made elective. Sir . George Grey wanted to go even further, and ! appealed in eloquent language for such an amendment of the bill as would Bweep the Upper House out of existence altogether. Failing this he proposed to reduce the term for which appointments should be made from the seven years proposed by the Government to three years, bo as to make the term of Counoillp-tship the same as that of membership of the elective Chamber . This wa s negatived liy 39 to 11. Another motion by Sir George Grey to make the term five years met a similar fate. The seven years' term was then agreed to on the voices. The Chairman of Committees ruled out of order an amendment proposed by Sir George Grey to make tbe seats elective, and another by Mr O'Conor to ensure that no appointments should be made without a resolution of the House of Representatives, on the ground that the power to oall gentleman to the Upper House was given to the Government by a olause of the bill already affirmed. It was proposed by Mr R. Thomson to prevent any person from being reappointed to the Qounoil until the expiry of twelve months from the completion of his former tenure of office. This waß opposed by the Government and negatived ou the voices. Ou the motion of Mr Thompson the limitation pf tenure was made to apply to the appointments made by the Atkinson Government. Mr Thompson had stated that he had been told by a member of the late Ministry that all seven had given pledges not only to re. form the Counoil but to come under the reformed system themselves. This state « ment led to a long discussion, but the members of the late Ministy refused to be drawn on the subjeot. Mr R, Thomson corroborated his namesake's assertions, and said that Sir Harry Atkinson had plainly stated at a caucus that he had a written guarantee from the new Councillors. The olause as to the term of appointment was ultimately agreed to aB amended. This Day. The olause which gave the Council power to appoint its own Speaker was struck out, as was also the provision requiring that the bill be reserved for the Queen's consent, A new olause was added to Mr fish's motion enabling any of the present Councillors who may resign to retain his free railway pass and the privilege of using the Parliamentary library;* The third reading of the bill was oarried by 40 to 12. / More Obstruction, The Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill, wbioh places .65000 a year at the disposal of the Government for expenditure on opening up land for settlement was stone ■ walled for two hours this morning, till 3 45, but passed through Committee, by a large majority. The grounds of opposition were that, the bill would enable the Government to exercise an undesirable amount of patronage without parliamentary control. The Ministers, however, had a majority, and pushed the bill through committee, but they deferred the third reading. JThe Payment of Members Bill. ~The~proßpeotß of passing the Pajment "of Members Bill are muoh less favourable than they were, ac several members who supported its eeoond reading are lukewarm in the matter, in oonsequenoe of the protests of their constituents against the proposed increase, Penny Postoge, The second reading of the Postmaster General's Bill dealing with penny postage Will-be irioved-on Monday. The reform will not come into foroe till the end of the finan. cial year, via., Maroh 81.