PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8631, 29 July 1891, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

0. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday. The Council met at half-past two. judicial separation. Mr. Stephens moved that in the opinion of this Council a judicial separation decree may be granted by magistrates in cases in which an aggravated assault upon a wife has been proved, and that the Government be requested to introduce a Bill this session giving effect to the motion. a A Ion;' debate ensued, in the course of which Mr. Buckley said the Government had no intention to introduce such a measure this session. Personally, he was opposed to such a bill as being calculated to weaken the marriage ties. The motion was carried by 19 to 9. , POLICE OFFENCES ACT. . - The Police Offences Act Amendment Bill was further considered in committee. Mr. Fulton proposed a new clause, making it penal for any one keeping or leasing a house for immoral purposes. After some debate progress was reported on the Bill, and leave given to sit again. The Council rose at naif-past four. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday. The House met at half-past two p.m. NEW ZEALAND BANK BILL. The New Zealand Bank Bill was read a third time and passed. ELECTRIC LIGHTING. A lengthy discussion took place on the report of the committee on the Wellington Electric Lighting Bill. Mr. Dutiiie moved that the report be agreed to. Mr. Macdonald moved an amendment that the Bill should not become law unless it was approved of by a public meeting and a poll of the ratepayers within three months after passing. The amendment was carried by 32 to 28. Mr. Taylor moved that the amendment made by the committee in the Christchurch Electric Lighting Bill be agreed to. Mr. Macdonald moved a similar amendment to the one he moved in the Wellington bill, but it was rejected by 30 to 23, and Mr. Taylor's motion was carried. | On the motion for the third reading of the Bill, Mr. Earnsllaw moved the adjournment of the debate, and the discussion was interrunted by the half-past five adjournment. The House resumed at half-past seven. THE SHOP HOURS BILL. On the motion for the committal of the i Shop Hours Bill, i Mr. Thompson (Marsden) pave notice to i move, " That the Bill should not apply to 1 town districts." Mr. Duthik said the result of this Bill ' r would be. that shopkeepers would be obliged ( to reduce the wages of their employes, to ' recoup the loss they would suffer through 5 the operation of the measure. He felt so ' strongly that the Bill would be injurious, I that he should move it be committed that ) day six months. ; Mr. Buckland seconded the amendment, 5 which was lost by 58 to 4. , THE truck bill. . The House went into committee on the , Truck Bill. 5 The blank in the first clause was filled up 3 by inserting the words " that the Act shall come into operation on Ist of November, 3 1891.'' ' Clause 7 : Employer not to have action for d goods supplied to workman. t Mr. Moore moved, "That this clause be I struck out." In the course of the long discussion which followed, the Minister in charge of the Bill, Mr. Reeves, said the clause had been in force in England for the last 60 years. It " only took away from the storekeeper the t right to come between a man and his wages. ? He hail 110 objection, however, to insert in 0 the Bill a provision that the clause should 1 not apply to the first month's wages in bush r falling contracts. u The clause was eventually passed on the „ voices without amendment. The portion of Clause 12 which provided ™ for three months' imprisonment for a breach ® of the Act was struck out. II The remaining clauses were passed withr out amendment, and the Bill was reported. " employers' LIABILITY. L 1 The Employers Liability Bill was comy mitted and reported with slight amendment. n IN COMMITTER Off THE SHOP HOUKS BILL. „ The House went into, committee on the I Shop Hours Bill. Mr. Thompson (Marsden) asked whether 6 the Minister in charge of the Bill would eon- •• sent to the amendment excepting town dise tricts from the operation of the Act? II Mr. Rkevks replied in the negative, s After considerable discussion the clause e was amended, so as to apply to cities, n boroughs, and town districts. it On the motion of Mr. Kish, confectioners' » shops, fruit and vegetable shops, tobacconist shops, and hairdresser shops, were excepted '• from the operations of the Bill. 0 The clauses to the effect that on four even--0 ings of the week shops should close at six o o'clock was passed, but the time of closing e on ono evening of the week was altered r from nine o'clock to ten o'clock, s A motion by Mr. Meredith, " That shops .. may remain open on Christmas and New y Year's Eve till eleven o'clock at night," was q agreed to. It, was also decided that on a working day e preceding Good Friday, Easter Monday, Queen's Birthday, anil Prince of Wales Birthday shops be allowed to remain open 0 till ten o'clock. The penalty for not closing at the pre- " scribed hours was reduced from £23 to £10. c [Left sitting at two a.m.] o .