PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8986, 17 September 1892, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

(BY telegraph.— OORRKBPONDJtNT.) Wellinoton, Friday. THE CRIMINAL CODE BILL. The committee who are considering the Criminal Code Bill have struck out the provision that anyone taking part in a prize fight shall be liable to one year's imprisonment with hard labour. Imprisonment for a similar term had been provided for neglect to assist a police officer in quelling a street riot or in making an arrest; but this was also removed from the Bill, the members of the committee failing to see, for instance, that a man of delicate constitution who declined bo give assistance in such circumstances should be liable to a severe penalty of that kind. Exception was also taken to that portion of the Bill enabling any man suspected of a crime to be brought before a justice and examined without any indictment or any definition of the charge against him. This clause, which came from the Irish Crimes Act, was struck out. The committee struck out the penalty of one year's imprisonment for disobedience of an order of the Court. They provide by another amendment, that everyone entitled to have a copy of an indictment may have it free of charge, instread of being required co pay 3d for it. The stipulation that jurors should pay for the refreshments they consume when locked up for the night, has been struck ', out by the committee. AUCKLAND SMALL FARM ASSOCIATION. This association haying tailed in their demands to the House for certain amendments in the Land Bill, have appealed to the Legislative Council, to which body they presented to-day, through Dr. Pollen, a petition similar to that recently submitted to the House, asking that settlers may have the optional right of purchasing their holdings after they have complied with the improvement conditions for four years that residence on bush lands shall not be insisted upon when double improvements have been made; that such association may be allowed to purchase Grown lands to be laid off as townships; that an association be allowed to acquire land at a minimum price of 10s per acre, and to contract for the necessary surveys; and that each settler may take up a maximum area of 320 acres. The petitioners represent that the present regulations governing small farm associations are not sufficiently liberal, and that if more advantageous terms as to the price of land and the interest charged are allowed, there will be an immense increase of prosperous and successful small-farm settlements. The Council have sent the petition to their Waste Lands Committee, to whom the Land Bill has been referred. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE. In a conversation with Sir John Hall to day relative to the prospects of the women's franchise clauses of the Electoral Bill in the Legislative Council, Sir John expressed his strong approval of the proposal that women should vote by electoral right, like shearers and travellers. He could see no valid reason why this facility should be withheld from female voters ; but he expressed the earnest hope that the women's franchise would not be sacrificed through insistance upon this proposal. If the electoral right provision could not be carried he warmly advocated passing the women's franchise without that, and trusting to further experience of the working of the electoral system in the case of shearers and travellers to win public favour for the plan. He believed the result of the experiment in the case of those to whom it was proposed to concede the electoral right privilege would be to bring about its adoption in the case of women. He was for accepting what could be obtained now, and should be very sorry to see the women's franchise lost merely because this additional concession could not be obtained. Mr. Downie Stewart said, in conversation on the same subject, that he deemed it a great mistake to have put the women's franchise into the Electoral Bill, instead of dealing with it in a separate measure, which he believes would have given it a better chance. He thinks, however, that it will probably be carried by a majority of one. THE CONCILIATION BILL. After another long debate, the Conciliation Bill passed its third reading in the Lower House today; its present shape does not give entire satisfaction. There is strong disapproval of the limitation of the Bill's operation to Trades Unions, while workmen who are not unionists are excluded from its benefits. Some members are very strong upon the impropriety of this exclusion. They hold that the whole object of the Bill, as promoted, is to ■ foster and encourage Trades Unions as political organisations, especially in view of their authorised amalgamation as associations. Sir John Hall thinks the inclusion of railway employees may prove a good thing, and may render matters easier for the Commu 9ioners in their dealings with the railway servants. THE CABLE RATES. The only city from which no response has come to the Postmaster-General's appeal for a guarantee for a reduction in cable rates is Wellington ; bub Mr. Ward hopes that the amount asked for (£5000) will be assured independently of the Wellington merchants. The proportion of cost which will have to be borne by New Zealand is £3493, and that of the other colonies is as follows :—Victoria, £15,623 ; New South Wales, £15,510; South Australia, £4382; Tasmania, £2000; Western Australia, £681. THE LABOUR BILLS. The committee came to an end today of the work provided for them by the Government, and received an intimation that there was nothing more to be done. An adjournment sine die was, therefore, carried, after a cordial vote of thanks to Captain Russell for his valuable services as chairman. All the Labour members cordially agree in recognising Captain Russell's able chairmanship. Some remark was excited by the fact that neither the Labour Department Bill nor the Servants Registry Bill came before the committee, the inference being that Ministers intend to drop these Bills. The Factories Bill was amended by the committee, improved provisions for sanitary arrangements being inserted, and the clause which rendered public schools liable to inspection by the Factory Inspector being struck out. POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE. The annual report of the Post Office and Telegraph Department shows that the year's operations, although resulting in diminished revenue, discloses a very material increase of business. The balance of < revenue over expenditure amounted to i £51,715. Therevenue.however,hasdecreased ! by £15,271, mainly due to the reduction of the ocean letter postage to 2sd, and to the fact that £15,697 contributions from London, and the other colonies for mail services, have been credited to the vote for conveyance of mails by sea. The year's expenditure has been £5746 more than in the previous twelve months. NATIVE SCHOOLS AND THE EDUCATION BOARDS. Mr. R. Thompson strongly urged to-night that the native !>chools should be placed under the control of the Education Boards. Mr. W. P. Reeves said that while that was very good in theory it was impossible in practice, as the Maoris would not agree, and passively resisted any such change. Mr. R. Thompson remarked that that was due to the fact that the native teachers had led the Maoris to believe that such a change would be against their interests.

THE SCHOOL CAPITATION GRANT.

Complaint was made to the Minister of Education to-night by Dr. Newman that the country schools committees were often in desperate straits owing to the reduction of the capitation grant. He asked that it should be increased. The Hon. Mr. Reeves was afraid that it could not. He would rather give more money for school buildings. Mr. George Hutchison hoped that the matter would be considered by the Government. The school district of Taranaki, he pointed out, suffered very seriously through the reduction.

LAND RETURNS AND VALUATIONS.

The Tax Commissioner reports that there are 95,501 landowners in New Zealand, and that the aggregate value of their properties is £54,427,175 unimproved; £92,371,166 improved. The return shows that 6614 persons own improved land with over 2000 and under 20,000 "acres, the total value being £31,683,851. There are 321 owning 20,000 to 50,000 acres, the total value being

£9,656,730. There are 94, from 50,000 to 100,000 acres, value £6,436,696, and 36 over 100,000 acres, of the aggregate value of £5,598,875. JOTTINGS. One of the prominent! members of the Opposition, Captain Russell, supported the Industrial Conciliation Bill to-day in an excellent logical and argumentative speech, which was warmly applauded by the Labour Party. "His genius is essentially destructive," is Mr. Tanner's opinion of Mr. Buckland. "The Labour Party," said the member for Heathcote, " have never been indebted to, him for legislation. That fact will do doubt be duly noted by the working men who vote at the next Manukau election." " You look out for your own election," retorted Mr. Buckland, " never mind mine." The development of traffic in the postal department of Mew Zealand is shown by the fact that in letters, post cards, books, pattern packets, and newspapers delivered and posted during the past year there were the following increases as against the number of the preceding twelve months:— Letters, 3,695,664; post cards, 268,430; books and sample packets, 1,011,631; newspapers, 599,178. Captain Russell maintains that the House of Representatives is far in advance of public opinion. All the extreme Liberal measures passed during the past ten years in New Zealand he says have originated in the House not amongst the people. The Industrial Conciliation Bill, says Mr. Buick, will almost .altogether prevent strikes. There are 2349 officers in the Postal and Telegraph Department. The number in the year 1890 was 2225. Mr. Lake suggests that the clause subjecting the Railway Commissioners to the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration has been placed in the Industrial Conciliation Bill to challenge a contest with the Upper House. The petition of Roberb Proctor and others at Hokianga for an amendment of the Impounding and Fencing Acts, so that they may be able to shoot trespassing pigs, has been considered by the Petitions M to Z Committee, who recommend that the re quest should be complied with. " The redress of grievances by this !louse,"declared Mr. W. Hutchison to-night, " Has degenerated into something like a farce. A demand for redress is met by the formula, ' We have no recommendation to make,' or is referred to the Government, which is as bad as the ' no recommendation to make.'" A month hence is the earliest period talked of for the close of the session, and prorogation can only be reached then by dropping a large amount of business now set down. Dr. Pollen made a very powerful speech ] on the second reading of the Bill in the Legislative Council today. He was quite in his best form, so well known in the olden times. The Premier was present in the House all the afternoon, but took no part in the proceedings. He waited till 5.30, in order to explain the Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill, on the motion for its committal, but he had no opportunity, in consequence of the lengthy debate on the Conciliation Bill. Mr. Rolleston went South to-day on private business. He will return to Wellington next Wednesday. Dr. Pollen said today that the feat accomplished by a population of barely 100,000 adult males (of whom fewer than half are effective producers) in producing £15,000,000 sterling per annum, in paying for imports, the cost of Government, and interest on public and private debts, is something unequalled in history.