PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11434, 26 July 1900, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

I [DX .:. TELEGRAPH.—PHESS; ASSOCIATION.] ' LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Wednesday. The Council met at half-past two p.m. GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT. Mr. W. C. Walker, in reply to Colonel Pitt, said it was the intention of the Government to introduce during the current session a Bill to amend the Gaming and Lotteries Acts. MILLERS' HOURS OF LABOUR. On the motion of Mr.. A. L. Smith, the Millers' Hours of Labour Bill was read a lust tlDie 'A. AND P. SOCIETIES ACT. Mr Pinkerton moved the second reading of'the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act Amendment Bill, and after remarks by Mr W. C. Walker, Colonel Pitt, and Mews. Bowen and Bolt, the Bill was read, a second time and referred to the Statutes' Revision Committee. LOCAL BILLS. Mr. W. 0. Walker moved the second readin" of the Westport Harbour Board Loan Bill In reply to Mr. Shrimski, who sa.d he thought the Board had already borrowed an excessive sum, several members spoke of the success of harbour works so far carried out at Westport. The second reading was agreed to. On the motion of Mr. Pinkerton the Dunedin City and Suburban Tramways Bill was read a second time. Mr. Kerr moved the second reading of the Greymouth Harbour Board Loan Dill, which was agreed to. . The Council at a-quartcr to four adjourned till eight o'clock. The Council resumed at eight o'clock. IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Fill passed through all its stages, and the Council rose at a-quar-ter-past eight. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Wednesday. The House met at half-past two p.m. BELLAMYS. The Speaker intimated as the result of a poll taken amongst members of both Houses of the Legislature, as to whether or not alcoholic liquors should be sold within the precincts of Parliamentary Buildings, that there was a majority of 34 in favour of the proposal, IMPREST SUPPLY. Imprest Supply Bill No. 2, £520,000, was introduced. Captain Russell complained that with the sum named the House would have passed, by way of Imprest, £750,000, and thought the Government should give the House some idea when the Financial Statement would be brought down. Although one-third of the financial year had passed, the House knc.v nothing about the finances of the colony. Under such circumstances all other mess should be postponed until the House ,iad dealt with the finances of the colony. Mr. J. Allen complained of the waste of time in the Government not bringing portant Bills down early in the session, instead of leaving them till the dying hours oi the session. Mr. Hemes took exception that of the amount voted last year for roads and bridges only about one-third had actually been expended. He hoped the new Ministers would see in future that moneys voted by Parliament were expended within the financial year. Mr. W. Fraser blamed the Government! for not bringing down the long-promised and much-needed Local Government Bill. Mr Pirani wished to know the intention of the Government with respect to the million loan authorised last year, and which had not yet been floated. On a motion for the third reading of tne Bill Mr. Seddon said members were only voting that day on expenditure authorised by the House last year. The principal instalment of the local Government Bills was already before the House in the shape of the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment, and others were ready for introduction, but he did not wish to feed the Opposition too fast. As to bringing down the Financial Statement the Government first wished passed a number of Bills for submission to the Upper House. The members of the. House already possessed information regarding the finances of the country, as published in the Gazette. As to the •proposal? °* the Government h? was satisfied they would be of such a nature as would prove acceptable to the House. He contended that legislation was very far forward this, session, and hoped to see both the Local Bodies Bills passed before the session ended. The Bill passed all its stages. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

Replying to questions Ministers said : — With regard to the higher- rate paid to casual hands in the railway sheds, for wok they perform outside eight a.m. to five p.m., the Government were in sympathy with any employees not in receipt of sufficient wages for services rendered, and would make inquiries into the matter. That amendment would be made in the Land Act to enable village settlers to acquire adjoining holdings. That the matter of giving local bodies til for £1 subsidy for the purpose of forming bicycle tracks on any existing road, would be "considered. The House adjourned at half-past five p.m. The House resumed at half-past seven P ' m " SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. The School Attendance Bill (Mr. Pirani) was read a second time pro forma. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. Air. Collins moved the second reading of the Abolition of Capital Punishment Bill. He contended that capital punishment did not act as a deterrent to the offences incurring that penalty. Either a murderer planned or arranged the crime, or he was overcome by some overmastering passion, or malignant spirit of jealousy, .If a man was seized with any of these impulses he would not likely be restrained by the death penalty. Therefore, some other mode of punishment should be inflicted, such as imprisonment fm life. Ho also noted that the death penalty was very seldom carried out. Again, no matter how carefully juries may act, cases would arise where men were innocently condemned. He believed the Bill would tend to greater security of the people of the country. Mr. Morrison thought the Bill a most extraordinary one, and failed to convince him that the abolition of capital punishment would be in the interest of the people of the colony. He pointed to Switzerland, where capital punishment was abolished in 1874, but so great had become the increase of murders and crimes of violence, that capi-' tal punishment had to be re-enacted. It would be a bad day for the colony if capital punishment was abolished. Mr. TilcGowan admired the academical style of the mover, but said it was not suited to a practical body like Parliament. He believed if capital punishment was abolished the crime of murder would be much more frequent than at present. His opinions were so pronounced upon the subject that he would vote against the second reading of the Bill. Captain Russell dissented from the proposal in the Bill, believing no matter how feeble of brain a man may be, the fear of punishment acted as a deterrent to committing crime. Mr. Hanan, Mr. Meredith, and Mr. Fisher opposed the Bill. Mr, Barclay supported it. Mr. Collins having replied, the motion for the second reading was lost by 49 votes to 9. IMPOUNDING ACT. Mr, Pirani moved the second reading of the Impounding Act Amendment Bill, which was carried pro forma, and the Bill referred to the Stock Committee. , ABSOLUTE MAJORITY BILL. The House went into committee on the Absolute Majority Vote Bill (Mr. MeNab). Clause 3, a contingent vote may be given, caused considerable discussion, several members commenting adversely upon the difficulty of electors understanding how to vote. i Mr. Hall-Jones opposed the Bill, expressing the belief that if any alwijition were made in the electoral system it should be in the direction of a second ball'it.. • „■ v Captain Russell moved to report progress, and ask leave to sit again,': which was carried by 22 votes to 18. ' The House rpsc at ten minutes past twelve a.m.