PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11781, 10 October 1901, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

[by telegraph.—press association.]

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wednesday. The Council met at eight p.m. MINERS' RIGHT FEE REDUCTION BILL. A motion for the committal of the Miners' Right Fee Reduction Bill was agreed to, and the Bill was referred to the Goldfields Committee.

SHOPS AND SHOP ASSISTANTS BILL.

The Shops and Shop Assistants Bill was recommitted. The Hon. H. Feldwick moved an amendment to the effect that the Pharmacy Board of New Zealand may prescribe a iota of attendance for chemists by which it shall be lawful for them to take turns to keep their shops open at all hours of the day and night on days to be gazetted and advertised, such gazette notices to be subject to the approval of the Governor-in-Couucil. After considerable discussion progress was reported with leave to sit again.

RABBIT NUISANCE BILL. The Hon. H. Feldwick moved the committal of the Rabbit. Nuisance Act Amendment Bill, stating that the principal object was to amend the section of the Act which now compelled magistrates to convict on the inspector's testimony persons charged with failing to exterminate rabbits. The Minister for Education said rabbits were not being got ryd of, and he opposed the Bill.

The Hon. C. C. Bowen supported the Bill because the present procedure was un-Eng-lish.

The motion to commit was carried by 10 to 8, and progress was at once reported. The Council rose at ten minutes to eleven p.m.

KOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

The consideration of the Estimates was continued early this morning after the telegraph office closed. On the vote for public schools, £448,850, Mr. G. W. Russell complained of the small amount of land set aside as endowments for primaiy education. Mr. Hall-Jones said he would bring this question under the notice of his colleagues. Mr. Tanner objected to the terms of the item, " addition to statutory capitation, teachers' salaries only, as directed by the Minister for Education, £28,450." They knew, he said, what discretion the Minister had, and this would do away with the necessity of a Teachers' Salaries Bill.

Mr. Hall-Jones said this meant that if an Act did not pass this year the increases would be made according to the Act of last session.

Air. Massey said he did not think the measure regarding teachers' salaries would pass this session, as it was not satisfactory to the teachers or to the people in the country districts.

The vote was passed unaltered. At the vote for technical education, £13,950, Mr. Monk complained that this money was wasted, as the law of the colony prevented boys being apprenticed, and country boys would get no advantage from it. The money was chiefly spent in paying salaries to those who brought little or no good to the State.

Considerable discussion took place as to the qualifications of the two inspectors recently appointed for technical instruction. Mi-. Hall-Jones defended the appointments, and the vote was agreed to. Air. Ell moved, " That the vote, miscellaneous services, £5052. be reduced by £1, as an indication that the Minister holding the portfolio of Education should be a member of the Lower House."

This was lost by 23 to 17, and the vote agreed to. s> The vote for the Lunacy and Charitable Departments was passed without discussion, and the total vote, under the heading of Minister for Education, was agreed to. Progress was then reported. LABOUR DAY.

Mr. Barclay suggested the adjournment of the House till half-past seven o'clock in. the evening, on account of Labour Day, but the suggestion was not acted upon. The House rose at half-past three a.m. The House met at half-past two p.m. " BATGER'S STATUTES."

With regard to the petition of Wilfred Batger, of Christchurch, that the Government should purchase his rights in the publication known as " Batger's Statutes," the Public Petitions Committee reported that it had no recommendation to make.

Mr. G. J. Smith urged the Government to give very favourable consideration to the petitioner's prayer. : Mr. G. W. Russell considered that Mr. Batger had a moral claim against the Government, which they should treat generously. Mr. Barclay bore testimony to the value of Mr. Batger's work. Mr. McGowan said the Government were not hi any way committed to Mr. Batger. The report was ordered to lie on the table.

SHIPPING AND SEAMEN BILL. A select committee of 10 members was set up to consider the Shipping and Seamen Bill. The Bill was then, on Mr. Hall-Jones' motion, read a second time pro forma, and referred to the committee. MINING BILLS. On the motion of Mr. McGowan, the Mining Act Amendment Bill and the Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill were read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Goldfields and Alines Committee. MAORI RELICS BILL. ■The Maori Relics Bill was committed. Mr. Carroll moved to alter the title of the Bill to the Maori Antiquities Bill. Mr. Herries complained that this Bill would work mischievously against tourists, and would also prevent residents, who owned curios, from taking these out of the colony when they left New Zealand for some other part of the world. sir. R. Thompson looked with a good deal of suspicion upon the Bill, and hoped the Minister would exercise care. A careful definition of Maori relic was required. Mr. Carroll's amendment was agreed to. Mr. Carroll, in reply to questions, said that it was not the intention of the Government to interfere in any way with private collections, or to interfere with the business of those dealing in articles of foreign manufacture. The Government did not want any modern reproduction of old art, but antiquities in the proper sense of the term.

.After considerable discussion, clause 2 was amended to read as follows :—"ln this Act Maori antiquities includes any Maori relics', or any articles, or things, manufactured with ancient Maori tools, and according to Maori methods, or other articles or things of historical or scientific value or interest', and relating to New Zealand ; but does rot include private collections not intended for sale, or botanical or mineral collections or specimens."

Clause 5 was so altered as to empower officers of police, as well as of the Customs Department, to seize and detain articles attempted to be exported without permission. A new clause was added, on the motion of Mr. Carroll, empowering the Governor-m-Council to purchase Maori antiquities on behalf of the colony. The Bill was then reported and put through its final stages. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BILL. Mr. Hall-Jones moved the second reading of the School Attendance Bill, which lias already passed the Legislative Council. He briefly explained its provisions, and said he would like to see some of the features of the Bill of Mr. Pirani inserted in this measure.

Mr. Pirani said that one important omission in the present Bill was that it did not deal with Maoris and halfcastes who attended public schools. He suggested that this Bill and his own should be sent to a select committee, which would combine (he features of the two measures.

Mr. Hall-Jones agreed with this suggestion.

The second reading was agreed to on tie voices, and the Bill and that of Mr. Pirani were then sent tc the Local Government Committee.

EGMONT NATIONAL PARK BILL.

Mr. Seddon moved the second reading of the Egmont National Park Bill, which, Le said, simply remedied defects in last year's Act, and was purely technical.

The second reading was agreed to n tfce voices. CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS RATING BILL. Mr. Seddon moved the second reading of the Charitable Institutions Rating Bill, which, he explained, was designed to give discretionary powers to local authorities to remit rates on homes established for humane and charitable purposes. The Bill was not mandatory. He considered the powers it gave were in the right direction, and he did not think they were likely to be abused. Mr. Wilford urged that a provision be inserted in the Bill to exempt friendly societies from rating. Mr. G. W. Russell thought this Bill should be made mandatory, or the law should be left as it was.

The debate was interrupted by the balfpast five p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at half-past seven p.m. In replying on the Charitable Institutions Rating Bill, Mr. Seddon said he would, in committee, make it clear that the Bill applied only to charitable homes. The second reading was agreed to on the voices.

THE REVENUE. Mr. Seddon laid on the table a paper showing the revenue for the six months ending September 30. He was pleased to say that compared with the corresponding six months of last year the revenue showed an increase of £160,000. He had no doubts now that the estimate for this year would be more than realised.

CORNWALL PARK. A Bill to exempt from stamp duty the deed of gift of Cornwall Park by Dr. Logan Campbell was introduced by Governor's message and read a first time. The other Bill relating to the same subject was discharged from the Order Paper.

COOK AND OTHER ISLANDS GOVERNMENT BILL. Mr. Seddon moved the second reading of ' the Cook and Other Islands Government Bill, to provide temporarily for the government of the Cook and other islands in the Pacific, within the boundaries of the colony of New Zealand. He said a number of laws had been passed in the group since it came under the British flag in 1888, and it was tl*ese laws which the House was now asked to confirm. The constitutional position was that all laws existing in the ceded territory remained in force until superseded or confirmed, but to avoid any possible'difficulty he asked the House to now confirm those laws. The proposal was to gradually bring our own laws, or such of them as were suitable, into force in the islands. Only simple laws were required at first, and lie felt satisfied that the natives would be dealt with in a manner which would be in their interests. Mr. Seddon went on to refer to the importance of the pearl-fishing industry at Penryhn Island, saying that it would be a source of wealth, both to the island and New Zealand if properly developed. He spoke of the necessity of continuing the system of licensing traders so as to keep out men who would introduce liquor and other injurious articles into the islands. Regulation of the kanaka traffic was also necessary. He had no hesitation in saying he believed these islands would be self-sup-porting, and with the improved condition of things they would be well able to pay the increased expenditure necessary for their government. Mr. Herries doubted whether our Constitution would allow the Bill to be passed in its present form, and whether the Parliament of New Zealand had power to practically hand over its legislative functions to the proposed Native Council. He adversely criticised some of the provisions of the Bill, and urged that complications must undoubtedly take place owing to one set of laws being in farce in one part of the colony and another set in another part. He considered these islands would be a source of considerable expense to the colony, and that there would be very little return from them. Mr. Thos. Mackenzie thought we had entered on a " foreign policy" which would mean an immense amount of complication to New Zealand. Mr. G. W. Russell, speaking as one who had always opposed the annexation, complained that the affairs of the islands were now absorbing, and would in future continue to absorb, time that ought to be devoted to the interests of the people of New Zealand. There ere indications that a very large number of officials would have to be appointed at considerable expense. He could not see how, under our present Constitution, New Zealand could set up a separate form of Government in these islands, and some means would have to be devised of getting over this constitutional difficulty. Another great difficulty to be surmounted was that in connection with the land system of the islands. Mr. Jas. Allen could not help thinking that New Zealand had been " had" over the annexation of these islands, and we had incurred a responsibility that would increase year' by year. He did not think there was any prospect of increased revenue from the group in future years, while the present revenue would be decreased by about £1000, owing to goods from New Zealand being admitted free. Mr. Massey said the Bill was not satisfactory. It'was a case of " marry in haste and repent at leisure." It would cost us thousands of pounds a year for years to come. Mr. R. Thompson thought we should try to develop the resources of the colony, and riot establish any expensive system of government. Europeans with capital should be encouraged to settle in the islands. Mr. J. W. Thomson expressed similar views. Messrs. Hogg and Collins supported the Bill, and Mr. Fisher opposed the Bill. Mr. Seddon, in the course of his reply, ' said a large number of the islands were leased. The leases fell in shortly, and would give large revenue without any expenditure. The islands contained 20,000 people, and were capable of producing goods which New Zealand must have. It was his honest conviction that they would well repay anything that was spent on them. With regard to the Commonwealth tariff, if Australia put up a fence against New Zealand products, New Zealand could put up a fence against Australian fruits. As far as tropical fruits were concerned New Zealand was, by this Bill, independent of Australia, and as far as sugar was concerned, New Zealand could, under this Bill, be independent of Australia, Germany, and America. Some of the islands were suited to sugar growing, and with very little expense the cane could be reduced in New Zealand. We should look further ahead, and take a wider view of the situation. It was most important to the Empire that we should for all time stop foreign aggression in these islands. Suwarrow Island was annexed because a portion of it was wanted for a naval station. This had been done at the request of the Admiral in charge of the Australian station.

The second reading was agreed tc on the voices.

EVIDENCE FURTHER AMENDMENT

BILL. On the motion ot Mi. Seddon, the Evidence Further Amendment Bill, to extend the cases in which witnesses may be examined, was agreed to 011 the voices.

OPIUM PROHIBITION BILL. Mr. Seddon moved the second reading of the Opium Prohibition Bill, to prohibit the importation or smoking of opium. He said this would entail a loss in revenue of between £8000 and £9000 per annum, but he preferred to lose that sum than to see the vice of opium-smoking spread to European juveniles of both sexes. After a brief debate the second reading was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at five minutes past twelve a.m.

A social is being tended by St. Benedict's choir on Friday evening at St. Benedict's Hall in aid of the fund for the new pipeorgan, which it is intended to put in the church shortly. The social is under the patronage of the Mayor (Mr. A. Kidd). A first-class band has bf»en engaged.

A grand entertainment in aid of the Victoria School for Maori Girls will be held at St. Barnabas' Hall, Mount Eden, on Friday, October 18, when the farce, "Freezing a Mother-in-law," and select musical items will be given. A change in the programme of the New Zealand Literary and Historical Association's meeting this evening is announced in our advertising columns, Miss SherrifY Bain has been unavoidably prevented from giving her paper on " Maori Womanhood," and Mr. F. E. Baume has kindly consented to give instead "An Hour With Kipling."