PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4466, 20 September 1901, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. 'Die House met at 2.30 p,.m., Mr Guinness in the chair. After formal business had been transacted. a number of questions were answered. ’ The House adjourned for an hour, from 3 to 4 o’clock, as a mark of respect to the memory of President McKinley. The House having resumed, questions were answered until the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Tagus Incident.

The PREMIER moved in the direction of giving authority to the DeputySpeaker and tlje Acting-Chairman of Committees to go through the “ Hansard 5> reports of tho discussion on tho Tagus incident, and delete any reference to the words used by the member for Bruce, which words were subsequently withdrawn. A motion by Mr Fisher that the oresent debate should not be reported in “Hansard” was carried by 30 to 26. Some discussion followed, and Mr Massey moved an amendment to tho effect that members concerned should be included with the Deputy Speaker and the Acting-Chairman of Committees. The PREMIER then went on to say that the member for Bruce, Mr Allen, had transgressed the rules of the House. Mr ALLEN : I did not. The PREMIER: I say the member for Bruce did transgress the rules of this House. , Tho PREMIER proceeded to assert that the information which the member for Bruce had founded his charge upon had been obtained in a clandestine manner.

Mr ALLEN : I deny that. The PREMIER: The hon member cannot deny the facts. I know who I am dealing with. Mr ALLEN: So do I! The PREMIER,: I’ll take care that anything ordered by this House in the future is carried out at once. The PREMIER went on to suggest that the Tagus debate should all go in “ Hansard ” as it stood, so that the people of the colony might judge, and see what the member for Bruce would say. (Hear, hear.) The PREMIER: You may well say “Hear, hear,” but the hon member is afraid to have it in “Hansard.”

Mr ALLEN: I will repeat the words again. ' The PREMIER : I ask the hon member to repeat them in the House when Mr Speaker is in tho chair. I will ask him to repeat those charges outside or on a public platform. The Premier then went on to say that if the press of the colony had been aware of all the circumstances, or knew all the debate, it would have risen and protected him, but owing to the words being withdrawn at a late hour in the morning, and the press not being aware of the whole facts, it did not think there was anything in the matter. Mr ALLEN said ag to what charges he had made he had a perfectly clear conscience.

On the motion of the Hon J. McGowan tho debate was adjourned till next day. Mr JAMES ALLEN, in the course of a'personal explanation, said that he had made his withdrawal on Friday night for two reasons—firstly, _ because, it was the expressed wish of his fellowmembers on both sides of the House 1 that he should withdraw the words, and, secondly, he Withdrew the words in a fit of generosity, and for no other reason. /

The PREMIER said that he regretted that Mr Allen had not made that statement at the time, because he (Mr Seddon) would not have accepted the position. Exportation of Arms. The Exportation of . Arms _ Bill (Mr Seddon) passed through committee without amendment. Charitable Gifts. The Charitable Gifts Bill (Mr, Carroll) was committed. Objection was taken that under the definition of; “public institution” in clause 2, hospitals and asylums _ could not obtain’ the benefits of this Bill. Mr JAMES ALLEN held that a bequest to any religious institution or to a church should.be exempted from duty, and he proposed an amendment to that effect, to include the word “ religious ” in the definition of “public institution” in clause 2. Mr, NAPIER said this-would extend the law much more widely than ever before. Mr ALLEN : That is so.

The PREMIER opposed the amendment. It was opening up a question which had never been considered by Parliament, and would ho a now departure.

Finally clause 2 wag struck out, on the understanding that a new clause should be introduced by’ which the Bill should be read with the Charitable Gifts Duties Exemption Act, 1883. Clause 3 was amended cn the motion of the Hon J. Carroll to read as follows: —“Where, by deed or will, any property is voluntarily conveyed* devised, bequeathed, or t.-ansferred to trustees in trust for 1 the benefit of the public, such conveyance, devise, bequest, or transfer. shall be exempt from all duties which would but,, for this Act ho payable thereon.”

Another clause was added stipulating that the foregoing provision should apply to any Charitable bequest, whether or not the institution is in existence at the time of the bequest. The Hon J. CAR-ROLL proposed a clause to exempt from duty tho gift of Cornwall Park, given to the city of Auckland by Dr Logan Campbell. After some discussion, this new clause was withdrawn, -Mr Carroll promising that, tho matter referred to should ho dealt with in a special Bill. Clause 4 wit} amended so as to provide that the Act shall form part of and be read with the Charitable Gifts Duties Exemption Act, ISB3. Mortgages of Land.

Tho Mortgages of -Land Bill (Sir J. G. Ward) was committed. ' Mr HALL proposed a new clause giving a mortgagee or intending mortgagee power to demand, on payment of ns, a search for encumbrances or other deeds registered affecting the land included or intended to be included in any mortgage. ■ Sir J. G. WARD asked Mr Hall to withdraw the proposed clause, promising that if it could be included in cho Bill in another form, he would have this done in another place. Mr Hall thereupon withdrew the clause, Mr HOGG moved a new clause enabling a mortgagor to pay off the principal and interest duo at the end of three years; but at the suggestion of the Minister in charge of tho Bill, the clause - wan withdrawn. An addition was made to the second schedule to provide that the mortgagor should insure the mortgagee against any worker’s charge under the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act, on the

land obtaining priority over the mortgage, in the name of the mortgagee. The remainder of, the Bill passed through committee without amendment. Promissory Oaths Bill.

This Bill, which is under the charge of the Hon J. McGowan, was committed.

The MINISTER, in answer to Mr G. J. Smith, promised that a clause would be introduced validating the acts of those Justices who had accidentally failed to take the oath upon tho accession of the KingMr MAbdEY urged that a man in his district who had been accidentally struck off the roll should be iacluded in the validating clause, so that his acts whilst he was thus removed from the roll should be validated. Mr NAPIER moved a new clause prescribing that an oath could be taken without the kissing of the Bible. He said that the Bibles supplied in Court were usually in a very dirty condition. The PREMIER said that this was not tho proper Bill 7or suoh a clause. The clause was lost on the voices.

Several members urged Mr McGowan to propose the validating clause he had mentioned. - Mr Barclay , proposed a clause to meet the case. This provided that the judicial acts of any Justices who had not taken the oath should bo as valid as if they had taken the oath. The PREMIER opposed the clause, saying that it would reflect upon the Ministry by the implication that the Justices had not been properly appointed.

This clause was lost by. 23 votes to

The Bill was. reported from committee, and on the question of the third reading, Mr Massey condemned the Government for the refusal to insert the validating clause. Tho PREMIER said that there was no necessity for a validating clausa, which would simply cast a doubt upon the status of the Justices of the Peace. Mr HERRIES protested against the attitude of tho Premier in the matter.

Mr ATKINSON said that a distinct promise had been given by the Minister in charge of the Bill that a validating clause would be introduced, and this promise he would have kept had it not been for the conduct of the Premier, whom he denounced for having, as he said, induced his supporters to vote against the validating clause moved by Mr Barclay.

Mr WILFORD asserted that Mr Massey had started this debate in a fit of petulance, whilst Mr Atkinson had exhibited personal feeling against the Premier. The Minister had agreed to insert the validating clause, but the House had voted against it. Mr W. FRASER denied that the Opposition had wished to give a slap in the face to the Government on this matter.

Tho Hon J. McGOWAN resented the introduction of personalities in (his debate. It had, been alleged that he had broken a promise. (Mr Atkinson : “No.”) What he had said was that he did not know that the validating clause was necessary, but that he would make inquiries on tue matter. Later on, he had agreed that it would do no harm, and that,if tho House wanted it, he would make no objection. He had faithfully kept that promise—(hoar, hear)-- and he objected to the attempt to sow dissension between the Premier and himself. The Bill wag read a third time, and passed. ' Bill Passed. The Exportation of Arms Bill and the Mortgages of Land Bill were read a third time, and passed. The Hduso adjourned at 1.30 a.m.