PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4467, 21 September 1901, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

THE COOK ISLANDS. An interesting return was furnished to the House yesterday, showing the receipts and expenditure for , the year ending June 30, 1901, of the new addition to New Zealand—the Cook Islands. The debit account shows cash in Treasury, £976 18s j Customs revenue, £1874 2s 3d; Boat Office, £366 7s od; trade licenses, £299 ISs: duties on wines, spirits, etc., £435; High Court fees and fines, £76 1S 3 4d; Arikis Court fees and fines, £203 Ss lid: rents, £l2:shipping, £22s; and miscellaneous, £6 'l2s. The credit side shows expenditure which Includes various salaries, £2463 14s fid; deficiencies in the late Treasurer’s accounts, £469; 18s 6d; cash paid to public works account, £l6 Is lid, and federal revenue; £l3Ol 8»ld. The expenditure includes members’ honorariums, £72; High: Court (Judges and Registrar), £140; j Chief of the Federal Government, £6O; i printing, £100; subsidy to Government, 1 schooner, £300; and second payment j on. Government offices and land, £3OO.

The estimated expenditure for the year ending June 30, 1902, amounts to £2494 10s, and the estimated, revenue amounts to £3806: 3s Id.

CREELTY TO ANIMALS INSPECTION.

A petition, presented to the House yesterday hyv Mr Fisher, from T. New- 1 house and six others, alleges, that the Inspector of the Wellington Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is acting in a high-handed and arbitrary manner in ordering horses to be removJ ed from vehicles in the streets, and in ordering their destruction upon thej authority of himself and a Justice of the ' Peace, without allowing a hearing. The' horses had been destroyed, ahd the owners sometimes prosecuted when alt evidence was destroyed. Even-if evidenceof the fitness of the horses were indis-1 putable, the - owners had practically no, redress against the society.

THE NEW LICENSING BILL The- Licensing Act Amendment Bill was introduced by the Premier yesterday* The appearance of this Bill , was -awaited with great interest, as was shown yesterday by the fact that amende ments were given notice of by Messrs Pirani, Lawry, Hutcheson and Ell. Mr Seddon caused some laughter by an. nouncing that ho would .move that no member should be allowed to propose an amendment unless it were supported by three-fifths of the members. At this Mr Pirani retorted, .amid fresh laughter, with notice of a motion that tho-JBill, on its second reading, should not be allowed to proceed unless three fourths of tho members voted for it. After some discussion, in tho cohrso; of which the Premier intimated that the Bill was merely intended to amend the nresent law in relation to the removal of licenses, ■ and to give Magistrates discretionary power with respect to endorsements, tho measure was read a first time. It is understood that the amendments given notice of yesterday have .not yet been drafted. Mr Pirani’*, however, intends to nrovido for tho abolition of the sa!w of liquor at railway stations. One of Mr Lawry’s will J

provide for a uniform hour of closing, eleven o’clock in cities and boroughs, and the other ... will, enable the _ King Country (Rohe ‘ Potae) to be _ divided into a separate licensing district, and give the inhabitants power to. vote whether they shall have licenses in their district or not. JOTTINGS. The report of the committee appointed by tho Legislative Council to consider a revision of the standing orders relating to election of chairmen of committees, was laid before the Council yesterday. The motion for the adoption of the report which recommends an annual election by ballot was made an order of the day for next Thursday. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones stated yesterday that there were not sufficient grounds to warrant an inquiry into the charges made by Mr T. Mackenzie in connection with the Dunedin Hospital. In answer to Mr Willis, the Minister of Justice said that ho would not care, without further consideration, to re. commend that tho cost of inquests should be defrayed by any person whom a coroner might hold to be responsible for the cost.

Mr Lawry presented a petition to the House yesterday, signed by six Auckland signatories, praying that Parliament would so amend the Crown Grants Act as to make tho provision as to the custody of fees relate only to unhfted grants of land exceeding in Value the sum of £SO.

Another large number of petitions against legalising the liquor traffic in the King Country, anu also in relation to the North Island main trunk railway, was presented to the House yesterday. The Minister of Public Works was ask, ed yesterday by Mr Bollard if he would bring in a Bill this session to amend sections 20 and 21 of the Public Works Act Amendment Act, 1900, in regard to tho straightening of streets. Mr HallJonos replied in the negative. Farewell to the private members’ day! Notice was given by Mr Sodden yesterday that he would move that for the remainder of the session Government business should take precedence on Wednesdays. ' It is stated that at the Ministerial caucus this week the general opinion of tho party was expressed as against the suggested early session next year.