PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5008, 4 July 1903, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. FRIDAY, JULY 3. The Council mot at 2.30. AHDRESS-IN-REPLY. The Hon J. RIGG resumed the debate upon the Address-in-Reply. To the extraordinary prosperity of the colony he attributed the relief of tho Bank of New Zealand from tho effect of its old incapacity. Tho Premier had suggested throe ways of dealing with the bank in tho future, but it had not occurred to tho Premier that there was a fourth course opeq, namely, to leave tho institution alone. Treed from tho responsibility of tho Bank of Now Zealand a State bank might bo established. Tho proposals for preferential trade would mean tho sacrificing of industries hero to help ■'tho manufacturers in Groat Britain. Tho Empire had so far progressed because of tho policy of non-interference, but if wo entered into bonds, irritation would bo set up. Ho would say to Kmpiro builders; “Don’t call out for too much sacrifice, but roly upon ties of, blood and kindred.” That was tho way to bring about tho greatest of all federations. Tho Hon W. BEKHAN held that tho question of tho establishment of a State bank was worthy serious consideration. Ho would like to seo tho Government take over tho lands from fcho Assets Realisation Board, and open thorn up for settlement. Ho was not in favour of granting the freehold. Ho thought tho colony' should adopt tho practice in vogue in America of teaching tho people how to go upon tho land and make tho very best use of it. Ho advocated tho reading of bush lands and providing means whereby city men could acquire land without compulsory residence. So far as tho licensing law was concerned he thought something ought to bo done to prevent friction such as at present existed. The Hon G. AIcLE'AN complimented tho Premier on the manner in which ho had represented the colony at tho Premiers’ Conference. Ho regretted that tho question of preferential trade had been made a party one in England. Speaking with regard to tho Assets "Realisation Board ho contended that tho assets of tho bank should have been ..realised long and long ago. Dealing with tho question of lands for settlement Mr McLoan complained that at present a man must bo a capitalist to get upon the land; working people, he said, had no chance, Ho con ton (led that tho North Island trunk lino should bo pushed on and the million and a half acres of native lands thrown open for settlement. It would pay handsomely. It would he much bettor to put the whole power of tho Government into this work than to bo spending a little money hero and •there/;,-AHe combated tho statement of tho mover of tho address that the lands wore undervalued for taxation. The Hon A. LEE-SMITH moved the adjournment of tho debate until Tuesday afternoon. The motion was carried and tho Council adjourned at 4,-15 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FRIDAY, JULY 3. The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. NETT BILLS. : _,Tho following Bills received by Governor’s message were road a first time, on the motion of the Premier:—Weights and Measures Act Amendment and Consolidation Bill, Roads and Town Districts Rating Bill, and Counties Act Amendment Bill. Other Bills read a first time were;— Palmerston North High School (Mr Wood), Juries Act Amendment (Mr (MoNab), Electoral Act Amendment (Mr MoNab), Absolute Majority (Mr MoNab). and Law Practitioners Acts Amendment Bills (Mr Baume). ' THE SESSIONAL COMMITTEES. After a long discussion the remainder of tho Sessional Committees were ’appointed. . EVENING SPITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. (Mr BEDFORD, resuming the Ad-dress-in-Roply debate, said ho would deal principally with the question of constitutional reform, but before taking up that subject, he referred to the Premier’s remarks on tho preferential trade scheme,saying that ho regarded Air • Scddoirs proposal as a most selfish one, as it meant that all the sacrifice was to be on the part of the Mother Country. Mr Bedford also made a brief reference to the land question, and said he believed that the Crown lands of this colony wore an asset that would become more: valuable as time went on. Ho yielded to none in his admiration of the Premier for his .courageous attempt to deal with the land question. In this respect he considered Ait Seddon had been a real godsend to New Zealand.' Air Bedford went on to say that the Governor’s speech was noticeable for two omissions of an important character. It contained no mention of Cabinet reconstruction or of any amending licensing legislation. He believed that from end to end of the colony people were dissatisfied with the constitution of tho Ministry. It could not be denied that the Ministry could easily he strengthened, but the Premier had become intoxicated with power and he seemed to resist any attempt to curb that power in any direction whatever. Some of the appointments to the Legislative Council were an insult to the intelligence of the people. There wore men there who would not be there if that Chamber was elec-, tive; and ho held that the Council,’ as at present constituted, was a menace to the country, because the majority there represented not the people but Air Seddon. Mr Bedford asked the reason for tho absence of mention in the Governor’s speech of the intention to deal with tho anomaly created in Bruce, Newtown and Chalmers? Speaking of the position in Bruce, he held that tho principle of democracy had been wounded, and yet the man whom they had been taught to look up to as tho friend of democracy did not announce that ho proposed to deal with the question. ’ Tho position of tho Registrar of Electors for Awarua, who was fined for a breach of tho law, was spoken of by Air Bedford, who that that officer should have been dismissed. Air T. E. TAYLOR said that there would he many a real grievance redressed if members wore not afraid of coming into -conflict with the executive power. There was a fooling not only in tho country, but in tho House that if members dared to do thoir duty in this respect they might find thoir constituents suffering in regard to some reform . they had a right to demand. As'to i the personal power of the Premier, ho believed that it was.going to cost the colony its radical land policy, Tho member for Rangitikei, for

instance, had.stated in a recent speech that he believed a man ought to bo al- | lowed to take uj> as much land as , he had money to pay for; so that they found members of tho Liberal party who wore pledged to the hilt to injure tho land policy. The party was threatened because the question put to Government candidates was no longer, What policy do you support? but, What man do you support? Sir Taylor denounced the payment of £lB7 to ex-Sergeant Hannan, and referring to tho departure of Commissioner Tunbridge, spoke of the Nelson scandal, asserting his belief that if the papers on this subject were laid on tho table it would be found that the services of Mr Tunbridge had been lost to the colony because of tho Premier’s interference with a matter ho had no right to touch. Mr Taylor wont on to speak of tho condition of tho lunatic asylums of tho colony, maintaining that tho treatment of the patients in these institutions was on tho wrong linos. The asylums wore merely houses of detention ; wo put tho patients there and forgot all about them. There was no right treatment of incipient insanity, and no attempt at classification. Tho time had come for scientifically devising a 1: humane system of treatment of our insane. Ms- Taylor quoted at some length from tho reports of tho medical officers in charge of tho asylums of the colony to show tho overcrowding which had existed there for some years. Ho did not argue that tho Ministry was any more culpable than Parliament itself, except that Parliament was unable to initiate proposals for tho expenditure of money, so that in tho end tho responsibility must rest upon those who had tho charge of the asylums of lato years. Mr Taylor commented on tho overcrowding ho found existing at Surinyside. when ho visited that asylum, and tho want of accommodation. Children or old men suffering from senile decay had no right to bo in our asylums. (Hear, hear.) Ho urged the necessity for a hospital ward at each asylum and advocated tho establishment of nurses’ homos. Air Taylor complained of the limitations of the power of members, saying that all power was in the hands of tho Executive. Sx>eaking of tho Legislative Council, ho said that if the members of that Chamber went to tho people and sought their suffrages, not one in twenty would see either House if they lived for 100 years. (Laughter.) He declared that tho country loathed tho present state of things, and advocated the elective Executive as a remedy. Speaking of preferential trade, he deprecated any haste in dealing with such an intricate subject. Tho PREMIER asked whether a member was in order in criticising the members of tho Legislative Council? The SPEAKER ruled that it would bo his duty to see that no reflection was cast upon the Council, but ho could not prevent members from criticising tho action of tho Executive. ' Tho Hon W. HALL-JONES said that if Mr Taylor had known tho Premier, ho would not have made the statements concerning him which ho had made. Tho Premier had not spared himself in the se'rvice of the country, and when he (the speaker) heard criticisms of Mr Soddon, ho came to the conclusion that those offering such criticisms did not know the man. On the subject of preferential trade, the Minister claimed that it- was reasonable that England should treat her colonies on the same footing as she treated foreign nations. •Ho hoped before long that there would bo closer union between tho various parts'of tho Empire, and ho thought that would be brought about by a-pre-ferential tariff. Speaking in reply to Mr Taylor's statements concerning the asylums, the Minister said he knew that those institutions were overcrowded. They had been overcrowded for years. He was with Mr Taylor in believing that there were not sufficient beneficial results from tbeso institutions. It was intended to abolish tho term “lunatic asylums,” and he was confident that a large number of those who went into those institutions wore curable. Ho invited Mr Taylor to visit the receiving home at. Seacliff, and see how tho patients were treated there. . Mr TAYLOR “contended that such a homo: - ought not to be at the asylum at all. • Mr HALL-JONES went on to say that patients at this receiving-homo were _ treated - under most favourable conditions, and given all tho comfort of homo, while their symptoms were watched carefully by the medical officers. However, apart altogether from tho investigations of Mr Taylor, ho (Mr Hall-jones) had boon discussing with the medical officers tho question of taking sufferers from incipient insanity into some isolated homo, where thoir malady could he properly dealt with at the outset, and he hoped that something would be done in that direction. He admitted that tho asylums had been overcrowded, but while the present Government had been in office there had been a material improvement in this respect, and ho promised that there would be further improvement. Mr Hall-Jones explained what had been done at Sunnyside with a view to relieving the overcrowding. As to a suggestion by Mr Taylor that the four medical officers at the chief asylums should ■ be a committee to advise the Government in regard to the plans for new buildings, the Minister said that there was at tho head of the Department a competent medical officer. Dr MacGregor, who advised the Government in such matters. -Mr Hall-Jones added that he did not believe in crowding one hundred patients into one room, and, in this respect our system was wrong. Patients ought to be classified in small buildings, so that thoir cases could bo watched. But. as ho had said, improvement had been made, and he hoped to make such further improvement a's would ensure the ' congratulations of even the member for .Christchurch next session. Dealing with the freehold question, and the remark “of tho member for Rangitikei (quoted by Mr Taylor), Mr Hall-Jones said it was not to bo expected that every member of tho Liberal party would have tho same ideas. He differed entirely from Mr Remington in regard to tho freehold tenure, but the member for Rangitikei was an ardent supporter of tho Government and his view concerning the freehold tenure was his individual opinion. Mr Hall-Jones went on to say that ho felt confident that the House would not agree to the suggestion that we should part with tho freehold. If we were going to dispose of the freehold, the land ought to be thrown open for fair competition, tho outgoing tonant to receive fair value for his improvements; but he was entirely opposed to the sale of the freehold Tho Government, he declared, did not propose to alter tho tenure: and he was satisfied that when the Land Bill had been dealt with by the House, there would bo no alteration in the tenure. Mr Hall-jones defended the co-operative system and speaking of the North Island trunk railway works, said that they were going on very well, and khat_ it was probable that when this Parliament closed, the lino would be very nearly through to Auckland. Re-

gretting tho speech of Mr Duthio, the Minister said that ho had scon from the faces of members of the Opposition while that speccn was being delivered that they were ashamed of it; and ho hoped that the criticisms to which the speech had been subjected inside and outside the House would induce Air Duthio to moderate his language in future. Having referred to certain objections made by tho members who recently visited Porirua Asylum. AL - Halljones, in concluding his speech, opposed tho-elective Executive principle. Afr KAIHAiTJ dealt with tho appointment of Mahuta, and said that tho Government had full justification for calling him to tho Legislative Council under tho title of “King” of the Afaoris. The appointment would result in good to both races. Ho thanked tho Premier for having introduced tho legislation enabling native lands to bo dealt with, and said that tho present Government was tho party Best qualified to promote tho prosperity of the people of Now Zealand. On tho motion of tho Hon 0. H. Mills the debate was adjourned. Tho House at 11.15 p.m. adjourned till 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.