PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5112, 3 November 1903, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

>■3OUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ( .MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2. ‘ Tlu,' House met at 7.3 d p.m. • A DUNEDIN rill. Tim Dunedin City and Suburban i ,Trauma vs ami Water-power Bill (-Mr ' Millar) was considered in committee, tliis Bill confers upon the Dunedin City Corporation tho right to use watei7;owor from tho Leo stream and laion //iver for tho veneration of electricity, ;iml for the supply of water for power, irrigation, agricultural, mining and other purposes. Tho Bill was opposed by Mr Sidey, who urged Hint the Taicri water rights 'ho excluded from it, ami some provision .'made by which tlio water-power snonid be distributed ammig.-,t tho local bodies, (caving tho City Corporation to apply lor I ho Taicri right under the Govcrui/nenfc Water Bower Bill. The proposal could nut be accepted by Mr Millar, who pointed out that the City Corporation was spending £IOO,'i)00 in bringing in electric power, and •it could not bo expected that one-half nf tho power should belong' to the local bodies and (lie City Corporation take Dm whole of the responsibility. He would. however, agree to insert a clause ■ iroviding (hut any surplus power not required by the Corporation should go ■ lo t!io locui (Kxiio's at it- minimum cnar^m On the motion nf Mr 0. Held, a new mb-clans’o was added leaving it to the Government to say, under i-s Water Power Bill, what proportion of .surplus lower less than one-half shall go to the hio/il bodies interested. This formed part of a. new clause moved by .Mr 'dicey, that, in the event of the quaulity of electricity applied for exceeding (the surplus electricity, then the surplus ■ electricity shall bo apportioned between the Councils interested on a population Luris. Tho Bill was reported as amended, and passed its final stages. WELLINGTON HOSPITAL. Tho Wellington Hospital Contribnitors’ Empowering Bill (Mr Field) was committed. Tins Bill is to enable tho Wellington Hospital contributors to purchase aud otherwise deal with land fur the purpose of extending the site und grounds of the Wellington Hospital ind for sanitary reasons. The Bill was reported without amendment, and passed its final stages. WELLINGTON HARBOUR. Tho Wellington Harbour Board Rrcla,(nation and Empowering Bill (Mr Wood) was committed. This Bill vests in tho Board a piece of laud being portion of tho harbour of Port Nicholson lying to tiho eastward of Waterloo quay, conflaining an area of twenty-one acres and ')ix perches. Tho Bill was reported without amondimont'. and passed its final stages. LAND AND INCOME. Tho Land and Income Tax Bill was introduced by Governor's message. This .is the annual Bill fixing tho land and incomo tax. Tho Premier, in reply to Mr Massey, who asked if any alteration was proposed to bo made in the mortgage tax, said tho only alteration was what was contained in tho and Income Tux Assessment Bill. Thorn would bo no other alteration this session. i PORT CHALMERS CORPORATION. Tho second reading of tho Port Chalmers Corporation Empowering Bill (Mr E. G. Allen) was agreed to. This Act is to enable tho Corporation and burgesses of tho Borough of Port Chalmers to guarantee tho sum of £IOOO per annum towards the interest on the cost of tho construction of a graving-dock at Port Chalmers. OTAGO DOCK. The Otago Dock Trust Electric Lighting Bill (Mr E. G. Allen) was read a second time. This measure authorises tho Otago Dock Trust to let a contract; 3or tho construction aud maintenance and working of an electric installation at Port Chalmers for lighting tho wharves and docks, and for other private and public purposes.. CARTERTON WATER SUPPLY. The Carterton Borough Water-supply Bill (Mr Buchanan) was read a second tamo. This BUI extends .to tho Carterton Borough Council all the powers tonferred upon a county council by tho Water-supply Act, 1891. PETONE FORESHORE. Tho second reading of tho Petone Foreshore Vesting Bill was moved 1 by Mr Field. This measure proposes to Test in tho Petone Borough Council tho foreshore />f Port Nicholson lying opposite to the seaward boundary of tho borough of Petono. It was opposed by Mr Wood, who stated that the Bill had como before tho Wellington Harbour Board, which had passed a resolution strongly opposing tho Bill, inasmuch as tho Board considered it wcfdd be very detrimental to its interests, seeing that tho Board was spending hundreds of thousands of pounds in carrying out necessary harbour works, and it did not desire any smaller body to intorfero with- its rights along tho foreshore. It was urged by Mr Field that tho Bill should bo allowed to go through its second reading, and any objections might be met in committee. On division the second retarding was carried by 26 votes jto 24. PALMERSTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL. The second reading of tho Palmerston North High School Bill (Mr Wood) was carried. This Bill, tho mover explpained, enabled tho Board of Governors to establish a high school apart from tho primary school. He added that there wore now about 200 pupils attending tho Palmerston’ North District High School. MISCELLANEOUS BILLS. The following Bills were also road a second time;—Wainono Drainage District Adjustment Bill (Sir AV. J. Steward). Thames Harbour Board Empowering Bill (Hon J. McGowan), Taranaki and Hawora Hospital Districts Appointment Bill (Air E. AI. Smith), New Plymouth Borough and Taranaki Hospital Exchange Bill (Mr E. M. Smith), ' Whangarei Borough Repayment of Kensington Park Race Enabling Bill (Air Mandcr), Wairowa County Bill (Air Ell), Hutt -Mechanics’ Institute Bill (Mr Field), Timara Harbour District and Harbour Board Bill (Hon AV. HallJones), Lyttelton Harbour Boa I'd Enlargement Bill (Air Witty), Christchurch District Drainage Act Amendment Bill (Air Davoy), Wanganui Suburbs Lighting Bill (Air Willis). AVaiapu Hospital District Bill (Hon Air Carroll), Otago Harbour Board Empowering Bill (Air Millar). Paten Harbour Board Foreshore Bill (Air Byrnes), Taranaki School Commissioners and Borough i Exchange fiill (Mr Smith), City of i Christchurch Special Loans Enabling i Bill (Air Taj’lor), Waikokopu Harbour :

Bill (Hon Mr Carroll). City of Auckland] Empowering and Reserves Exchange Bill (Mr Kidd), Alokau River Trust Bill] (Mr .Ruining-;), AVaimato County AVatcrraccs Validation Bill (Han Sir AV. J. Steward), Inch-Clntiia River and Drainage Act 1901 Amendment Bill (Mr J. Allen), Gi-.barno Harbour Board Amendment Bill (Hon Air Carroll), St. Albans j Special Loan A'afidatiou and Empower-j ing Bill (Air Davoy). Huirangi Domain | and Huirangi Institute Empowering | Bill (Air Jennings), Borough of pannevirko Electric X’.uwer and Loan Empowering Bill (Air Hall). Wairoa Harbour Board Empowering and Loan Bill (Sir \V. R. Russell), Ala.stcrton Hospital Contributors Empowering Bill (Mr Hogg), Gere Athenaeum Reserve Vesting and Empowering Bill (Air AfeNah), Colliugwood County Bill (Mr R. AlcKernde). NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR. Tho second reading of tho New Plymouth Harbour Board was moved by Air E. AI. Smith. This Bill grants further borrowing powers to tho New Plymouth Harbour Board. Air Major opposed the Bill. He had information in proof that it was a mistake and not in tho best interests of Taranaki. Air Smith stated that it was not his intention to go further than the second reading. . The second reading was earned. K EE E R EN DUAL Tho second reading of tho Referendum Bill was taken. Tho Bill provides for tho referring to tho vote of all tho electors entitled to vote for tho election of members of tho Hou,o of Representatives a Bill in the following cases:—lf it is referred to a referendum by a conference of both House.*; or if when it is passed by both Houses it contains a provision that such BilJ shall bo reserved for a referendum. A 'legislative proposal, other than a Bill, may also bo referred to a referen- ' U, i‘ho PREMIER, in introducing the measure, said there were several questions that might with advantage be referred direct to tho people for their calm and dispassionate judgment, such as tho reform of tho Legislative Council, leasehold versus freehold tenure of land, and Bible teaching in public schools. In regard to tho latter question, ho statcd°ho was afraid tho people of tho colony were labouring under a grave delusion as to tho amount of Scriptural instruction their children received outside of Sunday-schools, and ho quoted figures to show that out of a totai of 1754 public schools in tho colony only 150 "iivo instruction in Scriptural subjects? Ho would be no party to encroaching on time devoted to secular instruction in our public schools, but ho believed that tho education of no child was perfect if its religious training had been neglected, and he regretted that more use had not been made of the facilities available for the teaching ot Scripture Before and after school hours. There could bo no objection to placing a measure of this kind upon the statute book seeing that a similar Bid hail passed the House on more than two occasions, and it was about time now that it became law. Tho measure was founded on democratic principles. It members were true to their election pledges, they would carry this Bill by a large majority. The Bid was fiirt defeated in 1894. It was carried in 1890, IsJu, 1901 and 1902. He submitted the measure with confidence to the House. Air AIASSBY recognised tho Bill as* very old friend. It had a history. He remembered the occasion when the Premier made a stronger speech in opposi-tion-'to' the Bill than he had made that night in its favour. Tho Premier was a kind of step-mother to the Bill, and ho did not feel very much more affection for it than stop-mothers were generally supposed to foql for their stcp-oluldren. According to-the Premier m 1894 it was a conservative measure. that night it was democratic! The PREMIER: It was quite a different Bill then. Air A LASSE Y: I sun speaking of the referendum. It was a dangerous experiment in 1894. To-night it is a democratic measure, so the Premier can change his mind when it suits him. Proceeding to deal with the principle of the Bill, Mr Alassey thought it wont in the'right direction. Air SIDEY corrected the leader of the Opposition’s statement that the Bill was the same as last years. It was different in many important directions. There seemed to ho obstacles agamsj the taking of a referendum in tins Bui that were not in the .previous measure. Mr Sidey stated his intention ot votin'* for tho second reading. • Sir AVILLIAAI STEAVARD urged that provision should bo made in the Bill for "ivin" private members the power to carry° a resolution that a certain question should be decided by referendum. Ho.supported the seconding reading. Air FLATAIAN said no mention bad been made of tho turmoil and expense that would ensue on a question being sent to a referendum. Tho system had not been a success in countries where it prevailed. He would, however, support tho Government, in order that the Biblo-reading in schools question should bo decided by tho people. Air LAAVRY said that if tho Bill was carried tho country would ho ruled by a lot of parsons. The PREAJQER: I did not say I was in favour of Bible-reading in schools. Air LAAA’RY: Then why did the honourable gentleman introduce this Bill? The Speaker characterised it as “ an abomination of a Bill.” Air ELL predicted that before many years had passed the people would demand tho initiative in regard to the referendum. [At this stage, 1.10 a.m., there were only nineteen members present. The snores of several rang effectively through tho Chamber. Air Heke drew attention to tho state of the House, and the boll was rung.] Air ELL, continuing, said the referendum educated the people, and induced them to take ah interest in public questions. Air HERE, speaking to sixteen members, said the Bill was not so objectionable as that brought down last year. Ho opposed the Bill. Air AVILFORD said the House had already sanctioned the principle of the measure. He reminded members of tho unique position raised in tho Legislative Council on a 'previous occasion over this Bill, when only the mover, on behalf of the Government, voted for it. Therefore what chance had this Bill of passing the Legislative Council? Air HERiRIES: Buckley’s. Air AVILFORD: That’s a very good description. Tho PREAIIER, replying, said he would bo no party towards weakening our national system of education. He was entirely opposed to school-teachers being utilised for religions instruction, and they should prevent that as far as possible. Those were his views, and after so many years’ experience ho was not likely to waver on that point. A speech made by him in 1894 had been used against him, hut be repeated, that if ever a Tory measure was introduced it was Air ORegan’s Referendum Bill.

1 On each and every occasion whenever ' an attempt was made to ioniser well | the ballot system of the colony bo hat! opposed it, and the Bill in question bad gone in that direction. If tho same Bd; were proposed that evening use the same remarks against it. Ho did not seo any clanger to our present j system of education by any piopcivil j tins Bill contained. The right of al- | lowing the people tho initiative would i no doubt come in time, but they had to ;go step by step. Ho thought, at any rate, that tho Bill in ins present form would receive; drio consideration in another place. Tho second reading was carried on the voices. The House rose at 2.5 a.m.