NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8289, 18 September 1903, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT

„,yesterpat;s LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I i The Council met at 2.;30gj.m.- r I : The Attorney General mbved 1 - -f.be second .reading of the City Single Electorates Bill, which after a brief discussion was carried on a division by 26 votes to five votes. I The Police Offences Amendment Bill was :further considered in Committee. Clause 6, "Riding, etc., on footpaths," vras modified by the elimination, of the. words "or propels" in connection with bicycles. A proviso was added by the AttorneyGeneral throwing the onus of proving nonobstruction or danger to pedestrians upon tha person charged with the offence. The -Attorney-General moved a new clause imposing a penalty of £5 for moving sand and other material from, any foreshore.

Progress was reported, and the Council adjourned.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES,

The House met at 2.30 p.m. One week's leave of absence was granted to Mr Rutherford on account of urgent private business. The Land Act Amendment Bill and Land Bill were introduced by Governor's message and read a first time. The Premier gave notice to move that for the remainder of the session the House shall go into Committee of Supply for consideration of the Estimates without a preliminary debate on Fridays, instead of Tuesdays, as at present. He also gave notice to move that on Wednesdays Ministers sliall give written replies to questions on the Order Paper, and that after such replies the adjournment of the House can be moved

in- the usual way. The Premier moved that in future the usual half hour's supper adjournment be taken at 9.50 p.m. instead of 10 ip.m., as at present. ■ ' % After considerable discussion this was

carried fay 42 votes to-24 votes.. '\. The Premier 'moved ".that for the : remainder of." the session "the House meet at 7.30 p.m. on Mondays." "'-_ The motion was agreed to on the voices. In the course of the discussion, the Premier 6aid that the Banking Bill was ready and would be brought down afc the proper time. He was not going to stop the whole business of the country to go- on with, that Bill. He also announced that the Australian Squadron Bill would be brought down in a few days. Jlr Taylor asked the Premier whether it was true that Captain Fisher, of Christchurch, bad been ordered to consider himself under military arrest by the officer commanding the Canterbury Volunteer District, on the grounds that he had written to the •Christctiurch newspapers regarding the disposal of the patriotic funds. The Premier said he had no information on the subject. He advised Mr Taylor to put the question.' on the Order Paper in the usual way. At 4.15 p.m. the House went into Committee of the Whole for consideration of the report of the Standing Orders Committee. The Premier intimated that he did not propose to proceed with the new Standing Order which provided for the "closure." Sir W. J. Steward moved that the Standing Order which prevents fresh business being carried on after 13 o'clock at night shalf not apply to private members' days. The idea was to prevent private members Bills being blocked by talking until midnight on a previous Bill. The Premier said that if the House claim tliis amendment the Government would claim the privilege for the nights on which Government business was taken. The amendment, was lost on the voices. A proposal was made by Mr R. M'Kenzie that the 12 o'clock limit should be done away with, so that fresh business could be brought on at any hour. The Premier supported the proposal, remarking tliat tho 12 o'clock limit had frequently prevented the business of the country being carried on. • Mr M'Kenzie's motion was carried by o4 votes to 33 votes. The House rcse at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Consideration of tho Standing Orders was James Allen moved that the House, rise at 1 a.m. if sitting afthat hour, but h* subsequently withdrew the motion with a view of bringing it forward later as a new Standing Order. Mr Maesey said that he did not believe the 'members realised what they had done in removing the 12 o'clock limit for new business. It was a dangerous thing, and le*t the door open for gross abuse. He moved that no new business be taken after 12.15 a.m. Mr T. Mackenzie moved to 'report progress, for the purpose of postponing any alteration in the Standing Orders till next session.- , The Premier said that if safeguards were required he would not object to it being provided that after midnight the Orders of the Day must come on in their order. There could then be no surprises sprung. After a lengthy discussion, the motion to report progress was lost by 45 votes to 22 votes. ~.,,■ After further discussion, Mr Masseys motion was lost bv 44 votes to 24 votes. The Premier moved that the limit be 12.30 a.m. This was carried by 38 votes to 31 votes.

The Premier said, that if the experience of this session showed that the extension was being abused, he would be the first man next session to propose that the House <ro back to the 12 o'clock limit. Mr Graham moved to strike out the whole of the new proposed Standing Order in question with the view of leaving the hour after which new busmess cannot be taken as at present (midnight). This was rejected by 35 votes to 34 votes, and the limit for new business, therefore, stands at 12.30.

The next subject touched upon of general interest was the time limit in Committee. The existing Standing Orders provide that in Committee no member shall speak _ for more than ten minutes at any one time, and it was proposed to reduce the time to five minutes. This was objected to by Mr Massey and several other members as limiting the right of freedom of speech to the representatives of the people. A motion by Mr Jas. Allen to leave the limit as at present (10 minutes) and give the Minister in charge of the Estimates an unlimited number of speeches was carried by 34 votes to 51 votes. The new proposal for the closure was not discussed, and was struck out on the voices.

Objection was taken to the proposed new Standing Order providing that a member in charge of a Bill may, after the Bill has been gone through in Committee, move that the Bill be reported and such Bill should be reported if the motion is carried by a majority of three-fifths of those voting. It was pointed out by Mr James Allen that the effect would be that if the Premier brought down a Licensing Bill, for instance, he could by this means absolutely prevent any member moving a new clause. It was worse than the closure. • ,

The Speaker (Mr Guinness) said that it was merely intended to prevent a waste of time in discussing new clauses which, had no chance of being carried.

Tile Premier said that the amendment would conduce to the good business of the House.

Eventually the clause was" altered to read that at any time after three hours after | the Bill had .gone through' Committee the member in.charge may move that the 'Bill be reported. A motion by Mr Massey to fix the necessary majority at four-fifths instead of threefifths was. carried by 31 votes to 29 votes. The whole clause, as amended, was then thrown out by 31 votes to 27 votes. The Premier moved a : new clause providing that Ministers shall give written re-" plies to all questions on each Wednesday afternoon, the answers to be printed in Hansard.

This was objected to by Mr Massey as limiting- the right of members to ask questions, but after considerable discussion it was carried by : 34 .votes to 20. ' On the motion of Sir W. v I. -Steward, Friday. was fixed as. the daj 'oil; which .the House can' go into Committee* of Supply, without preliminary debate instead ofTueslday as at present. Mr J. W. Thomson moved* that a quorum of the House be 30, instead of 20. Lost on the voices.-,' : ; §'~i' *

A proposal by Mr Jas. Allen to make the , quorum 25 was rejected by 26 to 25. This finished: the Standing Orders,- and. the House rose at'3.so a.m: ' ' '