NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8293, 23 September 1903, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT

YESTERDAY'S "PROCEEDIN GS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Attorney-General moved a resolution respecting the retirement of Mr Chamberlain similar to the one passed by the House. The Council was not, he said, called upon to express an opinion upon Mr Chamberlain's proposals, but merely to express an opinion on the splendid services which, had been rendered by him. He contrasted the position of the colonies at present ww their position in former years, when the policy of the Colonial Office was to let tliem work out their own destinies, and looked upon them as nobodies. All this was changed now, and important position, in which the colonies now stood in the Empire has been brought about bv the efforts of Mr Chamberlain, whose noble sacrifice in retiring at ihs present juncture rather than embarrass the Government was an example to statesmen throughout the Empire. It might be said that there was no necessity for the resolution, but it was warranted by the unique position which. Mr Chamberlain held in relation to the colonies. No statesman who had preceded him at the Colonial Office had done so much> as Mr Chamberlain in welding togethsr all parts of the Empire. The Attorney-General felt satisfied that the 'Council would under ail the circumstances gladly subscribe to the resolution. Mr J. D. Ormond, in seconding the resolution, thanked the Government for giving Parliament an opportunity of expressing its views upon the great services rendered by Mr Chamberlain. The action of the Government would, he believed, be generally approved throughout the colony. He deprecated the question of the preferential tariff entering into the discussion, and expressed disappointpieint Bit published reports of what had taken plaoe in another chamber. Mr Chamberlain was the first statesman who had fully recognised the importance of the colonies to the Empire, and what had led to his present retirement was his desire to maintain the unity of the Empire. As for the consideration of the preferential tariff, there would be plenty of time to deal with that when the question had been threshed out in Britain. • Mr Rigg deprecated the introduction, of the motion. He did not think he should have lived to see a Liberal Government passinn- such a resolution at this. What would be*thought here if Sir Joseph Ward retired from the Seddon Government, and the British Parliament passed a similar motion respecting Sir Joseph Ward. Mr Chamberlain was an active party politician, and resigned for the • purpose of carrying out his own political views. ' In connection with the South African, trouble, Mr Chamberlain had been influenced by a gang of German Jew capitalists, who had done more to degrade Britain than anything that had happened for a-century. He recognised Mr Chamberlain s ability, but would like to hear his services to the colony enumerated. He denied that ho had been in touch witn the people of South Africa. He was all the time in the hands of the people of the Band. This was not a question of patriotism. Mr -Chamberlain's political career had been one of changing about. Mr Bowen said that Mr Rigg s views were so antagonistic to the views of the Council that he would not refer to them. The question was one of great interest to the whole Empire. Mr Chamberlain had taken a great departure in connection with the relations between the Mother Country and the colonies, and the attitude which he had assumed in his retirement was honest and manly. He felt that the time had cometo decide whether the Empire was to hold its sway or become comparatively uninfluential, and we might congratulate ourselves that we had a statesman capable of grasping the situation. He believed that the Government were doing the right thing m bringing forward this motion. 'Mr Trask, Mr Twomey, Mr Cadman, and Mr Louisson supported the resolution. Mr .Lee-Smith gave a qualified support. He agreed with the motion m the abstract, but it- was difficult to separate it from the question of the preferential tariff. The Attorney-General expressed gratification at the general reception of the motion. The motion was carried on the voices. _ The Arbitration Act Amendment Bill No. 2, from the 'House, passed ail its stages. ' The 'Police Offences Bill was read a third time and passed.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Arbitration Court Emergency ©ill (Xo. 2) was introducsd by the Premier, at whose instance it was treated as a matter of ungency as the Arbitration Court- wanted to sit on Thursday, and unless the Bill passed, air Scott, the employees' deputy representative, could not take his seat. The Premier explained that.- the original Bill did_not contain any provision giving the Governor power to appoint an acting member of the Arbitration Court, and this Bill was to remedv t-liafc defect.

}jfr Massey said that this was another instance of liast-y legislation. The Bill passed all its stages without further discussion.

The Military Pensions Act Amendment Bill, the Public Domains Act AmendmentBill. and the City of Auckland and Reserves Exchange B*ill and read a first time.

The Premier announced that a conference between the managers of both Housese »n amendments in disputes in the Counties Act Amendment Bill Had arrived at a settlement. The report of the conference was agreed to. The Poukawa Native Reserves Bill and the Native Townships Act Amendment Bill were read a second time pro forma and referred to the Native Affairs 'Committee. The Shipping and Seamen Bill was further considered in Committee. A lengthy discussion took place on clause 50, which defines the ratincr of an A. Ji. Mr Masssy moved that- the period for qualification as an A.B. should be two years as ordinary seaman on a steamship, or two years as apprentice on a 6quarerigged ship. Tliis was agreed to on the voices.

A provision was added to sub-section 5, allowing greassrs, firemen, and trimmers, to be employed in other capacities in the same departments, when any of the boilers of a steamship are not in use. It was decided that this sub-section shall not apply to vessels plying within a river or extended river limits.

Clause 50 as amended was agreed to. Clause 51 was altered to provide a fine of £lO for entering into an agreement with an unqualified seaman. Clause 53, "Ships to carry the prescribed number of seamen" was altered by giving the Minister of Marine power to exempt hulks while being towed from one port to another from the provisions of the section.

The House rose at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. in Committe On the Shipping and .Seamen Bill. At clause 131, which provides a penalty for a member of the crew being absent from his ship without leave, and" for failing without reasonable cause to join his ship, it was urged that more substantial punishment than that set out in this clause should be allowed.

The Hon. W. Hall-Jones thought that the punishment was sufficient to meet the case, and other members took the same view. Eventually the clause passed unaltered.

At clause 187 /'Provisions as to restricted limits of» steamships,'' Mr Hall-Jones said that he intended tq adopt the suggestion of last year's Committee, and sat up a Commission to go into the whole question of extended river limits in various parts of the colony. At clause 189, "Owners and master to observe collision regulations," Mr Laurenson moved an. addition, to the effect that the' master of a vessel shall be held responsible for non-observance of any of the collision regulations if any incompetent person is left in charge of the depk. Mr Laurenson's amendment "was lost by 32 votes to 30 votes, and the clause/passed j unaltered.

In regard to clause 219, the Hon. W. Hall-Jones said that lie was anxious to {ret at any person who was .responsible for' the, sluppiriff of wool, flax, tow, or skins in snch'conditions from,dampness or otherwise as; to be liable to • spontaneous com--bustioh. - This clause - lie thought: -effected that, object. Mr Wilford moved an amendment to pro-; vide that testing 6hall mot be necessary by the shipper, bat merely that* reason-, able means be taken to ascertain -whether: ' the' wool, etc., is in such condition as to be liable to spontaneous combustion. This was accepted by the Hon. W. Hall-- ■ Jones, and the "«ause> as amended was them adcLed to the Bill by .27 votes to 24 votes. The next clause provided that tow.must, be covered' with' liessian as protection against risk of fire from eparks.-. This was struck out on the voices. . iAt cladse 228, "Application to foreign.

ships," Mr James v - Allenv wanted "to know what was going to be done m regard to foreign vessels carrying cargo coastwise in Now Zealand. . . ."

The Hon. W. 'Hall-Jones thought it would ■be -better to leave that question until the Coastwise Trade Bill was 1 betfore the House.* He thought that the Bill would get through this session.

At clause 292, the first of a series regarding liability* of shipowners, Mr Baume urged that the clause should expressly state that shipowners should, not be responsible for faults or errors, in navigation or management of the ship. He moved an amendment to give effect to his views, but it was rejected by 31 votes to 27 votes. Mr Millar said that the result of the negativing of the amendment would be that shippers would have to pay 25 per cent, more for freights. They were putting shipowners into a false position, and he urged that the clause should be recommitted or amended in the Legislative Council. Other members expressed similar views. Mr James Allen moved to amend the clause by providing that owners should not be held responsible for "the neglect, default, or error of judgment, of the master mariners or engineers or others in the service of the owners." The Hon. W? Hall-Jones said that he would go carefully into the matter, and see whether there was cause to apprehend the danger suggested by some members from not carrying Mr.-Baume's amendment. He wished to be fair to both shipowners and merchants, and did not wish to mar the Bill in any way, but he could not agree to reconsider it.

After a lengthy discussion, Mr "James Allen's amendment was carried by 38 votes to 21 votes. .

Mr Wilford moved an amendment with the object of absolving shipowners from liability for .latent defects in the ship, machinery, or equipment. The Hon. Mr Hall-Jones said that they might as well free the shipowner of liability for anything that happens in connection with the 6hip. - Mr Wildford's amendment was lost by 39 votes to 21 votes.

The clause as amended was then agreed to. In clause 299, dealing, with -bills of lading, an amendment was agreed to on Mr Buchanan's motion to provide that bills of lading shall .not contain a clause relieving the ship from damage arising from a harmful or improper condition of the ship's holds.

On) the motion of Mr Taylor a new clause was added providing for officers undergoing a sight test-, to be carried out by the superintendent of mercantile marine.

The third schedule was amended by providing that sailing ships of under thirty tons shall carry one A.8., and of thirty to sixty tons two- A;B.'s.

The Bill was then reported with amendments.

The Police. Offences Act Amendment Bill was received from the Legislative Council, and read a first time. The House rose at 1.15 a.m.