HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12418, 30 July 1902, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

TUESDAY, JULY 29. Tho House mot at 2.30 p.m. FIRST READING. The Dunedin District Drainage and Sewerage Act, 1900, Amendment Bill rJ. A, Millar), Elective Executivo Referendum Bill No. 2 (Hon. W. J. Steward), and Rating Act, 1894, Amendment Bill (Mr Ilcrries) wore introduced and read a first time. SPARKS FROM RAILWAY ENGINES. The Railways Committee reporting upon tuo petition of James Wallace, farmer, near Auckland, who asked for compensation for damage done to his properly by fire caused by sparks from a railway engine, recommended ('hat the petitioner be granted a sum of £30. _ Several Auckland members urged it was time the Government saw the necessity for compenrating people, for loss by fire started by sparks from railway engines. Sir J. G. WARD said everybody sympathised with the settlers who had suffered loss from_ this eaiise, but the difficulty was to discriminate between fu'e.3 started by sparks 1 from railway engines and fires arising from other causes. His idea was that settlers living near the railway linos whose holdings were subject to fire should insure thomselves against possible loss in (hat- way. However, the Government would again go into tho report of Mia commission which had sometime ago inquired into'the subject, and the Cabinet's proposals would appear on the Supplementary Estimates. After a lengthy discmsicn, the report- of the committco was referred to tho Government- for consideration. THE ESTIMATES. At 4,35 the House went into Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates. Tlio first class taken was that of tho legielative departments. On the vote for the House of Representatives, £4090, Mr ' LAUR-ENSON moved a reduction of £1 as an indication that the House disapproved of outsido -bodies, especially racing bodies, holding meetings in tho Parliament- Buildings. Ho moved tlii.? as a matter of principle and in no spirit of contentiousness. - Sir J. G. WARD said it would put the speaker in an invidious position to ask him to exclude one class of the community from . tho use of a room in the Parliament Build- : ings. ' This question, however, should not bo dealt with on the Estimates. Tlio House ' should by resolution affirm if it desired that no meetings of outside bodies should bo held in any of the rooms of the House.—Mr ■ ' '.UKlt-RfKS said tho Racing Conference did no!, wish to meet there. It was not wanted, and Mr Lanrenson could withdraw' his motion acid rest assured that the Racing Conference would not seek a meeting place in Parliament Buildings next year.—After 1 considerable discussion, Mr Lanrenson altered his motion to make the embargo apply during tho session only, and the motion as amended was agreed to on the voices.— The whole vote as reduced was passed with, out. further discussion. On the vote -for general expenses, £15,136, •Mr 1 ifOMAS MACKENZIE moved a re- ; j diict-iou of £1 in the salary of the chief - librarian (£400) as. a direction to the Library ■ Committee that ex-members of Parliament should have the privilr-gcs of the Parliament- > ary Library.--Sir J. G. WARD agreed with l the motion, suggesting, however, that the , public should bo allowed the use of the j library, under proper restrictions.—Tho , question was still-under discussion at 5.30. j EVENING SITTING. ; The House resumed at 7.30. ' In Committee of Supply on the Eati- , mates Sir J. G. WARD suggested that Mr Thomas Mackenzie should withdraw his j motion and allow the matter to bo dealt v;ith _by the Library Committee.—Mr MACKENZiIi consented io do so, adding that his desire was that the very valuable Par- ' liamentary Library should be more widely J availed of. j Mr ELL moved that the item, £500, "Passages of members," be reduced by £1, ] as an indication that in tho opinion of the j House members of the Legislative Council should bo elected under the same franchise as members of the House of Kepresenta- j lives. He said there was considerable (lis- , satisfaction throughout the country as to the manner in which appointments to the 1 Upper House were made, and another i source of complaint was that the council went beyond its proper sphere as n revising i Clyimber, and had a power of veto. 110 ' contended that the Chamber i-hould be made J, to reflect public opinion as closely as pes- ' siblo.—Mr MONK supported the motion, ] saying the suggestion was in perfcet liar- ' ir.ony with Mr Sc-ddon's oft-repeated sentiment of "trust tho people."—Mr GILFEDDKII supported the principle, but J thought this w:u the wrong time to got an expression of opinion. Nominees to the i Upper Chamber should at lecet have had experience in the popular Chamber.—Mr 1 JAM US ALLEN said it was absurd to talk „ of the Council being a revising Chamber, ? as measures had oome down from that a Chamber in a most, slovenly condition, to c be revised by the House of Representatives. He condemned the system of Legislative f Council appointments by the present Go- J verninent, and urged thai t-ho council ought ■ lo lie absolutely pure of party.—Sir J. G. i WARD submitted this was not an occasion . for consideration of a great constitutional question. To make sweeping general ■> charges against members of (he Upper * House was not only not fair, but was in his opinion scarcely decent. If member." wanted to discuss tho principle they could bring in a bill.—(Mr FOWLDS: "And f havo it- stonewalled like the Elcctivo Exe- . eutivo Bill.") Sir Josoph v;ent on to protest against the reflections that ho said were made by Mr James Allen on members of the Upper Houso. and stated that measures ' emanating from that Chamber now compared c yery favourably with those that came from j' it under the old system of life appointments. It was within tho province of members to ( ] condemn tho system, but it was not proper j to reflect upon members personally.—(Onposilion numbers: "That- lias not been 0 done.") If the country wanted the system -

it would give voicp to its wishes throuch the representatives it sent hack to tiie House. Rsplyinpr to an interjection, Wr J. G. Ward said if the Chambers of Commerce Bill had been pasred these ehamhers would have been in a much better position to-day. Ho hoped to seo the tiino when lioartla of Trade would lie established in this colony on similar lines to those csi.itiiipr at Home.—Mr lIUTCHERON objected that the Council was becoming what

) lie might term the personal property of the I 1 lemur. Mr HIIA.NI had always sup- | ported an elcctivo Upper House, 'but objected to such u question being discussed at this stage.—Mr HOGG defended (he jtourcil-afl now coiutilutod.-Mr MASSUY said the present system of making appointwonts to tho Council was neither liberal nor L democratic.—Mr G. W. RUSSELL ven.aiked that a question of this imporlance U'Cjliired full and cool consideration, and he • therefore objected lo the discuwion being forced that night. A vote taken on Mr ] s motion would not ho of the slightest i value. ,Hs believed the people would give i expression to their opinion on the subject . through the representative! they elected at . tho general election, and'the Government . would then be compelled to face matters, [ instead of it being left to a private member , -Sir WILLIAM RUSSELL said that for j years lie bad advocated a reform of the i Upper House, Without reform the Upper ; Chamber we now had was utterly useless. As now constituted it did not inspire confidence in any quarter, and the time had arrived for.an alteration. His idea, was that for the pnrposo of electing (he Tipper House the colony should be divided into two largo electorate!?, and tho principle of the ITare eye tern of election applied.—Mr COLLINS thought the system of large electorates would confine candidates to wealthy men.—Mf ELL snid he had brought forward his proposal on this occasion because it was almost hopeless for a private member to get a resolution before the House. Ho' remarked that ho believed ' the Legislative Council as now constituted was mora acceptable than the Upper House of 12 or 14 .years ago,—Mr NAPIER expvc&scd for a small revismp body. --Mr JAMES ALLEN explained that lie was in favour of the Legislative Council lining e'.cotcd on n ponular vote.—Messrs FISHER i|hd' R, M'KIiNZIE supported tm clcctivo Upper House, but- would vote against Mr Ell's motion on the ground that the time was not opportune for an expression of opinion by the 'House on tho subject.—Mr MEREDITH would vote for the motion.—Mr BUDDO paid the discussion bad shown that mem!>ers were more or less favourable to some, change being effected in the constitution of the "Legislative Council.—On a division Mr Ell'.s motion was lost by 30 voles to 20.—The total vote for general expenses win' then -agreed to. The next class was the Colonial Secretary's Department;, total vote, £156,291.—5ir J. G. WARD, in reply to questions, snid if possible the (rouble 'about varying rulings in regard to licensing noils would be got over by regulation; If that done, the wholo .of the returning officers would bo instructed tn decide in a uniform manner - Mr PIRANT moved to reduce the item "expenses of licensing poll, £5000," as an indication that the licensing poll should bo held on a. day other than that, of the general election.—Mr BOLLARD complained that returning officers at goncr.il elections were not sufficiently paid.—Mr Pirani's motion was negatived by 50 to 10 ( On tho voto for the Registrar-general's Department, Mr COLLINS expressed a- hope that vaccination inspectors would bo made to understand that tlio intention of .tho Legislature was to give relief to parents who had conscientious objection to having their children Vaccindted.—A motion to reduco the vote by £1 as a protest against tho action of the Christ church Stipendiary Magistrate in certain vaccination cases was lost on the voices. At the vote for the Agont-goneral's Deparlment (£1610), Mr Wl'i/WEt'OHD moved a reduction of £1 as an expression of dissatisfaction at the faiiure of ■ tho Agentgeneral to obtain a contract for our produce and frozen meat in South Africa during t'nc war.—Sir J. G. WA.UD said the Agent-general had done his bast to influence businoss coming to New Zealand, and in this respect ho had 'carried out his duties in a most capable manner.—Sir WILLIAM RUSSELL remarked that Air Reeves had been a most capable Agent-general, but it was wrong that a high official like the Agent-general should have held office from year lo year, and thus been dependent on ilie goodwill of the Government, boing liable to be removed nt any time if he displeased tho Government.—Sir J. G. WARD replied that tho arrangement was that six months' notice of removal was required on either side. He believed that tho arrangement was satisfactory to Mr Reeves, and' it -had worked vory well. Mr WITHEFORD urged that the colony should have its business ip. Loudon run on business lines. Ho would not press his. amendment.—After a lengthy discussion the motion was lost on' the. voice's, and the vote passed. , > At the vote fbr Printing and Sl.ationcry Department, £55j373, Mr PIRANI complained that this department was growing ; at such an extravagant rate that it was positively becoming a menace to the State. Economy could bo practised bv allowing a •proportion of tho work .to be "tendered for by private firm*. Tho machinery and plant were out. of date,, and 1 tho Government seemed to be afraid tp get the latest appliances for fear of the labour unions.—Tho Hon. .Mr lIALL-JONES said the machinery of tho Government Printing Office was up to date in most respects. To obtain eight linotypes for the office would reel £6000, and he could not sep his way to ai'k the House to vote that amount at present. Linotypes bad thrown out of work\a large number of men, who were too old to find other employment, and that fact actuated him in not desiring. to get- tho machines. But they were hound to conic eventually.— Mr PIRANI said t.he linfoiyprs woujd not i displace old men, but merely the floating labour, which was a, very grc.it evil.—After ■ further discussion the vole was agreed lo . on the voices.' The vote .'or tb° Public Health Devia'tment wai imdfv discission when tho Telegraph Office c-lofcd at 2 'a.m.