PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13960, 20 July 1907, Page 9

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM THE PJKESS .. GALLERY. /

(Taou Ob* Owjt Cormß?o*b*kt.) . WELLINGTON, July 19.,. Mr Arnold has had the second reading of tho Dunedin Suburban Gas Oompiuiy, Empowering Bill set down, for July 23. ' '

PETITION. FOR REDRESS. ' Mr Isaao Taylor, of Otakou, who, states that ho was wrongly imprisoned on a serious charge, afterwards disproved, ib petitioning Parliament for redress. ' DURATION OF THE SESSION. There is now every indication that the present session will be a long and arduous, one. So far matters parliamentary have been going along very easily, and • tho '• House ,has_ invariably risen boforo mid-. night. ' It is a certainty, however, that 1 we shall havo some very !ato sittings during tho progress of the Government's policy bills. Sir Joseph Word will himself tako \ chargo of two of tho Land the Graduated Tax and the Endowment Bills,' —whilo Mr M'Nab will havo charge ofltho Land Bill proper. Members may get away . for "tho Christohuroh week," but if so they will certainly havo to oonio.back' again. , ,

A CHAIRMAN IN DIFFICULTIES. In the House this afternoon'the Prime ' ; Minister moved to recommit the Pubjio 1 Trust Offico Amendment Bill, Tho Speaker declared the'Houso in committee, and.Mr Flatman, in the absence of the chairman, tdok'tho chair. Mr Massey then rbse'ana said, "I should like to ask by what l right you are in the chair, Mr 'Flatman ?" . 'Mr;> .V Flatman said the Prime Minister had asked him to take the chair Mr. Massey ' pointed out that Mr Flatman could' not take the chair in tho aibsence of the Chairman except by a vote of the House,. because the Deputy Chairmen were only j appointed. for last session. Sir Joseph Ward then moved formally that Mr Flatman take tho chair. < Mr Massey asked how they wore going to put suoh a motion, seeing that the Speaker had left'the chair.;Sir . .Joseph Ward suggested that■' the • Speaker should bo asked to resumo tho chair with a view to his putting; the motion. -This was done, and Mr Flatman was. then duly and'legally installed. •

A MESSAGE THAT FAILED.. C It was Mr M'Nab's, intention (his after- ; noon to have introduced his Land Bill, and in yiew of that resolvo hadvoiy kindly ■ '< supplied to 'press correspondents a memo- ■ •randum giving a synopsis of this very-niucli-((iseu6fed measufo for publication'in the evening newspapers. Time pasted : slowly,'but there was no sign of tho bill, which, of course, had to be introduced by • : : Menage from his Excellency tho Governor. : The reason of tho delay wa6 not at first v.; apparent, but eventually it leaked out that I the Governor had gone for a l'ido in his : I motor car, and that oven the police had , failed to looato his whereabouts. THE LAND BILL. , .' Tho. principal provisions of the Land, Endowment, and Graduated Land. Tax, Bills, which made their appearance .this V evening, have already been outlined in tho Financial Statement. Tho clause in regard to tho option of tlio freehold, however, specifically slates that the basis .of ; ■ purchase is to be'the viilue of tho land;at, " tho time of purohaso. The statement on' : this point in tho Budget was somewhat obscure. The attitude which will bo taken up by tho leaseholders still remains a sub-' ject of interest. Mr Laurenson, with : whom I had a conversation to-night, stated '■ that tlie Government's proposals did"nofc come up to his expectations. lie was disr: p : appointed at the jotting aside of'only a portion instead » f tho wltolo of the balance • •' ■ , of Crown lands, and ho also considered that, tho increase in the graduated land> tax should start: at a much .lower figure than £40,000. Ho approved of the clauses substituting tho louder for tho ballot' systom, and the giving of preference' to landless 'people and married persons with, families, and also the fixing of osec6ements by owners themselves. These proposals ho considered wore iti tho direction of reform. Questioned as to the position to bo taken up by the leasehold party. Mr Laurenson had no information to give. Thoy had not.yot, he said, gone fully into the ques- : tion, "but," ho added, "I have no doubt that matters in connection with tho. land question will develop very rapidly in the course of the next, few days. , :