PARLIAMENT.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 123, 6 September 1895, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Tuesday. BANK BILL. On the House resuming at 8.45 p.m., the Hon Mr Ward brought up the report of the Conference of Managers from both Houses on the Bank Bill, and moved that the amendments be agreed to. The following is the report:—As <o clause 81, the Managers of the Council and the House being unable to agree as to the privilege claimed by the House, it was decided, considering the urgency of the Bill becoming law, to deal with the amendment on its merits. The amendment of the Council, increasing the joint salaries of members to £ISOO, was accepted ; the payments, however, being made subject to the approval of the Governor-in-Council. It was stipulated that this proceeding was not to be drawn into a precedent or to bo held to be a waiver of privileges of the House, As to clause 87 —it was decided that the

proviso, making the purchase of another banking institution subject to the veto of Parliament, which had been struck out by the Council, should be restored. The proviso, however, was amended to provide that 'a resolution of disapproval must be brought down within ten clays (instead of fourteen days) after the contract is laid on the table, and both Houses were placed on the same footing in regard to the notice of motion being placed at the head of the Order Paper. The House accepted the amendment of the Council in striking out clause 54, which made a provision for the disposal of lands taken possession of by any bank as mortgagee. The Managers of the Chambers unanimously agreed' that this question should be with in a separate Bill. Clause 56^—prohibiting overdrafts to officers, which the Council had struck out—was re-inserted, with the addition of the following provision : 1 Provided nothing in this clause shall prevent the granting of an overdraft to any company to which any such director or member of either x Board or any such official may belong, and provided further, this section shall not come into operation until the Ist daj of January, 1896,” The Hon Mr Scddon said that those members who desired to speak on Friday night might do so now if they pleased. Mr E. Thompson said he did not like compromises as a rule, and he thought the privileges of the House should be maintained.

The Hon Mr Ward said the privileges of the House had not been waived by the'Conference. Dr Newman expressed sa'isfaction that Parliament would have to ratify any proposals for amalgamation. Sir Robert Stout was glad that a compromise had been arrived at, otherwise the Bill ivould have been blocked. He thought, however, that in clause 81—relating to salaries of the members of the Board—the House

had surrendered its privileges. Mr McGowan protested against the , striking out of clause 54—providing for the disposal of lands taken possession of by any bank as mortgagee. Mr Duthio regretted that the clause relating to the prohibition of an overdraft to officers was weakened. The Premier was sure members would feel relief at the possibility of the Bill passing into law. The great majority of the House had approved of the course proposed as the lesser of two evils. They had done the best thing possible under the circumstances. He felt fairly satisfied that next session he would be able to say that there was no necessity for farther assistance being given to the Bank, and that -the balance-sheet of the Bank would show an improved state of things. Dire disaster would have overtaken the country had not this legislation been passed—a calamity he believed, had been averted. Parliament had risen to the occasion, members had done their duty, and he trusted that the results would be satisfactory to all. Mr W. Hutchison disagreed with the report of the conference. He was opposed to the Bill throughout. Mr Buddo supported the amendments made by the conference. Mr Hone Heke opposed the Bill, Mr Graham hoped the Bill was in the interests of the Colony, but did not thiuk it was.

Mr McGuire objected to the Bill from beginning to end. Had there been an independent valuation of the assets of the Bank he might have been inclined to act differently. Mr T. Mackenzie urged members to support the report of the conference. "Mr Lang said he had listened in vain for something that would lead him to support the Bill. Mr G. J, Smith was disappointed at the managers of the House giving way on. clause 31, which affected the privileges of the House. He criticised other proposals in the Bill. Mr Fraser pointed out that whatever deficiency there might bo on the realisation of the assets of the Bank none of the depositors and no one trading with the Bank would suffer loss. He put forward his reasons for supporting the Bill. Mr McLacblan said the Bank Committee set up to consider this question was a most capable one, and he supported the Bill. Mr Piraui moved as an amendment to the Colonial Treasurer’s motion that the report of the conference be agreed to, the following words : “ With the exception of the amendments in clause 81.” Mr Earnshaw seconded this. He thought the Bank Committee should have taken more independent evidence. Had it not been for the pressure, direct and indirect, brought to bear upon the House by the Bank of New Zealand and the Colonial Bank the Bill would never have been passed. The Hon Mr Larnaeh considered the report of the Bank Committee a very

able one, but not based upon the evidence he thought necessary. They should have called for one book which would have proved a key to the whole position of the Bank, viz., the general ledger. He thought there was likely to be a very large shortage on the estimate of the realisation of the assets of the the Bank. The report, to his mind, was based upon evidence so incomplete that, knowing as he did the ramifications of such institutions, he could not support the Bill. Mr Duncan supported the Bill, and expressed surprise at.members being willing to sacrifice the two millions guaranteed by the House last year. Messrs Collins, G. W. Russell and McNab also spoke. Mr Pirani’s amendment was lost by 39 to 9. The Colonial Treasurer replied, and the motion that the report of the conference be agreed to was then 'put, and carried bv 34 to 11.

Mr Houston asked the Premier if, in the event of the Local Government Bill not passing into law this session, the Government would do anything to relieve local bodies from the incubus of charitable aid. The Premier said be thought it unnecessary to increase the size of the Statute Book by' placing upon it an Act that would bo subject to repeal by the passing of the Local Government Bill next session. With the probability of the Local Government Bill passing iuto law this session, he hoped there was no necessity for passing a Bill such as referred to in the question.

A Bill to amend the Lands for Settlement Act wall be placed before the blouse shortly, when the question of the personnel of the Board and other matters can be discussed.

Mr Joyce has asked the Government to set up a Royal Commision to inquire into the licensing laws of the Colony and the licensing question generally. The Premier thinks the Government measure now before the House will prove the proper solution of the licensing difficulty. In answer to Major Steward, the Minister of Agriculture has stated that a Bill has been drafted with the object of preventing the introduction of fruit diseases by the importation of foreign fruit trees to the Colony.