PARLIAMENT.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 218, 6 October 1896, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wellington, September 28. The Shop Assistants Act Amendment Bill and the Urewera District Natives Reserves Bill passed their final stages. The Chattels Transfer Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. After some discussion the Factories Act Amendment Bill was read a second time.

Several Councillors opposed the measure, and some discussion took plaoe on the clause dealing with the regulations when work was taken home from factories.

The bill was then referred to the Labor Bills Committee.

The Hon. Mr McGregor's new clause in the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Bill, designed to prevent the seizure of the Sinking Fund, was inserted by 17 to 12.

The Bill was then reported, and the Council rose.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Wellington, September 28. The Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee this afternoon. Mr Seddon asked that clause 7 should now be allowed-to go through, as it had already been discussed for several hours.

Mr Lawry said he should withdraw all opposition to the Bill if the Premier indicated how far he should proceed with the Bill before he reported progress. Mr Seddon again appealed to the Committee to go on with the Bill, so as to proceed with other business. He protested against a small minority of the House preventing the passage of the Bill.

Sir Robert Stout suggested that the proceedings of the Committee should be reported in Hansard, so that the country should know who the members were who opposed the Bill. Mr Seddon said this would be a dangerous precedent to establish, and he declined to interfere with the present reporting system. After further lengthy debate, Mr Hall-Jonea urged hon. members who were desirous of seeing this bill pass to refrain from talking, and allow the bill to proceed. Mr Earnshaw said it could not be questioned that an arranged ston9 wall was being carried on in the interests of "the traffic." Other opponents of the measure had expressed their intention of maintaining the obstruction to the bitter end.

Eventually several members suggested that a compromise should be arranged. Mr McLachlan said he would withdraw his opposition if the amendments to be proposed by the Premier were accepted.

Mr McNab said he and other members supporting the bill were in favor of accepting the Premier's amendments, provided the opposition to the bill was withdrawn. The discussion was continued until the 5.80 adjournment. On resuming at 7.80,

Mr Collins suggested that the House should adjourn for an hour, in order to arrange a compromise on the bill. Mr Seddon said that if by an adjournment a compromise could be effected, it might be advisable to do so. After a protest from Captain Russell and a long discussion, the Chairman left the chair at 9.80.

On the Committee resuming at 11 p. m., Mr Seddon said he had great pleasure in intimating that as a result of a conference on the Liquor Bill the siege was to be raised,' a fair and reasonable compromise having been arrived at between the two contending parties. Shortly put, the agreement arrived at was that the Bill was to be passed and that the amendments standing in his name on the order paper were also to be passed. Under the circumstances he thought both parties were to be complimented on the terms of the compromise arrived at.

Mr Earnshaw said the temperance members had conceded every possible point claimed by the other side, but got nothing in return. Mr Seddon : You got the Bill.

Mr Earnshaw: Yes , but with the proviso that the national prohibition and club clauses must stand or fall together. Unless they stood together there would be no bill this session. Sir Robert Stout said there was no doubt there were considerable concessions given to the licensed victuallers. In his * opinion there would be no settlement of this liquor question until the majority vote became law, and the bill passed that session would not settle the question without the direct veto of the people by a bare majority being given. He, however, would not oppose the amendments.

Mr R. McKenzie remarked that he did not approve of the agreement arrived at, but still he would stick to it loyally. _ Clause 7, which had been under discussion about 12 hours, was then put and agreed to on the voices without amendment.

Considerable discussion took place on clause 14, making Club charters subject to the result of the lictnsing poll, but the clause was eventually agreed to on the voices.

Clause 16, was amended to provide that no bottle license or New Zealand wine license shall be granted or renewed after the commencement of this Act.

On the motion of the Premier several new clauses were added to the Bill.

After a lengthy debate, the bill passed through Committee at 4.30 a.m. The third reading was then taken, despite the protests of the Opposition, and the bill put through its final stages at 7 a.m., and passed on to the Legislative Council.