PARLIAMENT.

Opunake Times, Volume VII, Issue 323, 12 October 1897, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

The Treasurer is expected to make nil financial statement this evening.* A bill has been introduced by the Hon Mr Walker providing that Supreme Court judgef, shall cease to hold office on attaining the age of sixty five. Hon, Mr Millar was re-elected speaker of the Legislative Council. It was decided by 23 to 13 in the Legislative Council to continue the sale of liquor at Bellamy's on Sundays. Sir Bobert Stout has introduced a bill providing that no will of any mala person who dies after the first day of January, 1898, leaving a widow and any child or children him surviving, or leaving any child or children but no widow him surviving, shall be valid if and so far as it disposes of mora than one half of his property in favor of any person other than his widow or any suoh child or children, or in favor of any corporation sole or aggregate, or other body or institution whatsoever. The bill also provide! that one-fourth will be given to the widow, onefourth to the children, one-half to the children where no widow is surviving. The same provisions are to apply where a widow dies, and it is also proposed to enact that when no children are left the will shall be invalid, if more than half of the property is devised to a person other than a widow or widower.

The Address-in-Eeply debate concluded on Friday. The Hon. J. Carroll threw out a strong hint that the construction of light linei of railway in unsettled parts of the colony was intended by the Government. Mr Seddon delivered a trenchant defence of the Government policy. He said hit wishes with regard to privy councillorship were known to the Colonial office two yean ago. Mr Bolleston oharged the Government with manipulating Parliament, swamping the Upper House, creating a spirit of dependence on the Government, converting the AgentGeneral into a political party and subverting the relation between the Cabinet and Crown. Mr Guinness vindicated the Ministry, and Mr Kelly, who was the sixty-fifth, and the last speaker strongly attacked the purchase for settlement purposes of the Otahue state, Southland, from Batger, who tried to purchase the debts of the Ward Farmers' Association. The Address-in-Reply was passed. AWARUA SEAT. The Privileges Committee agreed oa the following report. Three resolutions ware adopted—(l) The committee recommends that the law of new Zealand should be amended and brought into conformity with the law of England with regard to bankrupt candidate! and members, and that the Government be requested to bring in a bill at an early date, but that the present case should not be prejudiced. (2), That a separate bill be introduced referring the question of the Awarua seat to the Supreme Court in Appelate Jurisdiction. The third resolution is to the effect that the law should be enacted on the linei of the Canadian statute providing that in future any question of this kind shall be rereferred to the Supreme Court on initiative of the Governor-in-Council. The two first resolutions were adopted unanimously, bat the third was carried by five to three, the minority consisting of Messrs Seddon, Bussell and Allan. The bill to refer the position of the Awaraa seat to the decision of the Supreme Court Judges will be considered on Tuesday, and will be considered as a matter of urgency. The Appeal Court sits next week. A second bill will be intoduced dealing generally with candidates and members who may become bankrupts. This measure will be based on the law now existing in England and Cauada. The Premier gave notice to introduce the Awarua Seat Enquiry Bill. On Thursday Mr Taylor presented a petition from Mr John Hay, of Middlemaroh, Otago, in the course of which the petitioner states that having occasion to make soma complaint to Inspector Pardy he was threatened with violence, and on two other occasions when he made the same complaint he was treated with contempt for making this complaint. He alleges that the police set a trap for him, and that Constable O'Brien of Middlemarch, addressed an abusive remark to him. He was arrested for using the following words:—"You have to commit perjury to get at me, and you committed perjury yesterday." The constable then attempted to handcuff petitioner, dragged him along the street like a dog, and attempted to injure petitioners arms against an iron telegraph post. The petitioner makes several other minor charges against Constable O'Brien, and asks for an inquiry into the working of the polioe Department, and claims £IOOO for the brutal and illegal treatment he has been subjected to at the hands of the police.—Wanganui Herald speoial-