LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 181, 6 August 1886, Page 12

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Thursday, July 29. first reading. The Gold Duties Reduction Bill was received from the House. On the motion for the first reading of the bill, The Hon. Mr WILSON asked the ruling of the Speaker as to whether a bill which had been rejected could he brought up the same session. The Hon. Mr BUCKLEY pointed out that the bill referred to emanated from the House, and this, therefore, did not interfere with the Standing Orders of the Council. The SPEAKER intimated his intention of giving his ruling on the point next day. The bill was read a first time. GENERAL. The Hon. Mr BUCKLEY moved that certain amendments in the Coal-mines Bill made by the Council and disagreed with by the House be not insisted upon. — Carried. Tho Council agreed with the amendment in the Mining Bill proposed by the Governor. The adjourned debate on the motion for the second reading of the Settled Land Bill was resumed by The Hon. Mr HOLMES, who objected to the bill chiefly on the ground that it was not required. Sir F. WHITAKER replied, and the motion for the second reading was agreed to. The bill was ordered to be committed on Monday next. The Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill was further considered in committee. On clause 36. dealing with how funds shall be provided by the Colonial Treasurer, it was proposed that the latter part of the clause be struck out. The question went to a division, and the clause was retained. The bill as amended was reported, and tho third reading made an order for the following day. The Council resumed at 7.30 p.m.

BILLS DEALT WITH.

The Counties Bill was recommitted with a view to consider certain amendments. The bill was reported with amendments, and the third reading made an order for the next sitting. The First Offenders' Probation Bill was further considered in committee. On the motion of the Hon. Mr Wilson the following new clause was agreed to :—": — " A court of summary jurisdiction, after hearing evidence, may discharge such person without sentencing; or the Supreme Court at any stage of the trial of such person may direct him to be discharged, either before or after a verdict, and such discharge shall have all the effect of the acquittal of the accused in respect of the offence for which he was committed for trial, held to bail, or indicted." The new clauses were agreed to, and the bill reported with amendments. Friday, July 30. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. THE GOLD DUTY BILL. The SPEAKER gave the following ruling on the Gold Duty Reduction Bill :— The full title of the bill rejected by the Council was " An Act to abolish the export duty on gold by gradual reduction." The full title of the bill now presented for second reading is " An Act to reduce the export duty on gold for a limited period." Standing Order No. 131 reads as follows: " When a bill or motion shall have been rejected by the Council, no bill or motion of the same argument and matter, or to effect the same object, shall be brought forward during the same session." The Council in my opinion cannot entertain the bill pow called on for second reading without violating Standing Order No. 131. The bill is accordingly laid aside. LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES BILL. On the Order of the Day that the Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill be read a third time, Sir F. WHITAKER remarked that the ruling of the Speaker with regard to clause 36 had created a difficulty, inasmuch as his ruling said the bill, being a money bill, could not be amended by the Couucil. By leave of the Council, he moved that the bill be laid aside. The SPEAKER agreed with the motion of Sir F. Whitaker that with the leave of the Council he could direct that the bill be laid aside. This procedure was, he considered, a more simple method than moving a formal resolution. The Speaker directed accordingly. OTHER BILLS. The third reading of the Counties Bill, First Offenders' Probation Bill, and Sheep Act Amendment Bill were agreed to, and the bills passed. The Mortgage Debentures Bui was read a third time and passed. Monday, August 2. MOTION. On the motion for the committal of the Settled Land Bill, The Hon. Mr ROBINSON expressed a hope that the hon. gentleman in charge of the bill would not persist in proceeding with it. He confessed that he failed to understand it. So far as he could ascertain the bill was not a copy of an English act. Sir F. WHITAKER maintained that the proposed measure was almost an exact copy of the English act. He hoped the bill would be allowed to proceed. SEARCHING THE RECORDS OF THE COUNCIL. The SPEAKER, before putting the question for committal, mentioned that he had received a message from the House of Representatives asking for leave for a committee of the House to inspect the journals of the Council relative to the position of the Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill, which was laid aside on Friday last. The Hon. Mr REYNOLDS moved that leave be given, the time and place for such inspection to be the clerk's room at noon on the following day. The SPEAKER said he should put the motion by Mr Reynolds if there was no dissent. The Hon. Mr MANTELL dissented. The SPEAKER said the motion was lost as dissent was offered, and he must put the question of the Settled Land Bill. IN COMMITTEE. The Council went into committee on the Settled Land Bill. Several amendments of no great moment were agreed to, and the bill as amended was reported, and the third reading made an order for the following day. A MESSAGE. A message was received from the House announcing that the House had passed the Cathedral Site (Parnell) Reserve Bill ; had agreed to the amendments proposed by the Council in the First Offenders' Probation Bill ; had passed the Deceased Persons' Estate Amendment Bill. OTAGO HARBOUR BRIDGE. The Otago Hirbour Bridge Bill was committed and reported with amendments. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM. The Hon. Mr REYNOLDS moved theinsertion of a new clause instead of clause 9, in the Civil Service Reform Bill, giving the Colonial Secretary the power to make appointments of cadets instead of the appointments being made by members of the House. A discussion ensued. The Hon. Dr GRACE moved as an amendment that cadets be appointed to the civil service by competitive examination. After discussion, clause 9 was rejected on a division by 10 to 22, and Dr Grace's amendment for competitive annual examination of cadets was carried on the voices. OTHER BILLS. Tht City of Christchurch Municipal Offices Bill and Oamaru Harbour Board Loan Bill were further considered in committee, and agreed to without amendments. Tuesday, Auoust 3. The Council met at* 2.3o p.m. The Hon. Mr PEACOCK moved that in the opinion of the Council the prison regulations should be altered so that the treatment of persons confined for safe custody and committed for trial bo made as little oppressive as possible. Prisoners in gaols of other colonies for trial were treated differently to what they were in New Zealand. The Hon. Mr BONAR seconded the motion. The Hon. Mr BUCKLEY, speaking as 1 Colonial Secretary of the Colony, had no objection to the motion, but he desired to say that the prisons regulations of the colony were far easier and less irksome to prisoners awaiting trial than they were in the other colonies. The Hon. Colonel BRETT opposed the motion. His experience as an old army officer led him to believe that 15 men out of 20 who were confined as army prisoners were guilty of the crimes attributed to them ; and this was the experience, he believed, of the majority of officers in civil gaols. The motion was agreed to. BILLS DEALT WITH. Sir F. WHITAKER moved the third reading of the Settled Laud Bill.

The Hon. Colonel BRETT protested that the bill was the wicked emanation of a corrupt legal brain.— (Laughter.) The motion was agreed to and the bill was passed. On the motion for the third reading of the Civil Service Reform Bill, ' The Hon. Dr GRACE pointed out that the motion was wholly inconsistent. The order for the third reading was discharged and made an order for next day.