IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 19

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

LONDON, April 18

Mr F. A. Channing"s (X..) Old-age Pension Bill, which Mr Thomas Burt, Mr John Burns, Mr Keir-Harclie, and Mr John Wilson support, allots 5s a week to British subjects who have reached 65 years and who have been resident in the United Kingdom for 20 yeais.

April 19.

In the House of Commons the Right Hon. H. Akers-Douglas, in introducing the Aliens Bill, quoted statistics as to the , growing influx, and- also the increase of crime. The bill safeguards the right of political asylum. Emigrant ships in future will be admitted to eight ports only, where the machinery to exclude un- 1 desirables is established. It omits the clause relating to prohibited areas and a country desired, and provides for the ex- ; pulsion of criminal aliens, and the exclu- I sion of destitute, diseased, or criminal | persons. '

Sir C. Dilke, in opposing the bill, denied the accuracy of the statistics quoted. The evil dealt with under the bill was trifling, except in a district or two, in the shape of the sweating evil, and could be met by anti-sweating legislation.

In the House of Commons, Mr Gerald Balfour introduced the Unemployed Woiknien's Bill, to establish local bodies in London for the purpose of discriminating applicants, also a central body alone empowered to provide employment exclusively on a farm colony, and to establish labour exchanges, the entire cost to be defrayed by subscription and an equalised rate of £d in the pound. The organisation for the provinces is not compulsory.

Mr S. Buxton declared that if the bill were made compulsory elsewhere the last state of London would be worse than the first.

Mr Black, in the House of Common':, inquired whether it was intended to invite the proposed Colonial Conference to consider the establishment of a Council of the Empire as a method of cementing the , Empire, and as an alternative to a scheme founded on the taxation of anj flour.

Mr Balfour replied that the Government's opinion of the Conference itself v.is \\lint Mr Black had described as. a Council of the Empire. That was a very good descriutiou.

but the establishment of the machinery to submit recommendations from different parts of the Empire could hardly be regarded as an alternative to any scheme that the Council itself might propose.

April 20.

Mr Chamberlain, replying to the Midland Grocers' Association, said the Government had not progressed with its principal measures, and unless business was expedited it would be impossible for it to give a prominent place to the Butter Bill, with the objects of which he sympathises.

Parliament lias been adjourned till 2nd May.