FRIDAY, AUGUST 18.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 15

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18.

In the Legislative Council on Friday the Criminal Cod© Amendment Bill, which extends to six months the time during which an information for offences against young girls can bo laid, was passed after • considerably discussion. The Mutual Fire Insurance Bill was also passed. The Maori iLand Councils Bill was reported from committee, and the- Statutes Compilation Bill was read a second tiino. CRIMINAL CODE. A discussion ensued on the motion for the third reading of the Criminal Code Amendment Bill. The Hon. Mr RIGG moved the recommittal of the bill, as be wished reconsideration of principal clauses. He took exception to extension of "the period within which actions could be instituted for criminal offeness against young women. The extension from one month to six months was, he contended," too great, three or four months being sufficient: He also objected to power, fai clear the court of persons over the age of 21 years, as it was limiting the 'privileges of the people, and ,he thought it would bo better to exclude the press than the public, as publication of the details would be more dertimental to morality than the presence of'fhe public at the {rial. Various opinions were expressed as to the desirability- of extending period for prosecution jfco six months. The Hon. A. PITT pointed out that the provision was in keeping with English law at ths pres&nt time. The Hon. G-. M'EEAN wished to have the safeguard provision proposed by the Joint Revision Committee in claure 2, and rejected yesterday, reinserted, and moved the recommittal of the bill for consideration of that clause. " After discussion the recommittal proposals were rejected, and the bill read a third timo &hd passed. In the House of Representatives on Friday after formal business the Workers' Dwellings Bill was introduced and read a first time. The House then went into Committee of Supply to consider the Estimates. The Justice Department Estimates were discussed for the rest of the afternoon and during the evening sitting also. GOVERNMENT CABLEGRAMS. The Right Hon. Mr Sedclon presented areturn showing that the total sum expended •on , Government • cablegrams beyond the colony - during tne last financial year 'was £2261. Thai sun^. he said, was the lowest for years. ' WORKERS' DWELLINGS. A bill VTo make provision for the erection of Workers' Dwellings" was introduced ■by Governor's message. "In reply to" Mr Massey, Mr SEDDON said the ■bill 1 was "a new departure. It made "provision for the Government erecting buildings as well as providing land. It was a well-thought-out measure and financially everything was on a sound basis. Under the schema the- Government could give good ihouses at a- very reasonable rental, and an opportunity would be given the workers of acquiring these homes. Mr MASSEY congratulated the Government on coming round to the Opposition ■way of thinking in regard to the freehold, which "" was, no doubt, the result of that ■party's criticism and proposals in the House •and on the platform. In reply to Mr Hawkins, Mr SEDDON said that the bill was not confined to the four large centres and applied to all parts of the colony. In the course of a short discussion several members congratulated the Government on the introduction of the bill. Mr TAYLOR said thousands of people would welcome the scheme, and if it was placed on a sound footing it would be one of the best things Parliament had <l<yne during the last 12 years. Mr SEDDON. in reply to what had been said regarding the freehold, quoted a cause of the bill providing that lo^al authorities may lease land for a term of 42 years, with a right of renewal on revaluation. The bill was read a first time on the voices. At 3.30 the House went into Committee <}f Supply for further consideration of THE ESTIMATES. The first class taken was Justice- Department, total vote £144,623.— 1n reply to Mr MASSEY, who urged that improvement should b& made* in the tenure of office of District Court judges and stipendiary magistrates, the Hon. Mr M'GOWAN said it was not proposed to take any sfcsps in that direction, a recent conference with the ■magistrates having shown that they were satisfied with the existing condition of things. — Mr TAYLOR thought the salaries of the civil servants in the lower grades, and particularly railway employees, should be increased before the magistrates' salaries ■were added to, and he would vote against these increases on the Estimates. — Mr MASSEY moved a reduction of the total vote by £l as an indication that ths House ds of opinion that District Court judges and stipendiary magistrates should be placed on a permanent footing, and their tenure- of office made subject only to ability and good behaviour.— Mr SEDDON challenged members to show any case in which the independence of the bench had been sapped by the present conditions. Witn regard to salaries, lie urged that the higher civil servants must be paid salaries commensurate with the Responsibilities ralaced on them. — Mr TAYLOR moved" that the salary of the anaahtrate at Auckland (£700) be reduced by as an indication thai the House is of opinion that the wages of casual labourers and lower-grade men in the railway service should first be increased. '' After further discussion, Mr Taylor's motion was lost by 41 votes to 14. — Mr M'LACHLAN movedi the excision of the increase of £50 proposed to be given to the magistrate at Ashburton, Timaru, etc. He -pointed o>ut that a good deal of distrttst was expressed by a section of the Ashburton •people regarding the leniency of the AshJburton magistrate in sly-grog cases, and 'despite this it was proposed to give him an increase of £50 in salary.— Mr HARDING moved a- reduction of £1 in the salary of the New Plymouth magistrate, in' order to bring under notice of the Minister of Justice what he (Mr Harding) regarded as a peculiar and extraordinary decision given

i nated the proposal that magistrates had not I received fair treatment. He was an excellent magistrate and an independent one. > He used the term without offence — he had i his peculiarities. — Mr Massey : "So have • you." — Mr Seddon : And so has the honourr able gentleman. Mr Massey, in the course [ of his reply, gave a denial to the state- . ment that Judge Kettle was responsible for tho proposal. The motion was negatived, but only by the narrow majority of seven. i QUESTIONS. : Mr Sidey is to ask the Minister in charge i of the Tourist Depaitmenfc whether he will ' > havo a road cut from what is known as the ! i Second Beaoh, Oaversham, for some distance i li round the cliffs, and at any rate to the j > point at which suck a road would bo inter - ■ sected by the first road line that runs clown ■ to the sea at the south of St. Clair? Mr Millar is asking the Minister of , Labour — (1) If his attention has been drawn ' to the account of a shocking accident which ' occurred to a young girl in a factory in , i Dunedin, through her hair being caught in ■ some belting, resulting in her scalp being , toi-n off; (2) Will tho Minister institute a ; searching inquiry ; and (3) with the object of preventing a recurrence of similar acci-, : dents will he have a thorough inspection made of all factories where machinery is in use, and if necessary order such safeguards to be put in as will protect any person wiui ordinary oare from accident? Mr E. G. Allen is to ask the Minister for Railways', wihen he intends, with a view to preventing risk of danger caused by tho crossing of trams, to give effect to the proposal to shift ths railway station and track to 'the water frontage at Ravensbourne. Mr Lawry is asking the Pcstma'-ter-geoieiMl if he has caused, or intends to cause, inquiry ! to be made into the alleged leakage of in- ] formation as to the contents of telegrams . from .telegraph officer in this colony, with ; speoial reference to the Christchurch office? •'

by that magistrate on the previous day in the case against the lo,ndlord and barmaid; of the Commonw-ealth Hotel.— The Hon. J. M'GOWAN said he would look into the matter. — Mr Harding's motion was lost on the voices.— Mr HARDY said he did not think there was a fairer magistrate in New Zealand than the Ashburton magistrate, and the people of the district recognised that. — Mr M'LACHLAN admitted that was so except in licensing ca-ses. — The Hon. W. HALLJONES said that year after year complaints had , been made that magistrates were not receiving proper salaries, and now, when increases were brought down in these salaries, the increases were opposed. — Messrs TANNER and HAWKINS said they would' vote against all increases in salary because of the greater needs in other directions. — Mr LAURENSON regretted that the salaries of magistrates could not be fixed by statute, instead of having to depend on a. vote of the House.— The Hon. J. M'GOWAN said the effort was always made to give the deserving magistrate the advance to which he was entitled, while not keeping any of them back.— Mr HOGG thought the time was inopportune for increasing the salaries of men who were already very well paid. — Mr HARDY accused members who referred to the down-trodden employee of the Government of electioneering, and urged that if they were in earnest they should begin by reducing their own salaries. —Mr J. C. THOMSON said he was not going; to vote against the £50 increase proposed in the salary of the Ashburton magistrate on the ground that it would be equivalent to a vote of censure without evidence.— The Hon. Mr M'GOWAN spoke in defence of the magistrate at Ashburton, who. he said, was a man of undeniably high character. — After further discussion, Mr M'Lachlan's motion was lost by 51 to 9. — Mr MASSEY said there was a , very strong feeling in the colony that seme of the gentlemen on the magisterial bench owed their positions to party influence having been brought to bear on their behalf. The whole position in regard to magistrates was unbusinesslike and unsatisfactory, and he strongly urged that the tenure of office of magistrates should be subject only to ability and good behaviour, and that their salaries should not be dependent on the Ministry* of the day or of Parliament. — Sir J. G. WARD said he knew of several magistrates whose political opinions were identical with, those held by the Leader of the Opposition. The appointment of a. magistrate was simply a question of character and ability, and he declared that no magistrate who had been appointed was unfit for the position in respect either of character or ability. — Mr JAS. ALLEN remarked that every member who had been in tlie House for some years must have realissd Ic'at not only with regard to magistrates, but even with respect to Supreme Court -judges, political influence had been at work.— Sir WILLIAM RUSSELL said there wai? v a popular impression that more political influelioe than there ought to bewas exercised in connection with appointments" to the magisterial bench. — Mr SEDDON a^ked why this 'had become a burning question. The colony had been going on. existing lines for half a century, and he contended that, 'no good case had been made out for a chang-e, and that the magistrates felt themselves quite independent.—After a lengthy discussion, Mr Massev's motion to reduce the total vote by £1 was lost by 34- to 27.— At the- vote for the Native Land Courb Mr A. L. D. ERASER raised objection to Mr Kaihau, M.H.R., being again appointed a member of the Waikato Maori Land Council, and characterised some of the appointments made by the Government as positively indecent. He urged the necessity of appointing capable I men to the Native Land Court, and com1 plained that the most incompetent men procurable were placed on that bench. — The Hon. Mr CARROLL saul that the persons appointed to the Native Land Court had all the ability requisite for the position. — The vote passed unaltered. Mr ELI. moved that the fote for prisons bo reduced by £1 as an indication that the Hou c c was of opinion prisoners suffering from tbo effects of drink should not bo sent to gaols. This was not agreed to, and the total vote for Ihe Justice Department passed unaltered. The vote for Crown Law Department (£3005) was agreed to without discussion. Portion of the vote for the Post and Telegraph Department ('£sB4-,338) passed unaltered after a brief discussion, j Progress was reported, and! the House rcse at 3 a.m. THE VOUCHER MYSTERY. Messrs Willis, "Larcombe, and West, oosf s the Christohurch postal staff, arrived in We!- N lington this morning for iths iv-irpose of giving evidence- before the Auditor-general in connection with the inquiry into the matter of the alleged payment to Captain Seddon. THE STATE COAL MINE. Another contribution to the case against the administration of the State coal mines has come before Parliament in the shape of a petition from residents of Seddonville, Mokihinui, and surrounding districts. " Tho management of the State coal mine at Seddonville," cay the (petitioners, " has been a serious cause of loss and hardship to the men employed in the mine and the community generally." The petitioners in this case-, like earlier petitioners,, speak of the slackness in. the output and pray for an inquiry. MAGISTRATES' TENURES OF OFFICE. The question of an alteration in the tenure of the office of magistrates was discuEs.ed at great length in the House to-night, a motion being moved by Mr Massey to reduce i the salaries vote by £1 as an indication that the basis of tenure sihould be placed on a I more independent and permanent footing in respect to both magistrates and District Court judge?.. Mr Ma^se-y, in the course -of his remarks, emphasised the arguments which have so often been advanced in favour of placing magistrates' in a position of independence similar to that of the Supreme Court judges. He said that no matter how their votes might be cast he was certain that a majority, of the members of the \ House was of 'the earn© opinion. The I Premier said that the present system had beenin vogue for a great number of years, and if they were going to adopt "the change advocated by Mr Massey they should determine all present appointments and make fresh ones. The whole question, he said, was whether the Government and the House were going to be subordinated) to District Judge Kettle. — Mr Massey: "No." — Mr Shddotn : It wap JJ/r Kettle who had origi- (