END OF SESSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3426, 11 November 1919, Page 5

END OF SESSION.

THE FINAL . SPEECHES. (Fbom Oub Own Cokbespondent.) *r WELLINGTON, November 5. At 10.25 to-night the Speaker returned from Government House with the parchment copy of the Appropriation Bill—the last act of the longest Parliament in the history of New Zealand—duly signed by the Governor-general. . Mr Massey, in a brief speech, referred to the session as the most remarkable session in the history of the country. The session had been a short and. a strenuous pne, but particularly good work had been done. It had been an historic session, too, because of the Samoan mandate and the protection granted for interests in the island of Nauru. He referred in complimentary terms to the Speaker and the Chairman of Committees. "We have now come to the end of the longest Parliament in the history of New Zealand," continued Mr Massey "We are at the parting of the ways. I have no doubt that there will be many changes. A number of members will not oome back, but we are parting as friends, and I have no doubt we will* come back friends, and each will come back ready to do his duty to the dominion and the Empire of which he is a citizen." He paid tributes to the late Mr Oolvm- and the late Mr P. Robinson (custodian of the Parliamentary Buildings), both of whom had died during the session, and concluded by expressing his good wishes to the Speaker. g Sir Joseph Ward, who followed the Prime Minister, re-echoed the expression of good wishes. He said that the Parliament which had iust ended was remarkable in that, for the first time in the history of the dominion, Parliament had seen a world-wide war. It was a happy reflection for the whole of the House that during the long period since the last general election, whatever the matters before the House and whatever the differences of opinion, the one idea had been to maintain the supremacy of the Empire. Sir Joseph Ward also referred to the extension of the dominion's interests in the islands, and to th© deaths of Mr CoTvin and Mr Robinson. In the new Parliament there must be changes, but they would be very glad to see most of those with whom they had been associated, or indeed all of them, except for the concern they had as to who should rule over the destinies of the country. Mr Holland spoke on behalf of the Labour Party, and paid tribute to the kindness and courtesy of $e officers of the House and to members on both sides of the House, who, though opposed to the Labour Party, had freely given advice as to procedure to members of that party. This Parliament, he said, was dissolving under conditions-that no Parliament in Australasia had ever dissolved under before. There were mighty changes impending. Dynamic forces were at work, and systems the world over were in the melting pot. Mr Payne also spoke. The Speaker made a suitable reply, thanking members for the assistance they had given him in carrying out the business of the House, and thanking also the officers of the House. At thirteen minutes to 11 Mr Massey moved: —"That House do now adjourn." Sir Joseph Ward: When are we to meet again ? An Hon. Member: In the sweet by and *>y. Mr Massey: I move that this House adjourn until this day "week. The Speaker put the question, and there was the usual chorus .of "Ayes" and "Noes." Tlie usual division was taken. There were only 26 members present, and the "Ayes" were 18 to the "Noes" eight. At 6 "minutes to 11 the session came to an end. at! members and the occupants of the galleries standing and singing the National Anthem.

SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION. WELLINGTON, November 5. The following is- a list of the Acts passed by the General Assembly „of New*»Zealand during the late session: Appropriation. Auckland University College Site. Board of Trade. Chattels Transfer Amendment. Coal Mines Amendment. Companiea Amendment. Counties Amendment. Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment. Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Loan. Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Education Amendment. Education Purposes Loans. Electric Power Boards Amendment. E'lectrio Power Works Loan. Expeditionary .Forces Voting and Electoral Rights Amendment. Expiring Laws Continuance. External Affairs. Finance. Fishing Industry Promotion. Railways Amendment. Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Housing. Howard Estate. Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Amendment. ' Industrial and Provident Societies Amendment. Kauri Gum Industrial Amendment. Land and Income Tax (Annual). Land Laws Amendment. Manawatu Gorge Road and Bridge. Maori. Representation. Marriage Amendment. Mining Amendment. Mortgages Extension. National Provident Fund Amendment. Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment. Native Township Amendment. New Zealand Institute of Architects Amendment. New Zealand University Amendment. Official Appointments and Documents. Payment of Jurors. Police Force Amendment. Police Offences Amendment. Post and Telegraph Amendment. Prisons Amendment. Public Authorities (Party Wall) Empowering. Public Health Amendment. Public Trust Office Amendment. Railways Authorisation. Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering. Shearers' Accommodation. State Forest 3 Amendment. Statutes Repeal and Expiring Laws Continuance. Treaties of Peace. Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion. Women's Parliamentary Rights Extension. LOCAL ACTS. Auckland Harbour Board Loan and Empowering. Gisborne Harbour Board Enabling. Greytown Borough Loan Empowering. Hauraki Plains, Thames. Ohinemuri, and Piako Counties. Hawke's Bay Rivers. Inglewood County. Manawatu County Loan and Empowering Amendment. . Palmerston North Abattoir. Patea Harbour Amendment. Tau'ranga Borough Council Electric Loans Empowering. Tauranga Harbour Board Empowering. Tolago Bay Harbour. Victory Park. Waimakariri Harbour Board Reserve. Wairoa Harbour Board Empowering and Loan. Wellington City Abattoir Charges and Renewal Fund. Wellington City Abattoir Loan Wellington City Empowering Amendment. Wellington City Milk Supply. Westport Technical School Site. Whangarei Harbour Board Vesting and Empowering. . PRIVATE ACTS. Charles Joseph Jury Estate EmpowerBILLS DROPPED. The following is a list of Bills dropped or otherwise disposed of: Publio Bills Dropped.—Betterment (No. 2), Board of Trade, Coal Mines Amendment, Compulsory Residence on Pastoral Lands, Counties Amendment, Country Roads, Crimes Amendment, Dairy Industry Amendment, Definition of Time, Dominion State Bank, Factories Amendment, Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment (No. 1), Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment (No. 2), Hotel and Restaurant and Privato Hotel and Boardinghouse Employees Six Days a Week, Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment (No. 1), Industrial and Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment (No. 2), Juries Act Amendment, Justioes of the Peace Amendment, Land Settlement, Finance Amendment, Law Practitioners Amendment, Legislature Amendment (No. 1), Legislative Amendment (No. 2), Legislative Amendment (No. 5), Maori War Medal, Mining Amendment, Municipal Corporations Amendment (No,

1), Municipal Corporations Amendment (No. 2), Native Land Amendment, Naturalised Subjects Franchise, New Protection,' Payment of Jurors (No. 1), Popular Initiative and Referendum, Fost and Telegraph Department Amendment, Proportional Representation and Effective Voting, Registration of Business Names, Eotorua Town Lands, Shops and Offices Amendment (No. 1), Shops and Offices Amendment (No. 2), State Control of Licenses, Stone Quarries Amendment, Temporary Employees, Toll Gates Abolition, Trustee Amendment, Workers' Accommodation, Workers' Compensation Amendment. Local Bills Dropped.—Ohristchurch City Reserves Amendment, Invercargill Borough Boundaries Extension, Taieri Land Drainage' SCHEDULE OF BUSINESS. The following is a schedule of the principal business transacted by the House during the session:—Select Committees on Bills, 22; Public Bills received Royal assent, 77; dropped or otherwise disposed of, 50; private Bill received assent, 1; petitions presented, 373; divisions, 27; days of meeting, 47. Hours of sitting: Before midnight, 296 hours 30 minutes; after midnight, 59; daily average, 7 hours 32 minutes. Questions asked of Ministers, 659; orders for papers, 40; papers- laid on table, 244} reports from Select Committees, 313.