PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7664, 26 June 1896, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

£', 1 1 _-_-- s _: ' ' ■"" - -„ " • *■ *-■.:; "-.:-• ,?XHEBAED.SPECIAt RePOKTBR. ) f-t;;,., ■ -."': -.'■ WEidUNGTON, to-day. :--■'._ In : submitting the Wealeyan Church Trust Amendment Bill to the "House, the Hon. Mr Seddon explained that ■ : /_ the measure was rendered necessary by the "('.recent union of the Wesleyan Methodist, -^.United Methodist, and Bible Christian The Bill provided, amongst okher things, that other churches could be admitted to the union. After a debate extending over an hour, in which a number of T committee objections were raised, the second reading was agreed to. "■"--•- In xn'oving the second reading of the ConJtagioQß Diseases Act Repeal Bill, the Hon. ;'-i Mr' Walker, who las* year voted against it, spoke rather in opposition to the duty \ imposed on him. He said that though the ■'' Act was now dominant, when it was last in force in Auckland and Christchurch it had the effect of keeping some people not actually belonging, to the vicious class from contact with flagrant immorality, and since its discontinuance it was a matter of notoriety .that juvenile prostitution was on the in- . crease. Those who sought to repeal the Act were assuming a serious responsibility; and ■ hedid not draw the line there, but said the Stateshould seriously consider the question .how they were to bring up their young ■'■ -'people. (Hear, hear.) Sir Geo. Whitmore ■'. opposed the Bill as before, and said those who signed the petitions had no possible experience of the working of the Act. Mr -Kelly alluded- to the significant statement of ■ the mayors attending the Municipal Conference, that juvenile prostitution was increasing, and said if this Act were done away with they would need something to take its place, - It was a question to his mind that Bhould be referred to the people at the general election. Mr Stewart, on the other hand, thought it advisable to put an end to the agitation, believing it better to anticipate public opinion than to have to follow it. Mr Bowen, in a stirring speech, said that a great deal of agitation arose from , moral cowardice. A great number of people - whoknewnothingol the subject were anxious about it, while the majority had no strong opinions about it. The question was whether "this" Act was useful physioally or morally. Trom his own experience in Christchurch it ,waa a matter of notoriety that all young ' girls ' were swept from their streets and juvenile immorality almost put an end to 1 .while the Act was in force. He knew this as a matter of facb, and he viewed with I -horror the views of those who set themselves up as a kind of providence on this matter, , and said that punishment to the third and fourth generation was a kind of providential punishment. He believed that physically and morally the enforcement of this Act would be of benefit to the country, and those 1 who thought so should not vote for its " 'repeal. Mr Jennings drew a graphio picture of the palatial' buildings devoted, to vice • which alluded young girls when the Act was in force, while Mr McLean considered it a ehame that the Act had not been enforced throughout the colony, us it would be easier for parents to. control their girls, who now ; - with plenty of time on their hands strolled 'the streets at night. Mr Walker did not reply, and by. 20 votes to 11 the Bill was . "thrown out. ~"- The Superintendent of the Advances to ,', Settlers Department, in bis annual report "'-, laid on the table of the House, states that i the amount on the, 25th June temporarily .'(invested' was £606,344 ; while the amount "which has been authorised to be advanced and which applicants have agreed to accept « £735,967. The annual income and expenditure on the basis of advances made to that amount and funds temporarily invested as at' present may be stated approximately as follows :— lncome : Advances authorised and "accepted, £735,967 at 5 per cent., £36,798 ; ; temporary investment of £606,344 in Govern^ ment securities at the rate of 3J per cent., £20,747 ; balance on current account with - : the bank, £51,805, estimated to produce ' 14 P?r cent., £103; total income, £58,581. Expenditure : Annual charge at 3 per cent. ; ph - £1,500,000, £45,000; salaries for the year, £3700 ; other expenses, including in- "• tereat on advances from Treasury, £2800 ; ; mortgage tax (estimated), £1800 ; total ex- .: p'enditure, £53,300 ; balance of income over . expenditure, £5281. A similar amount on : the basis of the amount actually issued and ..paid .to the applicants, £587,815, Mr '■'-. Warburton says, " would yield a surplus of .-income .over, expenditure. It will be seen .^therefore that the time has arrived when the \; income, is sufficient to meet the expenses of ,'; management, and begins to yield a surplus .such as should soon repay the b mount by : . : . which during the earlier, stages (the stage . of institution), the expenditure naturally ex- ■ ceedcd the income." ■ ; \Sir _6i Whitmore having moved that the > Council adjourn for a fortnight, there being ' no busineas of importance for it to go on with, Mr Walker suggested on behalf of the 1 Government that the motion should be with- ;, drawn, as it waa probable that in a few days measures of great importance would be sent up to the Counoil, and the Ministry thought 'a more suitable time for a holdiday would be . when the Financial Statement was being discussed in the Lower House. The motion ''was Withdrawn accordingly. .A phase of the Ziman incident. — Mr W. . Hutohison has tabled the following notice of motion : " That in the opinion of this House ' no concessions or subsidies Bhould be granted , to any foreign goldmining syndicate or company without an agreement being entered 'into that the ruling rates of wages in the district for miners and laborers shall be paid by each syndicate or company." ' That women's influence in ' politics is '-" being felt in_ view of. the approaching elec- , tious is evident by the fact that Mr G. W.. .Bussell's Removal of Women's Disabilities Bill got through its second reading stage „.y esterday afternoon. The measure provides that women may hold any office now held by men, the Btatutes to the contrary notwithstanding. After Mr O'Regan had - seconded the motion, it looked as though a vote was to be taken without even the courtesy being extendod to the member introducing the measure of having the ■ „ .principle discussed, when Mr Allen took the ■ . floor for the purpose of saying that in his opinion the Bill went too far. Women had had the franchise granted to them, and Bhould now be left alone for a few years. ' ' Dr Newman supported the Bill, and con/sidered it was only a matter of time before it would become law. Mr George Hutchison ' also considered the Bill a good one, and held ' that the sphere of women's work Bhould be extended. Mr Hall-Jcmes said that in • speaking to the question he must not be ~ "considered as voicing the views of the Ministry. Personally he supported the Bill, as he. had done last session. After Mr , Button had opposed the Bill because he did Dot think that women should be brought . into contact with men in the struggles of ' ' life, the second reading was carried by 26 to 22, 1 la oommittee in the Council yesterday • the Adulteration Prevention Acts Amendment Bill was amended' by a new clauses including condensed milk among the artioles >-^hnt must bear on the label an analysis f f showing the percentage of water products, 'I'-Jautter fat, and other properties, if any, • contained in it. On the motion of Mr Jones it .was resolved that on tins or packages of any article styled coffee there must be printed a description of the ingredients thereof. -' ' A deputation of between sixty and seventy prohibitionists attending the convention here waited on the Premier last night in , reference o to the laxity of police administration throughout tho colony. The spokesmen, who were the Rev. Mr Walker (secretary of the New Zealand Alliance), Mr A. S. .Adams (Dnnedin), ..and Mr G. Carson (Wan- ,- - ganui), complained of the difficulty that confronted them when breaches of the Licensing . . Aotoccnrred, and alleged that the police found ", it impossible to carry on the duties required , V. of them, if they attempted to do so they -. '.were immediately transferred elsewhere. •*. ■ ,tEhe Premier* in his reply, would not admit V. .that there' was laxity in the administration, v He Btated that be had given strict Instructions that the law was to be enforced, and . was not prepared to allow that these were not carried out by the police generally. As ' - '.to. this, he oould do no more than slate that v';'.' he would lay the views of the department '. -before the .Cabinet. With respect to the .'^inspection of brewericß, it was an error to t suppose that since. Mr Jaokman bad left the ;.,; service nothing. had been done, as he could : r .-_~.;jnform then* that very strict supervision was i/^Gicercised.-' As to the excise officers, he s£s"jiM»tiOTi'theni if he found any officer not 7 ; 7:' 4oiti({ bis duty he would soon have him disfe' r >mj«s£(i : f r «P tbe force.

JOTTINGS. Tho second reading of the Defamation Bill | introduced by Mr Feldwick, was agreed ti by the Council after remarks by Mr Jenning and Dr Grace, and was referred to thi Statutea Revision Committee. Dr Gruee is of opinion thab tho Defamatioi Bill is designed to allow the press to " si easy." Complaint was made by Mr McKenzii that a reference in his speech on the Bill t< give the convict Chemis a new trial hac been omitted from hia Hansard proof. Mi Speaker promised to inquire into the matter Already there are signs of dissension ir the ranks of the Independent Liberal party and Mr Riccarton Russell, who aspired t( the leadership, has been deposed and prac tically sent to Coventry. This step was taken because of Mr Russell supplying in formation to a correspondent of the Lyttel ton Times concerning a matter which the meeting refused to entertain. By the Customs Duties Reciprocity Act Extension Bill the power given under last session's Act to the Colonial Treasurer to enter into reciprocity with Canada and South Australia is extended to other colonies, and also to the United Kingdom. A fortnight's leave of absence on account of urgent private business is being asked for Mr Ward by the Premier. With the view of preventing Sir Robert Stout'a Defamation Bill being reached Ministerial supporters stonewalled Mr Rioarton Russell's Periodical Revalution of Leases in Perpetuity Bill from 7.30 till midnight, when the second reading was refused by 37 to 17. There is no ground for the report of a southern paper that a loan policy is to become a feature of the Financial Statement, as Ministers are not likely to ask for power to raise a loan this year. The Cabinet will probably to-morrow come to a decision on the questions of the Attorney-Generalship and the vacant Judgeship. In the division on the Women's Disabilities Bill, Ministers were divided Messrs Thompson, Seddon, and Hall-Jones voting for the measure and Messrs Cadman and MoKenzie against it. Whethor the growing feeling in favor of the equality of the sexes, or the near approach of the elections and a desire to capture the women's votes is responsible for the result our readers must determine for themselves. Suffice to say that in 1894 there was no member of the Government supporting the Bill, Mr Seddon's name appearing among the noes.