UNDUE HASTE OPPOSED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19129, 25 September 1936, Page 5

UNDUE HASTE OPPOSED

WORK OF UPPER HOUSE MORTGAGE LEGISLATION PROTEST BY MEMBERS (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. A protest against the hurry in which the Legislative Council was asked to deal with the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Bill was made by several members of the Council yesterday afternoon. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on the previous evening and was received by the Council, next afternoon, when the Leader, the 'Hon. M- Fagan, moved that it be read a second time pro forma and be referred to the Statutes Revision Committee, which would meet immediately and consider the measure. A protest against this suggestion was made by the Hon. W. Perry, who said the bill was not yet in the possession of members. The. Speaker: The bill is in circulation now. Mr. Perry: That, strengthens my protest. He said it was a far-reaching bill and had been considered by the House for some weeks. Now the members ot the Statutes Revision Committee were asked to deal with it forthwith, although important amendments had been made. He for one would not feel competent to sit on a committee without, having had an opportunity of considering the bill first. - The'Hon. R, McCallum said lie hoped that Mr. Fagan would adhere to his motion, lie hiin.selt had spent, many hours on the bill and bad watched every stage of its passage through the House. Members were anxious to get on with the work. Mr. Perry's residence was in Wellington, but oilier members homes were not there. "BACK DOOR METHODS” Sir .James Allen said he hoped Mr. Fagan would take heed of the protest. The- bill was most important, and members should he given reasonable time to study it before being called on to dc liberate. The Hon. J. Cotter said that he felt very much in sympathy with Mr. Perry’s suggestion. If the best results were to be obtained from the work of the Council, opportunity should be given members to discuss important bills.

The Hon. T. F. Doyle said he had had a copy of the hill for a week.

Members : You couldn’t have had one. Mr. Cotter said that he had repeatedly tried to secure a copy of the bill. lie could not get one. that morning.

“There should he no back-door way of getting a hill,” he said. Mr. Fagan pointed out that no member was entitled to a copy ot a bill till it had been read a first time. He was under no obligation to send if to the Statutes Revision Committee, but he had faith in the committee. Sending it to the committee might shorten the debate in the Council, which had been waiting a long time for the legislation, and he hoped to have a lull day on the bill to-morrow.

Mr. Fagan’s motion was agreed to