PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 188, 27 July 1900, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

(PHR PRESS ASSOCIATION.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thdbsdat, July 26. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. On the motion of the Hon. W. 0. Walker, a Select Committee was appointed to consider all matters relating to defence. EDUCATION BOARDS ELECTION. The Hon. W. C. Walker moved the second reading of the Education Boards Election Bill, which was passed by the Council last session. The Hons. T. Kelly, Baillie, Twomey, I land Mclean generally supported the I Bill, and the second reading was agreed | to. The Council rose at 3 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, July 26, The House met at 2.30 p.m. HANSARD STAFF. In reply to the Premier, the Chair- j man of the Printing and Reporting Debates Committee stated that the Committee had not passed any resolution to the eflect that only pressmen shotuld be appointed to Hansard staff. The Committee had not considered the matter. In the course of a brief discussion which followed,

The Premier said that the Government could make an appointment to the staff without consulting the Speaker, but in face of a resolution of the House to the contrary it would be a wrong thing to do. The Speaker said that, knowing none of the candidates for the present vacancy, he had consulted the Committee as to them, and that was all. No attempt was made by the Committee to interfere with his powor to recommend a candidate for appointment to the position. The subject then dropped. . GISBORNE HARBOUR.

The House went into Committee on the Gisborne Harbour Beard Further Empowering Bill, Captain Rus&pll opposed the Bill, on the ground that the harbour was in the wrong jplace, and therefore the proposed and previous expenditure was useless, Mr. J. Allen suggested that tbe unexpended balance, along with the Government subsidy, should be devoted to giving the district connection by rail with the nearest port.

I A motion that the Chairman leave j tho chair was lost by 44 to 5, j The Bill was reported with minor amendment, read a third time, and PaSßed " THAMES BOROUGH. The Thames Borough Endowment Leasing Bill was committed, Mr. Eli moved an amendment that the period of leasing lands be 42 instead of 99 yeara.—Lost by 33 to 10. The Bill was reported without amendments, read a third time, and passed. WELLINGTON STREETS. Mr. J. Hutchtison moved the second reading of the Wellington City Betterment Bill, designed to cast upon properties immediately benefited by 1 certain works in widening streets a share of the cost of same. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. The second rending of the Wellington City Betterment Bill was carried on the voices. AUCKLAND ELEOTiUO LIGHTING. Mr. Foivlds moved tho second reading of the Auckland Ekcbric Lighting ! Bill. Carried on the voices. WELLINGTON CORPORATION. Mr. J. Hutciieaon moved the second , reading of thu Wellington Corporation i Land Exchange Bill, i Carried on the voices. ; ' LIBEL BILL. , Mr. Carncross moved the second ; reading of the Libel Bill, which was on ■ lines similar to those contained in the ' Bill previously before Parliament. He I said the colony was years behind tho I times in the matter of libel laws, and > the Bill no.v under, discussion was : drafted on linos similar to the English ' law. It was a reproach to the colony that newspaper proprietors should, as | they were under the present law, be laid open to'blackmail. All the Bill ; intended to accomplish was protection for fair and impartial reports of public meetings and court proceedings, pro-1 vided the said reports are published I contemporaneously with such meetings I or court proceedings. The interests of the general public were carefully safeguarded, as leaders and local columns and correspondents' letters were not protected, and it was in these columns, and not in reports of meetings, that libels occurred, Mr. Lawry said no public man need fear a faithful report of a meeting or fair Press criticism if they did tueir duty. Mr. Fisher intimated his uncompromising hostility to the Bill, and I stated that it was his intention to move au amendment to the effect that not less than two days after the publication of any defamatory or malicious statement on explanation by the person ! aggrieved should be inserted in a part ! of the paper equally prominent to that | in which the statement complained of | appeared, and in type similar to that tin which such statement appeared, j He contended that instead of greater .license being given to newspapers poor people should be given greater protection against attacks by the Press. Mr. Sed.lon opposed the Bill, on the ground that it would give greater license to the Press. It was his duty to protect tho rights and privileges of ; the people. The Bill did not effect that purpose, but, on the contrary, if ; passed it might lead to homes being I invaded, and remove the safeguards < ' now oxisting, and it would be difficult ; Ito say what would be the result. He intimated his intention to remove the ; copyright on cable messages by the I Press Association, and pointed to the i great danger of a private leputation I suffering if the publication of Court < proceedings was privileged. Tho House took the 10,30 adjourn- >