PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 210, 11 September 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION, LEGISLATIYE COUNCIL. Tvesday, 10th September. The Council met at 2.30. The Ashbnrton County Council Empowering Act Amendment Bill was read, a tbird time and passed. In committee on the Companies Bill Clause 4 was amended to provide that a director, before he can be appointed, must have paid in cash the application and allotment moneys on hs share qualification; also to provide a £SO penalty on any applicant for registration who submi's the name of a director who has not consented. This clause was made not appl'c*ble to any prospectus issued on behalf if a company after expiratioa of three years from the date at which the com- j pany is entitled to commence businrss. With legard to restrictions as to' allotments, the amount payable on application on each shara was altered to be nob less than ten per cent, (instead of Are) of the nominal amount of the share. The time fdr companies to comply with three restrictions was extended from forty to sixty days. In Clause 10 (commissions, discounts, etc.) sub-clause 3, which provided that the clause should not affect the power of any company to pay such brokerage as it has heretofore been lawful for a company to pay, was struck out. Clause 18) dealing with audit, was postponed. Progress was then reported, and the Council rote at 4.55.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Tuesday, lOtU Sep*eMbbb. I The House nH; at 10.30. The acting Speaker read a letter from Mr, Albert E. Cohen with reference to the Dui.eriin Ktar breaches of privil ge case. The writ, r stated t> e evidence given before the Mines Committee was publibhed in the public interest and not with any des're of transgressing against the wishes of the House. He suggested that meetings of Select Committees be thrown open to the Press or that reports of proceedings be tupplitd from day to day. He regretted chat his bona fids endeavour to assist in the prosecution of a sea' ching enquiry had led him to commit a breach of privilege, and he trusted the explanation given would be accepted by the nouse. Mr. SedJon moved, That the Bouse accept as satisfactory the expression of regret given by Mr. Cohen, and that the House resolves to proceed no further in the matter. Members had been io. the habit of giving i eporters information, and the public it ion of the 1 evidence in the case now before the Houst) was merely the outcome of that state of things H believed it was in the interest if the public that the evidence in these dredging cases should have been published.

Mr. Jae. Allen said Parliament was degrading itself by allowing its principles to be flouted and the standing orders set at nought. Mr. Fisher agreed with Mr. Allen, and moved as an amendment that the House having dechred the publication of the evidence by the Dunedin Star to be a breach of privilege, and Mr. Cohen hiving declined to disclose the source of his information he be fined £25 for each refusal, or ;£DO in all. Sir Joseph Ward said it was always recogn'ssd in the journalistic profession that the only honourable course to pursue was to withhold the source of information supplied, and now M r . Fisher waited to imp -so a liue so as to compel Mr. Cohen to commit a dishonourable action. Mr. Monk and the Hon. Maj >r Steward spoke. The debate was adjourned for luncheon. ; The House resumed at 2.30. The debate on the Dunedin Star breach of privilege case was continued throughout the afternoon. Mr. Fraser said the representative of the Star knew that he was committing a breach of privilege, and ought to have counted the cost. Mr. Hornsby believed that the publication of this evidence had been more than justified. Mr. S ddon said the amendment, if carried, would be a gross violation of precedent, because before passing judg ment they ought to allow the individual concerned to appear at the Bar of the House. He condemned the conduct of the Oppo ition in making a question of privi'ege one of party. Several ofch.fr members also spoke, and in the course of the debate Mr. Pirani said there was only two peopl° »ho could have »>iv' n the evidence to the Star, viz,, Mr. Chairman •f the OoldnVlds Committe*, and the Cleik of the Committee. From all the circams'anc s he (Mr. Pirani) could not see bow the clerk could have been the person who gave it. Mr. Palmer strongly objected to this insinua'ion that he had divulged the report. The Acting-Speaker asked Mr. Pirani to withdraw the insinuation, as Mr. Palmer had denied having given out the evidence. Mi. Pirmi said he did not intend to any insinuation, but if it was held that ho had done so he withdrew it. When the question was put shortly before the dinner adjournment, the first portion of Mr. Seddon's motion ,was carried by 42 votes to 18, Mr Fisher's amendment thus being negatived. Tpo House rose at 5.30. Evening Sitting. The House resumed at 7.30. The debite on the breach of privilege case was continued. Mr. McGowan moved to amend the Premier's rno'ion by striking out the words declaring that the expression of regret given by Mr. Cohan bo arcp'ed by the House "as satisfactory," th< | Premier remarking that they wire regarded as superfluous. | A very long debate ensti. d, on S'rai lar lines to the discussions which had taken place earlier in the day. The debate was interrupted by the 10.30 adjournment, and the House rose.