PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 254, 28 October 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PKE PRESS ASSOCIATION. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (Continued from Saturday.) In the debate on the second reading of the Local Bodies Loans Bill Captain Russell said the Bill prevented local bodies expending modes' on maintenancs of public works, and yet there was j £675,000 on the Public Works ' mates for maintenance of open lines of railway which had been built out of loan, which was entirely contrary to the law. The interest proposed by tbe Bill (5 par cent) was too high, and it' iwas dangerous to give local bodies 1 power to pledge rates for fifty yeira for loans at such a rate. I

Sir Joseph Ward said Captain Russe'l's interpretation of procedure in regard to allocation of loan money was wrong. No loan money was ever applied to maintenance of any work in any part i>f the colony. The rule in regard to allocation of loan money for new works only was never departed from.

Mr. P.'rani urged conceding to boroughs small powers of borrowing under the Act.

Mr. J. Allen spoke.

In reply to Mr. Allen tha Premier said £500,000 was taken out of the Consolidated Fuad for the Public Works Fund. He urged that nothing like £500,000 worth of maintenance and repairs could be found in tbe Public Works Statements. After paying for maintenance, iepairs, and painting he had over £200,000 left out of that sum. Replying to Coptain Russell, he said it was true £675,000 was proposed for additions to open lines this session ; £600,000 was vo k ed last year but only £325,000 was expended, leaving £275,000 for this year, but they had committed the colony for locomotives and waggons, whioh would become a charge this year. He contended that they had not chirged renewals or maintenance against capital or loan. The second riding was agreed toon thqvoicfH.

the Premier moved the second reading of th* Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill, defining defamatory libel, the definition being rendered necessary through criminal libel having been inadvertently lt-fb out of the Criminal Coda Act.

Mr Hornsby said this was one of the most savage Bilk he had ever' looked at. In provide! five years' imprisonment for criminal libel, and he did not think any such provision previously existed. (Mr Seddon: Yes) Experience had shown tbe criminal side of Court had been too often invoked. He hoped the House would carefully consider what he regarded is a oruel and swage proposal. There was no option cf fine provided, and he urged that the provisious of the Bill should be modified.

Mr Fisher supported the Bill. Mr Oarnoros* said the respectable Press of New Zealand bad no objection to a criminal libel; but he objected that this Bill was more vicious than the criminal libel law of Eog and.

Mr Atkinson said the Bill retained a good deal of the old law, whioh was undoubtedly undesirable, and did not introduce certain necessity amendments, which the advance of our civilisation rendered necessary. Mr Barclay urged that the Bill be referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.

Mr Pirani said the Bill was a travesty on lcgiahtion. Messrs McNab, Collins, and Napier spoke. The Premier, in reply, said he did not wish to be extreme, but was advised the Bill merely enacted existing hw in England and Q'KersUnd. No oni at present wis saf', and he himself had had particular causa for complaint. If these people went on they would have to go back to the old tim°, and that was the only way one could appeal to the feelings of some of these brute?, who bad no hesitation in spreading slander, kbb ving it to be infamous and untrue. Memb- rs of the Press were si inconsiderate and so atrocious in the manner in which they slandered andj libelled other people. He had no objection to refer th-s Bill to the Statutes Bevisiou Oommittfe.

The second reading was carried by 41 to 13, and the Bill referred to the Statutes BsvMon Committee. The Land Tax and Income Tax Bill passed through commutes without amendment, and subsequently passed its final stages.

The Lojal Bodies Loan 811 was reported fiona committee wi'hout material amendment read a third time, and passed.

In committee on the Public School Ttaohers Salaries Bill the first; schedule was amended to make the fixed salary £52 and ctpitation 80j for both males and f«raales in schools with attendance over eight and not over twenty. It. was also decided that in schools with an average attendance from one to eight capitation be paid at the rata of £5 per head. The Bill passed its final stig'B on the voices. The House rose at 3.45 ».m.