GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2885, 24 October 1895, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2 30 last Monday afternoon. LIQUOR BILL. The report on the Conference between the two Houses on the Liquor Bill was adopted. ADDITIONS TO THE HOUSE. The report to expend £IBOO on additions to tho building in wood, or £3OOO in brick, was agreed to. LAND FOB, SETTLEMENT. The amendments in tho Laud for Settlement Bill were not insisted on, and fresh Managers were appointed. The Council adjourned at 3.30 p.m. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. THE LIQUOR BILL. After an hour and a-half’s debate it was decided to agree to a second conference with the House of Representatives on the Liquor Bill, and Mr Ormond, Mr Pharazyu, MrVV.C Walker, Mr Kelly, and Mr Feld wick were appointed Managers to represent the Council. PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS’ HILL. The Public School Teachers’ Incorporation and Court of Appeal Bill was put through its dual stages. At 5 p.m. the Council adjourned till 7.30 p.m. Tho Council.resumed at 7.30 p.m. SHOPS AND SHOP-ASSISTANTS BILL.

In Committee on the Shops and Shop Assistants Bill, the clause amending the principal Act was struck out and replaced by the uew clauses recommended by the Labor Bills Committee. The uew clauses added “ messengers and persons employed to deliver goods for closed shops ” to the class of shop assistants, exempted chemists from the clause on the statutory halfholiday, and provided that all shops shall be closed at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on Saturday evenings on the requisition of a three-fifths majority of shopkeepers in any city or borough. In these clauses the section including the bar of a hotel under the defiuition of “shop,” did not appear so that it has been struck out of the Bill.

An amendment by Mr McLean to disallow all exemptions from the half-holiday was lost on the voices. An amendment was inserted on the motion of Mr Bowen, to the effect that when a shop is run in connection with a factory, both on the same premises, the owner should bo allowed to close both on Saturday, iustead of keeping the shop open and the clerical staff employed on the weekly half-holiday for the factory and vice versa. A motion by Mr Reynolds to make the Act apply to all the Government offices was lost on the voices. Tho Bill was reported with amendments.

The Managers to the Conference with the House on the Land for Settlements Act Amendment Bill reported that a compromise had been arrived at. The report was adopted. At 9.10 p.m. tho Council adjourned till next day.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. LIQUOR bill. On Monday evening, After tho delivery of the Public Works Statement the Premier brought up tho report of the Managers at tho Conference between both Houses on the Liquor Bill. Tho Council had refused to give way on several important issues, and he (tho Premier) thought no more could be done this session. Sir Robert Stout moved message be sent to the Council stating that it it will waive its amendments on all subjects except national optional aud clubs, and the new clauses as to inspectors, the Hoi/se will consent to other amendments made in (ho Bill,” Mr Earnshaw seconded the motion. Tho Premier opposed it, and objected to give way on (lie national option. He - : -|ad iq bring down tho Bill again your. and if t!m Council did not pass ii. 'i now ■■■ ; l ! -'l d; SO the following I’- . . n , v,r G J. Smith aim "pp -mil .-Jr Bobcrt -S'oni'i- .on 'iidmell l, and protested against the action of the Committee. a prolonged debate Robert ■'tout’s amendment was c.arrie ■ on the casting vote of the Speaker, JJ v itos having been recorded for and again.' it. '.Messrs Saunders, Tanner, Hall Jones, McN ab, and W. Hutchison were appointed Managers for a further Conference with jthu Council. I Oj,U.ER OK till Si NKsS, The Premier gave notice of a motion fot the House to sit at II a.rn. for the remainder of tho session.

Mr Bell intimated that he would mov® a motion dissenting from the Bank agreement. The House rose at 12,30 a.m. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, THE CHEMIS CASE. A motion by Mr Mills, for the introduction of the Criminal Code Amendment Bill (relating to the Chemis case) was carried by 37 to 30, and the Bill read a first time. Mr Mills moved that the second reading be made the first Order of the Day for Friday. Tho motion was carried by 33 to 30. LIME BILL. A motion by the Hou. Mr McKeuzie for the introduction of the Lime Lands Acquisition and Reservation Bill was carried by 46 to 18, and the Bill read a first time. NATIVE RESERVES BILL. The Premier moved the introduction of the Native Reserves Act Amendment Bill, which, he explained, would give the Public Trustee power to renew leases of native reserves on the West Coast of the North Island without submitting them to public competition. Captain Russell, Sir Robert Stout, aud others entered a strong protest against the Government bringing down fresh Bills in the dying hours of the session. The Premier said that the House itself was responsible for the delay, as certain members had deliberately blocked the work. There were some Bills on the Order Paper which must be passed before members got away. The introduction of the Bill was carried by 51 to 15, aud the Bill was read a first time. END OF THE SESSION. In reply to Captain Russell, the Premier said that he saw no reason why the business of the session should not be brought to a close at the end of the present week. The Premier’s motion that for the remainder of the session the House meet at 11 a.m. was carried by 35 to 29. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL STATISTICS BILL. The Hon. Mr McKenzie moved tho second reading cf the Agricultural and Pastoral Statistics Bill, to enable these statistics to be collected earlier in the year than was the case at present. The motion was agreed to on the voices. PUBLIC RESERVES VESTING BILL. The Hou. Mr MeKenzie moved the second reading of the Public Reserves Vesting aud Sale Amendment Bill, relating to a Dunedin matter.—The motion was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 5.30, and resumed at 7.30 p.m. EXPLANATION BY THE COLONIAL TREASURER.

Mr Ward said he desired to make a statement in reply to an editorial article that had appeared in that evening’s paper. He went on to say that arrangements for the payment of £600,000 interest due iu London at the end of the present month had been made weeks ago, and that there no reason for any uneasiness on this head. He also wished to give au absolute aud positive denial to the assertion that it had been intended to again collect the laud tax iu advance. It was not true that recourse would have to be made to the trust moneys of the Government Insurance Department and other Government departments ; on the contrary, large sums of money were lying in the various lending departments of the Government awaiting investment. It was also absoliUely and wholly untrue that advances to settlors were to be suspended. Au office had been established to make advances to settlers, aud it would bo used for that purpose alone. As a matter of fact a very largo sum, amounting from £BOO,OOO to £1,000,000, was held for distribution by that department, aud was kept in a special trust account. He desired to assure members that the Government had kept tho finances of tho colony in a strong aud sound condition. INTERCEPTING SUPPLY. On the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply, Captain Russell asked whether it was intended to go into Supp'y for consideration of the Public Works Estimates without first debating the Public Works Statement. Tho Premier said that evou Captain Russell himself had admitted that there was nothing in the Statement. Really the Statement contained no policy. Captain Russell protested against the course adopted by the Premier. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. The House then went into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Public Works Estimates, Captain Russell, Sir Robert Stout, aud others protested against the way in which the House was being treated iu this matter. After a very long discussion Sir Robert Stout’s motion to report progress was lost by 37 to 36. Discussion on the Estimates then proceeded.

Ou the Public Works Departmental Vote, a motion by Mr Pinkerton to reduce the salary of the Under-Secretary for Public Works and Railways by £IOO, was lost by 25 to 15. The item Pohaugina Forest mill and tramway, £BOO, was reduced by £7 90, Mr Pirani stating that a sawmill was not required in that locality. This was the only alteration made in the estimates, which were completed at 2.45 a.m., when the House adjourned till 11.30. The House met at 11.30 a.m. Mr Bell’s notice of motion traversing the bank agreement, was deferred till 2.30. The Reporting and Debates Committee presented a report urging that members should hasten the sending in of their proofs, so as to expedite the publication of Hansard. Mr Ward announced that three shipmasters had made independent examinations of the barque George Thompson and totally refuted the assertions of her crew regarding her seagoing qualities. After a thorough examination they found the vessel, below and aloft, in a very satisfactory condition. The leakage complained of was only normal, and the deck load was stowed in such a manner that it would not interfere with the working of the vessel. This report was endorsed by other experts after a thorough examination. Replying to questions by Mr G. J. •Smith and Mr G. Hutchison, the Premier said lie should consult the Colonial Bank directors, and if 1 hey bad no objection ho should lay the share list on the table. Ho would .also procure the total of schedules in the agreement and lay them on the table. Hu might say that he had the opini >n of tiio President, and the auditor of the Bank . o New Zealand '.hat the agreement was a good one, both for the Colonial and the Bank of Mow Zealand, bathe woujd ask the President fora general report. !-'ir R. Stout expressed the opinion that

; ■, ;i‘ aqrepmeiit was ultra rirra, and that any ; s'i < reholder could upset it, 110 asked the i' funnier to take legal advice whether or j unt tiiia was so. The I’vu'.v.ior raid 140 should take legal advice 011 the question raised. The debate on the agreement woql 1 not bn + ,r.lfon jbetore to-morrow.

Tho amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Public School Teachers Bill were disagreed with, and managers were appointed to confer. In committee on the Agricultural and Pastoral Statistics Bill, Clause 3 was amended tr provide that the statistics shall be lodged not later than the 10th of February in each year. The remaining clauses were passed without amendment. Tho Public Reserves Vesting and Sale Amendments Bill was passed through committee without amendment. The Land Act Amendment Bill was committed. Clause 7, which gave power to the Government to reserve all metals, minerals, oils, gases, or valuable stones, was opposed by Sir R. Stout, who asked what would bo left to the settler if the clause passed. Tho Hou. J. McKeuzie held that therb was no hardship in the clause, as everyone who took up land in future would know that if it contained gravel or metals they would be liable to be reserved on fair compensation being given for surface damage and loss of occupation. If the House would not pass the clause he must be satisfied with the Bill without it. The discussion was interrupted by the luncheon adjournment.