PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13713, 30 September 1908, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY.

IPee Preee Association. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. s WELLINGTON, Sept. 29. Cowfl- mH ; - BILL. "" J6H nn *" n i Ul * to which the PawnWW* Charges Bill was referred, rethat tbey were of opinion, after Ml' that' session. lISSPECTION OP MACHINERY. * - Inspection of * Machinery Bill -V W & . tJfciife that o«|?»or^ste§n extffijes ajn -working side by side, and are goring, the elates of engine-driver rt&&*d most be j' c#« the combind , xWjjjt Bill wbs reported %itl Amendments, third time, and passed. HARBOURS BILL. , \ Harbours slei Amendnient Jiill ™ "clause BptMtf 5, providing for granting occupaL, of foreehoies was struck out. iPlii 6, which provide*, that reclamat tiJsl'by ;local authorities may in oertain j-V-dBP be v authorised by the Governor-in-was alio struck opt. |. .jK Bill was reported with amendments, third time and p*««|IIiiPUBLIC BODIES LEASES. potbd, *ni Cprnxil adjourned at 5 .*B»e Cofflaril resumed at 8 p.m. * LABOUR BILL. The Attorney-General, in moving the - Art ime&niSrfm; «JcT that the definition . of stlTke'br lock-out as set forth in the Bill and »t was for the Councfl th Ms»tm4efine -tbeee. .points... ■ider'tho' conciliation council clauses. He intended to have the Bffl referred to the L«bo»r Bilk Comm:ttee after passing the , aeeodd reading. ' ' >%>•: 7 .. Mr, Paul, in seconding the wia tbe wlv alternative to arbitration wa* itr&a, and it was not to make out I tease in support of strike*. - 3H Loughnan generally approved of the ' Bill. ' Mc Sinclair the constitution MOM^fiaffexertion. ■'' -'tfe 1 ."deoi«e was adjourned, ana the rw» at ILIS p.m.

ifOtJSE OF R&^KSTATmiS. ■The Hotue met aii2t3o p.wSECOND BALLOT BILL. The' Premier moved thftith®/House dtsuntf with the amendment* made m the tjecdid 8411101 BiU b 5" lb ® Council, and appoint an coaasting of ??ir William Stewd, ; fnd JJie mov&v to draw "up reasons for so- d*»- , jjc Mmg i*gr*U«i that the Minister h*d Wpm WKiM "fi>r moving thw motion. He hoped would be dropped, but apparently float was not to ■ b« the case. Members now real Wed better thai evwthattbe- ekctow entirely opposed " the nrnimr», anil tbey should have an opportunity opi nigra on the atxitioo- v He moved that the debate be adjoarned ' for twelve months. The Bill •boold be dropped, but instead it was to be placed io all its bidtoiMUßS on tho hook. It reminded him of the «d ' "Whom the gods .wish Uj dwtroy,' dney T** effrct* pintt'tllje mil *puld lead to all kinds »f a«»tkal eogine<nag. Mr Maswey went on ft» qt>bt« statistics to febow that tho aecoed ballot worked badly in (Germany. .H; | MM: giad that, the Pm» throughout the length and breadth of the country had protested again* -the gag clause. Lib-.rty of speech, and freedom of the Prew wrw tbe constitutional prerogatives of the people. Neither Mr AsMjttith, Sir WOf rid Laaher, nor Mr Deakin would drratn of figging the Preen. - Eternal vigil*net- wuk th« prk* of liberty, and the wor>t tyranny wm powibJe und«r a Democratic UovcrnißMi. . , jStr J. 11. Ward said hi* had adopts! tWf mxuJ cooatfttttiooal i-ourws. Mr Mmtt had adopted an unusual one. If Mr Majwejr'a motion wa» agtced to, th--Hnvw would b» stultifying itself. He It be Premiero} object in bringing o* l B'" dona wan to ensure majority iu!e. In spit* of the clamour raiwfd ov.r the Bill h- had received u>ant»c* from all over

»Jw Dwntnwn tha>.tbe people approve'! *»f the jneaaute. A* for the gag cLarf*-. the gr«r*estmimprtt*TJtationl»d appeared in (he P*m*.'-TW clause waa ratet>d«l to

ls.lp the poor nan. , H* .*»<* not afraid of the Pte»».* nor . danot.-d by concerted action on, it*> part. . H*» Opposition *» agaiMt- UK- Bill they thought it *w«Jd .be. fcgaiwa.their part? mterett*. Jlr Wiiwro wud lie r.i# strongly op l»:-d U» the liill. and utterly m» to the gag flame. In tbe tim* ptac*. it would Rat ; W effective, but if »l wet*, it would •trik* **t lone*6l* fbevnHwa effective >•*(•'- gnard* of.th*'pttbEc: aod of member* of fyrifemeot tbeauieire* H« mule * powerful *ppea] to! maintain that liberty whkH had V*o "banilr ferught for in d*y* loag->g©. *

Mr W. Fraser strongly protested agaiu*fc the Bill, which, be 6aid, did not meet with the approval of the country districts. Mr Fisher was certain that the majority of members did not favour the Bill. Referring to the gag clause, he said the talk about gag wes all humbug. He pro'ceeded to make a violent onslaught on the newspaper Press of the Dominion, which he called a "guitei>nip/' Pre:6. declaring that he would have t*> • j>.irJ half an hour to enumerate all the names by which it should be designated. It was a piece of machinery set np to protect rested interests, and it kicked men. it wsw" opposed by 'misleading. misrepresenting, and -IyiHg about, them Mr Hogg did not taunt the majority of he Press was guttersnipe. He supported he principle of the Bill. Six Poole exprereed the .opinion that "hare was undoubtedly agutteisnipe Prens the; Dominion, though many papers had .done good work. Mr Massev's amendment was lest bv 48 to 18. " ./< On the, original motion being put, Mr 'Biume supported the principle of tbe -Bill, but thought the clam* allowing the publication of statements of fact during ; the intervals between the two ballots ifould be manipulated as to undo <bo whole -principle of the Bill. When the House resumed at 7.330 p.m. the debate was continued.

Mr Allen said it was common report in the- lobbies that tbe vote taken in the afternoon was the result of an intimation given to their fcupport. f.; that the division was to be treated an a want of confidence Tote. Sir J. G. Ward gave this an emphatic denial. reported tlia£ the Minister might.'give a denial, but, ncver!lie3ea«, *t was true. Mr Barclay said that tlw secon.l ballot had been a failure el«.wherf , i :i.< fly hecause of the tremendous infitfcce L-ti-ght to bear between the 'j st aid ;,cnd ballets. Mr Tanner, while opposed to tlie Eill, root and branch, said he »aw nothing to be gained at this stage" by further opposjtion. lie" Hon. Mr McGowan said that the Opposition was against the Bill because it was dangerous—(Hear, hear) —dangerous he meant to the Opposition. Newspapers, were prosecuted for contempt of Court if,they commented upon cases that were sub judice and he failed to see why clause 19 should be called a " gag" because it proposed to establish the fame principle in the elections.

t Mr Herries said that the Government were afraid their o*m Vote would be spliU The late Mr Seddon" would never havo dreamed of bringing such a Bill down. - The whole meaoure w:<f> one of the mojft extraordinary ever brought before Parliament. After further discussion the motion was agreed to on the voices. LOCAL BODIES LOANS. The House went into comm'ttee on the Local Bodies Loan Act Amendment Bill. "At clause 19, providing that th*- Public Trwtee it to be »-ole comuissioner of the sinking fund, yome discussion look place as to the meaning of the clause and the extent of it* operation. Air Izard said that, under tlie clause itwas compulsory upon local bodie* to make tbe Pnbl'c Trustee oinking fund commkisioner, wbetlier tin- Government guarantee was behind the loan or not. Sir J. 0. Ward Mid that would be the caw in regard to all future loam*. Mr Massev said that was very unfair. It meant that local public bodies must invent their .sinking funds in Government debentures whether the loans were guarantee?! or not. He saw no objection U> audit btipulation where tbe Government ; guaranteed a loan, but in other cases local bodies would strongly object to ouch com pula ion. After som» further dbcv»»ion. Sir J. G. Ward said the proposal was reasonable ::e> ibe extra. the local bodies ni'el" obtain outtdde the Government for thedr winking funds would be scarcely w< • u considering, but jf it were considerably more it would mean that the hcarcnv would bv precarious, and further, it woiinl make money dear. Under this proposal the Government, guaranteed the whole investment of the »inkiug luud. Some other members said that tlie effect of the clause would be to pre*ei.i local bod kit obtaining tin-it-cl;<v» i unlv at high intvrvHt> outside the Dominion.

Mr Wilford'e. amendnunt n;it> tkfeated and tlk- clause was agrt*d to.

Jfeetton 20 wajt jniendvd to include the Native and Maori Laitd Law» Aiii iiUinui! Art, 1902. •Sir J. (!. Ward moved m*w clans-.*, ex Uuding tho Hill to in lujmt of which *teps had bien ali.ady taK>n be for«? the patvuing of tl*- Act; pto\idmg jxiWfr for raiding supplementary loan.* not exe©rding oD»-tcnlli <•[ ih-- oi;g>n.*l J«>.m for completing the work fur n Inch tintoon w,«r. l«>rrottcd; liuii-mg the jn-r.od of aUthoriri.it ion of loan* not a[ «.*»« - - i;, i e't to two y«wr», and providing fi>r « >! vol* of the ratepayer* for luaji* under (uragrapb t> ot ciau*« 16 ol -Uc |tmcipj| Act.

Tl>e clause* were .tgtced U>. Vutiou* otljer nunnr muciflnientA were agreed to. A projMiKal by >lr iletr»-« to in< re-t*e tiie Inirmwing jtowern of Town Hoards fnitn £ooo to £IOOO w« thrown out by 35 to 20, tbe Premier stating that the country could not afford to accept tho proposal. TTk- Bill was rc[»orted and the amend menu agreed to. NEW HILLS. The Public Serrico Clarification and

Superannuation Bill, Local Authorities Superannuation Funds Bill, siona Act Amendment Bill, Naval Subsidy Bill, and Mental Hcwpitafc Besses Bill -were introduced by Governor's message and read a first time. The House rose at 1.15 a.m.