PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4715, 5 August 1893, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

[Pbb Pe2sb Association,! LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. ,'■' Friday, August 4. , The Council met at 2.30 p.m. BBLLING IiIQUOB TO CHttDRKN. I The Intoxicating Liquors' Supply to Children Bill was received from the House and read a firßt time. . ■ b ABVEBTIBING. The Colonial Secbetaby, replying to the Hon C. C. Bowen, aaid that whilst the | gross receipts for farming out the backs of postage receipts, and" telegraph forms for advertising purposes was £800 per annum, the net receipts . amounted to £525. He regretted that there were no data by which the Department could state what portion | of this amount was contributed respectively by postage Btampß and telegraph forms. „ OTAGO HABBOTTB BOABD. On the motion for the committal of the Otago Harbour Board Empowering Bill, The. Hon S. E. Shbimski moved, as an amendment, that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee. The amendment was agreed t0.by, 28 to 8. BILLS The Cheviot County Bill and Ward Conservation of Sights Bill went through Committee, were reported without amendment, and passed their final stages. The Council adjourned till Tuesday next. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House niet at 2.30. ', * PBIVI__"EGI_. Mr Tatlob brought up a question of privilege. He said, he had received a telegram from the Secretary of the Licensed Victuallers' Association of Christchuroh, as follows :— " Disgusted with your conduct and disregard of your piedgSß in voting for Stout's Bill, and you have lost all chaace of ever being returned again." TheSpEAEEB ruled that this was not a breach of privilege. It might have been so if -the telegram had been received prior to Mr Taylor recording his vote on the Bill. QUESTIONS.. Replying to Mr Taylor, why some of the Volunteer Companies in and around Christchurch have received capitation allowance and' some have not. The Hon R. J. Seddon said that capitation allowance was based on the number of parades, &c. that Companies attended. He had been as liberal as possible in this respeot, and had gone further than the regulations permitted, having granted capitation allowance as much as twentyfive per cent below what the regulations required. Replying to Mr Duncan, The Hon W. P. Reevss said if any fresh agents of the Labour Bureau at country police stations were considered ne.e_eary they "would be appointed. There were already 200 agents of the -Bur can, and 196 of these were outside the cities. Replying to Mr Wright, The Hon R. J. Seddon said the House would be afforded au opportunity of discussing Colonel Fox's report, and the intentions of the Government with reßpeot to country corps would then be stated. Replying to Mr Rolieston, The Hon W. P. Reeves eaid the Government would be glad to consider the advisableneßS of providing by enactment that Chairmen of County Councils should be, ex officio, Justices of the Peace for their

term of offlce, in the same way aa Mayors of Boroughs. Replying to Mr Pish, ' • ■ The Hon R, J. Skddon said the Government was not aware that there was any truth whatever in the report that appeared in the Hawera and Normanby Star to tho ' effeot that nm working on Government co-operative works wore some of them making 15s to £1 per day, ahd tbatmen had left 93 per day to go on those works. Replying to Mr Buchanan, The Hon J. M'Kbnzib said the Government did not purpose' to amend the tariff by removing the duty on timber-dressing or planing maohinery. Beplying to Mr Mitchelson, j The Hon J. M'Kenzie said the AgentGeneral may have purohased seven hundred .lantern slides of New Zealand subjeots, under the general authority reposed iv him, but the Government had no information on the subjent. j Replying to Mr Wrght, The Hon W. P. R-sevbs eaid the Government proposed to distribute a sum! of money this year amongst the Education Boards of th 6 Colony, and it wonld be for tbe Boards to ssy how. it should be j expended. Replying to Mr Shera, The Hon R. J. Skddon* said he thought there was no necessity to strengthen tha polioe force along the North Island main trunk railway to suppress sly grog selling. He had already, discharged a man from the co-operative works who had been indulging in Bly grog selling. MINING ACT. The .-. Hon R. J. Seddon moved the second readme of the Mining Act Amendment Bill. He said the Bill was brought in to remedy oertain defeats in the existing law. He thought all would admit that the time bad. arrived when more assistance should be giveh towards the development and .prospecting' of the lower levels ,of Thames, -Beefton ahd Otago. Under the present law there was no power to do this, although they were six and Beven years behind other Colonies in this xeßpeot. Large sums .of money were expended in other Colonies to assist Companies in Ballarat, Castlemaine and other places, and no less than .88000 had been expended by the Victorian Government in one year with this object. Whilst large sums were also expended by New South Wales in the same direction. --All that the present Bill proposed to : do wqs.to advance . one-fourth of the total amouht that may be expended by any prospeotihg Association or Company, and the advance must be made out of money appropriated by Parliament for the purpose, whioh, he thought, was a good safeguard. If something were not done towards prospecting tbe lower levels Of the Thames, they would see that large numbers of the population would leave that district, and the mining industry would languish. \ Clause 5 waa a matter of urgency, and provided that a title to any special claim or licensed holding ehould not be deemed invalid beeau&e of its being dissevered by roads, rivers or water-courses, &o. Mr Rollsston said this was the most extraordinary Bill tbat had como before them, and it was one of a most objectionable character. It was evidently an electioneering trick, and must have been brought down to prevent the Electoral Bill being reached. He saw no reason whatever for passing a Bill of this kind, subsidising private enterprise, before they had the Public Works Statement .before them. There was no urgency whatever in this case, and be thought the House would refuse to pass a Bill of this kind. The Government was going to make itself a huge pawnshop for the benefit of certain goldfield constituencies. The olause that Mr Seddon stated was a matter of urgency was a most dangerous one, and -introduced retrospective legislation. The Bill, he thought, ehould go through very careful scrutiny, not only by the Goldfields Committee but by the House generally, and he resented the proposal to expend the money of the taxpayers in such a * profligate manner. ■ Mr ' Weight considered that the Bill was a very dangerous one, and that under . it the Minister for Mines would be able to advance £4000 on the security of machinery, plant and mines. However, the Bill was to go before the Goldfields Committee, and no doubt it would receive careful consideration. Mr Taylob Baid if the Government was going to spend thousands of pounds in developing the gold-mining industry, other industries would also claim consideration. He denied that there was any urgency at all in the matter. Mr Buckland thought the urgency in the Bill had arisen very suddenly. The urgency was, no doubt, due to the recent election in the Thames, andthe Government was anxious to *%how the new, member for that district what it was going to do for. it. He objected altogether to, the power purposed to be given to the Government by this Bill. He objected very strongly to the principle .contained in the Bill of raising money all over the Colony for prospecting purpoßeß. Mr C. H. Mills was astonished at the Opposition objecting to this Bill. Asa member representing a mining constituency, he complimented the Minister for Mines on bringing in a Bill of this kind, whioh had been required for some time. The mining industry had not received the l attention it should have done, and some i rich deposits might be found by this Bill He should support the Bill in the general interest of the mining industry. The Hon J M'Kenzie was not at all astonished at Mr Rolieston objecting to this" Bill, aa he objected to all Bills emanating from the Government. The Government, however, had the responsibility in this matter. Section 5 affected the rights of many people who, held land under leases from the Crown, ahd who, after having spent thousands of pounds j upon their properties, would probably I come npon the Government for compenI sation if their claims were jumped. Mr Bolleston asked whether the Government would pass that clause aad drop the other portions of the Bill P Mr Allen understood that Clause 5 was urgent, and if the Minister for Lands' contention was correct, no doubt there was some reason for that olause. As regarded the other part of the' Bill, however, there could be no urgency whatever, and ho hoped that Mr Soileston'a suggestion would be adopted. He denied Mr Mills' assertion that the Government did nothing for the mining interest, and Baid it did a good deal for it. If there was a necessity tor assisting- prospecting, why not come down to Parliament and ask it to vote the money, instead of giving so much power to the Minister P Clause 5 might be imperaative, but the other clauses were not. Mr Hogg was glad that the Bill waß going before the Goldfields Committee, as it waa a measure that required very careful scrutiny. Mr M'Lean said the only objection he had to the Bill was that it did not go far enough. He also regretted .that the Bill had been brought down so hurriedly tbat it could not receive fuller consideration. He held that the Minister, for Mines gave very little assistance to the goldmining industry^ whilst ih Viotoria last year the Government had spent £61,950 for goldmining, coalmining and diamond drilling; and this year, although the revenue had decreased by nearly a million, it proposed to spend .834,156. Other Colonies also spent far more in this direction than New Zealand. * Mr E. M. Smith strongly supported the Bill, and hoped it would receive the attention of the Goldfields Committee. Colonel Pbasee, thought if the Government wished to assist bhe Thames goldfields it would have to do so in a more comprehensive manner than was proposed by the Bill. He felt sure that the Thames people would not take advantage of the Bill as it stood. Mr Valssntine wonld support this Bill, if it were only for the interest of miners and not for that of the Colony at large. He held that there was a necessity for the Bill, and he himself had applied to the ! Minister for assistance to a mining company in hiß constituency who were poor men and could not afford to prospect themselves. . Mr Richabdson thought if the Minister could see his way to put what he considered the urgent part of the measure in a separate Bill, there would not be much oppo- j sitiontoitj but he believed there would ■

be considerable objection to the Bill aa brought down by the Minister for Mines. MrG, Hutohison said Mr Seddon spoke ; of tbe urgency ot the Bill, but there was another Bill on the paper (tho Electoral Bill) whioh was also urgent; and overy • minute spent over the present Bill was ao ! muoh delay in giving women the franchise, j He objected to tho present Bill, aa it pro- ' vided that the Colony should be a sharer j :in speculation. As Mr Rolleaton's suggestion was not adopted, it was clearly the object of the Minister to get the leading portion of the Bill through, i The Hon S. J. Seddon eaid he con- | sidered Clause 5 bo urgent that he would ; he prepared in Committee to strike out the < olausea relating to advances, and pass the ] latter portion of the Bill through all ita ■ stages. Ho then moved that the House go into Commictee on the Bill. Mr Eoi_-._..ton said the Premier promised to refer the Bill to the Goldfields Committee, and he hoped that wonld be ■ done.. , < • .'i . J Mr .Guinness said that /the Premier referred to the whole Bill, j The motion for committal waa carried by 27 t0 22. ■ ■' i The House rose at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m.* ' ■ The House went into Committee on the Mining Aot Amendment Bill. Clauses 2, 8 and 4, authorising advanoes for the development; of lower levels, were struck out on Mr Seddon'e motion. Clause 5, claims not deemed invalid by reaaon of disseverance by river, &0,, or watercourse, elicited a lengthy disoussion, but waa finally passed with a Blight Amendment. The remaining olausea were struck out, • and the Bill was read a third time and passed. EIiEOrORAL Blili. The Electoral BUI was further considered in Committee. Clause 13, claim for transfer to another distriot, or change of residence. Mr Fibh moved that the term for whicn a person may reside in a new district before he can transfer his name to the electoral roll should be three months instead of one month, j A ldngthy discussion ensued, and Mr Pish finally withdrew the amendment; Mr Maokbnzih (Clutha) then moved the same amendment, which was Joat by 38 to 18, and the clause passed without alteration. ;■"• :'■' ■:■ -" .;.;.','. Clause 20, fontiatKfe of new ; roll. Alengthy debate epsued on ihe question of purging the rollß and the issue of electoral rights aa suggested by. Sir E. ; Stout. The cause was fiually passed without amendment. Clause __, roll to be open for inspection. Mr Buchanan moved that the eectpiul. roll should be open for inspection every day during office hours, instead of two days only. - .Agreed to. Clause 59, seamfen and coumierc'al j traveller* to make •* declaration and claim for election right. ' Mr J. Kbli.'s. moved to include shearers in this clause. . Mr Fira: opposed the amendment. Mr B. Thompson said if this amendment were carried, he should be prepared to move that all bushmen be included. The Hon E. J. Seddon asked the Committee not to agree to the amendment, as they would have to include co-operative men and others. ' ,J Mr 3, Kelly said during the last,eleetion hundreds of shearers were unable to vote owing to the election being held when they could not attend to register their votes. Mr Kelly's amendment to insert Bhearerß was lost by 26 to 17. Mr KbiiLT then niioved to strike out the words "commercial travellers" from the olause.. . : v ". Mr Fish hoped that those words would not be struck out, The commercial travellers were an intelligent body of men, and they had _,_ much right to vote as seamen. ■*,'•■•■'•' Mr Tanner supported the amendment. Mr E. M. Smith asked the House not to make itself a laughing Btook by undoing what it did lastses^ion. '.-'.'■ : , -.."■'< Mr Cabncrobb would vote for the amend-: ment, as he considered shearers had as muoh right to the franchise, and they had refused it to them. He knew that the: commercial travellers were an intelligent body of men, but they should not make a distinction between them and other olaeses.' The Hon E. J. Sbddon eaid a good, case had been made, out for the commercial travellers, many of whom had property, and who were differently situated from shearers. Last year the franchise bad been given to them almost unanimously. Mr Eabnsha-w said it waß quite refreshing to hear the Premier defending* property. Tbey were told at the beginning of the session that the polioy of the present Government waß, to be the same as that of the late Government", which had included shearers in the Bill. The more they "'Baw of this session the more they were convinced that there was a pseudo-liberalism in the House. The Hon E.J. Seddon warned the Committee that it would be endangering the passage bf the Bill in the Counoil if.it inserted the amendment. Mr Mackenzie (Clutha) said the Premier was raising a bogey in this matter. Why,, the Upper House was not the same this year as it was last ye^r,. eince tbe Government had put twelve apoatles into it. Mr \ Seddon posed to be. a Liberal, and yet he wished to give electoral rights to commercial travellers because they possessed property, whilst he refused them to shearers who had no property. There were thousands of shearers who would not beable to exercise, their votes if the elections were held in November. Mr Eabnshaw said he had no wish to misrepresent the Premier, but a Liberal Government should^ be genuine in this matter,, and give Bhea'rers electoral rights aB well as travellers. He felt Btrongly.the necessity for passing the Electoral Bill and the female franchise, but they would Bee later . on whether, the Government was sincere in its desire to pass the female franchise. Mr Pish deprecated the attaoS made on i the Premier by the member for the Penin- I aula. That hon gentleman, if he had his | way, would sweep away all property, and \ he (Mr Fish) commended the Premier for j the stand he had taken over tbis matter, j The Hon B. J. Seddon pointed out that ' their late chief promised commercial ', travellers electoral rights, and it was in- < sorted in last year's Bill. He was simply ' carrying out the policy of the late Govern- j mem; in this respect. Mr Pinkeeton supported the amend- ■ ment. j Mr Cabnoboss recognised that the Premier was doing his be.t to pa*3B a good Bill, but in this instance he thought he was raising a bogey when he said thVy ehould not make certain ; amendments, iv the Bill, for fear of. the . Upper House ■ rejecting it. i Sir B. Stout hoped the Committee ; would come t<> a decision in this matter. : He was in favour of both shearers and commercial travellers having votes, but he should vote for the amendment, in order ■ that the Bill might be recommitted, and : commercial travellers and shearers in- \ sorted. i Mr Tanner referred to the inconsistency ' of human nature, and said members who ] professed to support the Bill were propos- ' ing amendments which wrecked it last year. . Mr Eolleston Baid it waß the Premier who wrecked the Bill last year. The Hon E. J. Seddon resented that remark, and said that it was those members in the Upper House belonging to Mr Eolleston's party who wrecked the Bill. Mr Kelly's amendment was lost by 28 to 20, and " commercial travellers" retained in the Bill. Clause 95, deposit by candidates. Sir B. Stout said he had always opposed this clause, and he should vote against it now. Clause retained by 35 to 9. After the Telegraph Office closed, Clanse 83, relating to hours of polling, provoked an exhaustive discussion, several amend- . menta were proposed, and eventually it was decided that polling booths Bhould : finally close at cix o'olook except in the 1

electorates enumerated in the schedule of the present Act, which shall close at seven o'olock. Mr xIrroKLAMD moved that Clause 102 be struck out, his objeot being to abolish triple voting in oity electorates. Tho amendment waa lost by 23 to 17, and tbe olanse retained. When Olause 109 waa reached, progress waa reported, and the House rose at 2.45 a.m.