PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5056, 15 September 1894, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

(_JTER JTBESB iLSSOCIATIUJN.J Legislative Council, Fbiday, Sept. 14. AFTERNOON FITTING. The Council tmt si 2.80 p.tn. TKIiP.OPAPH S'OUM?. The Hon C 1 -'. Bovves u^ked the Colonial Secretary wli^n the telegraph forms issued by the Government would appear without advertisements <>u thuir foaoke. The Colonial Seoretaby replied that thft prenut't contact .would terminate in about sx month*, and would not be continued. HARBOURS ACT. On tie motion for the committal of the Harbonre Act. Amendment Bill, The Hon S. E. Shiumski cxpreased the opinion that tho fotuth. clause made it a local Bill, and therefore it should not be be allowed to proceed as a public Bill. The Hon G. Al'Luan hoped that the Bill would r*oi; proreed farther until the people of Duueoin hitd been heard with regard to the particular portion o? it which affected that oitp. Tho Hon W. Montgomery suggested that tho Hill miffht be committed, and the third ieAilin^ postponed until Tuesday. Alt:-r Hiseiusion, the motion for the. committal of the Bill was agreed to. BAVIKINO. The Colonial Skcbetary laid papers ou the table relativn to tine negotiations which were pond tug bat^ean tho Government and t>>o proposed oni'vlgamation of the B%ak of New Ze-lnnd and the Colonial Bank. He expHinod that tbo Govarmaonfe took thia sonrjewhas unusual course, cjkBide?in;j that the negotiations wera r.oft concluded, because garbled statements had appeared in the public Pn 33. LAKB FOBSYT.U. Tlie Lake Foraytu Drainage Eill waa committed and. reported with unimportant amendments. HABBOXTBS ACT. Tho Harbours Act Amendment Bill was committed. The Hon J. A. Bonar moved that Clauße 4, giving Boards the pawer to make bylaws for lnvyiug rft^es on uicrcfcaud'se, be struck out, in siecor'dauco with tbo recommendation of the Select Committee. Agreed to.The Hon W. Montoomert moved a new clause, its provisions being to iuflicb penalties upo/i members of a Board who may borrow money by aa overdraft in excess of tho limit epetiSed in the preceding clauses. Clause agreed to. Clause 4, empowering' Harbour Boards to make by-laws for lsvying rates on merchandise, was o truck out, in accordance with the recommendation of the Select Committee. The Hon W. Montgombby moved & nevr clause, its effect being to enable the Otago Harbour Board to raise the rateß frcm 3s to 5s per ton. The Hons J. Macgregor and W. D. Stewart stated that thu question waa a burning one in Dunedin, and expressed the hope that the Bill would not be passed on at present. They trusted that tho third reading, at any rate, would not be pressed till the people of Punedin were apprised of what was being done. The Hon W. Montgomery was willing that the matter ehould be postponed, in order that a short local Bill dealing with the subject, so far as it related to Dunedin, was framed. 'The point; was whether a clause should be inserted in the Government Bill, or whether it should form tho subject of ft local Bill. The clan a a was eventually agreed to, and the Bill cs amended was reported. Tho Hon W. Montgomery aaked the Speaboi'a ruling as to whether the fourth clause, relating, &o it did to a local subject, conld be inserted in a public Bill. The Hon 8. E. Shrimski objected to the clause being inserted in a publio Bill, inasmuch as it sought to tax ;the general pubiic. The Speaker stud the Counoil possessed powar to insert a clause relating to a local question in a publio Bill, but such a course was inconvenient and highly objectionable. ....-, The Hon W. Montgomery, with a viewto give the Dnnedin people an opportunity to bring in 0. local Bill, moved that tbe third reading be fixed foe Tuesday night, which was agreed to. NATIVE CLAIMS. The Ngaere and other Native Claims Adjustment Bill was read a second time. TRAMWAYS. Tho Tramways Bill was committed. ' Clause 2 was postponed, on the motion of tho Hon W. Montgomery, who oaid the City of Wellington could not carry out its contract with the Tramway Company. Further progress having been made, the Bill was reporter], with leave to sib again. Tbe Council adjourned till Tuesday. In his speech on the second reading of tbo Shops and Shop Assistants Bill last week, the Hou W. T. Jennings said that psraonally ho was strongly id favour o? Clatue 9, because he beliaved that if local bodies and borongba were not allowed to settie the day for thomselvos it would cause a great deal of difference of opinion, and would probably bring about the downfell of the measure. If honorable members were willing to allow the local bodies to settle the matter for themselves, it was only a question of time when all would fall into line and Saturday would be approved of.