PARLIAMENTARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5667, 11 September 1896, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY.

•aLEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thubsdat, Sept. 10. AFTEENOON SITTING. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. NEW MEMBEES* The Hon W. C. Smith took the oath and Ida seat for the first time ifi the Council. SCHOOLS OP AGRICULTURE. The Hon T. Kelly moved—" That in the opinion of the Council it is desirable that a portion of lihe Public Works JFund derived from loan, be devoted, to the establishment attd equipment of technical of agKCulture and ma&ufacture in such parts of the colony as might be deemed advisable, and that tbe atten-tion-of the Government be called thereto, ■witk the view of sufcmittaaig proposals to Parßament this session." He sac! that it appeared to him that the lack of technical education of the ; chief defects in our educational system. ! Be pointed** the higher ttechoßcal educa- i fion in Gtenanany as the reasaa why that •country was surely wresting laany of bar Bnannfactane3 from England. ' The Mwstibter or Eottcxmon, in reply, said thai we had already made a start in this direction, and instanced fbe Schools 'of EngioeeTOag <and of Art en Chriatcburch, and ifhe School of Minesin Otago as successEal -examples of practical technical education. Wellington hafl,ttoo, ■one of the most complete and cenqprehensiTO systems of technical instruction in the oeflony. ■ The initiative' had been rtaken by: the B6$&& ot Education, «.«&- its. success was a, mo3el *the rest «of the coloijy. There TPaa no occasion at tlie'present time to -set sayart sa large sum of money for fecimical edueotion, as "with the stums already set aside, technical'instruction would lie "fostered all orrer the colony. The «nm of .£2OOO per annum would do a great «fleal, -and would rprobably prove quite as much ae the colony coxild spend on this importaiit branch 'Of education. The moiwm <wss lost on the voices, the | Hon T. Kelly net -calling for a division. -CBimWAX CODE. ; The Hon H. Fexdwick, whe, on the previous sitfingday had moved to report j progress when, ia committee on the!; Criminal Code Act Amendment . Bill, but! l>y a mistake ihadomitted to ask leave to; sit again, «bus inadvertently -billing his \ own Bill, moved that the Bill should be \ dfurther considered in committee on next sitting day. '> The Hon €L MTzean thereupon mov«4 that consideration' of the Bill in committee should be taken three imonths hence, aod : after discussion thiß.amendmetiir was carried on the voices. : IHROT EKADINQS. ! A number of Bills were received from ( the Lower Houße and xead a first time. imPBEBT SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill '((No. 4) was received from the Lower House and passed through all Its stages. , ■ SHIPPING AND SEABEEN. The MiHisTEB or Education, in moving the second reading' of the -Shipping and Seamen Act Amendment -BilL-said that the manager of the Union Steamship Company lad been consulted in reference to the measure, and had given it his concurrence. The Bill dealt with the position of engineers on vessels and other miscellaneous marine matters. ' " The Hon d M'Lean «aid that the engineers were working under one of the very strongest organisations in the colony. Mb one would care to have two captains in one ship, and that was what this measure meant. He gave an emphatic denial to the statement of ..the Minister, of Education, that the Manager of the TMon Steamship' Companv had concurred in the provisions of the measure. Engineers were now recognised as officers as well as they could ever be by this Bill. He dealt at length with the measure, and expressed his disapproval of its provisions. The Hon J. Eigg was of opinion that the. Bill should be read a second time, and sent to the Labour Bills Committee. He pointed out that under it engineers had to do only with their own men, while he combated the statement of Mr M'Lean that the BilL would make two captains in each ship. The second reading was agreed to on the voices, and the Bill referred to the Labour Bills Committee. PRIVATE BENEFIT SOCIETIES. The second reading of the Private Benefit Societies Bill was moved by the Minister of Education, who intimated his intention . to send the measure to the Labour Bills Committee. ■ The Hon W. Swanson said that the workmen at the Colonial -Sugar . Eefining Company at Auckland had petitioned against being included in the Bill, which, if passedi ■would kill their benefit society. The Hon Dr Grace Btated, that he could not call this a liberal measure in any sense, or one required in this free country, and moved that it should be read three months hence. The Hon Gr. M'Lean strongly supported the contentions of the last speaker. It •was monstrous to deny clerks the right to pay into their own guarantee and provident funds. The real secret of all the trouble ■was the Union Steamship Company's Benefit Society, and if it could be done away with this Bill would never be heard of. The Union Company did not compel anyone to join if he was a member of any other society. There had been a great deal of misapprehension by the Government on the subject of the Union Company compelling men to become members of its society. He read a number of letters, one of which had been stolen from a purser's cabin, photographed, and. sent to every Friendly Society in the colony, and also to *the Premier, and proved that the Union Company refused to allow men to join its Benefit Society if they were financial members of other Friendly Societies. He contended that the whole series of letters bearing on the case should have been sent to the Friendly Societies, instead of one isolated letter which had been stolen and photographed. At 5 p.m. the Hon W. T. Jennings moved the adjournment of the debate and the Council rose.

Speaker said that it Tested with, the House whether or aot the privilege hitherto accorded' to tn embers of showing their friends throng*, the House should be continued. The Hon R. J. Seddon moved that the privilege hitherto given to metiibas by the Speaker in this respect should be adhered to. Gaptain Resell said that the evidence taken before the Houso Committee showed that this had fciwn unduly strained, a&d that visitors we*© now shown round'tkertobbies morning, twxm and night, which grtsatly interfered wSfe. the privacy of members. The Hon W. J, H. lafcNACH toofc a similsjir view, and said iSiat the privilege had keen greatly abused. _ A 'lengthy discussion took place, after which Mr Seddon's n*©iJx>n was carried.. IMPREST ifiUTPPLY. ! An Imprest Supply Bill (No. 4) &>r 42229,700 passed through all its stages. i qgtesscions. Replying to Mr TSfcredith, The Hon R. J. Ssddon said that gwraiter! facilities were given in this colony at less; cost than in other colonies ia the matter 4f; charges on postal notes and pesfe-oflhw orders, and tie ©overnmeot could aot.goi on making cotaoessions wlalst at iftie-eame time maintaiaiaajg: revenue. Repaying to "Mb." Dutiu«s, Tbe Hon St. J. Sbdbgct said tjjh«tt "the gra/daated iand tax hadaiot ha£?the»'effect of breaking-Tip any large estates, .And •he regtfdfcted Itihat, nofcwitbstaiisfiing nscent legSlation, tfclws aggregaißon of fiarge-ostates w«sstill going on. . ;R«Elyj«ig'to Mr;s^lbßßian, The Him J". CABBOfii ssiidffiiastifiei'had a M& on Order Bapeß. to *uiend the Botolic :: Mealth Act,: and -when: 1 if ctiine fedfore fhe House Mr J'latman could move ini;he diuaction of curoipulsoiry vaccination.. Ueplyai^g to Mr Lewis, 'The SSsn R. J. Sebdon said rthat he desired to asee a Betterment Bill introduced, fcnt conHl not proomise to uatrodtice one this session. Replysng to Mr darnel], The Son J. Cabeoli, regardtted that the (evil of ..gambling existed in the colony, but the Government was not pcepared to take •up the Abolition of the Totalisator Bill as ;a Government measure ifflt the present time. Replying to Mr Joyce, The Hon A. J. Cabman -said he did not think it advisable, in the Interests of the railway service, to shift railway district managers from place to place, excepb the lejdgencies of the service required it. Replying to Mr Allen, 33he Hon T. Thompson said that he ihopedto lay Colonel Fox's report on the table .in a few days. Replying to the Hon W. J. M. Larnach, The Hon X M*Kenzie said that the Government would consider the question of . securing Roeky Mountain sheep and gonffcs from Ameriea for this colony, and & they found it advisable to do so they would provide for it, but .not this session. THE MEIKLE (CASE. Mr M'Nab moved the adjournment of the House, to refer to the unsatisfactory xeply Ihe had received fvom the Governmeat respecting the petition of J. J. MeiHe, farmer, of Wyndham. The Hon T. Thompson said that the report of the Public Petitions Committee would be considered with other reports that came before the Government. - Messrs Mills, O'Regan, G. Hutchison, Flsfcman, W. Hutchison, Willis, Buddo, Meredith, Cadman, T. Mackenzie, Collins and Captain Russell also spoke on various matters. .' The Hon R. J. Seddon regretted the waste of time that occurred over motions for adjournment of the House. He said thatfhe " would" place" all the "papers-con-nected with Meikle's case on the table of the House, and the Government would have to be careful in any action it took over this matter. He asserted that it was not competent for the House to set itself up as judge of matters that were decided in the Supreme Court. Sir R. Stout, said that he was glad to hear the Premier make the statement that the House was not a proper tribunal to review a decision of the Supreme Court, and he hoped that the Minister of Lands would pay due attention to it. He was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment.