AFTERNOON SITTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5698, 17 October 1896, Page 6

AFTERNOON SITTING.

Friday, Oct. 16. The House met at 2.30 p.m. OHDER OF BUSINESS. The Hon R. J. Seddon said that it would not be possible to get the business through that night, but he hoped that a quorum would remain till to-morrow to receive the Appropriation Bill back from the Council. : MIDLAND RAILWAY. Mr M'Nab moved — " That the House desires to place upon record its appreciation of the distinguished services of the Premier and Sir R. Stout, rendered gratuitously to this colony, in connection with the New Zealand Midland Eailway arbitration." He said that it was hardly necessary for him to speak at length on this motion, but he asked the House to carry it unanimously. * Captain Russell congratulated the Premier and Sir R. Stout on the work they had done in this matter. It was so seldom, that he ha/1 to congratulate the Premier, that he did so now with all the more pleasure, and he also desired to tender his congratulations to Sir E. Stout for his able services in this direction. The motion was carried. •> The Hon R. J. Seddon sincerely thanked the House for the' kind manner in which it had received the motion, and he also thanked Mr M'Nab and Captain Russell for their kind remarks. It was true that the Midland Railway question was one of the most trying character, and he thought that they might fairly claim that neither the colony nor the company had suffered by the negotiations entered into. Mr Bell (on Sir R. Stout's behalf) also expressed his thanks for the motion just carried by the Hou&e. INSPECTION OF LIQUORS. The Hon R. J. Seddon moved the second reading of the Inspection of Alcoholic Liquor 3 Bill, to provide for the better inspection of alcoholic liquors sold in premises licensed under the Licensing Act 1881. Agreed to. CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION. The Hon R. J. Seddon moved the second reading of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill. Agreed to, and the Bill subsequently passed its final stages. ' OLD AGE PENSIONS.* The Hon R. J. Seddon moved the second reading of the Registration of People's Claims Bill, to ascertain the number of persons in the colony over sixty-five years of age, and who have been twenty years in the colony. He said that the Bill was meant to allow persons to send in their claims for old age pensions, so that next session positive evidence would be forthcoming on the subject. Agreed £o. IN COMMITTEE. The Alcoholic Liquors Inspection Bill was committed and passed without amendment. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill was committed. Clause 2 — No member of one Board to be nominated or elected to another, was carried without amendment, and the remaining clauses passed with slight amendments. The Bill was read a third time and passed. The Registration of People's Claims Bill f was committed. In reply to Captain Russell, the Hon R. J. Seddon said that he should widely advertise this Bill and invite all persons who were sixty years of age to send in their claims to the Registrar in the same way as was done with old soldiers' claims. The Bill was read a third time and passed. BILLS DISCHARGED. The Hon R. J. Seddon said that he should now propose the final " slaughter of the innocents." He then moved that the following Bills should be discharged from the Order Paper :— County Franchise Extension, Local Government, Government Fire Insurance, Constitution Act Amendment, Consolidated Stock Act Amendment, Customs Duties Reciprocity Acts Extension, Rabbit-proof Wire-netting Fences, Second Ballot, Master and Apprentice, Fair Rent, Juries Amendment, Noxious Weeds, Juvenile Depravity Suppression, Medical Practitioners Registration Act Amendment, Local Boards Constitution Reform, and Unclaimed Moneys. The motion was agreed to. MININCf. The Hon A. J. Cadman brought up the of the Conference on the Mining Act .Amendment .Bill. He^-eauHuat the

Council had made a few amendments, principally in the schedule, the effect of which was that land alienated since 1873 would not be affected by the Bill. He moved that the report should be agreed to. Carried. • • * banking. • , The Banking Bill was received from the Council with amendments. The Hon R. J. Seddon moved that the amendments should be considered at 4.30 p.m. Agreed to. APPROPRIATION. The Appropriation Bill was read a first and second time and passed through committee. The Hon R. J. Seddon said that he should take the usual debate on the third reading of the Bill. The Speaker left the chair afc 4.20 till 5 p.m. . • THE BANKING. BILL. • . On resuming at 5 o'clock the Hon R. J. Seddon said that the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Banking Bill were of such a nature that he had deemed it advisable to have the Bill reprinted for the convenience of members. • ; After some discussion the Hon E. J. Seddon moved that the House should adjourn till 7 o'clock to consider the amendments.made in the Bill. Agreed to, and the House rose.