EVENING SITTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6597, 22 September 1899, Page 4

EVENING SITTING.

Tie House resumed at 7.30 p. ni. PAYMENT OF JURORS. An amendment to tbe Payment cf Jurors Bill was brought down by Governor's message. . .It provides for the payment of coroners'. jurors at the ra.te of 8; \i iurvmon sitznore than four. 'hours and 4s if.rheir services are given for K\*s than four hours. PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES. The House wemfc into Committee on the Volunteer" and Militia, Officers' Parliamentary Privileges Bill. Reply^S to Mr Herrics, the Premier said that he was prepared to alter Clause 2 so as to provide that- so long as an officer is in reoeipt-'pf" hr safe'r^ ! h6 would be disqualified from being appointed to the Council, or elected to the House of Representatives;' '. Mr Taylor .asked Tsiiy; _ special legislation. sh(>uW : .ba ■passed^. for 'a pnVticular ease;' . If necessary ' at ' all/, thq 1 33i1l -shotild : bd .-madegeneral in its application. In the, course of six months- Colonel- Pitt, in whose interest the Bill was introduced, would have the disqualification removed by the. lapse of time without special !e:jiflation. Mr J. Hutcheson. thought that any Civil i servant should bo capable of being appointed to the Council or standing for the House immediately upon resigning his position. Mr Crowther said that he saw no reason for hurry.. The Premier now 'had a majority in the Council, and an extra vote there wns. surely of no importance. Mr Taylor condemned the nominee principle of appointments, to the Upper House, and characterised the Bill as class legislation. Ho moved to report progress. Lost by 38 to 22. Mr J. Hjitcheson urpod that the Bill should.be widened in its application,- so that other persons besides ttioso mentioned should have the" diiqSralification affecting them removed. : . V The Bill was amended by striking out Clause 2. •■••'= - •■*-•■■ I A new clause was moved by the Premier, that Clause 11 of the Disqualification Act should be repealed with a view to enabling an appointee to the Council to take his seat immediately upon appointment," instead of six months thereafter. The Premier said that he was not in love with the. nominee system in connection wth the Council, but claimed that of reocnt years the Council had been brought more into harmony with' public .sentiment. ' : The House . divided on the question that the new clanso be added. Avcs 56, noes 21. Mr Taylor moved that the title of the Bill- should ba amended to a " Bill to Amend the Legislative Council Act," which would enable the Hqjise to take up the question of the reform of tlie Upper House. Mr J. Allen also urged that an opportunity should ba taken: to amend the constitution of the Council in the direction of doing away with the nominee system. Under,'the preKsrfc system, <3je Upper House was simply a.reflection of the Lower House, and as a revising chamber it was a failure. [ The Premier deprecated' reflections being I oast upon the members of the Council, and ! stated that rather than degrade the members of the Council in the manner stated, he would leave political life. He was not himself satisfied with, tbe nominee system, but unless the Hare system was introduced, he did not think that the- elective system would be satisfactory. However, that was not the time to raise the question of tho reform of the Upper House. Mr Smith supported "the amendment, contending, that there were very few people in the colony who would defend the nominee system. Mr Moore contended that tho Bill as it cow stood was another proof of the statement that, to the Opposition was dua the amendment of legislation "introduced by the Government. Mr Rolleston said that he was one of those who believed in the pressing necessity of the reform of the .Upper Hou;e, but the system proposed was not the proper one. Ho submitted that tho title of the Bill would require to be altered so that it .might be consistent with tho contents: ■ Mr Herrics said that he thought that the question of the reform of the Upper House was one of the most important the House could engage in, and he hoped that the title wbuld be altered so that the question could be discussed and 'tie Bill be recommitted to enact certain reforms. Surely the leader of ! the Liberal Party would not refuse to. give the House an opportunity to effect reforms, especially when the crusted old Tories on the Opposition benches were in favour of that course. The Premier moved to report progress. He was dissatisfied with the ruling of the Chairman that the -amendment to the title proposed by Mr Taylor Avas in order, as it was not in accordance" vrith the text of the Bill. Mr Monk hoped that the House would insist on the-title of the Bill being altered, and that the question would be followed up to a logical conclusion and the wislies of the country given effect to by making the Council elective. •Mr. Fisher contended that not one-fourth of the members understood the Bill when it was first introduced, and he was certain now

that no one understood it in its altered form. He deprecated a larger issue being discussed, and urged that progress should be reported. ... Mr Taylor urged the Premier not to lose the chance of his political life by improving tho Upper House. The question was more important than any on the Order Paper, and it was better that the whole Order Paper should be swept away than that the measure before the House should bs sacrificed. Captain .Russell hoped that progress would be reported nn such an important mat- , ter as the reform of the Upper House. The question should not be introduced in such an irregular manner. Mr Sligo supported the amendment, and Messrs Hutchison, Herries and R. M'Kenzie opposed it.' The motion to report progress was then put and carried by 41 to 16. PAYMENT OF JURORS. In committee on the Payment of Jurors Bill an amendment was moved by Mr L' Hutchison in Clause 2, -to the effect that whether a person summoned serves or not he should be paid. „, . ; -.._. „,-.-,. . \ The Premier said that the amendment would increase the cost of juries so greatly that it would prevent poor men from having juries in cases in' which they were interested. Tho amendment was negatived/ by 26 to 22. The House divided on an amendment that jurors in civil cases should be paid ten instead of eight shillings per day. The clause was retained by 32 to 18. - A ne-vv clause was proposed providing for the payment of a juror at any inquest. 2s if he serves for more than four hours, and 4s if he serves for not more than four hours. The Bill was reported with, amendments. KAURI GUM INDUSTRY. The Gauri Gum. Industry Act Amendment Bill wan committed, and immediately aftei--wards Mr J. Hutcheson moved to' report progress. The motion was carried, and the House rose at 1.15 a.m.. ,■ '.. . ..■.,■...;.