PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8235, 13 September 1906, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUjnOIL. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, September 12. The Council met at 2.30 o'olook. Replying to a question tabled by the Hon. W. Beehan, the Hon. A. Pitt stated that, with regard to providing separate institutions for imbeciles end epileptics now confined in mental hospitals, there was eoch a separate institution at Richmond and another at Waiignnui. The Government, however, were considering a soheme of extension of the principle. The Hon. J. D. Ormond moved for a return of the blocks of a thousand acres and over of native waste lands in the colony po as to enable proper consideration of the measure pi°raised by tho Government for dealing with such lasds. Carried. In committee, on the Firearms Act, the Hon. S. I. George moved to make the age linrt for the purchase of firearms or ammunition to fitteeu years instead of sixteen as provided. Agreed to. The provision making it illegal for a youth to carry firearms or ammunition was amended, on the motion of the Hon. J. Rigg, by eliminating the words "and ammunition." The Hon. S. '!.'. George endeavoured to have the snb-sectiou imposing imprisonment for tho nonpayment of a flue struck out, but was defeated by 12 votes to 7. Tho Bill was reported with the amendments. The Couueil adjourned at 3.50 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 o'clock. Mr W. F. gave notiae of a motion for the production of the names of the owners of properties of over £50,000 unimproved value. The Hon. J. Carroll gave notice of rcotion to appoint a committeo to consider the Stamp Act Amendment Bill. QUESTIONS. Two batches of answers (to the questions of the past fortnight) were answered on a supplerreuthry orderparser. The main answers were as follow:—In the matter of Friendly Societies action has been taken to go on with the valuations of Friendly Societies whioh have been interrupted by the resignation of Mr Leslie, the Jate registrar and actuary. A Registrar of Friendly Societies has just been appointed, and he will te able to review and report upon the condition of the work in the offioe and now the arrears may best be dealt with. The supposition that a faster mail service between Liverpool and New Zealand is possible via Tehuantepec than by way of San Francisco is not supported by facte. The question of anti-trust legislation is engaging the attention of the Government. As to the railway men who went out on strike in 1890 and their request to have the time they served on the railway service previous to the strike count for superannuation purposes, the Minister regrets that it is not possible to make an arrangement such as that suggested. In regard to Mr Massey's proposal to have road metal carried free on the railway: road metal for the use of local bodies is already carried at a rate whioh is practically nominal, that is half class "Q" rate, with a minimum of Is 9d per ton. This minimum rate operates for a distance up to 27 miles, and is unremunerative to the Railway Department. Hotelkeepers have been circularised throughout the oolony end informed that if theyare found selling tobacco and cigarettes on the statutory half-holiday a prosecution will follow. It is not intendedto introduoe a Referendum Bill this session.

The House adjourned for dinner at 5.30 o'clock.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. BALLOT CARD BILL. Sir W. Steward moved the second reading of this Bill. The Bill was lead a second time on the voices. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTION BILL. Sir W. Steward moved the second reading of this Bill, and declared that as ending the Council was, for certain reasons, impossible, he would ass the House to accept his proposal to mend it. In 1904 he bad obtained a second reading for a Bill for mending the Council by placing the election of its members in the hands of the House of Representatives, That Bill was thrown out at the third reading stage by the vote of the Ministry of the day. The present strength of the Council was thirty-four. By November next six members would depart by effluxion of time, and by June of next year one* more'would retire from the same cause. In June next the strength of the Oounoil woud fall automatically to twenty-seven. Of these ten would be life members aud the rest would retire by effluxion of time by 1909 ,and 1910. The time was therefore opportune for undertaking the alteration he proposed. Mr Ell did not see the necessity for a seoond chamber, an 3 did not think the Legislative Oounoil carried out the will of the people, but he would support the seoond reading. Sir Joseph Ward complimented the mover on his moderation and persistence. For his own part, ho could not remember in the course of a long experience that the Council had ever opposed the will of the people. Were this measure carried there would be a long course of unsettling agitation, and a great difficulty of obtaining the Royal assent. The Council was the only obeok on hasty legislation, and some cbeok was decidedly necessary. He surged that the system of nominating the members of the seoond chamber would always have the support of public opinion so long as good appointments were made. The best plan would be to leave the nomination in the hands of the Government, which had the right to represent the ; people. Mr Maasey approved of the improvement made in the Bill whiah would obviate all danger of election by caucus and secure a qualified .addition to the electorate. The iPremier was oonteni to leave well

alone. He, for bis part, was not with bim. He would vote for the more democratic) proposal represented by the Bill. He was in favour of the bicameral system, and he tailed to see why there should be deadlooks here merely because they were known elsewhere. He advocated a modification of the Hare system as likely to abolish lo<ial influences and provide the best class of meu, He denied that poor meu would be excluded under it. He was glad to see this Bill, because he feared tho Government would reinforce the Council with a number of appointments. He hoped, at all events, they would be good ones. He believed that those woo make laws for tho people should be elected by the people, but he would vote for the second reading. Mr A. R. Barclay urged that the bloamoral system had been a failure wherever it had beeti tried. Mr C. E. Major denounced the single chamber sj«tem as shattered by historical verdict. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones would vote against the Bill. The House divided on the second reading. The following was the division list:—Ayes (31): Messrs Aitken, Arnold, Barber, Banme. Bennett, Bollwrd, Buddo, Oolvin, fill, Fisher, Flatman, Greeuslade, tlauan, Herries, Hardy, Hogan, Jennings, Kirkbride, Laurensou, I, Mackenzie, Maofhersou, Malcolm, Mander, Maesey, Ngata, Poland, Poole, Roid, Rhode?, Stallworthy, Steward, Tanner, Thompson, and Witty. Noes (24): Messrs J. Allen, Barclay, Carroll, Duncan, Field, Fowlds, Graham, Hall, Hall-Jones, Hogg, Houston, Kidd, Lawry, McGowao, S. McKeuzie, MoLaoblan, McNab, Mills, Parata, Remington, Koas, Seddon, Ward, and Wood. NOXIOUS WEEDS BILL. Mr R, MoKenzie moved the second reading of this Bill. The Bill was read a seoond time on the voices. The House adjourned at 11.10 o'clock.