PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 309, 2 July 1898, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THURSDAY. The Council met at 2.30 p.m., but adjourned irnmediately, it being arranged that the Speaker should resume the chair in the evening, in anticipation of an Imprest Supply Bill being sent up from the House. On the Council resuming at half-past eight, the Imprest Supply Bill was received from the House, and passed through all its stages. FRIDAY. The Council met at 2 SO p.m. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of absence was granted to Hon. Mr Lee-Smith lor a fortnight owiug to illness in family. THE LUNACY ACT. Mr Peacock gave notice to move that a committee be set up to consider the working of certain sections of the Lunacy Act, the committee to consist of Messrs Jennings, Bolt, Johnson and the mover. ADJOURNMENT. Further business was postponed in consequence of the no-confidence debate in the Lower House. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THURSDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Ten days' leave of absence was granted to Mr Luthie, absent on urgent private business. BE-VALT/ATION OF LAND. On leave being asked by Mr O'Regan to introduce the Periodical Re-valuation of Land Leased in Perpetuity Bill, the Minister of Landa said if the Bill were shown to him he would consult his colleagues to ascertain the attitude of the Government with regard to the matter. IMPHEBT SUPPLY. The House went into Committee to consider an Imprest Supply Bill for £470,000. The Colonial Treasurer said the Bill asked for £30,000 more than usual,which was explained by the fact that the railway revenue having increased by £IOI,OOO had led to additional expenditure. Messrs Hutchison and Scobie Mackenzie pointed to an irregularity in the Bill, inasmuch as £51,000 of the total consisted of a transfer from the consolidated revenue to the Public Works Fund, while the committee possessed no documentary evidence concerning the details of the transaction. The Treasurer contended there was no irregularity, and the Bill passed through all its stages. THE NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE. Mr Lang resumed the debate on Capt. Russell's amendment to the Address-in-Reply, and supported the amendment. Mr Lawry followed on the other side. Mr Hunter maintained that the Leader of the Opposition would have failed in his duty to the people had he not protested against the unconstitutional action of the Govtrnmeut in the matter of Parliament Buildings. Apart from the fact that the expenditure was not authorised, public money should not be spent on more or less unnecessary buildings, while there were rivers that needed bridging, and districts without roads and bridges. „ Mr Flatman characterised the amendment as a brick and mortar affair, in no sense worth the noise made about ii by its supporters, who appeared to be anxious to block the business of the House under the pretence of protecting the interests ot the country. Mr Crowther said that the Government should not have undertaken the expenditure condemned by the amendment. Mr C. Wilson said, in reference to the snbject of the amendment, that his verdics with regard to the Government was " not guilty, but don't do it again." Mr Monk spoke in support of the amendment, and criticised the policy and administration of the Government, intersessional addresses of Ministers, and the statements made in the Governor's Speech. He held that the distinct tendency of Ministerial measures and proposals was to confuse the conditions of society and compel the young men of the country to go to other lands in quest of adequate opportunities for their energies and advancement. He argued that instead of buying lands for settlement with money raised in England, it should be done with funds borrowed from the Savings Bank, as in that way the interest would be kept in the colony. Mr Millar moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at 11.50 p.m. FRIDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. BALANCE-SHEETS. The Premier laid the annual balancesheets of the Bank of New Zealand and the Realisation Board on the table. NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE. Mr Millar resumed the debate on Capt. Russell's amendment, and said he believed it had been moved solely with a view to enable the Opposition orators to repeat in Parliament platform speeches made by them during the recess. In referring to the charges made by previous speakers that the Government were driving freedom and liberty from the colony, lie cited instances of employers calling their men together at election time and telling them that if the labour candidates were returned the services of all would thereupon be dispensed with. No such charge, he said, could he laid at the door of the Government. He ridiculed the Opposition statements as to the Government following the methods of Tammany. Be said the National Association practiced some of the tactics of that institution. Mr Moore quoted from last year's Financial Statement to show that the intention had been that the library should be completed prior to the opening of the present session, and from this he argued that the general additions were an after thought, and the library to cost about £(000 was all that was originally in view by the Government itself. He accused the Premier of beipg anxious to take up with a large borrowing policy, though he had notthecouragetoinitiate it without testing tht House and country by such " pilot balloon " advocacy as that of Messrs Guinness, Morrison and Hon. Carroll during the debate. He maintained that the settlers of the colony were robbed of thousands a-year through the railway trucks not being tarred with sufficient regularity. (To this the Minister of Railways interjected an emphatic denial). Mr Sligo also spoke in support of the amendment. The House rose at 5.15 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30. When it rose at 5.15 Mr Buchanan was in possession of the floor, but he did not exercise his right on the resumption of business. No one rose to continue the ,dcL>ate, and the amendment was nut and a division was called, for, with the following result : Ayes, 24: Bollard, Brown, Buchanan, Carson, Crowther, Fraser, Herries, Hunter, G. Hutchison, Kelly, Lang, Lethbridge, Lewis, McGuire, M. J. S. McKenzie, Massey, Monk, Moore. Russell, Sligo, Taylor, J, W. Thomson, VVason, and Wright. Noes, 30: Cadman, Carncross, Carroll, Duncan, Fisher, Flatman, Gilfedder, Graham, Hall-Jones, Hogg, Holland, Houston, J. Hutcheson, Joyce, LarnachT Lawry, McGowan, J. McKenzie, Meredith, Millar, Mills, Morrison, O'Meara, Parata, Seddou. Steward, Tanner, R. Thompson, Ward, Wilson. Pairs—For the amendment: McLean, Rolleston, Pirani, Smith, Jaß. Allen, Heke, Duthie. Against the amendment: Montgomery, T. Thompson, MoNab, Field, Guinness, E. G. Allen, R. McKenzie. The motion for the Address-in-Reply was then put and carried.

WAGES PROTECTION BILL. The Premier moved the second reading of the Wages Protection Bill, which he explained is intended to counteract the practice which has of late been growing up amongst certain employers of taking out accident insurance policies to insure their workmen against accident and themselves against liability under the Employers' Liability xU-ts, and of compelling or inducing their workmen to contribute as a premium for such insurance sums at a rate proportionate to their wages. He stated that the Bill exempted co-operative workmen employed by the Government from its operation. The Bill would prevent employers from deducting money from wages of workmen for accident insurance policies, and money so deducted would be recoverable at law. The consent of the worker would be no defence. Mr George Hutchison hoped the Bill would be referred to the Labour Bills Committee before being proceeded with in Committee of the House. Messrs Fisher and J. Hutcheson urged that the Bill should be pushed through with vigour, as it was admirably calculated to meet the purposes in view. Mr Buchanan thought men should receive their wages in full. Mr Fraser would support the second reading. Mr Wilson objected to the exemption of co-operative workers from the operation of the Bill. Mr Taylor also objected to this exemption. Hon. Mr Ward welcomed the Bill as a measure intended to improve the condition of the workers. Messrs R. Thompson, Gilfedder and Crowther spoke. Mr Scobie McKenzie was surprised the Premier should exclude co-operative workers from the benefits of the Bill. r 4 Hon. Mr Hall-Jones explained that the Government withheld nothing from the wages of co-operative workers, and they were not included in the Bill, because certain details in connection with the method of supplying tools and other articles to co-operative workers could not be technically endorsed by the Audit Department. The Bill was read a second time. [Left sitting at 11 p.m.].