PARLIAMENTARY

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1441, 27 September 1905, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

,By Telegraph.—Frees Association. Wei/HNGioh, thi§ day, ". LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TOHBDIY Tub Council met At 2.80. Discussion of the who'o business rolatecl to the Dilworth Trustees Act Amendment. Bill. The flonnoil rose at 4,10 p.m. ■ HOUSE OF REPKESENTATIVEB ' TOKSDAY

The Houso mot at 1.30, the meikle CASE, The Public Petitions Committee recommended that some moatis be derised by which the name of J. J. Meikle, who had boen wrongtnlly imprisoned 'on a obarge of sbcep-stoiilingi could be reinovod from the prison and public records of the colony. With regard to MeifiVs , claim for compensation, the Committee', bad no recommendation to mako. v\ Id to course of a lengthy discission several mombcra urged that Moikle should be recompensed by the colony, that,his name should be removed from the- prisoii records, and that the nocossary legislation should be introduced. . ! Mr McGowan said-that the Government had already paid Meikle £SOO and the' legal oxpeiißes he wa? put to. Ai (o nrasing his name from the prison records, - that would bo cn impossibility. The fact thnt bo brul the compensati&n and given a recoipffor it .was the best clearance he could possibly have. Ho had , to objection to anything that was reasona- \ ble, but tbero wero so manv records jn • connection with the case that it would, he believed, be impossible to destroy them

oil. Mr'Masaey pointed out that the hands of Parliament were tied. They could move nothing in connection with expenditure; the initiative must rest with the Government, and ho thought the Government hod not done enough, If it roquirod an Aot of Parliament, he believed it would be carried almost unanimously., Mr Seddon said ho bad no feeling in this matter except to do his dntj. "When the £SOO and i 294 costs were paid, the Government were led to understand that the sum would bo accepted, The Govermlieut wero,prepare] to insert printed Blips in too records stating all the faots< favourable to Meiklo's innocence, This offer was made iu 1993, but it was not accepted. He believed'the agitation on Meiklo's behiilf had been usod not'so much for tho purpose of assisting fcloikle as an attempt upon the Government, and particularly upon him- • self.

Mr, Bollard moved that the report bo referred back to the eommilteo as an indication that Meiklo's name ought to be removed from the prison records, and that ho should be paid furfchoi* compensation. Subsequently Mr. Seddon promised that if tho report was referred to the Government for consideration he would intimate later on what tho Government intended to do in tho matter..

Eventually Mr. Bollard's amendment was lost by 81 to 27, and the report of tbe committee was referred to tho Government for consideration. With regard to Moikle's petition praying to be heard at the bar of the House, t|je Public Potitions.CpTimittee reported that it had no recommendation to make. Tbe House rose at 5.30, ' The House resumed at 7.30, ' WORKERS'DWELLINGS • Tho debate on tho second readingoLthe \ Workers' Dwellings Bill was I continued throaghout the ovening/ '

The second loading was carried on the yoices, Tho Houso rose ot 1,30