PARLIAMENTRY NOTES.

Western Star, Issue 1575, 1 July 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENTRY NOTES.

,_ _ * ■_ (From our Exohuiigps.) At the evening sitting on Friday lust the debate on the Fiuaueuvl State - ment was resumed by Mr Bees, who strongly denounced the administration of the late Government, and s'jated tiiat the ptvs -nt Financial Statement was in his opinion the only on? f. r the last twenty years at all .'.' 'iii.-'l t,> adv:iv.'o the colony.— [r "Lirkeime denied that • :<i | :•'.>■ ''\y tax v,; • the chief ques'ion "i the List election. The people wci'e ths'ti excited about Unionism and

cared nothing about the property tax. He asserted that an income tax was au abomination. The present Government came into office pledged to do the Roman Catholics justice, and five members of the Ministry were in favor of giving aid to private schools. —Mr Seddon said he was not pledged to support a Private Schools Bill, aud on the last occasion he voted against it,—Mr Pergns said that on the last occasion Mr Seddon did not vote either way, for or against the measure. He was then thought to be " hedging " for the Catholic vote.—Mr Seddon said that he was not in the Parliamentary buildings when the question last came on.

Mr Hall .lones moved the adjournment, and the House rose at 1.20 a.m. The report furnished to the Government by the Public Trust Commission is now before the Public Accounts Committee. It is probable that the committee will suggest a clean sweep of the present Departmental staff, together with a recommendation in favour of the abolition of the Audit Department as now constituted. The Financial Debate is expected to terminate this week, promiuent members on both sides reserving their eloquence for the bills (not yet brought down) changing the incidence of taxation.

The Criminal Code Bill is to be reported from the Statutes Revision Committee without amendments. In criminal charges for libel the accused may plead justification, sucli plea must be in writing and set out the facts, showing that the publication was for the public good. If justification is disproved the crime is aggravated by that plea being set up. In the event of a libel being seditious, blasphemous or obscene no plea of justification is permitted. The accused may, with the consent of the judge, appeal on questions of law to the Appeal Court, and if the judge refuses the application he may appeal with consent of the Attorney-General. One of the chief changes in the criminal law introduced in the codo is that of granting a new trial in criminal cases. The Court of Appeal may grant a new trial if the verdict is contrary to the weight of the evidence, or the Governor-in-Council may do so if on an appeal for mercy grave doubts are raised as to the guilt of the person convicted. Had such a law been in force a couple of years ago the Governor-in-Council would have, recommended Louis Chemis to be re-tried in place of commuting his sentence to imprisonment for life for the murder of Hawkings. Various conflicting rumours are afloat to-day as to the probable course i i respect of the Government taxation. One of these I mentioned yesterday—namely, that tlio income tax would be lvdueed to Gd all round, and that Ihe differential principle would he abandoned. If is still maintained by some members that this will be done, others absolutely deny tl at any such change will be agreed to, and that the alteration will he to give some relief to the smaller traders, and also retaining the principle of differential taxing between commercial aud professional incomes. Those who take the latter position say (hat the Ministerial party, however they may criticise the defects of the scheme, will loyally support it as a whole, trusting to be able lo amend it when the bills are in committee; but if unsuccessful in this effort, will, nevertheless, support the proposals as a whole. It seems to bo accepted as certain that tbe tax on improvements will bi? materially modified.