GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3433, 30 June 1894, Page 9

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

. v-+ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THURSDAY. Thb Council met at 2.30 p.m. . Sir G. Whitmore moved that a committee be appointed to prepare a loyal address to the Queen, congratulating her on the birth of a son of the Duke of York. Mr. Bolt, in opposing the motion, expressed the hope that it would not be considered he was guilty of'disloyalty. Had there been any bereavement in the Royal Family, he would have been one of the first to have proposed a vote of condolence. He did not see why the colony of New Zealand should rejoice that the line of succession rested in the House of ..York, or whether it ran in the house ot Fife. He could not help thinking motions of this sort were wrapped up in a falselsentiment of insincerity and Jingoism, which, he for one would not give his adherence to. The motion was agreed to on the voices ... The Council then adjourned. , § FRIDAY. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Sir P. Buckley on prasenting the report of the Fox Commission made a personal explanation. Ha referred to the Editor of the Post's aldavit attached to the report in which Mr Gillon stated he had obtained the information without assistance fnm any member of Government, or by any dishonorable means. Sir P. Buckley said he had borne the aspersions of disloyalty to his colleagues for a long while silently, but now he was at liberty to assure the Council he had never divulged anything contained ',in the report, or had his private secretary his messenger nor indeed any person, so far as he was aware in the service of the Government This he would say so far as he knew of the officers under his control. ; Mr Shrimski interjected, ■ he supposed the Colonial Secretary did not impute coruption.to his messenger.

Sir P, Buckley replied "certainly not." Col. Whitemare gave notice 'to move on Tuesday, that the Council is satisfied with the explanation. Sir P. Buckley in,answer to Mr Jenkinson said, the Government had as yet not received a reply from the Railway Commissioners, asftb whether they would set apart'a special second railway carriage for women, {';'.

On the motion of Sir P. Buckley who said that a question of grave importance would \ come before Parliament, that, night the Council adjourn till 8 p.m. :

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. .-THURSDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. ' Capt, Russell ro3e to a question of privilege, and said that in the face, of the Premier's statement yesterday, Col. Fraser had clearly no right to accompany the Speaker as Sergeant* Arms ;to Government Housetopresentthe address to the Governor, -Colonel Eraser was not an officer- of the House, and his presence in the Chamber was a distinct violation of the House's privileges. Sir Maurice O'RorkS.said Colonel Fraser had informed him that he had been asked by the Government to act as SergeanWtArms till the appointment had been made. As the last Parliament had taken all authority with respect: to these ■ appointments from the,-Speaker, he felt justified in admitting Colonel.Fraser to the House. • Captain Russell still maintained that OoUnel Eraser had no right in the House, and moved ''That Col. Fraser's presence in the Chamber is a breach of the privileges of the House."

Mr Seddon said what the Speaker had said was: perfectly correct. He had informed the leader of the Opposition that he intended'to bring down it resolution, and he asked him not to take any extreme Bteps ( in the matter. The action taken by certain members of the House simply bordered on' persecution, and was intended either to injure; a private individual or to damage the Government in the eyes of the Howe and country. He intended to move the following motion on the subject : "That the appointment of Sergeant-at-Arms be.deferred till the Ist December next, and that in the meantime Colonel Fraser perform the necessary duties usually t performed by the Sergeant-at-Arms without fee or payment of any kind whatever." '

'Aftera short discussion, Capt. Russell's motion was put and lost by 45 to 16. Mr Seddon gave notice to move next day that Mr Guinness be appointed Chairman of Committee. • >;

.Replying to Mr Mitchelson, Mr Ward said the Financial Statement was ready, and it would depend on the course of business for the next few days as to what night the Statement would be brought down, The House'went into committee when an Imprest Supply Bill for £278,000 passed through all it stages. In reply to questions, it was stated that time would not permit of legislation being introduced this session to enable more State coalfields to be opened and worked; that the Government would consider whether they would assist local bodies in bearing the cost of licensing elections; that inquiries' would be made into the reason why the names of electors who»had.voted at the last general election were struck off the rolls. The House rose at 5,30 p'.m.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. ".'[ ,' Mr Keeves moved the second reading of the Shops and. Shop Assistants Bill. He explained that the Bill was exactly the same as had .been before the House last session, and provided for compulsory closing of all shops in the colony on one day in

the week, the day to be left to local bodies to fix.

A long discussion ensued, the tone of which was decidedly favourable to the measure.

Mr Reeves, in replying, welcomed lie growth of public opinion in favour of''the Bill. Hb did nut think, however,, that public opinion was yet ripe enough for such an iron law as one day (Saturday) fur the whole colony. The right way to go to work was to increase the functions of local bodies.

The motion for the second reading was agreed to on the voices. Mr Reeves moved the second reading of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, which was the same as last year's measure. The compulsory part of the Bill as it went through the House last year, ho should a*k the House to pass again, as he waald rather see the Bill thrown out altogether than made a voluntary measure. Captain Russell, in supporting the Bill, said he was of opinion that conciliation without arbitration wa< all humbug. He thought, however, there would be a very few cases for the Arbitration Court to decide, for when people became aware that there was a tribunal of this kind to appeal to, they would take a reasonable course. Dr. Newman regarded the Bill as an old friend, and thought it should now become the established law of the land, Mr Willis questioned whether the Bill would do the great good that was expected, but he supported it as an experiment.

Mr Earnshaw regretted the Bill was not to he sent to the Labour Committee, as the Labour party regarded it as a most important'measure. ' Mr Morrison claimed that this Bill would put an end to strikes, and he thanked the members of the Opposition for the kind manner in which they had supported it, Mr Smith (Ohristchurch) and Mr Buchanan also spoke.

. The second reading was agreed to on the voices.

The Lunatics Act > Amendment Bill, to provide that all official visitors to asylums need not be Justices of the Peace, and the Conspiracy Law Amendment, which puts labour unions on the same footing as other persons regarding conspiracy, were read a second time. The House rose at 11.15 p.m. FRIDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Conspiracy Law Amendment Bill passed through committee with slight amendment and was then read a third time and passed.

Mr Reeves moved the second reading of the Shipping and Seamen's Act Amendment Bill and referred to the alterations that had been made in the measure since last session.

Mr Button would support the Bill with certain amendments,

Mr W. Hutchison supported the Bill. Mr Bell said he had supported all the Bills of the present Government except this one, which he could not support. The Bill was simply intended to lay up ships of the Union company and other companies in the event of a strike.

Mr Millar strongly supported the Bill and pointed out that the same measure was introduced in 1890 before the strike took place. He denied that the Bill was brought in to injure the Union company. Mr Reeves also denied that the Bill was meant to lay up the Union company's steamers or was in any way prejudicial to that company. The motion for,the second reading was agreed to and the Bill was referred to the Labour Bills Committee.

• Mr Reeves moved the second reading of the Hawker's and Pedlar's Rill to regulate the licensing of hawkers and pedlars. He said clause three prodded that no person could <ict as a hawker and pedlar unless licensed and no person could be licensed who had not resided for twelve months continuously in the colony or who, not being a. British subject, had not been naturalised in New Zealand.

Messrs Carnell, Green; Houston, Stout and Growther spoke on tho Bill, and the debate was then adjourned. ■ ■•■■•'• Mr Seddon laid on the table the report of the Fox Commission and Mr E. T. Gtllon's declaration, and he took the opportunity of saying that it was most satisfactory that the,doubt which bad existed had been removed. He added that there never was a Ministry that had worked so harmoniously and cordially as the present Government.

In reply to Dr. Newman, Mr Seddon said he suspected no one, but he was very gratified that the stigma that had rested on some of his colleagues had been removed. The House rose at 5.5 p.m.