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1925. NEW ZEALAND.

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Hon. Mr. C. E. STATHAM, Chairman.)

Reports brought up 17th. September, 1925, and ordered to be printed.

ORDERS OP REEERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Thubsday, the 16th Day of July, 1925. Ordered, " That Standing Order No. 219 be suspended, and that a Standing Orders Committee, consisting of eleven members, be appointed; three to be a quorum : the Committee to consist of the Hon. Mr Speaker, Mr. Praser, the Hon. Mr. Hanan, Mr. Linklater, the Hon. Sir C. J. Parr, Mr. F. J. Rolleston, Mr. Sidey, the Hon. Mr. Downie Stewart, Mr. Wilford, Mr. Young, and the mover." —(Hon. Mr. Coates.) Wednesday, the 22nd Day oe July, 1925. Ordered, " That the Local Legislation Bill be referred to the Standing Orders Committee.'' —(Hon. Mr. Bollard.)

EBPOETB. LOCAL LEGISLATION BILL. I am directed to report that, as the Committee is of opinion that the subject-matter of the Local Legislation Bill can be better provided for by an amendment of the Standing Orders, upon which the Committee is making a separate report, the Committee recommends that the Bill be not allowed to proceed. 17th September, 1925. F. J. Rolleston, for Chairman.

REPORT IN REGARD TO THE INTRODUCTION OE LOCAL LEGISLATION. The Standing Orders Committee has the honour to report that it has carefully considered a draft of proposed new Standing Orders relating to procedure with regard to the introduction of local legislation, and recommends that the House do adopt the following new Standing Orders :— Local Legislation Bills. 403 a. Notwithstanding anything contained in these Standing Orders with regard to Local Bills, there may be submitted to the House a Bill to be intituled the Local Legislation Bill, and, if necessary, a further Bill or further Bills intituled the Local Legislation Bill (No. 2), and so on as the case may require, and all the provisions of these Standing Orders applying to the Local Legislation Bill shall apply to such further Bill or Bills. 403b. (1.) Application in writing may be made to the Minister of Internal Affairs, or such other Minister as may for the time being be in control of matters affecting local authorities or public bodies (hereinafter in this part of the Standing Orders referred to as " the Minister "), by any local authority or public body for preliminary consideration and provisional approval of a clause or clauses to be included in the Local Legislation Bill. Every such application shall be accompanied by a draft of the proposed clause or clauses, and by a certificate, signed by some responsible officer of such local authority or local body, that members of the House (stating the names) whose constituents may or are likely to be affected by such proposed legislation have been furnished with a copy of the proposed clause or clauses, together with a notice in writing of the intention to apply for inclusion thereof in the Local Legislation Bill.