NOTES FROM THE HOUSE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 37, 14 September 1899, Page 20

NOTES FROM THE HOUSE.

PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.

(From our special correspondent). The House went into Committee of the Whole on Tuesday afternoon to consider a bill to amend the Old-Ape Pensions Act so as to I extend the benefit of the Act to naturalised subjects in certain cases. The members discussed and wrangled ov«-r the bill until after four o'clock on Wednesday morning, when it was read a first time. On Wednesday afternoon a discussion arose over the recommendation of the Library Committee that a chief librarian should be selected in England at a salary of £400 per annum. Mr. M'Nab moved that the report be referred back to the committee with a recommendation that an effort be made to secure the services of a librarian in the Colony. The amendment was supported by Messrs. Guinness, Taylor, Hogg, Fisher, Wilson, O'Meara, Flatman, Pirani, Morrison, and Captain Russell, and was carried by 39 votes to 9. The House then went into Committee on the Loan Bill. It was reported in the early hours of Thursday morning. A number of questions were answered on Thursday afternoon, but the majority were only of local interest. On the Houße resuming after the dinner adjournment the Premier moved the third reading of the Loan Bill. The debate dragged on into Friday morning, the speakers devoting their remarks, in the main, to the advocacy of larger consideration for their respective districts. The third reading was agreed to at halfpaßt three o'clock, and the House rose. On Friday afternoon the House proceeded to consider the exhibits in connection with the everlasting Marine Commission. A motion that they lie on the table was met by an amendment by Mr. Taylor to the effect that the House was dissatibfied with the administration of the Marine Department. The finding of the Commission was exhaustively threshed out until ehortly before 1 a.m. on Saturday, when the amendment was negatived and the original motion carried by a majority of 6 votes.