PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 38, 20 September 1900, Page 20

PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.

(From onr special correspondent.)

After the transact ion of routine busing on Tue->d'iy aft moon the House went into Committee of Supply on the Honeral K-tnmi'es In the Agent-Generil's department there was an increase of £200 for our rep ret euu»,!.ivc lv Luuiou, ,•. hv> ko.v hj! 1 h « '>ffi,.,> frmn year to year. On the House ltnuuiing after tlii dlii... r aij iu"n n n nt M r Hogg took exception to the item ' £600 to provide for the peace celebration.' The member for Masterton moved that the amount be reduced by £.V.) 9. He wasquite willijg that the other £1 should be expended on the purchase of Chinese crackers for the purpose, but beyond that he thought the money would be better expended in making roads in the bush districts. The motion was 1.-st by o0 votes to five. Several members objected to the vote of £0000 in aid of the sufferers by the Ottawa fire, but after some discussion it was passed on the voices. On the House resuming on Wednesday afternoon consideration of the Estimates was continued in committee. All the votes were passed without alteration. On Thursday afternoon the Petitions Committee reported recommending that a petition from 530 Chinese all over the Colony, urging that the importation and sale of opium be restricted, be referred to the Government for further consideration. The Post-master-General said the Government were fully alive to the desirability of restricting the importation and sale of opium, and intimated that they intended to introduce legislation with that object, if not this, at any rate, next session. In the evening the Private Industrial Schools Inspection Bill was read a first time. According to the measure ' the Minister in charge of the department may at any time withdraw from any private or local school the whole or any of the inmates thereof in any case where he is of opinion that the management of the school is unsatisfactory, or where the reports in connection with the school indicate that an unsatisfactory condition of affairs exists. The inmates so withdrawn shall be transferred by the Minister to some other school. With the approval of the Governor-in-Council, the Minißter may purchase, take on lease, or otherwise acquire for the the purposes of a Government school any land and buildings used as a private or local school.' The school may be inspected at any time by members of Parliament, justices of the peace, and members of local bodies. On Friday afternoon the Slaughtering and Inspection Bill was taken in committee. The measure occupied the attention of the House during the whole of th<> sitting, and was reported as amended at half past five on Saturday morning.