NOTES FROM THE HOUSE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 39, 26 September 1901, Page 20

NOTES FROM THE HOUSE.

PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.

(From our special correspondent.) The House had a sad duty to perform on Tuesda y afternoon Since the previous sitting the reaper Death had been busy, and the President of the United States, Mr M. J. S. Mackenzie, Mr A. J. Barns, and Colonel Fraser had passed away. Motions of condolence with the relatives of the departed were carried on the initiative of the Premier. At the evening Bitting the House went into Committee of Supply for the further consideration of the Estimates. It was suggested that the House could very well do without a Sergeant-at-arms/at a coot of £200 per annum, but the majority of members thought otherwise, and the post was retained. Several amendments proposing reductions in items under the heading of House of Representatives were negatived, and eventually the vote — £1135 — was passed unaltered. The total vote for the Legislative departments, amounting to £19,887, brought forward a vigorous protest from some of the mem bers against the want of enterprise shown in the management of the Government Printing Office. The vote was passed. The economists were again to the fore when the estimates for the Colonial Secretary's department were considered, and exception was taken to increases being given to highly-salaried official*. Sir J. G. Ward defended the increases that had been made, and pointed out that nine-tenths of these had been made in the smaller salaries. The second reading of the Bill prohibiting cigarette-smoking by boys was agreed to in the Council on Wednesday. A Bill to validate technical defects in the appointment of the President of the Arbitration Court was passed through all its stages in the House on Wednesday afternoon. In the evening the private members had their innings. The Schools Attendance Bill got through committee. The Statutes Compilation, Miner's Right Fee Reduction, Rabbit Nuisance, and Shops and Shop Assistants' Act Amendment Bills were all passed. The Eight' Hours' Bill was shelved, and progress reported on the Cycle Boards Bill. After sitting for about an hour on Thursday and transacting some formal business, the House adjourned for a short time as a mark of respect to the memory of the late President M'Kinley. On resuming it was intimated that a vote would be placed on the Estimates for the purchase of Maori relius and mementoes, and that legislation would be passed giving the Government pre-emptive right over such relics. Several unimportant measures were advanced stages, and the Charitable Gifts Bill was passed through committee. The interpretation clause of this measure reads as follows : ' Where by deed or will any property is voluntarily conveyed, devised, bequeathed, or transferred to tiustees in trust for the benefit of the public, Buch conveyance, devise, bequest, or transfer shall be exempt from all duties which would but for this act be payable thereon.' Another clause was also added providing that the foregoing provision should apply to any charitable bequest, whether or not the institution is in existence at the time of the bequest. Mr. J. Allen moved that bequests to religious institutions should be exempt, but the Govenmeut opposed the proposal, and the amendment was eventuallywithdrawn. On Friday afternoon the Licensing Act Amendment Bill was introduced by Mr. Seddon, who explained that the measure was intended to remedy certain technical difficulties in the working of the present law, principally in regard to the removal of lic;enae3 from one district to another. A case had come under his notice lately in which a license had been removed to a plare 40 miles away. That, he contended, wae against the spirit of the act. It was also necessary to give magistrates discretionary power in certain cases in regard to endorsements of licenses ; and some provision was required in regard to the sale of liquor at tourist resorts. Something ought to be done similar to what was done at Hanmer Springs and the Hermitage. He hoped that members on both sides of the House would see that where evils were existing and a remedy was necessary they ought to forego the larger and more debatable questions for the sake of having these defects remedied.

After some discussion the measure via read a first time. The greater part of the evening was taken up with the Money Lenders' Bill in committee.