HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 2438, 20 August 1891, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. | NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BOARD. The Public Petitions Committee re ported oh the correspondence with respect to the.payment of the.interest of the New Plymouth Harbor Board. The report was to. the effect that they could not recommend the House to take any action m" the matter. „,' •, ... \ Thereport of the New Plymouth Harbor Board Loans Committee was also pj*e^ sented, The 'Committee recommended the Grovernipent to open negotiations with , the Council of Foreign Bond Holders, with the view of replacing the debentures of the New Plymouth Harbor Boatfd with New Zealand stock, on such terms as may be equitable. • Mr George Hutchison moved 4'hat the report bereierred to the' Government to carry otto its recommendation, but the debate was adjdyrhed till next Wednesday. THE STANDING ORDERS. Replying to Mr Harkness, Mr Ballance said the Government would take the matter of amend ing the standing, orders, so as to prevent the recurrence of obstruction similar to that witnessed m connection with the Electoral, Bill, into consideration early next session. Mr Reeves (Jnangahua) said he considered the Opposition were guilty of obstruction the previous: night m discussing the final stages of the Land and Income Tax Bill at such length. Mr Buck land deemed the Opposition wereguilty of obstruction on that occasion. Mr Fish also denied that lie had ,obstructed the female franchise question on Friday night. He 'Should never give his vote m any deliberative assembly to restrict the freedom of djbn'o. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30. _„Mr Ballance:moved fihjs : ;Secqiid ■reading of the Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill to enable Government to lend money to local bodies m the colony lor making roads through unsold lands, 'but the sum not to exceed £50jOOO m any -one. year. Mr Bryce said the Bill seemed to him to be fictitious and unreal on the face of it. The expenditure contemplated by the Bill was expenditure from loan and not from land fund, and the process intended for recouping ib was perfectly unsound, and could not be carried out. Several other Opposition : members criticised the measure. In replying, Mr Ballaace pointed out t'^ab Government, were not taking, anything f;ora the land fund .but were adding to it, andthemdretheyextehdedthesystem the better it would be for thafc fanc'i. The m >Uon was agreed to. : , ..TRUCK BILL. .... The amendments by the Legislative Council on the Truck Bill were agreed to. AUCTIONEERS BILL. I Mr Seddon said the Legislative Council had altered clause 9 "of the Auctioneers Bill so as to provide that the whole of the auctioneer's fees should go to the local authorities where the licensee has his principal place of business, instead of where he resides, as passed by the House. This amendment was so important that he did not propose to ask the House to agree to it. He moved that the House concur m all the amendments made, :with the excepti~n of the one he had referred to m clause 18, which limited the time m which account sales were to be rendered to seven days instead of fourteen. The motion was agreed to, and managers were appointed to confer with the legislative Council, ; : l- ■. I;. V ; JN COMMITTEE, : ' The Consolidated Stock Bill went through Committee' 1 without amendment. The Lunatic Act Amendment Bill was committed. : Clause. 5, empowering the medical officer to isend discharged lunatics not cured to the benevolent institution, kas struck out. : The Mining Bill was further considered m Committee. ;• !t All the amendments •by the Goldflelds Committee were agreed to and some few other minor amendments were made. Progress was reported,- ■ BILLS PASSED. The Act; Amendment Bill, Consolideted Stock Bill, and Lunatics Act Amendment Bill were read a third time and i passed. . The House rose-at 1.30 a.nv