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WEDNESDAY, AUD. 16.
The Speaker took the chair at half-past 4
o'clock.
It was elicited. In answer to uwh>»vud
ton. members, that a great majority of the
.complaints against' Mr, Ogier, P.M., were
frivolous, bat that there were one or two
-charges in regard to which some steps would
be takenand that the subject of opening
up the forest country between the Geelong
'«na .Colac railway and the sea, with tram
WM. would be considered, bat. that any
fPBucfelion lor a railway most be made to
P«ri|atqenb
The Colonial Bank B01, the Benevolent
"" ' ' tralasian Dramaticand
BilL the Colling wood
ps Bill, ana the Emerald-hill
were referred to select com
rsoH moyed for leave to intro
- to absolutely abolish imprison
debt anddiatwss for rent. The
" the statute was practicaUy
* County Court and the
Stipendiary magte
i«o' iotten to nuke use of it
tied. Xt was a
when sent to
ordinary crimi
* regard
1» nfoilLtre&a
id, the dis
-_id Malta,
made in «aoh a
membefactrtn.
plaint seemed to be chiefly that the msg s
trates improperly used their powers. Toe
proper remedy in each a case was against the
magistrates who were in the wrong, and not
the law. On the second reading of the
bill he hoped that the hon. member
would bring some evidence to show that
the alteration in the law he proposed to
make was one which waB really demanded in
the interests of the public- With regard to
the abolition of distress for rent; he cou d
only say that if the hon. member carried his
bill, he should be sorry to hare him for a
tenant. , . ,
Mr. BOSISTO, as a magistrate, had never
seen any arbitrary use of the imprisonment
for debt law, which he considered a most
valuable one.
The motion was agreed to, and the bill was
brought in, read a first time, and ordered
to be read a second time next Wednesday
week.
A number of Public Works and Railway
votes were passed in committee, including
£50,000 towards the superstructure of the new
Supreme Court buildings, and some items for
water supply.
EDUCATION ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
The House went into committee for the
further consideration of the Education Act
Amendment Bill. The discussion was re.
sumed on the new clause proposed by Mr.
MacBain-"That the permission heretofore
granted to boards of advice to direct, with
the approval of the Minister, what nse shall
be made of school buildings after the children
are dismissed from school, shall extend to all
days and hours other than those set apart,
under the principal act, for secular in»
Btruction."
Major SMITH regarded the proposal as a
blow at the principle of secular instruction,
and he hoped that the clause would be with,
drawn.
Mr. Wbkon contended that the clause
would not have the effect apprehended by the
hon. member for Ballarat West. There was
no principle involved-only a question of ex
pediency.
Mr. BAMSAY feared that this new clause
was calculated to wreck the education system
of this country on the breakers of secta<
nanism. The laity of the Roman Catholic
Church were now coming forward to act on
the boards of advice, and the House ought
to be careful not to Bet a stumbling-block in
the way of the different creeds working
harmoniously together.
Mr. LONGMOBE opposed the clause.
Mr. Mobrat SMITH supported the clause,
and regretted that it did not meet with the
approval of the Minister of Education. If
ministers of religion could attend a school in
the afternoon, why could they not also attend
in the morning ?
Mr. CASET opposed the clause.
Mr. WAIKSB said that he would move an
amendment on the clause to the effect that
the permission heretofore granted to boards
of advice to allow the use of state school
buildings after school hours for religious
instruction be withdrawn.
Progress was reported, on the motion of
Mr. Mirams.
The House rose at 20 minutes past 11
o'clock.
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