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79

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

No. 27.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE.

WEDNESDAY, 19th MAY, 1920.

1. M eeting op Senate.—The Senate met at three p.m., pursuant to adjournment.

2. P it AYERS.

3. Address-in -Reply to the Governor-General's Opening Speech : Appointment to P resent.— The Minister for Repatriation (Senator Millen) acquainted the Senate that His Excellency the Governor-General had appointed the hour of twenty minutes past three o’clock this day as the time when he would receive, at Government House, the Address-in-Reply.

4. Governor-General's Message.—Australian I mperial F orce Canteens F unds B ill.—The following Message from His Excellency the Governor-General was presented, and the same was read by Mr. President:—■ R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General. Message No. 3.

A Bill intituled “ Australian Imperial Force Canteens Funds Act 1920,” as finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth, having been presented to the Governor-General for the Royal Assent, His Excellency has, in the name and on behalf of His Majesty, assented to the said Act.

Federal Government House, Melbourne, 18th May, 1920.

5. P apers.—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator Millen) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz. :— By Command— Papers presented to British Parliament—

Convention between Greece and Bulgaria, signed at Neuilly-sur-Seine, 27th November, 1919. Income Tax—Royal Commission.—Report. Peace Treaty between Allied and Associated Powers and Bulgaria, and Protocol, signed

at Neuilly-sur-Seine, 27th November, 1919. Profiteering Act.—Findings by a Committee appointed to investigate the cost of Production and Distribution of Wool, Tops and Yarns at all stages, and the Profits arising therefrom.

Pursuant to Statute— Lands Acquisition Act.—Land acquired at North Fitzroy, Victoria—For Defence purposes. The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz.:— Pursuant to Statute—

Defence Act.—Regulations amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 67—No. 69.

6. Message from the H ouse of R epresentatives.—Oil A greement B ill.—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :— M r. P resident, - Message No. 18.

The House of Representatives transmits to the Senate a Bill intituled “ A Bill for an Act to approve the Agreement made between His Majesty's Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company Limited," with which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.

W. E lliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 19 th May, 1920.

Bill read a first time.

F.251.

80 No. 27.—1M May, 1920.

7. Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders.—The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) moved—That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the Oil Agreement Bill being passed through all its stages without delay. Question—put. The Senate divided—

Ayes, 19.

Senator Bakhap. Bolton, Buzacott. Crawford. Earle. Fairbairn Foil.

Givens. Keating. Millen. Newland.

Pearce. Plain. P ratten. Russell.

Senior. Shannon. Th&mas.

Teller.

Senator de Largie. And so it was resolved in the affirmative, there being an absolute majority of the whole number of Senators voting in favour of the motion. Ordered—That the second reading of the Oil Agreement Bill be an Order of the Day for a later hour

of the day.

8. Address-in -R eply to the Governor-General’s Opening Speech.—The President asked that as many Senators as could do so would accompany him on the occasion of the presentation of the Address-in-Reply.

A t a quarter past three p.m. the sitting of the Senate was suspended till a quarter to four pan.

Sitting resumed.

9. Address-in -R eply to the Governor-General's Opening Speech : P resentation.—The President acquainted the Senate that he had, accompanied by Honorable Senators, this day waited upon His Excellency the Governor-General, and had presented to him the Address-in-Reply to His Excellency’s speech on the opening of Parliament, agreed to on the 24th March, and that His Excellency had been pleased to make the following reply :—

Mr. President and Gentlemen, It gives me much pleasure to receive the Address which has been adopted by the Senate in reply to the speech which I delivered on the occasion of the opening of the First Session of the Eighth Commonwealth Parliament. I desire to thank you for your expression of loyalty to

His Majesty the King.

10. Message from the H ouse of R epresentatives.—W ar Gratuity B ill (No. 2).—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :—

Mr. P resident, Message No. 19.

The House of Representatives transmits to the Senate a Bill intituled “ A Bill for an Act to amend the 1 War Gratuity Act 1920 with which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.

W. E lliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 19 th May, 1920. Bill read a first time, and second reading made an Order of the Day for the next day of sitting.

11. Questions.—Questions on notice were answered.

12. N avigation B ill.—The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell), according to Order, moved—That the Bill be now read a third time. Question·—put and passed. Bill read a third time and passed.

13. Oil Agreement Bill.—The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce), according to Order, moved—That the Bill be now read a second time. Debate ensued.

At half-past six p.m. the sitting of the Senate was suspended till eight p.m.

No, 1. Teller.

Senator Grant.

Debate, interrupted by the suspension of the sitting, resumed.

No. 27.— 19ίΛ May, 1920. 81

Question—put and passed. Bill read a second time. The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

Clause 1 agreed to. Clause 2 postponed. The Schedule read—■ Schedule to end of section 1 agreed to.

Section 2 agreed to. Section .1 considered— Paragraphs (a) and (b) debated and agreed to. Paragraph (c debated— Senator Keating moved an amendment, viz., leave out “ State of Victoria ” and insert “ Common

wealth ”. Debate ensued. Question—That the words proposed to be left out be left out·—put. Committee divided—

Ayes, 4.

Senator Keating. P ratten. Senior.

Teller.

Senator Grant.

Noes, 13.

Senator Bakliap. Bolton, Buzacott. Crawford. Earle.

Fairbairn. Foil. Milieu. Pearce.

Bussell. Shannon. Thomas.

Teller.

Senator de Largie.

Amendment negatived accordingly. Paragraph (c) agreed to. ·

Paragraph (cl) debated— Senator Grant moved an amendment, viz., in line 2 of sub-paragraph (in), leave out “ three ” and insert “ four”. Debate ensued.

Amendment negatived. Section 3 agreed to. Section 4 debated and agreed to. Section 5 debated—-Senator Earle moved an amendment, viz., leave out “ and commercial ”. Amendment debated and negatived. Section 6 agreed to. Section 7 debated— Senator Bakliap moved an amendment, viz., leave out “ obtained ”. To report progress and ask leave to sit again.

The President resumed the C hair; and Senator Shannon, from the Committee, reported that the Committee had considered the Bill and had made progress, and asked leave to sit again. Ordered—That the Committee have leave to sit again on the next day of sitting.

14. A djournment.—The Senate adjourned at twenty-seven minutes past ten p.m. till to-morrow at three p.m.

15. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senators Barker, Barnes, Ferricks (on leave), Gardiner, Guthrie (on leave), Guy, Henderson, Lynch (on leave), Maughan, McDougall (on leave), Mulcahy, O’Keefe, O’Loghlin, Reid, and Rowell.

C. GAVAN DUFFY, Cleric of the Senate.

Printed and Published for the G overnment of the C ommonwealth of A ustralia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.