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99

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

No. 32.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE.

WEDNESDAY, 21st JULY, 1920.

1. Meeting of S enate.—The Senate met at three p.m., pursuant to adjournment.

2. PRAYERS.

3. P resident’s Commission to Administer Oath, etc.—The President announced that he had received from His Excellency the Governor-General a Commission to administer to Senators the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance. The Commission was read by the Clerk, as follows :—■

His Excellency the Right Honorable Sir R onald Craufurd Munro F erguson, a Member of His Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished, Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Commonwealth of Australia.

To the Honorable Thomas Givens, President of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Greeting :

W hereas by the forty-second Section of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia, it is enacted that every Senator shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the Governor- General, or some person authorized by him, an Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance in the form set forth in the Schedule to the aforesaid Constitution:

Now therefore I, the Governor-General aforesaid, do by these presents command and authorize you from time to time in the Parliament House of the Commonwealth, in the city of Melbourne, to administer the said oath or affirmation to such Senators as have not already taken and subscribed the same since their election to the Senate.

Given under my hand and the Seal of the Commonwealth of Australia, at Melbourne, (l.s.) ■ this first day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand nine hundred and twenty. R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command, Geo. H. W ise, for Prime Minister.

4. N ew S enators Sworn.—George Foster Pearce, a Senator for the State of Western Australia, and George Matthew Foster, a Senator for the State of Tasmania, made and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance at the Table, pursuant to the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, and took their seats.

5. Message from the H ouse of R epresentatives.—J oint Committee of P ublic Accounts.—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :—-M r. P resident, Message No. 26.

The House of Representatives acquaints the Senate that, in accordance with the provisions of the “ Committee of Public Accounts Act 1920,” Mr. Charlton, a Member of the House of Representatives, has been appointed an additional member of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts.

E lliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 1st July, 1920.

F.251.

100 No. 32.—21s< July, 1920.

6. P apers.—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator E. D. Millen) laid on the Table the following Papers viz. :— By Command — Northern Territory—Correspondence relating to Report of Royal Commissioner.

Pursuant to Statute—-Income Tax Assessment Act.—Regulations amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No, 107. Lands Acquisition Act.—Land acquired at— Midland Junction, Western Australia—For Defence purposes.

Seymour, Victoria—For Defence purposes. Papua.—Ordinances—· No. 10 of 1919—Deputy Judges (Appointment). No. 4 of 1920—Supplementary Appropriation, 1918-1919.

No. 5 of 1920—Supplementary Appropriation (No. 1), 1919-1920. Public Service Act.—Appointments and Promotions— Prime Minister’s Department— F. K. Steedman.

Department of Trade and Customs— G. A. Blumer and J. P. Farrell. G. A. Murray and C. J. Middleton. Department of Works and Railways—H. G. Connell. Public Works Committee Act. —Fifth General Report. W ar Service Homes Act.—Land acquired at Chilwell, Geelong, Victoria.

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. 104—No. 105—No. 108— No. 116. ' " .

War Precautions Act 1914-1918.—Regulations amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 113.

7. Adjournment to Debate Matter of Urgency.—Senator Gardiner, in order to discuss a matter of urgent public importance, viz., the concentration of the administration in Melbourne, to the inconvenience and the detriment of the business people and others of Sydney and other capital cities—moved·—That the Senate, at its rising, adjourn till to-morrow at one o’clock. Debate ensued. Motion, by leave, withdrawn.

8. Questions.—Questions on notice were answered.

9. Committee of Disputed R eturns and Qualifications.—The President read and laid on the Table his W arrant appointing certain Senators to be members of the Committee of Disputed Returns and Qualifications, as follows :— Pursuant to Standing Order No. 38, I hereby appoint—

Senator G. Fairbairn, Senator A. Gardiner, Senator Sir T. W. Glasgow, and Senator P. J. Lynch to be members of “ The Committee of Disputed Returns and Qualifications ” to fill the vacancies existing on the Committee.

Given under my hand this 21st day of July, 1920. Thos. Givens, President.

10. Chairman of Committees.—Senator J. D. Millen moved—That Senator Bakhap be appointed Chairman of Committees of the Senate. Senator Buzacott seconded the motion. Question—put and passed. Thereupon Senator Bakhap returned thanks for the honour conferred upon him.

11. Audit Bill.—The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the further consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

Consideration resumed of clause 3 and the amendment moved thereto, viz., leave out the clause and insert the following new clause :— “ The Principal Act is amended by inserting therein after section ten the following sections:—

‘ 10a. The Audit Department of the Commonwealth shall be a separate Department and the Auditor-General shall be the permanent head of the Depart­ ment.’ ‘ 10 b. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1918 or the regulations thereunder, the powers and functions by that Act and those regulations conferred upon the Commissioner, a Permanent Head and a Chief Officer shall, in relation to the officers of the Audit Department, be exercisable bv the Auditor-General and any reference in that Act and those regulations to the Commissioner, a Permanent Head and a Chief Officer shall, in

relation to the officers of that Department, be read as a reference to the Auditor-General ’ ”.

Audit Department.

Auditor-General

Commissioner and Chief Officer for purposes of Commonwealth

Public Service

No. 32.— 'list July, 1920. 101

To report progress and ask leave to sit again.

The President resumed the C hair; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported that the Committee had further 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.

12. P a p e r s .—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator E D. Millen) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz.

By Command—-Increase of Wealth (War)—Report from Select Committee of House of Commons.

Pursuant to Statute— Public Service Act.—Promotion of F. W. H. Hay, Prime Minister’s Department.

The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz. :— Pursuant to Statute— Deceased Soldiers’ Estates Act.—Regulations Amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 109. Defence Act.—Regulations amended—-Statutory Rules 1920, No. 110—No. 118.

13. T emporary Chairmen of Committees.—The President read and laid on the Table his W arrant appointing certain Senators to act as Temporary Chairmen of Committees, as follows :— Pursuant to Standing Order No. 31, I hereby nominate—-Senator J. Newland,

Senator W. Plain, and Senator J. Rowell to act as Temporary Chairmen of Committees when requested so to do by the Chairman of Committees, or when the Chairman of Committees is absent. Given under my hand this 21st day of July, 1920.

Thos. Givens, President.

14. A djournment.—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator E. D, Millen) moved—That the Senate do now adjourn. Debate ensued. Question—put and passed.

The Senate adjourned at twenty-four minutes to six p.m. till to-morrow at three p.m.

15. A t t e n d a n c e .—Present, all the Members except Senators Crawford, Earle, J. F. Guthrie, R. S. Guthrie, Keating, Lynch, and Reid.

C. GAVAN DUFFY, Cleric of the Senate.

P rinted and Published for the G overnment of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J . Mullott, G overnm ent P rin te r for the S ta te of V ictoria.