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211

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

No. 74.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE.

WEDNESDAY, 24th NOVEMBER, 1920.

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

2. PRAYERS.

3. P apers.—The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz. :— By Command— Basic Wage : Report of Royal Commission, together with Memorandum by Mr. Commissioner Piddington, and Memorandum by Mr. Commissioner Keep and Mr. Commissioner

Gilfillan in connexion therewith.

Pursuant to Statute— Census and Statistics Act.—Regulations amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 221. Norfolk Island.—Ordinance No. 3 of 1920.—Census. War Service Homes Act.—Land acquired in New South Wales at—

Armidale. Leichhardt. Mascot. Neutral Bay. North Wagga Wagga. Ryde. Willoughby. Yass.

The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz.:— Pursuant to Statute— Railways Act—

By-law No. 17. By-law No. 18.

4. Questions.—Questions on notice were answered.

5. A ir N avigation Bill.—Message from the House of Representatives.—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :— Mr. P resident, Message No. 72.

The House of Representatives returns to the Senate the Bill intituled “A Bill fo r an Act relating to A ir Navigation,” and acquaints the Senate that the House of Representatives has agreed to the Bill without Amendment. E lliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 23rd November, 1920.

6. Invalid and Old-age P ensions Bill.—Message from the House of Representatives.—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :— Mr. P resident, Message N o. 70.

The House of Representatives transmits to the Senate a Bill intituled “ A Bill for an Act to amend section twenty-four of the ‘ Invalid and Old-age Pensions A it 1908-1919 ’ by increasing the limit of pension and income together in the case of blind pensioners,” with which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.

E lliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 23rd November, 1920.

F.251.

212 No. 74.—24

Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders.—The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce), pursuant to contingent notice, moved—That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the Bill being passed through all its stages without delay. Question—put and passed. Bill read a first time, and second reading made an Order of the Day for a later hour of the day.

7. I mmigration Bill.—Message from the House of Representatives.—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :·—■

Mr. P resident, Message No. 71.

The House of Representatives returns to the Senate the Bill intituled “ A Bill fo r an Act to amend the ‘ Immigration Act -1901-1912 and acquaints the Senate that it has agreed to the same with the amendments indicated by the annexed Schedule, with which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.

Elliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 23rd November, 1920.

Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders.—The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce), pursuant to contingent notice, moved—That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the Message being at once considered and all consequent action taken. Question—put and passed. The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell) moved—That consideration of the

Message in Committee of the Whole be an Order of the Day for a later hour of the day. Question—put and passed.

8. Senate Officials : Select Committee.—Order of the Day read for bringing up the Report of the Committee. Ordered—That the time for bringing up the Report be extended to 31st May, 1921.

9. Sugar P urchase Bill ( N o. 2).—Order of the Day read for the adjourned debate on the Question— That the Bill be now read a second time. 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 debated and agreed to. Title agreed to. Bill to be reported without amendment.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported accordingly. Whereupon the Senate adopted such Report. The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) moved—That the Bill be now read a third time.

Question—put and passed. Bill read a third time and passed.

10. A ppropriation Bill 1920-21.—Order of the Day read for the adjourned debate on the Question— That the Bill be now read a second time. 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.

Clauses 1-3 agreed to. First Schedule agreed to. Second Schedule considered.

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

Debate, interrupted by the suspension of the sitting, resumed. Second Schedule further considered and, after debate, agreed to. Preamble agreed to.

Title agreed to. Bill to be reported without requests.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported accordingly. Whereupon the Senate adopted such Report. Ordered—That the third reading of the Bill be an Order of the Day for the next day of sitting.

N o. 74.— i i t h November, 1920. 213

11. I nvalid and Old-age P ensions B ill.—The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce), according to Order, moved—That the Bill be now read a second time. Debate ensued. 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.

Clauses 1 and 2 agreed to. Clause 3 debated and agreed to. Title agreed to. Bill to be reported without amendment.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported accordingly. Whereupon the Senate adopted such Report. Senator Pearce moved—That the Bill be now read a third time. Question—put and passed. Bill read a third time and passed.

12. I mmigration B ill.—The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the consideration of Message No. 71 of the House of Representatives, and Amendments.

In the Committee.

Message read. The Committee proceeded to consider the Amendments, which are as follow :—■

Schedule of the Amendments made by the H ouse of R epresentatives.

No. 1.—Page 2, clause 3, lines 1 and 2, omit “ is opposed to ” and insert “ advocates the abolition of ”.

No. 2.—Page 3, clause 7, lines 25-26, omit “ section is ” and insert “ sections are”.

No. 3.—Page 3, clause 7, line 38, omit “ is opposed t o ” and insert “ advocates the abolition of ”.

No. 4.—Page 4, clause 7, at end of clause add the following “ 8n.—(1.) A national of any country who, in pursuance of any treaty to power to deport which the Commonwealth is a party, is liable to be returned to that country, foreign nationals, may be deported from the Commonwealth to that country pursuant to any order of the Minister.

“ (2.) The master, owners, agents and charterers of any vessel shall, when required so to do by the Minister or any person thereto authorized in writing by the Minister, provide a passage to any port to which the vessel is bound and such accommodation as the Minister, or any person thereto authorized in writing by the Minister, thinks fit for any person ordered to be deported from the Commonwealth in pursuance of the last preceding sub-section.” Amendments agreed to, after debate. ' Resolutions to be reported.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported that the Committee had considered Message No. 71 of the House of Representatives in reference to the Immigration Bill, and had agreed to the amendments made by the House of Representatives in the Bill.

Whereupon the Senate adopted such Report.

13. Adjournment.—The Senate adjourned at five minutes past nine p.m., till to-morrow at three p.m.

14. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senators Bolton, Duncan, Gardiner, J. F. Guthrie, E. D. Millen (on leave), Pratten, and Thomas.

GEO. H. MONAHAN, Clerk of the Senate.

Printed mid Published lor the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. L ullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.