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11

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

No. 2.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE.

THURSDAY, 23 r d FEBRUARY, 1950.

1. Meeting of Senate.—The Senate met at three p.m., pursuant to adjournment.—The President (Senator the Honorable Gordon Brown) took the Chair. '

2. PRAYERS. x

3. P apers.—The following Papers were presented, pursuant to Statute— Commonwealth Public Service Act—Twenty-fifth Report on the Commonwealth Public Service by the Public Service Board, for year 1948-49. Ordered to be printed.

Australian Imperial Force Canteens Fund Act—Twenty-ninth Annual Report by the Trustees, for year 1948-49. Commonwealth Public Service Act—Appointments—Attorney-General’s Department—A. S. Barnes, P. J. Clarke, A. M. Davidson, C. N. Jeffery, R. T. G. Lahey, J. R. Leslie, B. J.

Letcher, H. Lindgren, R. F. Pickering, Η. N. Walker. ■

Lands Acquisition Act—Land acquired for Postal purposes—Tamworth, New South Wales. Seat of Government Acceptance Act and Seat of Government (Administration) Act— Ordinance—1950—No. 1—Boarding-houses (Unclaimed Goods). War Service Homes Act—Report of Director of War Service Homes for year 1948— 49, together

with statements and balance-sheet.

4. Committee of Disputed R eturns and Qualifications.—The President read and laid on the Table his Warrant appointing a Committee of Disputed Returns and Qualifications, as follows :— Pursuant to Standing Order No. 38, I hereby appoint the following Senators to be “ The Committee of Disputed Returns and Qualifications ” :—

Senator W. E. Aylett Senator D. C. Hannaford .

Senator J. Harris Senator W. Morrow Senator E. S. R. Piesse Senator A. R. Robertson Senator R. H. Wordsworth.

Given under my hand this twenty-third day of February, 1950. Gordon B rown, President.

5. D ays of Meeting.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan), pursuant to notice, moved—That the days of meeting of the Senate, unless otherwise ordered, be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of each week ; and that the hour of meeting, unless otherwise ordered, be Three o’clock in the afternoon of Wednesday and Thursday, and Half-past ten o’clock in the forenoon of Friday. Question—put and passed.

6. Government and General Business : P recedence.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan), pursuant to notice, moved—That on all sitting days of the Senate during the present Session, unless otherwise ordered, Government Business shall take precedence of all other business on the Notice Paper, except Questions and Formal Motions, and except that General Business take precedence of Government Business on Thursdays, after eight p.m .; and that, unless otherwise ordered, General Orders of the Day take precedence of General Notices of Motion on alternate Thursdays. Question—put and passed.

7. Adjournment on F riday' s.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan), pursuant to notice, moved—That, during the present Session, unless otherwise ordered, at 3.45 p.m. on Fridays- the President shall put the Question—That the Senate do now adjourn, which Question shall not be open to debate ; if the Senate be in Committee at that hour, the Chairman shall in like manner put the Question—That he do leave the Chair and report to the Senate ; and upon such report

being made the President shall forthwith put the Question—That the Senate do now adjourn, which Question shall not be open to debate : Provided that if the Senate or the Committee be in division at the time named, the President or the Chairman shall not put the Question referred to until the result of such division has been declared ; and if the business under discussion shall not have been disposed of at such adjournment it shall appear on the Notice Paper for the next sitting day. Question—put and passed.

F 328.

12 No. 2.— 23rd February, 1950.

8. Suspension of Sittings.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan), pursuant to notice, moved—That, during the present Session, unless otherwise ordered, the sittings of the Senate, or of a Committee of the Whole" Senate, be suspended from 12.45 p.m. until 2.15 p.m., and from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Question—put and passed.

9. P arliamentary Standing Committee on P ublic Works.—Appointment of Senate Members.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator, O’Sullivan) moved, by leave—That, in accordance with the provisions of the Commonwealth Public Works Committee-Act 1913-1947, the following Senators be appointed members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, viz., Senators

O’Byrne, A. J. M. Rankin and G. J. Rankin. Question—put and passed. .

10. J oint Committee on the Broadcasting of P arliamentary P roceedings.—Appointment of Senate Members.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan) moved, by leave—That, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Proceedings Broadcasting Act 1946, the following Senators be appointed members of the Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings, viz., the President of the Senate (Senator Brown), and Senators Maher and Wright. Question—put and passed.

R egulations and Ordinances Committee.—The President reported the receipt of letters from the Leader of the Government in the Senate nominating Senators Guy, Maher, Tate and Wood, and from the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate nominating Senators Arnold, Katz and Nash, to be members of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances. The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan) moved, by leave—That a Standing Committee

on Regulations and Ordinances be appointed, to- consist of Senators Arnold, Guy, Katz, Maher, Nash, Tate and Wood, such Senators having been duly nominated in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 36a. Question—put and passed.

12. Governor-General’s Opening Speech—Address-in-R eply.—Senator McCallum moved—That the _ following Address-in-Reply be agreed to :— To His Excellency the Governor-General. " - ■ May it please Your E xcellency—

We, the Senate of the Commonwealth of Australia in Parliament assembled, desire to express our loyalty to our Most Gracious Sovereign, and to thank Your Excellency for the Speech which you have been pleased to address to Parliament. Senator Maher seconded the motion. On the motion of Senator Willesce the debate was adjourned. Ordered—That the resumption of the debate be an Order of the Day for the next day of sitting.

13. Next Meeting of the Senate.—The Minister for Trade and Customs (Senator O’Sullivan) moved— That the Senate, at its rising, adjourn till Wednesday next at three p.m. Question—put and passed.

14. Adjournment.—The Senate adjourned at twenty-six minutes to five p.m. till. Wednesday next at three p.m. ,

15. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senator Devlin.

JOHN EDWARDS, Clerk of the Senate.

By Authority L. F. J o h n s t o n , Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.