PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1027, 21 August 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Monday, August 20. The House met at 2.30. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. The Hon Major Atkinson gave notice that he would move that, Government business take precedence of all other business on Wednesday first and the sac- , ceeding Wednesday. y bills. The Chattels Securities Bill was re*/ ceived from the Upper House with amend-:' ments, which were agreed to. The Pharmacy Bill was introduced from- - the Legislative Council and read, a. first time. SETTLED LAND BILL. , The Hon Mr Conolly moved the ; second reading of the Settled Land BilL The object, of the Bill was to do away with the possibility of tying up lands for,any great length of time by way of entaiL-.,,; It was substantially the same as the; Alienation of Lands Bill introduced last session, but which was not passed. Since - then the British Legislature had-dealt < : with the same subject in the same direction, and the measure now before them was substantially a transcript of the Eng- 1 lish Act. Mr DeLautoub did net consider the Bill met the desire expressed daring the last few years to abolish the law of entail and settlement. The Bill merely relieved - the tenants for life, and did nothing ; more. He moved as an amendment—- “ That this House do not desire, to.encourage the making of settlements ot this class in New Zealand, and that the Government be advised to withdraw this Bill.”

Mr Sbddon, Mr Sheehan, and Mr Sutter opposed the Bill. . Mr Maoandrew supported the amend* ment.

Mr Moss designated the Bill as being a perfect fraud. He hoped the; weald throw out the measure, and insist upon the one previously introduced by Mr Whitaker. .

Mr J. W. Thomson condemned the Bill as being inapplicable to the oiroumatanoea and conditions of the colony. Mr iSHEPHAED supported the measure, as he believed it would prevent the up of land. Mr Fitzgerald complained that the Governmen had not acted fairly in bring* ing down a Bill of this nature at that late period of the session. The Hon Mr Conolly agreed to the proposal for the adjournment of the de* bate," which was put and carried. On the motion for resuming it on Thurs* day, Mr Sutton thought it- would be most injudicious to consider it at all this session. It was a most involved Bill, and not at all what they had been led to expect. Mr Montgomery wanted to know if the Government would bring down the Premier’s Bill instead of the one now before them. That Bill had been circulated and they had been led to expect it. The Hon Mr Rolleston promised a reply on Thursday. The motion for adjournment was. carried. LAND ACT AMENDMENT BILL. This measure was considered in Committee. In reply to Mr J. W. Thomson, The Hon Mr Rolleston said that the recommendations of the Committee re duiumyism would be inserted in this measure. . Clause 2, with sub-sections brought down by the Waste Lands Committee, was adopted. On Clause 3, _ _ Mr Montgomery moved an addition* to give power by proclamation to - lease-> education reserves in blocks, not ing 5,000 acres, where such land was not adapted for agricultural purposes. The Hon Mr Rolleston agreed to accept this amendment, and in the mean* time he would ascertain whether these re* serves had not been otherwise for. Clauses 6 and 7 passed as amended by ' the Waste Lands Committee. ~ i Clause 8 was amended so as to provide compensation for roads taken through . homestead lands. Sub-section 2 of this clause was struck out, and the one. substituted by the Waste Lands Committee adopted in lieu thereof. . Clanse 10 was amended to read “ oat, - burn, or remove.” Interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. . EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7. SO. In Committee, on the Land Acts Amendment Bill— Clause 10, as amended, was passed. On Clause 12, Sir George Gkey moved that, in case of competition, the ballot, and not public competition by tender, should be adopted. The Bon Mr Rolleston said that where the ballot had been resorted to, it had led to a thorough system of gamb* ling, and practically defeated the objects aimed at.

The Committee divided on the question, That the words as printed remain.—Ayes, 37; noes, 30. Colonel Tkimblb moved, as a farther

amendment —“That auction be substituted for tender.” Carried on the voioss. The clause as printed was then put and Ki passed.

Clause 14 was amended to read not lew than 21 years. On a further amendment that the words,. ‘ from time to time by public tender " be left out, the Committee divided. The proposal was carried by' 42 to 13. The clause as amended was then put and carried.

On clause 17 Mr Labkach moved that the clause read “ The lessee, or his overseer or manager.” The motion was lost on division of 23 to 22.

The remainderoftheclause was amended s by striking out the words deleted by the | Waste Lands Committee, and the clauseas amended was passed. .. • /- Clauses 20 and 21 were struck out. On reaching clause 29 progress was re- „ , ported, and the House rose at 1.6.'' '