HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1030, 24 August 1883, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thursday, August 22. The House met at 2.30. ROADS AND BRIDGES. The report of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act Committee was brought up and read. In reply tq questions put, it was stated that the only evidence taken was that of the Surveyor-General, and that before taking any definite steps on the report it would be printed and circulated, so as to give members an opportunity for considering and discussing it The Hon Major Atkinson said after the Government had considered the report they would, ao far as they approved of the recommendations, embody them in a Bill to amend the Act, to enable the report to be discussed at once.

Mr Steward moved the adjournment of the House. In doing so he contended that the report proceeded upon insufficient evidence. The Committee had done nothing but what might have been done by the Government, and, generally speaking, he condemned the proposals. They were most unfair, especially to his district.

Captain McKenzie considered the report aa carefully prepared as could have been expected. He thought the members for the districts ought to have been examined. Still, on the whole, the subject was carefully considered Mr George said they would have an opportunity when the report came before the House to say whether or not it should be accepted. Mr Sutton said one good thing the Committee had done— it had defined what should be considered main roads. Had the Committee examined members on the subject they could not possibly have reported during the present term of Parliament.

Mr Fyke said the report was virtually that of the Surveyor-General. He contended the Committee had exceeded the order of reference.

Mr Shephard, as Chairman of the Committee, said all the Committee had done was to give their opinion that certain roads should not be deemed main roads. That was all they had done, and they left the House to deal with the matter as they might think best.

The Chairman of Committee was directed id bring up the minutes of proceedings, and the motion for adjournment was negatived.

ANNEX iTION CONFERENCE. The Hon Major Atkinson read a telegraph communication from the Premier of Victoria, stating he had been appointed Convener of the Annexation Conference and requested information as to what New Zealand intendeddoing in the matter. He (Major Atkinson) said the Government proposed to send a delegate from New Zealand to attend the Conference as soon as the session was over.

In reply to a question put by Mr Holmes, The Hon Major Atkinson said that if notice were put on the paper he would consider the propriety of affording the House an opportunity to discuss the proposal to send a delegation as announced. NATIVE LAND ADMINISTRATION.

Sir George Grey moved the adjournment of the House to enable him to read the following correspondence : —“ August 22nd, 1883. The Hon Colonial Treasurer. !Sir, —I have the honor Jto inform you that, in accordance with your invitation, I propose to-morrow, without notice, to move the motion, a copy of which is enclosed.— l have, etc., G. Grey. Enclosure— ‘ That a Committee be appointed 10 inquire into and report upon the ac ion of the Government in administering, since the end of March, 1882, the laws relating to native lands in such a manner as to benefit their friends.’ ” Government Buildings, 23rd August, 1883. Sir George Grey, K.C.8., M. U.R. Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of yesterday’s date, informing me that you propose, at my invitation, to move to-day without notice the resolution of which you enclose a copy. As the resolution you propose is not at all of the nature indicated by me, 1 must decline to give you any facilities for making the motion. Tam, etc., H. Atkinson.” The motion for adjournment was withdrawn.

QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, Ministers said : That deductions were made from the wages of men employed in Government railway workshops when absent recording their votes for members of Assembly.— Government proposed next session to bring in a Consolidation Act that would considerably amend the Act for encouraging the planting of forest trees in the colony.—That a special Bill would have to be introduced before Government could construct a line of railway from New Plymouth to the breakwater at

Moturoa, estimated to cost L 18 1 000, for which |the Harbor Board haaadvanced the money.—That during the recess the Government would consider the advisablity of changing from time to time the location of the Supreme Court Judges, but they saw no necesity for appointing a Committee to report upon the manner in which the Supreme Court Act, 1882, was administered. —That no contract had been entered into for direct steam service. They had had a communication from a shipping firm re that service during the next twelve months. As yet no determination had been come to as to the mode in which the Government would carry out the recommendations of the Committee. That the Rolleston and Springfield branch line was made by the colony. It served the settlers as well as the coal mines.— That Government would take into consideration during the recess the amendment of the Civil Service regulations bearing upon travelling expenses to civil servants.—That an offer to convey mails to Stewart Island by steamer had been received, but there was no complaint against the present service, and the Government saw no necessity to change. The post office accommodation at the Bluff had not been complained of, and the Government knew of no necessity for giving increased accommodation. —That the Australian timber on the Waitaki-Bluff railway was required for a particular purpose, for which the local article was not suitable.— That a measure would be considered during the recess for mining on private land. Terawhiti and Ninety-mile Beach, being private property, could not at present be proclaimed mining districts.— That insurance policie< on the lives of the men in favor of their wives were surrounded with difficulties which prevented husbands and wives borrowing on their security, but next session amendments in the law on the subject would be proposed. Adjourned at 5.30.

EVENING SITTING, The House resumed at 7.30. PRIVILEGE.

Mr Dargaville rose to a question of privilege. He read what purported to be an account of what took place that morning at a meeting of the Atkinson-Darga-ville Committee which appeared in the evening’s publication of the Post. The account was a garbled one. He moved that a breach of privilege had been committed.

The Hon Major Atkinson said he was loath to take any part in the discussion, but if the House passed the motion he would, as leader of the House, be prepared to more the succeeding motions in vindication of the privileges of the House.

Mr Macandrew said that the report was altogether inaccurate. Mr DeLatohr said it ,was high time the Press should be taught it had no right to publish any account of what transpired in Committee. Mr Whitaker pointed out that it was the publication of what took place that constituted a breach of privilege. Here they were told that the alleged report was altogether incorrect, and, therefore, there was no breach of privilege. Mr Montgomery concurred in this view.

Mr Pykb contended that publication of anything purporting to be a report of what took place, whether correct or incorrect, constituted the breach of privilege. The Speaker said it was clearly a breach of privilege to publish what had occurred in a Committee.

The motion that a breach of privilege had been committed was then put and agreed to. Mr Daeoaville said he did not wish to go any further. Mr Fish, thought they should go further, and fihd out whether it was a member or an official who had given the information.

The Hon Major Atkinson thought it would be better to postpone further consideration of the matter until to-morrow to afford time to consider whether it was necessary to go any further. He thought it was, but would like to confer with the Speaker on the subject. He moVed — “ That John Henry and Louis Blundell, the printers of the Evening Post, be summoned to appear at the bar of the House on Monday, at 3 p.m.” He hoped the debate would be postponed till tomorrow.

The Hon Mr Holleston moved—“ Thar, the debate be adjourned till to-morrow.” Agreed to.

local bills. The Hon Major Atkinson moved—- “ That the orders of the day be postponed to enable them to bring on local Bills for second reading.” A lengthened discussion took place, Messrs Sheehan, Fish and others blaming the Government for depriving them of an opportunity to bring on private measures, and to suit the purposes of their own supporters they afforded opportunities for bringing on local Bills, which were nothing • more than private Bills under a different name. After nearly an hour’s talk, The Hon Major Atkinson said that the real facts of this opposition should be made known. Certain members had leagued themselves together to oppose the Otago Harbor Board Loans Consolidation Bill, not because they were openly opposed to that Bill, but simply because it was in the hands of Mr M. W. Green, a member who was considered obnoxious to these obstructionists. That was the real cause of the opposition, and it was right their constituencies should know the real facts of the case. He had made every possible effort to arrange matters, but they would agree to nothing. He warned Mr Fish that if this was persisted in another important Otago Bill—the Otago Dock Bill—would certainly not pass.

Mr Montgomery and Mr Bracken denied the truth of the statements made by the Treasurer. Mr M. W. Green said that Mr Fish had been for years connected with the Harbor Board, and he was asked to take charge of this Bill. For some reason, he refused to do so. Mr Bracken was also asked, and refused, then the Board asked him (Mr Green) and he was bound to comply. He asked the House, in the interest of Dunedin, to allow the Bill to go on. Mr Fish had a spleen against some one, not himself, as he had never had a cross word with him, but what took place in the House, and it was most unfair to make the Bill suffer in these circumstances If Mr Fish would consent to take the Bill in charge even now, he wonld gladly allow him to have it. Mr Seddon charged Major Atkinson with having provoked the debate, and spoke for upwards of half an hour. Eventually, a motion to adjourn local Bills till Monday was agreed to.

THE NATIVE LANDS AMENDMENT BILL, This Bill was farther considered in Committee, progress was reported, and the House rose at 1.35 a.m.