HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1279, 3 July 1886, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2 30 p.m. Replying to questions, It was s ated that Dr Hector had not made any rec .mmenda- . ton that the site of Botonsa township ,- ; should bo a'tercd. Site was by law, and could u-t be altered ; that immigra-* ; tion officers of Government had been ; instructed to go am n:;st the Highland crofters to ascertain whet be- a sufficient ' nuniber of the n could i e induced to coma oar to the colony. The correspondence would be 'aid on the talla in a few days, j Mr Lamach introduced the Fisheries i Conservation Act Amendment Bill. The Premier moved that a respectful addre s be presented to Her Majesty the Queer, pr..yingt’-at th ■ Kermadic Islands, lying between Few Z?a and and Fiji, | mc} r be annexed to Few Z .land. Me i said that Mr Btl , a genthman who. had £ lived on Sunday island for 15 years, bad 1 informed him the climate was delightful, the soil very good and the land will j .arry ten sleep to the acre. He (Mr j Bel!) w s so much impressed with the bland that he intended to form a limited liability company to work it, Aid . Parliament might be asked to giro ] Mr Bell a title in recognition,, of his | serv e■. The Borne Government bad J stated tloy wc chi be prepared to annex tbs iel’iac s o Fev. Zealand if an address 3 from the House wete presented on the ; sutjact. He Ih-. u.,ht their annexation j woutd loed to com iderablo trade with Newi Zealand. The moti-m was agreed to after - some diccoesio-'. * The House vent into Committee on the Native Ltd Admit iatratlon Bill. The debate was interrupted by the 5 30 3 p.m. acj minuient. ?| On re-Miming at 7.30 the till was passed wit out much ducu-sien. ; The Native Land Court Bill was passal . through committee without amendment, ; On the motion hr the third reading? of the Mid and Railway Bill Mr G F.l liicbardeon urged thxt amendmeaW -, ought to have been made *imi:ar to those he pointed cut on the second reading. At [resent they had no right to interfere i with the company for tea years. They ’ could build portions of the line, select thej test of tho land, and then throw up the., woik, Ho bo do vc d that virtually the’’ company would obtain possession of the whoJe of the alternate blocks along the r 1 line. The minimum gooes rates allowed *, by the contract were als > too high. The J Bill ought to l>a recommitted, else a com- i plete muddle would to made < f it. i Mr W. F. Buckland raid the Bill had ! been forced through the couse with un- ij becoming haste. They Lad got a Bill hue i no railway, and in ibo end the colony « would have to find money to c u plete it i Mr Fergus sided with Mr Richardson, and contended 'ho company would pick "■ the eyes out of tho tend and build the easy sections first. The bulk of the land was ! worthless, but the company did not know 3 this, and before entering into a contract they ought to be made swara of the facta of the case. Mr Holmes said some of the opponents of the bill had allowed their hostility to '

get the better of their judgment. The company bad the advice of the well-known en- i gineers Carruthera and Napier Bell to protect them. He reviewed Me Richardson's objection, ■'and insisted tjjkar that gentleman had not made himself ( thoroughly acquainted with the provisions 1 of the con trees. J

Mr Rolleaton though Government would have saved a great deal of trouble if they

bad referred the land provisions of the Waste Lanes Committee, He considered there was nothing in the contract to compel the completion of the line within J a fixed period, lie wished to see the jj line nr.de, but not in defiance of principles which ha-i hitherto regulated the dis- | pc sal of lands. -I Mr C’vsnoliy was ii-t in favour of the bill. The railway would be a disappoint- i

mei.t to tho cu.oay. „ud . a bad ■ bargain i for the company. I