PARLIAMENTARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1302, 30 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Thursday, July 29. Iu the Council a number of Bills were dealt with.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

Thursday July 29. The House met at 2.30. p.m PRIVILEGE.

Mr Sevan called attention to a question I of privilege in reference to last night’s 1 1 proceedings in Committee. At an early hour of the morning, when the railway connected with portions of lines In his J own district ware under discussion, he' was assailed by Mr Fergus, the member for Wakatipu, with some very coarse remarks, to the effect that the HokitikaQreymouth Railway was a swindle, accompanied with some coarse adjectives and obscene epithets, which he would not repeat to the House. Ho thought it best to bring the matter beb re Mr Speaker, as whatever the relations of members were, he thought they should respect each other as gentlemen. The Speaker said the proper course to pursue was to bring the matter under the notice of the Chairman of Committees, who would then have !o report to the Speaker. However, he should like to hear Me Fergus’ explanation. Mr Fergus said he happened to bo converging with the member for Franklin North about a certain railway in a confidential manner, and he had no idea Mr Bovan was listening to their conversation. He had characterised the line as a political fraud, and said ho did not believe in it. Mr £evan then intai jected some remarks upon which Mr Fergus politely told him to hold his tongue, or something to that effect. Had Mr Bevan asked him to apologise he should have certainly done so, as he had no intention of any offence ■to the hon gentleman. Ho desired now to tender him a full apology. The Speaker said Mr Fergus had mot the charge like a gentleman, and he thought it was not neceseary to proceed further with the, matter. Mr Bevau freely accepted the apology. He said he should hive asked for an apology last night, only the member for Wakatipu was in such a state of excrement he did not like to approach him. BILLS. The Deceased Persons Estate Duties Act Am ndment Bill, aud the Administration Act Extension Bill wore committed and pissed without amendment. The House went into committee on the Public Bodies Leasehold Bill which was passed with slight amendment. The Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill, which hid been postponed for the consideration of new c'auses, was further discussed in Oommiltoe. There was a long argdmeat over clause 2b providing for the representation on district boards to be proportioned to the amount of con? tributlons thereto by the several contributors. Messrs Walker, McMillan, W. F. Bnckland and other members desired a limit of three representative’s for five counties. The Premier said he would agree to a maximum of four for any local body. Dr Newman objected that this was subjecting boroughs with their large population and contributions to country districts. Mr Peacock pointed out that if the maximum were fixed at four, it did not follow that every local body would be entitled to that number. He and other borough representatives denied that they had any wish to raise a strife between town and country, as alleged by some speakers The maximum was eventually fixed at tour, and Mr Walker then moved to add “ one with the exception of boroughs, in in which three shall be the maximum.’’ The Premier said this would only fairly apply to Canterbury ; it was unjust to other districts, Dunedin, for instance, had more than three times the rateable va’ua or population of any county. Eventually the compromise was accepted and Mr Walker’s amendment withdrawn. Mr McArthur moved an addition to the clause in the direction of adjusting the representation on the united boards on the principle laid down regarding district boards.

Agreed to. Clause Ba, directing boards to collect contributions on an uniform s'ale was objected to by Messrs Buchanan, Pearson and others, who drew the attention of country members patticularly to it. Mr Pearson said ho bad a clause to move in its place providing for a differential contribution. He read it, rc: marking parenthetically, that he did not quite understand it, as It was drawn by a lawyer. He asked the Premier if the Government intended to take any notice of the resolutions he carried the other night. If the present system wore continued it would result in the Actbreaking down.

The Premier asked the country members how they would like it if the borough members got the upper band sud made the country districts pay twice as mnoh as the town. Mr Taylor denied that such was the case.

An attempt was then made tp strike out of the clause the words preventing the imposition of differential rates, but it was negatived by 35 to 2t A .motion that the Chairman leave Ilia chair was a’so negatived after a long discussion and the clause carried intact by 33 to 20.

A number ef clauses passed with unimportant amendments, apd the Premier in view of the late sitting that morning, moved to report progress, which was agreed to. The Bills passed through Committee that day were then dealt with in their final stages. The Premier said ho did not propose to take any more Government business that night, but asked the ijoaao to the Dog Registration Act Amendment Bill a third lima.

Mr Backend protested and said he would talk till 12.30 rather than let it be done. Mr Buckland continuing to proteat, the Premier said he aid not wish to keep members there, and he would agree not to go on with the Bill.