PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1303, 31 July 1886, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Friday, July 30. BILLS. In the Council a number of Bills were dealt with.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House met at 2.30 p.m. WAGES.

Mr Guinness asked whether it was true that Government bad Issued instructions that all laborers in the employ of Government were to receive only Gs per day. Mr Richardson said it had been brought under bis notice that men were offering in large numbers to go to wort at 5s per day, and be bad given instructions that any men employed in future should not receive more than 6s.

Mr Wilson asked whether the circular contained nothing about unskilled labor Mr Richardson said it applied to unskilled lab O'. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID The Hosplta’s and Charitable Institutions Bill was further considered in committee.

ThaPiemler said thioulyamencm n a as to districts that ha would agree to were

to cons'ttnte the north of Auckland and Waikato into hospital districts. He could not agree to amendments respecting Nelson, Boiler and Inangahna districts. Mr Dargaville moved an amendment to add the counties of Wangarci, Hobson and Otamatn to the north of Auckland. Mr Hobbs strsngly opposed the amendment, which was carried bj 45 to 13 Mr Whyte meved ai amendment to strikeout Piako from the 1 hatms district.

Colonel Frsser opposed the amendment, which was lest by 34 to ?3. The Premier suggested that those members who had further subdivisions would now drop them. Mr Puchanan more d an amendment to epaiate W«ira-apa from Wellington. The Premier hoped the comroi too would not agree to the amendment. The amendment was lost by 34 to 29.

Mr Walker moved that Ashburton be asperated from Christchurch. The Premier hoped the committee would be consistent and reject this amendment in the same manner aa the Piako and Wairarapa districts had been rejected. He would ask the committee to give a cal ive vote on ibis, In order to prevent fame- amendments of this kind tc’ng moved.

The amendment was lost by 30 to 28.

Mr W. J. Sttward moved to separate Waimate from South Canterbury. The amendment was lost by 36 to 10. The Bill was reported with amendments which wore oideroi to be considered next sitting day, The Premier moved that tba House at its rising adj ura til! 23) on Monday. The motion was agreed to.

7he Bo r Duty Bill was committed and slightly amended. The D ceased Persons Estate Duties Ame; dmont Bill was recommitted and finally passed.

LOAN BILL.

The Loan Bill was further considered in committee.

Mr Bolleaton asked that the debate might be reported in Hansard. Major Atkinson, Mr Bryce, and Colon si Trimble supported this, and the Premier and Mr Turuball opposed it. Major Atkinson then moved to report progress. Ayes, 23 ; Noes, - 7.

The question was put that £175,000 be appropriated to railways in the Middle Island.

Major Atkinson said this was a violation tf the Government pledge. He challenged the Premier, the Treasurer, or the Public Works Minister to say that this money could bo profi ably rpjnt on railways in the Middle Island. The Premier said if they had proposed to devote the moneys in the purchase of Native lands Major Atkinson would not have objected. If he was not in favor of raking the whole million and half, why did he support Mr G. F. Richardson's amendment ? B; sides they coaid not very well raise a loan for such an amount t» £1,325,000. M.-jor Atkinson replied that the Premier bad distinctly stated the money was only to be borrowed for reproductive works. He did not specify on what works they intended to spend the £175,000. The Premier sa’d it wr.i to be kept over.

Major Atkinson said if they going to borrow to keep money in the chest, why not make the amount two millions ? If they would spend the extra money on profi* oble works or on native lends he would veto for either proposals. The Premier asked what necessity there was for appropriating the money at once. It was in the interest of economy that they should not allot the money this yetr, for if they did such a clamour would ■rise from the districts to which it was appropriated that they would have to apend it. Mr Montgomery said it was understood that every pound of the loan was to be tied up, and it would not do to leave so large a portion of it at the disposal of the Government. Mr Turnbull asked whether he would be in order in moving that £75,000 of this sum should be devoted to the South Island.

The Chairman said a message sent down by the Governor could not bo altered. It conld either bp reduced or rejected by the committee.

Mr Bryce said the Government had not fulfilled their promise to ask for no more than the total of the schedule.

Sir Juliua Vogel quoted from the local papera and the Frees Association reports to show that he had said that Government would not fill up clause 3 of ths Bill with more than the total shown when the Bphednle was complete.

Mr Bryce contended that the Treasurer bad promised that if the schedule was cut down he wonld not seefc to raise it to the foil shoe -t of a million and a half. Mr Cmcnd said that hie recollec lm w e that Sir Julius Vogel had said Government would reserve the right to bring down father proposals If the schedule were cut] down, but that the Premier bad afterwards made promhei of reduction without any qualification. Looking at some of the items passed he did not believe the works they represented would be reproductive for many yean. Mr Fulton said the debate they were having showed the necessity of reporting these discussions in Committee to prevent misunderstanding and recriminations Sir Julius Vogel said the old traditions of the colony i for more than a quarter cf a century, made the allocation of the loan fund a question of terlitoyial division. The items struck off had been sent down for the Middle Island, and Government now proposed to reserve the money for the sspao -part of the colony. If the total of the loan were reduced it would effect the finance of both this year and next year, but if the House was resolved to do so, Government would leave the responsibility to it. Major Atkinson said if the Treasurer Xf n'-ed money as a margin, he ought to have said so at first. He had never asked for it until that moment. The money arrack out had been earmarked for two lines, and a refusal to vote it oouM not therefore effect the position. Ur Whyte said if they refused to vote this money. Government wonll be able to trot oat the fact on every conceivable oocaaion ai they had done with Mr JlqsmlAi motion last tension.

Major Atkinson said if Government wanted a working balance ho had no ob’ection to give it, but ho thought if they did so the Bill ought to be amendment to provide a a sofa ate eccount being kept for each line in the schedule. After some further discussion a division was tiken—Ayes, 32 ; Noes, 34. The amendment was therefore lost. The following is the division list;—

Ayes, 32 Ballanca Lovestara Reran McKenzie Cad man McMillan Cowan Menteath Dargarille O’Calbghan Duncan Pratt Fraser Reese [G)ro Richardson, E. Grom Soddon Guinness Steward, W. J. Hatch Stout Iresa Taylor Joyre Tola Karr Turnbull Lance Vogel Latnsch Walker Noes, 34. Atkinson Moat Barton Montgomery Beetham Mois Bruce Newman Bryce Ormond Buchanan Peacock Boc’tland W. F. Reid Oonolly Richardson, G. F. Dodson Rolleston Fulton Samuel Hakuena Stewart, W. D. Hobbs S itter Lako Thompson, T. Locke Thomson, J. W. Macartbur Trimble Mackenz : e. MJ. S. Whyto Mitcholson Wilson. Paiks. For— Macandrew Ross Han or • Holmes Smith Bradshaw Wi Pare Brcwa O’Cor.nor Coster Against— Johnston Hislop Ruseell Hirst, H. Gray Wakefield Fisher Bncklan l, J. 0. Hursthouse Hurst, W. J.

The fchedu'e ns amended with a total of £1,325,000 was theii passed. Sir J uhua Vogel said the vote j ust given would have a very serious effect on the general finances of the colony, as it would contract the expenditure unless a further loan wore asked for «ext year. Major Atkinson said if the Treasurer would state specially what lie wanted the money for the Opposition would be willing to vote it. Messrs Moss, Newman, and Reid epoke adversely to the position taken up by the Treasurer. The Piemier was surprised at the d» - mand that i r mo of the £175 000 sh' u’d be specifically allocated, when in 'orraeryeera millions had been voted without any such restraint. The debate was kept up by Messrs D. Stewart, Menteath, and Levostam The latter said he intended to vote against the third reading of the Bill altogether. After some further discussion amendments ware agreed to and the Houao rose at a 2.15 p.m. the third reading being set down for Monday.