PARLIAMENTARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1311, 10 August 1886, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Monday, August 9. The Council met at 2 30 p,m. loan dill Sir Frederick Whitaker brought up the report of the select Committee relative to tbe New Zsalrnd Loan Bill, and moved its adoption. The report was ordered to be printed, and the Bill committed for the same sitting. BILLS. The following Bills were read a third time and passed:—Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill; Public Bodies Leaseholds Bill ; Beer Duly Bill. The Government Insurance, Charitable Institutions, and Local Bodies Finance Bills were read a first time. LOAN BILL. The report of the Committee on the New. Zealand Loan Bill set forth that the only lines of railway unauthorised in the schedule to the Bill were the Helensville (four miles extension of which lice had 1 been, however, authorised) and the I Camara breakwater line function. The Committee was to determine whether the law bad been complied with, which was a function entirely apart from the com sideration of a money Bill, and the Council would not be doing its duty by voting money for work not properly snthoriscd. The Loan Bill was considered In Commiltee, passed without amendments, and i the third reading made an order for tomorrow. The Council rose rt 10 p m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. * Monday. August 9. The House met at 2.30. p m. BILLS Tbe Local Bodies Finance and Powers B ll Wsa read a third time and p sied. The amendments made by the legir r iatlve Council in the Civil Service Refotm Bill were agreed to, RPPORT. Mr Larnach brought up the report cf the Prvilrga Commit‘63 ot the rejection of the Gold Duty Export Abolition Bill by the Council, recommending that all financial measures be joined in one Bill. The report was ordered to bo cocfldered on Wednesday next. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. The Premier moved that the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill be recommitted for the consideration of c'auscs 3 and 4 Mr Buchanan moved an addition that tbe clause relating to the separation of Wairarapa from Wellington be also considered. Mr White and Mr Walker moved similar amen iments with regard toother districts. The Premier said ho could not accept any of the amendments proposed. If the Bill were split np In this manner he should ba compelled to drop it. Mr Buchanan's amendment was carried by 32 to 30, but it was afterwards discovered that there was no such clause as Mr Buchanan had mentioned.' With the Speaker's permission Mr Buchanan then . moved the recommittal for (nnsideration of a new clause. The motion was lost by 20 to 27. The other amendments were withdrawn. The Bill was recommitted for the consideration of the clause proposed by the : Premier who moved an amendment msk- ’ ing subsidies on contributions from locai > authorities pound for pound, i Tbe motion was agreed to, the Bill was i reported with amendments, read a third ) time, and passed.

OOTBENJgBNT LIFE INSURANCE On the motion foe the third reading of the Government Life Insurance Bill, Mr Hatch moved that the Bill be recommitted Ice the com (deration of a new clause pro*

viding that ugoi ciea may be established in tho IJuitod Kingdom for the sale of annuities f ;r life and for the appropriation of money for that purpose —The amendment was lost and the Bill road a third time and passed. RI PORT, The report of the Committee on fhe reasons for disagreeing with the amendments of the Council in the Harbors Act imondmont Bill was road. In course of the discussion it came out that it was proposed to allow the Midland Railway Com-

io pany to import material on tho saint i- foot ng r.a Government railway material n After argument tho clause referring tn >t this was struck out and tho report a agreed to. C, COMMITTEE. it I The Hou-e ap, 0 afod a Oommlttee to . I draw up reasons for disagreeing with some o of tho Council’s amendments in th e Counties and Municipal Corporation !i Bills. 0 REPRESENTATION BILL. The Premier moved the second reading 1 of the.BepreaeUtation Bill. He said the i principle of dealir g with it by a board was not new, and had been before the House in 1858, 1877. and 1'79 The main features of the Bill were tho population basis, and t’ a appointment of a board. He dealt briefly with the clauses of tho Biil embracing those proposals. The board was to contain five members, consisting of the Controller-General, Sur-veyor-General and three nominated members. Another provision was the amalgamation of the city electorates. He thought this plan might with advantage [ be applied to count y electorates as well. Minorites also would have a batter chance of being represented in amalgamated than in single e'ectorat?s. As to the number of members f. ; r tho cilony, that had been left blank, as the Cabinet were not unanimous on the su j et. Personally, he should not ob jecc to see the present rotal slightly re duced, but it might inflict an injustice on those district wliich were crashed out.

I Major Atkinson said population was t’io only basin they could go upon. He himself was in favor c f women as well as men voting, but ha recognised they wore m t advanced enough far that Ho supported the second reading. Mr Peacock supported the Bill, bn* would have preferred tosee It brought down earlier. Mr Moss would sooner see the number of members increased than reduced, unless j they could get rid if local legislation. Mr Mackenzie said he intended, in committee, to move the redaction of members to 75

Dr Newman thought t! e board an excellent suggestion, but no membrr of the House had a right to to nominated to it. Mr Wakefield thought it would be a retrograde step to amalgamate the ele - nn'esa they altered the system of voting by rending “plumping” Impossible Colonel Trimble believed in a purely official board, and did not think the number of members could be reduced.

Mr Levestun did not think that population should be tbe solo basis for the represents ton. Mr Bussell had strong objections to the 811, especially to the population as a sole basts and the amalgamation of the city electorates.

Mr T. Thomson said the ol'lea were not unanimous in the desire for amd'amatlon. A petition had been signed against it in Auckland. Mr Taylor supported the population basis, but objected to the amalgamation

Mr Guinness did not see what reason there was for the redistribution, and saw nothing but confusion if the o'ec'oral d stric s wee to be altered every census. He into.ided to vote against the Bill. M< ssrs Sedd n, Kerr, Gore, W. F. Buokland and Hursihouae having spoken, the adjournment of the debate was agreed to, and the House rose at 1,20 a. m.