PARLIAMENTARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1317, 17 August 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Monday, August 16

The Council met at 11 a.m. Mr Buckley said he had looked up authorities r -■ to the coarse to be pursued by the Council In laying aside the Special “ Powers and Contracts Bill, but found none. As the Bill was only laid aside for n ’ one day, he desired tt> move that the Bill ** be now c nnmittod. He asked the ruling L of the Speaker. . The Speaker ruled there was no impro- “ | prioty in M- Buckley’s motion, _aa the “ Connell’s hands were only tied for *1 Saturday. ? Mr Buckley moved that the BUI be D committed that day at noon. ® Mr Whitaker objected to so long a P committal. ® The debate on the motion for committal 4 was adjourned till 2.30 p.m, I The New Plymouth Beer atlon Reserves * Bill was read a second time, committed, v reported with amendments, and passed * through its final stages. • The Council adjourned to 2.30 p.m. ’ HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. ‘ Monday, August 16. j The House met at 11 a.m QUESTIONS. | In answer to questions it was stated that the Hunterville section and foot or five others would be taken in hand immediately after the prorogation ; that no ! determination had yet been come to aa to what should be done with the line oat of ’ Auckland ; that there was no intention of * appointing Mr Wilson, of the Marine 1 Department, Inspectir of Machinery; ’ that the question of prospecting at Red 1 Hills, south of Jackson’s Bay, would be ? considered during the recess. r The Premier said the Council had no 1 power to lay aside the Special Powers and Contracts Bill before it was committed, “ and he expected ii would be pnt through r that day. a A message was received from the

e Governor, embodying an amendment in ’ the Harbor Bill, fixing- the maximum of harbor dues at 1*) 31 a ton. It was exj plained that this was a compromise with d the Council. *' The Owhaoko and Kaimanawa Native lt Lands Bill was considered in Committee. !’ The Bill w»s amended In the direction of c upholding existing leases, read a third l * time, and pass id. *' The House disagreed with the Council's 3t amendments in the New Plymouth 11 Recreation Reserves Bill. ?* Mr Bradshaw moved that in the opinion J 1 of the Honse it was desirable that a )» Minister of the Crown should be resiia dent In Dunedin during the recors " Mr Moss said that on every occasion of , going into supply a Government supporter r bad been put up to move some ridiculous a motion in order to choke off other memm hers who had important nutters t> !; a bring. t 0 The hon gentleman was repeatedly *7 called to order, and the House adjourned at one o’clock while the discussion was °‘ still going on. On the II mse resuming at 2.30 p.m., , Mr Bradshaw’s motion was lost by 39 to S 17- ..

On the motion to go into Committee of Supply Mr Moss said he had wished to draw attention to the necessity of insisting on a statement early in the session of sums expended on harbor defences and the purchase of native lands. The Government had eventually accepted the responsibility of the Stark purchase, but very few people In I defended it.

Mr Hobbs had intended to move for a commission to enquire into this transaction. There had been a conspiracy to defraud the Government by collusion. Somehow they had been led to pay £IO,OOO more than the property was worth.

A long debite followed these two speeches, in which evidenoe was quoted, at d the transaction discussed from both points of view. Mr Gore, Mr Levestam, and Mr Bal* lance defended the Committee’s report. Dr Newman, Mr Peacock, Mr JKolleston, Mr Fisher, M»j >r Atkinson, Mr B.ietham, Mr Montgomery, and Mr Fulton contended that a great deal too much had been given for the property, Mr Barron and Mr Tnrnbull thought thatdiscuts'on was no geo 3, as the money could not be got back. Mr Wilsou asked the Premier if he would appoint a commission, bat the Premier said he coaid not give an answer without consulting (ho Cabinet. Tne House went into committee on the Supplementary Estimates. The discussion was resumed on the item £2OOO. services of Sir William Fox on the West Coast.

S r Julius Vogel said the money was for work well performed, and the payment i was moderate. It ought not to be shirked simply because Sir William Fox had previously refused remuneration. Mr Bryce said be had not always agreed ' with Sir William Fcx, bat admitted that be had done this work remarkably well. He had recommended to the Cabinet that £2OOO should be put on the Eatimatea for his serv ess, and on Sic William Fox’s re fuaal had since recommended that the money shoa'd be paid when Sir Wlliism Fox was ready to receive it, Mr Seddpn protested once more against the vote. After further discussion the item was retained by 25 to 16. Mr Suter moved that the item—£3ooo for compensation to F. D. Rich, for opening Shag Point coal mine, be struck out.

; The item was retained by 31 to 11. Mr McArthur moved to strike ont £4s)—subsidy of £1 for £2, for auriferous - cement crushing machine. 1 The voting was—Ayos 24, Noes 24. Toe Chairman voted with the Ayes, and the vote was struck out. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p m. State forest account—,4i6Bßs. A discussion arose on this vote The Minister of Lauds said the coat of the new department was not large. Six hundred a year was paid to the chief conservator, who was specially qualified for the work. It had been determined last session to establish an agricultural college at Whangarei, and £IOOO was to erect a building. Ho remarked that if anything was to be done towards replacing the timber destroyed, it must be done at ones. Kauri would be worked out <n twenty

years. Colonel Trimble objected in iota to the creation of this department, and hoped it would be struck out. Mr Buchanan moved to redace the vote by £3SOJ. Mr Locke mentioned that rn the poor cold clay lands of Auckland, perfectly valueless for anything else, young kauris are to be found growing by hundreds among the stunted manuka. Major Atkinson said if this was to be made a school of agriculture instead of forestry, he would vote against the whole thing. He thought it would be a wise expenditure to fence in and conserve the land spoKon of by Mr Locke. . Mr Fisher objected to the expensive 1

nature of this department. j Sii Gsorge Grey said weoualuuoiiocou* fine our attention to New Zealand trees alone. Ho entered at length into a list of r suitablotar growthln New Zealand. He trees believed an agricultural college tu Auckland was absolutely necessary, and considered Whangarei a very good plai 6 for It, | Mr Harathouse moved a reduction of c the vote by £5450, a Lost on the voices? o

Mr Buchanan's amendment was lost by 33 to 22, and the item retained at printed. Government Insurance account Colonel Trimble asked why the Auckland and Christchurch managers only got £430 a piece, while the Dunedin agent received £BOO besides commission. Sir Julius Vogel said the particulars of Mr Driver’s appointment were well known. He had been appointed because no one else had been found equslly suitable to conduct the business of the Dunedin agency which had not been pro-, greeting satisfactorily. The district con-' tained one-fourth of the holders in the colony. He proceeded to explain that Government proposed to interpose an officer in the nature of an under-secretary between the commissioner and minister in charge of the dep irtment. They would probably lose the actuary and Government statist who receives £BOO a year in this capacity. Mr Heddon observed that from what he knew personally of the department be was satisfied redactions could be made, and to test the feeling of the Committee be moved a reduction of the total vote by £IOOO. Sir Jnlius Vogei said they would consider the feasibility of - reductions daring the recess He agreed with the previous speaker that more use might be made of the post-offices. He also explained that be thought the directors , ought to receive compensation for the 1 loss of their office.

A discussion took place On the subject of reducing salaries to what they were before ibe board came into existence.

Sir Jnlius Vogel considered it would be very no just, and Maj >t Atkinson said they would never keep good officers if they gave low salaries. Mr Seddon said a distinct pledge had been given to the policy holders that the expenses would be oat down if the management were returned to the Government.

The amendment was carried by 33 to 18, and the total vets reduced to £26,582 passed. Roads on goldfields—ltems, surveying and prospecting river beds, £2OOO, ni struck out on Mr Macarthor’s motion. The totd vote, reduced to £SOOO, was then carried by 24 to 12. The rest of .he Estimates was passed withost alteration, though after moch discussion. The Premier said the Honse would probably prorogue on Wednesday. The Honse rose at 2 a.m, till noon.