PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 320, 12 August 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS

In the Legislative Council, on Thursday, a long discussion took place on the second reading of the Loan Bill. Ultimately.the Bill was passed through all its stages. On the. same day, f in ( the_ Lower House, the Committee to enquire»into the'system of Press telegrams bronght up,their report. The repoVt was ordeSredtb bb'printed, but leave to move its adoption was refused. The report on the Thames-Waikato railway was referred back to the Committee, to which four new names were added. On the motion of going into Committee of Supply, v -" Mr Beotham moved as an amendment— "That the electoral roll of the Bajr of Islands be revised, with the view of getting it purged of the names of unqualified electors."' Mr Gisborne argued that it would be a dangerous thing to adopt retrospective legislation .for the purpose of dealing with this or-Sny Wlier roll.' / > ~ i.-. <" j '■ <' ■ Mr Williams.spoke in,support of the. motion, and a l6ng debate'ensued. Eventually, Mr Beetham was allowed to withdraw his amendment, and the r original motion was carried. • ■ > . • Mr Murray "then moved as a further amendment—" That measures be taken for enabling the. ■ ratepayers whose names do not appear on the_electoral roll from any fault of their.own to obtain registration." On being brought to a division, the amendment was lost, the votes being 29 against 18. The House accordingly resolved itself into Committee of JSupply. FINANCIAL STATEMENT. . Sir G. Grey then proceeded*.to deliver the Financial Statement, simply recapitulating the figures, which had been circulated in anticipation. He conclude-l by moving—-" That the sum of £546,127 be appropriated for the services to .Sept. 30, 1879." ■". ,v. , The Minister for Pdblic Works also made his- statement. - ' - -

During the discussion that followed, Mr Swan Son said the question was respecting the estimates—not this side or either. The question before them had regard to the estimates, which included £18,000 as honorarium for talking the veriest rubbish. He was goiug to propose an amendment* by which every? member would get fifty guineas for his attendance, instead of .two hundred, i and ten guineas,-/He would, therefore, propose—" That the sum before the House be reduced by an amount sufficient to leave each member fifty guineas for that session." . ; : , , 7 Mr Pyke objected to, the reduction. Mr Rees said the dissolution would be cheap at the money. The question was then put, that thesum be reduced by 1 £12,000/ and a division was taken thereon, with the following result:— For the reduction, 21; against, 38. The question. that t the amount be reduced by £9,000, leaving the honorarium 100 guineas, was then put, _rid a division taken thereon, with the -following result:— For the' reduction, 23.; against, 36.7 The item was then put and jpassed, and the House adjourned. Od Friday, after the presentation of some reports; the 1 fresh report of the Railway Map Enquiry Committee was brought up. It was to the effect that no cause had been shown sufficient to alter the opinion of the former Committee. They reported that there was no evidence to show that the map in question had been altered since it was laid on the taWe. . , After a number of questions had been asked, the -Premier moved the adoption of an address of condolence to Her "Majesty on the death of the Princess Alice. The; motion was,seconded by Sir W. Fox, and carried. At the evening sitting, the Premier laid upon the table certain memos which had passed between himself and the Governor, with reference to the dissolution. In this correspondence the Premier gave an assurance that lie would advise that Writs summoning the new: Parliament be issued within two days after dissolution,

and that they sfcotild.be made returnable within thirty days after their issue. With this assurahed His s Excelleftcy;rexprsssed himself perfectly satisfied, but so was not bir w. Fox, who'said~the;re "waSs "a date ommitted, • that between prorogation and dissolution, which left a vacuum they wished to Bee filled up.—The dissolution should take place immediately after- prorogation, or anytime might elapse' which the Premier thought .proper., Nothing short of an assurance that the dissolution would take place within two days after prorogation would satisfy them. After some further discussion the Premier said totally different questions had been raised, but he had told the' House that the writs Bhould issue in three days after dissolution, and the House return as the Governor' directed.' But he had' been asked to fix a date for-Royalty." The fact was he could not do so, because it was not in his power, and he had no right to be asked to assume the functions of his Excellency.

The subject then dropped, and the House went into Committee of supply. On Saturday the Standing Orders were suspended, and leave granted to introduce "The Maori Prisoners Trials Bill," and ,' Peace Preservation Bill, 1869,," which were passed terough all their stages. The Bills passed through all their stages in the House of : Represents tivesjiand the former was passed, with,certain, amendments in the Legislative Council. The Council, however, rejected the Peace Preservation Bill on a-Divipion; by .16 tQ' 6.; Both Hauses adjourned till, Monday, at noon, when the prorogation was f to take place. - 'v.- - .7 . -77. .'--•■K •'