PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 345, 7 November 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

o,' ! -"On-Taesd'ajr : tfSt»rii^o-i— : :; ''.''■' ' ' A ' Sir G. Grey gave notice that he would • move'|or leave introduce aßill to establish an elective Legislative Council. Mr Montgomery gave notice that he would move in GonamHtae;on the Electoral Bill—" elector bY allowed to have hisnarae placed,on. more- than one roll in tlie Colony," ( " "'\\' Replying tb ! questions, it was stated that Government recognised the impoijtance, of \ reTidering |esp;espe!nsiive Jbdl pkoce_bre in • the Divorce Courts, so that it shall not be necessary for suitqrp Io appeal to ,the Cqurt of. Appeal, .bu.ihey ddnbted 'if tte'qWtion could b& dealt'with?*hfs'%els£ion. ' V A3 far as possibly an equitable ad justtae^t'of r expendtture. upon public __Aide''"_S between, the different Provinces. If possible, a Bill would be prepared..tq reduce/ fees for patents by half the present amount. Government wb_ldy 'during the recess, consider-tho expediency of amending > the "Offences against the Persons Act." Go- ; vernment. was iwt, yet, prepared ■; to ptate s what steps would Be'"taken Maori prisoner's. ■'■"* 'Provision' ! had' : 'irebri ; toade" far the erection of adottrt-h'^tisedt'CaThbrid^ei 1 j The next Section of' the Lu'iiistien-Mararod ; Railway, would be ready-f of 'inviting if en-" \ d ers in two months. The amount .paid for-, 'the Piako swamp, was,£J3Js2 r j;be capital ; value 'pi_ the'property,! ' £2|oo,3C>o>..an<_,the, ! lvalue' _et the' Land Tax'AcC 1 £126£80.' i;Tj v.iot'o'.= i-->*c »■■:;;•■> >»>■■ -'j'*"; < j iThefollowing'Bills were introduced and; read alfirstotimei'-'-Sold'-Duty Abblitioh,' jßating Act, 1876, Amendment (MrSeddon), To regulate the layjng out of towns on private, land ,< (Mr Thomson), To amend thfe" Otago Boys' and Girls' High School Act, 1867 (Mr Rolieston), To regulate and restrict the immigration of Chinese. (Hon., iJ. Hall). /IV »"f.. I |, ' r """ A message *#1&K reld; frdm iihe Governor, recommending, ,pf provisions for the paymerit or salaries; '&c. ". In Committee £300,000 was granted, and an .Appropriation Bill for that ampunt was passed through all its ilagps.. 7 i | - Messrs Tainoaria and Tawhai complained that- the Government' had hot given" mote definite; i_foriiiatipn assto. the Maori

oners. ..... : -. ,:i-"\ -yiiy. . The-.Hon W;..Rolleston ;replied that t at present' Government bad- of. interfering with the ordinary course of, the law. The.matter, hbwerer, was one of importance/ arid would be * carefully cjori'sidered. ' : '"'" \ ■>-■■'• '■''■"''' '/'\ '''' On the motion for goinginto, committee of Snpply, ~.} . y _, ; . : Sir George Grey pointed out that from the position of the Readjustment of Seats Bill on the Order Paper, Government evidently did not intend passing that measure this session. l 'Some distinct pledge on the Bubjectßhould.be exacted from Government, i • ■ The Hon. J. Hall said Government was anxious to deal with the subject this session, if possible. There; were certain Bills that would have to be passed, and when they were gone through, the Readjustment measure would be pushed through if time permitted. Mr Moss urged that there was a unity of principle running; through the whole measures, and. jf, they, were ,taken piecemeal that unity would! be distroyed. . j, Mr De La'tour moved as an amendment, " That the House was determined to do all in its power to pass a Bill for the readjustment of this session?' The Hon; Ji Hall' Vas prepared to accept* the amendment, which, oil being;hrfiught.to!a.divi^ion^wa_.cafrie_! by 55 to ,5,.- v .__■■< t <& <r' -•■>'■."> ;.- ■■■■■>; v.The' Hpn:,' J; v ! Rail rnbyed',' the ?fiPPna reading.of the Maori *Kep'resensfion' Bill. The subject wasKdifficult __e'to* deal with, i and Government w.ere prepared to; suggestions "in Committee, s - ,r' / iMr Mac_rJdreW objected to the Bill, sajft ing,that"it«w6uld:giveTdb_bythei presen'il hur4b,er.of lepr.eseritativelß.tQ thejMadris; the Bill *#as idefeetive, ias; it,precludedhalf-castes frorii, being ;.]re- '■ turn'ed'asl s||torF fe'presentatiyejj and ~i\ot urifreqiieriHjly that class.were found #.';l>e the mosi eligible 'from which '#r elect" re-. pre_entativesj !•'!-' ■'»■'" •v( , >; ll " ;, | Atthe evehiiJgsitting-i- '-'j si; ■•)■ »;<■: Mr Kelly t continiied'the debate.! ; Modifications were needed, .and with theiviewrpf providingrfor- ;he; .would/r?oye u thiei adjournment of the "debate. . ( ~.,fv , t_,.. The Hon. £ Bryce admittedthatthe Bjill, as it stbM,'wWriot " l ii 6 aS it might!! be fbr ''enabling;'the : otie-'race I ' to merge into the'franchise exercised by ll the other. He would, support the proposal for; the "adjournment' of' the - debate,/as;. the, shortest :fbr Arriving 1 at the'solution bf' the difficulty. • •'."" ::, ' m ■■' i '""' Sir G. Grey-said that.ithe ißill proposed a great wrong to the Natives. In thfi,early days the Maori protected the! Europeans, on' the. distinct understanding thaVtiiey would 'be provided- 'with l equaT'rights' and privileges-.with 0 f Europeans. 1 -This i Bill .would have the effect of: withholding .hese.,,}se advised that it should, be abandoned'altogether, v" ;.The'Hon. .W! Rolleston denied that a wrong was* intended.. to be done to the Natives.- He vvould 'agree td 'a postponement of the measure,' so as to enable the amendments to be made. in the direction indicated, r ; ~..--■; ;.,,-.■ The 'debate'on the.Maori representation' Bill was continued,' Messrs Ballance, Trimble, Moss, Tainui, and Tamoana, all urging objections to portions of the measure.

Ultimately the Government consented to an adjournment of the debate. The Triennial Parliaments Bill then passed through Committee. It Was proposed to make the existing Parliament expire on Feb. 28,1883, but an amendmeut was moved to make it Feb. 28, 1882, and this, on a division, was carried—Ayes, 34, Noes, 26. The House rose at 12.15 a.m.

On .Wednesday, at the afternoon sitting, in accordance with a report brought up and read from the Native Affairs Committee, Mr Hamlin moved—" That tha evidence of Worgan, a prisoner in Wanganui gaol, be taken, and that the warrant of the Speaker for his production be issued." A debate ensued which was ultimately adjourned till the next day by 46 to 26. In reply to a question, the Premier said that the payment of the,.„ £100,000, due to Canterbury local bodies depended entirely upon the negotiations of the £5,000,000 loan. - • •

On resuming for the evening.sitting* the House went into Committee oTSiipply.

The Hon. R. Oliver explained that a vote of £50,000 was wanted for prosecuting works required to provide labor for »the unemployed. Up to the end of Oct. £24,000 had been spent on works of that kind. They had 2500 men so employed, and applications were increasing. As the "season'advanced tbey expected that other employment would be found for many of the men. The works on which they proposed to expend the sum asked, were tbe-Wellington-Foxton railway, Wellington* reclamation, Otago Central railway, and the Amberley extension.

~ Sir' G> Grey blamed the Government with; having taxed the working jmen to keep them employed, -whereas they/ought to have' taxed the wealthier classes for that purpose. He denounced Government for pretending to be the friend 1 of the working men on such unfair terms.

Colonel Trimble retorted by stating that SirsGi" Grey constantly appealed to the feelings of the SnOb. .

t n Eventually the motion .was carried; and on resuming, the House proceeded with the Orders of the Day.