PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 353, 5 December 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

On Monday, in the House of Representatives, the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Qualification of Electors Bill were considered and agreed to.

Tha House then went into Committee of Supply, and considerable progress was made with the Estimates, most of the items being passed as printed. On Tuesday, on the motion for going into Committee being put, a motion was made for the re-committal of the Estimates, for the purpose of re-considering the proposal to reduce the amount to be paid as honorarium. The motion for re-committal was put and carried.

In Committee the item expenses of members of both Houses, £22,690 3s 2d, was considered.

Major Atkinson proposed that the sum as originally printed be passed. It was explained that the ten per cent deduction on the previous occasion reduced the item to £20,525 3s 2d.

The House divided—Ayes, 37; Noes, 26. The item was accordingly restored to its original amount. The Land Bill was re-committed, and. after being considered in Committee, was reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed.

The Debtors and Creditors Act, 1876, 1 Amendment Bill, was committed. A clause ! providing for the protection of workmen as preferential creditors, with clain&s-;for, two months was opposed,, as fostering the credit system, instead of regular- weekly payments. • -. ' - ; : ~_ /, \- nf " The;question was put to the' fvote, l-ufc lost on the voices, * the clause as printed!* being retained. ' > > ■' Mr Wakefield proposed it, new clause to protect creditors, by* rendering estates liable to review for date of filing, with a view to alter the date where necessary to facilitate the realisation of the estate.

It was suggested that as this was an important clause notice should have been given of it.

After some discussion it was stated by the Government that the clause was under consideration by the Attorney-General, and if he did not approve of it, the clause would not stand The new clause was ••intended to be read in connection with the Bankruptcy Act of 187G, clause 29.

Mr Barron thought the amendment should be set aside for this session, rather than endanger the passing of clause 4 of the'Act,<which he considered most valuable, and the best part of the whole Amendment Act.

The Premier would like the Bill to go to the Upper House with the clanse inserted. ■ •

On Wednesday, in the House of Representatives,

Mr Johnston asked the Minister of Justice whether Government had arranged that the foundation stone of the new Supreme Court-house should be laid by a secret Society, and what is the meaning of the inscription on the scroll deposited with the stone, that it was laid in the Year of Light 5883.

The Hon. W. Rolleston replied that Government had made no such arrangement, and the way in which the thing was done was what .was ordinarily : the case under similar circumstances. The contractors for the building were in possession of the ground, and were entitled to do

what they pleased inside the ground ; Government, as a Government, had nothing whatever to do with the arrangements. With regard- to the second part of-the question, as the Minister for Justice, he had no information to give on the point.

Mr Johnston said that it was a great pity that contractors in the Colony had the pdwer to do what had been done on this occasion.

A discussion took place on,amotion that the House concur in a recommendation of the Reporting Committee that the debates published in Hansard should be condensed.

On a division the motion was'negatived by 37 to 29. } :i

■ A motion asking for £200 000 for roads, &c. in Auckland, and another recommend ; ing £500,000 for Otago,.were both lost on the voices.

Sir George Grey moved and seconded reading of the New Zealand Constitution Act Amendment Bill. This Bill consisted of six clauses, and had for its object the creation of electoral districts, based upon population.

The Premier said the 'House could not go into the question this session. He moved that the Bill be' read a second time that day six months.

A long debate ensued, in the course of which the adjournment of the debate was moved and carried on a division by 43 to 19.

While various proposals were made as to the period to which the debate should be adjourned, the House was counted out at 1 a.m.