PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 409, 6 July 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

On Thursday, says the Times correspondent, Mr De Lautonr resumed the noconfidence debate, making a thoughtful, earnest, critical speech, which made a great impression on the House. Mr Tole followed in a careful speech, and then Mr Lundon delivered a long energetic and racy address, occasionally convulsing the House and galleries .with laughter by hie quaint remarks delivered in uninistakeable Hibernian fashion., Notwithstanding theee '< peculiarities, Mr Lundon'a speech was full of sound common sense, and he made several telling points in dealing sgriatiin., with the details of Various departments. His remarks on the education question are regarded aB indicating'concerted action on the part of the Roman Catholic members. To morrow, Mr M'Caughan is to give notice 6f motion to reduce the education vote by £50,000, and certain other members not Catholics are understood to be favourable to confining State education strictly to the rudiments of reading, writing and arithmetic. They claim that under existing arrangements the State is going outside its functions in extending education beyond this limit, and that as throughout the Colony school accommodation is insufficient, it is the poorer children who are crowded out; so that as all are uniformly taxed the poorer practically pay for the education of the children oJ: more well-to-do parents. Just before the division Mr HauiHn rose and expressed regret that, owing to the ruling of the iSpeuker, he had nol had an opportunity of giving a full account of the result of his investigations on the West Coast, but that he would take an early opportunity of doing so, when possibly he also " might have something to say" relative to the movements of a certain Royal Commission. On a division being taken, there were 45 ayes and 30 noes, besides 5 pairs. The original motion (to go into Committee of Bupply) was therefore carried by a majority of 15. There was the greatest excitement in the House and all the galleries while the division was being taken. A few minutes before 10 o'clock every gallery was crowded. The Speaker's announcement

o£ a majority of 15 for Government was received with loud cheering by the Government supporters. Tb.9 House then went into Committee on the estimates. Class 5, Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs. The Hon. 3. Hall explained that the business of the Postal Department had very considerably increased. There was little or no proposal for increase in this department. In the Civil Service Commissioners' report a recommendation was made to amalgamate the Telegraph and Post offices. In only seventeen cases had tliie amalgamation not taken place. The salaries of those departments were not by any means large, and they did the work efficiently. Mr Reader Wood contended that it was * necessary they should at the outset lay down a principle of reduction, which should be applicable to the whole of the estimates. Were that not done he believed that no „ coving would be made et all. What he would propose was the reduction of 20 per cent on all salaries of £600 a year and •«(p wnrds. The General Post-Office Secretary's salary was £600. Now that gentlemen had no risk. It was a considerable salary punctually paid to one who had no .Mtisk whatever. The reduction should be 20 per Jcent. on salaries of £600 and upwarde, between £500 and £600 15 per cent, and between £180 and £300 10 per cent. Looking at the nnmber of persons employed in this Department, he had no hesitation in saying that there were too many, and that it would be found that some of the persons were mainly engaged * vraty-.g on the others. He would therefore propose that the vote be reduced by £3500. Mr Andrews opposed this proposal of Mr Wood's. He would suggest & 10 per «ent reduction all round. The Hon. J. Hall thought this method of reducing such a vote would prove an inconvenience ; it would be better to vote "" the amounts set down, and then take a

vote in the House ac to the total reduction to be made in the estimates ac a whole.

Mr Macandrew thought that retrenchment should be in tho reduction of the number of officers rather than of salaries.

Mr George supported Mr Wood's proposal. Major Atkinson eaid the Committee was quite incompetent to make reductions in items. The total amount of reduction being fixed, it should be left to Government to adjust the items after fair consideration.

Mr Wood said hie proposal would go •"" beyond the percentage reduction he had suggested. Hβ would preface these suggestions by a resolution—"That in the position of the Colony the estimates &s > a «■ whole should be largely reduced." He would also suggest the abolition of the office of AgenkGeneral, that the honorarium of members of that House should be reduced 25 per cent, and that of the Legislative Councillors 50 per cent, that Mansard should be abolished, that the

number of District Court' Judged , and -> Resident Magistrates be reduced, that the' salaries of Chairmen of Select, Gominitteee be abolished, and no additions' to tlie percnanerit amounts of salaries be voted, that a large reduction, should be made in the

dumber of offices in the Civil Service by amalgamation and reorganisation, that all Telegraph and Post offices not paying expenses should be closed, and that the and Volunteer rote be reduced by £50,000. . ■« Mr J. B. Fisher spoke in favour of reduction, and that they should set out from the first with a reduction. There ■were very fewtuen in the House in receipt of incomes equal to that paid to the Civil servants.

Mr Bowen also spoke tb,e import-, ance of dsciding upon a uniform reduction at the outset. Unless that were done, no ■saving would be effected. "*• Sir George Grey agreed th*t the principle of the proposal suggested by Mr Reader Wood was the b«et, and would support it . . , ■ . ( Mr Swamson said civil eeivarite were ruling the country! They might be civil servants, bat they were-most uncivil masters. Mr Montgomery was in favour of the proposal made by Mr Wood. Gvil servants were paid far too high, out of all proportion to the income of those who bad to bear the burden Of the salaries. The discussion was interrupted at 12.20, when ttw House rose: • On Friday, "in 1/he Bouse of Representatives, The Hon. W. Gisboroe aefeed when it is probable that the report of the Commission en the Middle luiaod Native claims will be laid before the House. The Hon. J. Bryce said he would \ery much like himself to know when. The Coumriesioe Imd already eosi £1700, and iUey had seen no practical result. He had frequertf!y asked diem for a report, but could get nothing out ok them but requests for more money. Mr Mrarray: Have you any objeption to name tfca Commissioners ? /

Mr Bcyce: No; there are two, Hesers Smith and Nairn, and they get £2 2s per ■day. ■ • '

Ik <the evening the House went into Conmrittee in the Licensing Bill.

Yhe clause abolishing bottle licenses was postponed, and that permitting refreshment stalls at railway stations was struck out.

The House rose at 12,30.