GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 521, 12 July 1881, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

On Thursday, in the House of Representatives,

Replying to Mr Murray, The Hon J. Hall said that it depended upon the progress of other business whether or not Government would introduce aPencing Bill. If unnble to do so, a short measure validating Provincial Ordinances would be passed. 1 The following motion, proposed by Mr i Andrews, was carried :—Thnt evory mem- . ber of the - Assembly, by virtue of hie t membership, be ex-officio a visiting justice to. the gaols, lunatic asylums, and industrial schools of the colony. 1 Mr Murray moved—That in the opinion i of this House, with a view to adrninistra- , tive economy and public convenience, the I Stamp Act should be so amended, that up to a certain amount postage stamps shall ibe substituted for revenue stamps. The ; motion was carried. • , The evening sitting was entirely \' occupied by a'discussion on Dγ Pollen's pension, the question coining before the House in the shape of a report from the Public Accounts Committee. Mr Speight moved—"That the House agree with the report, and is of opinion that no further payment should be made i to Dr Pollen until by special act of the ! House it be determined what amount, if any, be fairly payable in lieu of pension." Mr Saunders regretted that the motion did not go further than it did. He looked upon this pension as having been improperly obtained. Ho considered this to be only one of many pensions that ought' h> i be similarly dealt with. He concluded liy moving as an amendment—" That it is undesirable that any decision should be come to on this pension until the circumstances under which pensions were granted to Sir W. Fitzherbert and Mr Gisborne had also been considered and leported on by the Public Accounts Committee." The original motion was lost by 38 votes to 31. Mr Saunders' amendment then became thr substantive motion, to which Mr J. B Fisher moved the following addition :—" Provided that until the report of the Public Accounts Committee has been brought down to the House on th* additional pensions, no payment shall be made on account of the pensions already reported on. He thought what had been said that night showed the insufficiency of our audit system. Mr Svvanson thought.that the payment of all the pensions should be stopped until the whole of the items had been inquired into. Mr Fisher's amendment was then, by consent, altered so as to direct that no further payment of pensions be made to Dr Pollen.'Sir W. Fitzherbert, Mr Gisborne, or Mr Domett until the committee had reported on their cases ; the committee to report in three weeks, The Hon J. Hall accepted this, and Mr Saunders' motion as amended was agreed to. The House rose at 12.40 a.m. On Friday the business done in the Council was quite unimportant. In the House of Representatives Colonel Trimble brought up a report fioni the Native Affairs Committee as follows:— " Report on the petition of Hema Hanmera and seven others. The petitioners, referring to land at Whakataliataha, asked that their names be included with certain occupants in the Crown grant, and threaten that if their words are not considered they will take arms against the people whose names are in the office at Auckland, and it is possible someone may be killed." 1 am directed to report as follows :— "That this petition is couched in such language as precludes consideration by the House. The attention of hon members should be called to the impropriety of presenting petitions containing threatening or other improper language," A long discussion ensued, several members contending that the House should not be so punctilious with Natives as with Europeans, and that if there were a grievance, it should be enquired into. The Hon \V. Rolleston having replied, stating that as Native Minister he would have the question of the alleged grievance enquired into, the motion for the withdrawal of the petition was agreed to. Replying to Mr Montgomery, who put the question without notice, The lion J. Hail said that he could not say when the Redistribution of Seats Bill would be brought down. The delay arose in couseque.ice of the late census returns not having been received until very recently. Tlie framing of the Bill depended to a great extent on the result shown by these returns. They were necessary to enable Government to fix the boundaries of electorates. Tlio House, however, might rest assured that no .unnecessary delay would take place, and that ample time would lie* allowed before members were asked to vute on the Bill. The Fire Prevention and, Fire Brigades Bill, after lieing considered in committee, was shelved by a motion being c.rried that it l>e considered that day six months. The Drainage Bill was recommitted, and some new clauses'added.

The Licensing Bill was further considered in committee. The following amendment in clause 12 was adopted :—" The Licensing Committee for an ordinary Licensing district 'shall be constituted as follows :<—Committee to consist of five persons who may be resident either .within or outside the district, to be elected annually by the ratepayers of the district in manner provided by the l . Regulation of Local Elections Act. 1876.' The Resident Magistrate within whose jurisdiction the licensing district lies, and who is hereinafter called «the Beturning officer,' shall be Returning Officer for such district and-shall preside at every election {herein under the Act. If there be no Resident- Magistrates having jurisdiction within any licensing district, or if there be more than one such Resident Magistrate, then the Governor shall appoint such Resident Magistrate or other person, as he may think fit. to Be the Returning Officer. The Returning Officer of every ordinary licensing district, shall, by public advertisement, appoint some convenient day in the month of November next, and thereafter at the same time every year, but not earlier than fourteen days after the first publication of such advertisement, for election of the required number of members of the LicenI sing Committee within eueh. district* and such election shall be conducted in the same mariner as the "election of members of the Borough or County Councils or Road Boards'are elected. ' Each ratepayer shall only one -vote within any district, but there may be more polling booths than one in the district;" "Some" new clauses were added, prohibiting the supply to Natives within a Native Licensing District, and also the following: —"The Governor on application of owners of a block'or area of Native land, on which no publican's license has been hitherto granted, may by proclamation in the Gazette, declare that no license shall be granted within such block or area, and it shall not be lawful for the Licensing Committee to issue any license to take effect within any block or area so proclaimed." Sir ■W. Fox withdrew the civil damages clauses of which he had given notice. Mr Hursthouse moved a clause declaring invalid, any contract by a licensee to take intoxicating liquors from any person. He explained that the clause aimed at the pernicious system of what were designated " bound houses." The clauee was rejected by 26 votes to 23. , A-'motion to report progress Was lost, several members said they had ne<v clauses to propose, but none of these were pressed or put, and the schedules having been passed, the Bill was reported with amendments, and the House adjourned at 1.45 a.m. ,