GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 529, 9 August 1881, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

On Thursday, in the Legislative Council, Dr Menzies moved the second reading of his Education Act Amendment Bill. The Hon F. Whitaker moved the previous question, but after a short debate the second reading was carried by 18 to 12, the voting being the same ,ib on the recent motion in favor of Bible reading in schools. In the House of Representatives, Mr Stevens moved that the report on the Church of England in New Zealand Trustees Incorporation Bill be adopted. After a debate, in which considerable opposition to the Bill was shown, the House divided—Ayes, 25 ; Noes, 27. The Bill was ordered to be recommitted.

Mr Shrimski moved the second reading of the Pensions Bill. He had no desire to deprive any one of what was due to them, but the revelations recently made on this subject compelled him to take the action he had done, with the view of arresting what wa« rapidly degenerating into an abuse. They had instances of men drawing a pension from the Colony, and yet going outside the Colony and taking service. If they were able for duty outside the Colony, it was absurd to say that they should bo allowed to burden the Colony for pensions. There was no rcasou or justice in such an arrangement. In the discussion which ensued the prevailing opinion expressed was that pensions should bo abolished, accruing rights being protected. The motion was carried on the voices, and the Bill read a second time. Mr Seddon moved the second reading of the Gold Duty Abolition Bill. He contended that the time had arrived when on every principle of justice tho mining population of the colony was entitled to relief in this respect. The members for the goldfields generally supported the Bill. Mr J. B. Fisher suggested that the Bill should be framed so that the districts might adopt it or not. His district, he believed would not adopt it. The Hon W. liolleston would not oppose the motion, hut ho could ioresee very considerable difficulties ari.-iug from the loss of a tax that was very easily collected. He supported tho 'proposal of leaving the Bill optional to the districts whether they adopt it or not.

The motion was carried and the Bill read a second time and referred to the goldfields committee. Mr Tole moved the second reading of tho Adoption of Children Bill. He said it had originated in the other Chamber, and had been adopted without a division. Its aim was that the designs of the benevolent might find wido scopo and give the same the security of the law. Mr Shepherd moved that the debate be adjourned till that day week. 'Ihc amendment was not seconded, and the motion was put and carried and the Bill read a second ti.ne. Mr McDonald moved the second reading of the Gishorne Harbor Board Bill. He explained that the endowment asked for was 44,000 acres of land, upon the security of which they proposed to raise a stun of £70,000 for tho erection of a wharf. The land had only cost the Government £10,600. Mr Hursthouse objected to tbe principle of endowing Harbor Boards with the colonial estate. If this Bill passed, at least thirty or forty Bills of asimilar nature would be put forward, whict they could scarcely refuse. The Hon W. Rolleston said that there was no doubt but that their time would be taken up with a great many of these Bills. If they did not strangle them here they would be strangled in another place. The fact was there were proposals to take every acre of available land from the settlement and appropriate it for local purposes. The Government was about to open up the very block here proposed to be t>ken. He blaimed Mr McDonald for neglecting t. c interests of his district.

Mr Turnbull spoke in support of the Bill, contending that the improvement of these harbors tended to increase the value of the district, and its territorial estate. Mr Mr De Lautour strongly resented the Hon W. Rolleston's attack on Mr McDonald. Messrs Stewart, Kelly, and Macandrow supported the 13:11. The Hon J. Hall said ho would vote for the second reading. He would not vote, however, for the landed endowment. Mr Pitt would vote for the second reading, but he would oppose the borrowing powers sought for. Mr Montgomery thought it was better to appropriate the lands rather than vote largo sums for such works. Mr McLean denounced tho practice of party tactics being imported into those Bills, They should tidte each Bill on its own merits. Mr Barron spoke in support of the Bill. Mr Murray also spoke in support of the motion. The motion was carried and the Bill read a second time. The House rose at 1.5 a.m. On Friday, in the Council, among a number of Committee reports laid on the table was one condemning strongly the action of several departments in not furnishing a renin: to sue order of the Council, ;iii,! n.'isii,;..v,,>:i:i.-; i.lie action oi : the offi-c-it.--. ,:\ih.;u:':i<ju to the notice of thcGovcrnL) the liuii c 'ji Representatives, i~,\i C C:>\ v p>\ s.nded a p. tition i'.om 51 | 1.-., ad .iJoai(.".•• uoi.ii of Auckland, praying j ih:d th-j Counties Act, 18*"0, be abolished, j :i,:.'; ihat ilie Ua'iii'; Ad of 1876 be, :.(!iO;<;ird so i" -ive Boaids the option '

of rating upon acreage or valuation of land, and that the land be answerable for tho rates duo thereon up to £10. Replying to Mr Finn, as to whether tho Minister of Justice is aware that the Warden and R.M. at Kumara, on the, West Coast of the Middle Island, opens his Court there for the despatch of business at the hour of eight o'clock at night; ihat on tho 18th ultimo, without any emergency, he took tho evidence of five or six young girls, the majority of them not exceeding 15 years of age, between such hour and ten minutes past four o'clock the following morning ; that such Resident Magistrate either threatened to issue or else prepared a warrant at about three o'clock in tho morning of the 19th nit., for the arrest of a younfr lady namo.l Mary Jane Marlow, who failed to be present before him at that hour to give evidence in the case then being tried. The Hon T. Dick said that the statements set forth in the question were most extraordinary, and since it had been brought under his notice he had communicated with the Magistrate, demanding from him an explanation. Until that had been made he would refrain from making further comment. On the motion of the Fon J. Hall, it was agreed, for the remainder of the session, to meet for the despatch of Government business on Monday. The Gaming and Lotteries Bill was recommitted for the further consideration of clause 15, penalty for exhibiting placards or advertising betting houses. Several amendments to the clause were proposed and rejected, and ultimately the clause itself was struck out. The third reading was carried on a division by 40 to 2C. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr Saunders said that he rose to speak as a disappointed and angry man. He expected something very different to the estimates now brought down. He spoke as the representative of a deluded and overtaxed country and not as an attacker of any Government past or present. The information that half the property tax would be takeh off would be, no doubt, popular, but, instead of doing that, it should be doubled. He would also imposo an income tax and restore the tea and sugar duties. If the estimates were not reduced, he intended challenging almost every 7 item as it came up. Mr Thomson agreed in the remarks of the previous speaker. He dissented from the proposition, however, that the property tax should be doubled. Sir G. Grey was certain that no good could bo done in committee of supply with the estimates before them. They could not digest the proposals, but he thought they should appoint a committee, say of twelve members, to full}' inquire into the subject and make such a report as might be desirable. In making this suggestion he protested that he had no intention of moving an adverse vote upon the Government. The Hon J. Hall said that it was not possible to consider Sir G. Grey's proposal in a serious light. The proposal simply said that twelve, gentlemen could he got to do oft hand what Ministers, with all their knowledge of their departments, had foiled to do. They did not say that their estimates were perfect; they were only another step in the direction tins Government had proposed for itself to pursue. MrSwanson a'so spoke of the impracticability of the proposal. Mr Turnbull spoke in support of the motion for the appointment of a Committee. Mr Fallance complained that tbe speech made by Mr Saunders had been altogether ignored by the Premier. He thought that unfair, as there was much in his remarks worthy of consideration. Mr Saundors <1M not think the proposed appointment of a Committee could achieve tho purpose aimed at. He considered tho 10 per cent, reduction should be permanent. He accepted the restoration of the 10 per cent, as an indication that the Government did not inte id to follow out its retrenchment policy. Mr Montgomery blaond the Governmentfor not having n ad i any reply to the remarks made by Mr Saunders. He did not think that the state of the Colony warranted the restoration of the 10 per cent. It meant increased taxation and as such the people of the Colony had a right to be considered before the Civil servants. He criticised the estimates, stating that much of the so-called saving, when examined into, was not saving at all. Sir G. Grey's amendment was put and negatived. On the motion for going into supply,

Mr J. T. Fisher called attention to a 1 report in the Timaru Herald, attributing to him a certain statement derogatory to the Judges. He had never spoken on the subject at all. Mr J. B. Fisher said that he was inteested in the report. He stigmatised the correspondent in question as a base perverter of the truth, and went on to point out inaccuracies in the report entirety altering the tenor of bis remarks. He could not imagine a greater tissue of falsehoods than the statements of the correspondent in question. He bad conferred with the leaders of his party,'and they had advised him not to bring, it up as a breach of privilege, as in 187G a similar question had been taken, and the same correspondent on that occ-assion had crawled on his stomach before the House, and made an abject apology for his slanders. It was neither necessary or desirable that such an exhibition should be repeated, and he could treat the slanderer with contempt. The House then went into committee, when the estimates for the Postal and Telegraph Departments were considered and passed as printed.