General Assembly.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 58, 19 August 1875, Page 6

General Assembly.

- : Angust .10, : i Mr T. L. Shepherd presented a, peti-; tion from^the Mayo*? and'jCOT^c^prs/of 1 Clyde, praying that. effect vbe; given jiy-i the House : of ReMesentatiyeskto ,tne resolution of the; Provincial Council', of Otago, namely; j'.that „tfre' ;r ajway from 5 Duriedinto Lawrencey be at once extended to Roxburgh. The Hon. Mr Reynolds made his statement on marine matters.' Sir Donald M'Lean made his ministerial statement relative to land purchases in the North Island. Mr Reader Wood called attention to the fact of Ministers reading their ministerial statements to the Honse, contrary to the accustomed usages of Parliament. At one time Ministers made their statements viva voce, and showed the House they knew what they were talking about. How were they to know but that these statements were not compiled by clerks ? How could the House feel certain that Ministers had their subjects in hand, or were at all masters of the details they were reading about. Mr Rolleston also commented upon the unparliamentary nature of the practice daily growing up, and deprecated its continuance Sir George Grey said the question appeared to him to be— -Were they to bave Ministers who could show the House that they really controlled the departments they represented, or were they to be , merely the talking birds of the clerks of the Government departments 1 In the British House of Commons, Minister after Minister dare not rise up and read their statements ; and were we to be unworthy of our sires ? The financial statement was nothing more than a compilation oi figures, and he questioned whether the Colonial Treasurer knew anything about what was put into his hands to read. Major Atkinson repelled the insinuation regarding the preparation of the financial statement, which he said had been solely his own work, and had cost a great deal of labor. Mr Reynolds said he had read his statement because it was the wish of the House he should do so. The subject then dropped. In reply to Mr Murray, Mr Richardson said the Government realised the necessity of bringing in a measure to facilitate the construction of railways by private enterprise, and would introduce such a measure^'ln a few days. Mr Montgomery asked for the latest return in possession of the Government showing the annual amount of rateable property in each ; road district and municipality in the colony. It was highly desirable that hon. members should be poesessed of such information, to enable them to form a better opinion regarding the abolition measure. Major Atkinson promised to obtain and print the information asked for. Leave was given to introduce the following bills, which were read a first time: — A bill for securing the copyright of Press telegrams (Harrison) ; bill for relief of debtors, and for the better security of creditors ; bill for punishment of fraudulent debtors ; bill to amend Bills of Sale Act, 1867 (Bowen). Mr Bowen made a statement regarding the stamp duties, to the effect that in consequence of the complicated state of the law for stamp duties, the Government had deemed it necessary to appoint a commission to inquire into these duties. Their report followed, then the inquiry, and the result was this bill, based on the English Stamp Duties Act and Stamp Duties Management Act, passed in .1870. After a debate the bill was ordered to be read a second time that day week. August 11. j The Dunedin Water Works Bill was | read a first time. Mr Von der Hyde asked' why the railway wharf, costing L 25,000, should! be built for Wellington out. of colonial funds, whilst the Auckland Harbor Board had to provide their . own wharf accommodation out of money raised under the Harbor Board account. Mr Richardson said if the General Government had not ; found funds directly for the Auckland' Harbor Board I they had at least found the endowments for that, body. There was no Harbor Board here. The following bills were introduced and read a first time : — Christchurch District Drainage Bill, Incorporation of Wellington Athemeum Bill, Oamaru Water Works Borrowing Bill, bills for Election .of Mayor of Blenheim, and Mayor of Auckland by ratepayers. Mr Rolleston moved:— That it is de- ( sirable the provisions of the Friendly Societies Act,. 1867, which require action on the part of the ColohialGovern- j ment, and which hitherto remained to a large extent inoperative, should receive the immediate attention of Government. That provision is required to enable several, societies more effectively to manage their own affairs, especially in respect of registration, regulation of tables °f 'contribution, periodical valuation of liabilities, efficieht. system of audit, and securing^the/proper responsibility; of their in /respect of funds or- property entrusted to '.mem.. K. X" : ' ' : r : -; -" 'X' ' .' VJ The motion was agreed to. ' Mr Reeves 1 moved for a retjirn showin detail the lands \di%ioM^ the New Zealand Settlements Acts, and

reflations issued „tpe^eunder? sho^wihg in Jeach caße^tiie : dateV.and Series pfidis- ! ,posal,' t theVnames : af/pa^b^ei9V^on-. sidjeratiqn given, extent and. locality of laid .disposed of, anddate: of authority, ■■ or jregulatibns under wbjfch'jtneV^isppsaj; was made j also, showing 'the public j re,.serves made out of such ljinds, a nd the objects for; which gucjh reserves ..were made. In the .financial statement he found : the statement that " The time ha^ arrived,, j believe, when the. comr mittee . will agree with me that t cohr . fiscated lands should be < regulated, by Ordinary land laws." From what he had learnt, , he believed large estates out of these lands , had been disposed of, contrary to the powers entrusted in the hands of the Government. There was orie case he had information of, which deserved the attention of the House. There is a large swamp in the centre of the district of about 80,000 acres of most valuable land. ' This was in! contravention of the law, disposed of to a company of capitalists at 2s 6d an acre instead of ss. The company was Thos. Russell and Co. This was a very grave charge against Government, in whose hands' this land had been placed , fqr seven or eight years. Why should Government dispose of this land ifor a mere song when peace had b.een secured, and when it was known a railway was to run through it or go close to it ? Why ever could not Government improve this land if they were so anxious to settle people upon it? Why, he also asked, could not roads have been made through this swamp out of funds stored for public works in the North Island ? Why not employ our demilitarised constabulary in their formation? i There was no earthly reason why the public estate should have been dissipated the way this has been, for at least half million of money had been thrown into the bands of the gentlemen comprising i this company. Such an act as this could not have been done in any Provincial Council. They administered the land laws in accordance with the laws of the land. It would be impossible for any capitalist in some back I parlor to make such a bargain. Had I any Provincial Government dared to i sanction such a thing, it would be i called a gigantic job, and the perpetrators would have been ousted from office immediately. It was said in Hansard that the honorable gentleman leading the Government in referring to this charge was inaudable in the gallery. Perhaps that was the way to treat the House. At any rate it was an instance of bad, very bad, administration, to say the least of it, on the part of the Government. Sir Donald M'Lean said the return would be prepared and laid upon the table. He was free to admit the origii nalexpectations regarding these lands had. not. been realised, and the three miilion had never been repaid to the Colonial Treasury, as was first expected. •The motion was agreed to. Mr Creighton moved — 1. For a return showing the area of land within the confiscated boundary in each Province, and the approximate number of ; Europeans located thereon. 2, The area of confiscated land granted to military settlers and others. 3. The area of confiscated land sold, and the 1 amount iii cash and scrip received for the same. 4. The area of confiscated land now available for settlement in province respectively. Sir Donald M'Lean said the return would be prepared and laid upon 4 the table. Sir George Grey asked whether the sale of confiscated land referred to had been by the sanction of any law, or without any legal power ? Sir Donald M'Lean replied that in making the sale the Government had acted Under the power conferred by the Confiscated Lands Act, but there were certain Maori claims still to be settled in connection with the block, and the necessary Order in Council had. not yet ; been gazetted. The Goldfields Act Amendment Bill No. 2 was read a second time. On the motion for the second reading of the New River Harbor Board Land Bill, considerable discussion ensued- Mr Murray taking great objection' to making any distinction between two bills of precisely the same nature, namely, the bill under discussion, and the Clutha River Bill, and the Board Bill; Mr, Reid also complained of the action in the matter, and attributed it to the fact that the Government supporters were always more successful in getting through their measures than opposition members. Mr Geo. M'Lean pointed out that there was a serious difference between both bills. The New River Bill related to a few sections of land along /the banks of the river as endowments to the Harbour Board, while the Clutha Bill referred to the endowment of 50,000 acres, and he maintained that all such grants of land shouldbe amenable to the waste land laws of the colony. Major Atkinson also explained that the bills were widely different, and could not be dealt with similarly. * August 12. ' Mr .Murray moved— -"That as the, change in the mode 5 of taxation from' measurement to ad valorem duties has resulted' in a very; large increase to re-, venue, that an , increase, of revenue was, neither intended 1 nor reqmred j therjefote^tinle^^ jojf Goyernmentrequire thisiacreaßed/taia-,' '"tiotti : this 5 House is iof> opMon'that'tim duties now levied upon unrefined sW^ar

,ana n Qther articles .of, common: necessity ' ■be! redijced?. proceeded to Bpw''^ 'MTC^i^|)ur^m pfi^itxpuik {His ycplony find _h;6pd I ihe |Goyerhment : .' would 0 ' 86$ ' W, , way 'to r Ir^miti' the duties, i^pw .levied; 1 iipoh . un« j; ; renned;sugar.' '''' '"""'' '• ; ' ; " : '" !:: ' ; '•••• n '.vi.; 'Ailter-a debate -the motion' was with?-" : drawn, ""'"A. . !,Yrr " iV!r "" T 7'- ,; - ' ;;;;! / ' iH . ;".' jln repl j _'tp Mr, Murray, Mr spn promised to lij '"all. cpr^spond^ce ori the fable relating 'tp\tH : e4n^tir^ dprie ! ,tb | the . roads in Glenore "district % railway'works, ' :i! -' !h •-''-■- , --' '.■■■.. , |Mr Wood moved for a return showing thpgestim'ated 'ampunt.o^^lah^^fund' to • ; Dp received within each provincial district for the period from November' Ist, ,1875, to June 30th. 1876, together with the .estimated amount to be raised' in aid J by issue of Treasury Bills under 5 tW provisions df section 17 of the of Provinces Act j also the ! estimated' amount for each jfrdvinciar district chargeable against" the land fu'hd subsections i, 2, and' 3 of section 16' of, the said AlcV together with the" estimated amount for departmental services for. local public works and .education! proposed to be charged against tHe land : fund. ; ' ; •';■' ' Major Atkinson said the Government, had ho objection to lay all possible information on the tabled ! The motion was tigrsed to. The following bills were passed:-— Southland Waste Lands . Act,'. 1872,/ Amendment. Bill j Napier Wate'rWbrks : Loan Bill, New River : Harbor 'Board' Bill, Wellington Harbor Reserve 'arid' Market Reserve Bill, Inspection' Machinery Bill, Ford, and OthPrs i pension Bill. Second readings j Campbeltown Athenaeum Bill, Auckland Institute Vand Auckland City Endowment B\\\, Chub-' bin Sale of Authorisation Bill, Nelson City Loan, and Amie Hood Grant Bills. The Clutha River Road Conservators Bill was Withdrawn, the 'Government undertaking to bringing bill to effect 5 the desired object. : In going into committee on the mar-' riage with a Deceased Wife's Sister Bill, Mr P'earce proposed the chairman, should leave the chair. On a division there were — Ayes 6, noes 26. There were 17 pairs. Mr O'Rorke moved that 1 the bill should not be proceeded with beyond the second reading till Wednesday, but it was negatived pn the voices, and the bill passed through all its stages. August 13th. Mr Rolleston has given notice of his; intention to move — " For copies of any ' instructions or credentials given to Thomas Russell as representing or. acting for the Colonial Government." Also — " That there be laid on the table a return showing in detail all payments, allowances, or gratuities made or authorised to be made to any agent or agents or representatives of the Colonial Government on account of services, rendered outside of the colony sinee 1 the 30th June, 1874, specifying the services on account of which such expenditure has been made or authorised." Sir George Grey asked for leave to introduce a bill to enact that all orders in Council in relation to confiscated lands which may hereafter be issued by the Governor, or which may have, been issued since the 20th of July last, shall be null and void. The Government viewed the course adopted by Sir George as tantamount to a vote of want of confidence, and a long debate ensued. Sir Donald M'Lean moved, "That the abolition debate be postponed until the question raised by Sir Geprge Grey be disposed of." ' ' ' < The question was put and. decided upon the voices that the debate be resumed. Mr' White moved, " That leave be given that the bill be introduced. that day six months." ' ! '" A division being called for, Sir Geo. Grey immediately walked out of the House, followed by nearly all the members of the Opposition. The j result was ; 3 ayes and 42 noes. Sir Donald M'Lean then announced that the Government would move for a Select Committee ' to inquire into the' whole matter, and would give all papers' and afford _ every, possible' information upon questions. In' the meantime no orders in Council would be issued until [the Committee reported.