THURSDAY, AUGUST 2.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 161, 10 August 1877, Page 3

T HURSDAY, AUGUST 2.

In the .Legislative Council. The Fores i Tree Planting Encouragement Bill was read a rcco.nd timo, Tha Fv>i.*dly So-r^Jes c.ml Tutluiti-ui! and Provides <: SooiaiisiJ JCl'-s wore, passed. In the House of Representatives, The debate on tbe Charities Bill was resumed by Sir George Grey, and after man3 r members had, spoken, the second i reading- was carried by 42 to 11. I 'The Premier, in repty to Mr Brown (Tuapeka), said it was not the intention of the Government to recommend any further nominations for the Legislative Council this year. Jn reply to Mr Stout, The Premier said the despatch of 9th January to Earl Carnarvon was written by his Excellency. In reply to Mr Reeves, as to the telegraph officials amending press telegrams, The Hon. Mr M'Lean said as far as he was informed that it was not true they had altered or excised words from such telegrams, but it was their function 'to decide what was press matter and what private, a matter which affected the revenue considerably. In reply to Mr Fitzroy, The Hon. Mr M'Lean said arrangements were being made for the opening- 'of telegraph offices at all the prinpal'railway stations. The following Bills were lead a first time : Triennial Parliaments Bill, Manhood Suffrage Bill, Central Otago and South Canterbury Railway Bill, and Dunedin Drill-shed Reserve Amending Bill. Mr Burns moved for a return showing the cost ofthe Railway Commission, with the individual expenses of each member ; and as to where the Hinemoa was engaged, and her cost of maintenance during the trip when the Commission took away several officers of the Government. It struck him if the duties of these officers could be carried on satisfactorily during their absence their services might be dispensed with altogether. The Commission, too, made the railway management worse than it was before. It was a mistake to suppose that any uniform tariff could be made mutually satisfactory to North and South alike. The Hon. Mr Ormond said the Hinemoa was not engaged at all. The other information asked for would lie furnished. As a matter of fact tbe tariffs were lower now than before. Mr Reader Wood said there was nothing but downright mismanagement of the railways from one end ofthe Colony to the other. They were right in the face of the recommendation of the Auckland Commission, which said the rates were generally too high in Auckland, except from Auckland to Onehunga. which they considered reasonable. The first thing the Government did then was to double the fare on that line, and now omnibuses were running' alongside of the railway full of people at Is, while cars that charged 2s and upwards went empty. My Brown -(Ashley) agreed with all the charges' of mismanagement, and be hoped a committee of the House would be appointed to inquire into the whole matter. If the Minister of Works intended to 'carry out the recommendation of the 'report he would find the result a lamentable failure. Motion agreed to. Mr Hodgkinson asked if the'Governmenfc Would call for tenders for the completion of the 'Riverton and Otautau light railway ,"ahd whetherit rs intended ' to proceed firstwith the portion between Riverton and the Junction Or Otautau and WallacetoWn. Mr Ormond -said 'tenders Wre'fcalled for the 'portion between Riverton and Otautau Junction, but the'eonstrnetion ofthe other part would not be proceeded with until the first-mentioned was completed. Mr Reynolds moved— " That a return be furnished, setting forth the amount of town and country land in each Provincial District for educational purposes, particularly whether held by the Government, Education Boards, trustees, or corporate bodies." The Hon. Mr Bowen expected to be able furnish the information, required in a few days, Mr Johnston moved for copies of tenders for the present contract for the conveyance from the United Kingdom of immigrants, and that the cost, of material be laid before the House. Copies were laid upon the table. Mr Wakefield moved for a return of the amount of fees levied without the authority ofthe law by instructions of Surveyor-General during the past year. The Hon. Mr Reid explained that the practice of charging fees for examining certain plans and maps had existed ever since he could recollect. The fact of some inconvenience being caused to the people oi Canterbury was duo entirely to a misunderstanding of the circular of instructions, but that was withdrawn, and another more in accordance with what was desired issued. The object bf charging: fe es was uot for revenue, but to prevent the time of valuable officers being taken up and valuable working- 'maps (of which there were no duplicates) becoming dilapidated. They were, however, getting lithographed copies of these maps, so that the public could inspect them free. The 'amount realised by Tees in Canterbury was L' 46s 6d, and in the whole Colony L 33. 1 Mr Gisborne protested against such j

jan unconstitutional tnxinjx of her j IMajcistr's subjects. By what authority I was such a tax levied, and under what j T>svt of revenue would it come ? Whc- ; ever beard oi tares. "ion by circular i wicbout even vie anthcri'/.'" of r* Minister? Motion agreed to. Mr Rees moved — " That this House is of opinion thatit is unjust and unconstitutional for the Government to defend an action brought by one citizen against another, and that, after the vote of the House last session striking out the item asked for the ' Waka Maori' newspaper, and the strong expression of opinion that the Government should not support the paper as before, their conduct was highly reprehensible." It should not be allowed, he said, that a servant of the Government should be allowed to go out of his way to commit a wrong and the Government to step in and defend him. That would upset all notions of justice. The Government had said they could show that their servants were justified in what way they did. In that case he maintained that these servants should be allowed to fight out their own case, because then they would be acquitted by the Court. He believed that this case was costing not less than £100 a day. The Government had no right to have a publication that could be made the vehicle for calumnious attacks against anybody, especially a member of Legislature who happened to be an opponent of the Government. If members of the Government were shown to be responsible for the libellous matter, the consequence of that would be that the members ot the Executive could be placed in the dock as criminals. It appeared to him that it would have been the duty of the Government to have apologised for the appearance of these accusations being made in their paper: There was no doubt that would have settled the matter. But no : they must set up a plea of justification, and then use the influence and money of the Government to procure evidence. This kind of thing- struck at the root of all constitutional government. The Hon, Mr Whitaker said, as the matter was now before a court of law, it would be much better to allow it to bo settled there before bringing it before the House. Mr Burns moved that steps be taken to prevent the members of the Otago Harbour Board paying themselves tees, in defiance of the 4th section of the Otago Harbour Board Act, 1876. The hon. member went into the whole history of the Board and and its misdeeds. He wished the Government would bring in a bill to repeal the Otago Harbour Board Act, 1876, and put in a few gentlemen to manage the Board's affairs until a new rnonsure was introduced. Mr Reynolds said that, as usual, the hon. member for Roslyn had found a mare's nest. All his statements were without foundation in fact. The members of the Board had never paid themselves two guineas, and had broken no law, and no change in the law was required. The Hon. Mr M'Lean said that when the General Harbour Board Bill was brought down during the session the mover would have a better opportunity of dealing with the matter. He hoped the resolution would be with- • drrwn. Mr Burns reiterated his charges, but as the Government did not see their way to move in this matter, which he 'regretted, : he would withdraw the motion.