HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Clutha Leader, Issue 221, 4 October 1878, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

~ Tuesday, Ist i October. --■ . , CUSTOMS TARIFF BILL. After 10 o'clock the Hon. J. BALLA.NCE briefly moved :the_ Customs .Tariff Bill, which was ; agreed j to : on Jfche- voices, ; and the House went into commit iiee on the Bill. ' , . . Considerabte discussion ensued on clause 4, Mr" NVdolcock' ; endeavouring, to obtain some : .amendment of thedulyoh sugar, treads, and molasses,^ while . Mr, Bowen moved that' the •- clause ".be itruek out altogether. , ' .; """ .^lklr'iVypolcoclc'iJ^^amendnient ; was lost by 30 to r 2i, ! 'ahd J ttie" clause Was th*ri piassed without. Amendment. ..i:;.: v':" ."• ._ v ■<;■;,;,■ -.-.i - t ; z:l The remainfng (clauses . of the Bill were then /pasieid without amendment * ' -'••- 1 - J „ ; ; : ;Xln.^Ke' -first ; schedule ;Mr SATJNDERS ;C ';Snoved;*thaf-tbe 2s 6d -duty on flour- Backs be ; ' T ;ißtruek* outj bufc it:waHretained£by;29,.to.2L ' c -^oi-In schedule 2, after some discussion, the Hon. rhJ^B^llance^agrcwi^.to include^^ timber in: tW lißVor^tieleion^wliica all"'daty .was* tk> .be ■.-■" removed. " - .- " ■'j'' i -'/ !^.-vU- i<* -j •-.-• •- «>! JMj*i wrHlTAKßK thought such a courae' unf < ]boQ^lie.;*p^^groww8 li r ofr^the; South.- and- the^'tiinber •'cutters; ur'th'e belaid atf th^ fefet^ |-;¥tfie?Tasffi«iiaff>timber» sellers on the one hanid,*. -^dytheiGalifdrnian; grain .f growers v . on ";jih'e* 3i?JJAiter«sft_con6iderable ;, - discussion ji ; jthe 5 item »rti*£graiii'?5 Lwas T i<^araed by. -tt?agvihßi:i!&--,'.;r.-!:-'.rZ7'; d that :QA~ nwtitem,

_,Oa .tU.motion ..of the Hon. J. BALLANCE, tlie^wordg"' 1 timber,-; eawritValings,. -shingles,' and. laths," were inserted on th.c. voices. was then put that tho schedule as' amended pass, f* .j „ ! : ' a - ' '; Mr Macfarlane called f^r a division, and the schedule' was" ;cM'ri|d ! by 27 to 11. "•■' ■ '-. j, The Bill was reported, arid ordered to be readathirdtime^on ,Tbursday. ' : -•>•' ';'. The , House'. adjourned at 1.36 a; nu •' •: . Wednesday, 2nd Ootobbr. - The House met at 2 30 p.m. . / THE KAIAPOI NATIVE MEETING. On the motion of Mr TAIAROA; the Government agreed that a report of tjie meeting between the Native Minister and the Ngatahu tribe at Kaiapoi in May and June, 1878, should be laid before the House and printed. TESTING GABLES. ' Mr DRIVJER gave notice to move for placing a sum r> n the Suppleihentary Estimates, not exceeding L4OOO, for providing a chain cable testing appaiatus for every harbour in the Colony. - LAND TAX BILL. Mr WAKEFIELD gave notice to move for the re commntal of the iiand Tax Bill. PUBLIO ACCOUNTS. ■Mr WHITAKER. gave ncitice to move that ordinary and territou'al revenue be kept separately in the public accounts of the Color y, with a view to the proper regulation of immigration and public works charges. MAJOR HAIR AND MR SEARANCKE. Mr FOX movc-d for a Committee to inquire into the circumstances attending "the . removal from office of Major Mair, Mr G. Mair, and Mr Searaneke. The hon. gentleman, in referring.to the previous action he bad taken in tins matter, said the Premier had expressed hia willingness, on behalf of the Government, tb submit to any inquiry; while a few days afterwards the Native Minister refused to recognise the right of the Hou-se to inquire into any of hig acts of tbat kind, and at the same time asked the House to rally round him acd endorse that _ view. He might say, that as compared with Major Mair, the person who succeeded him nii^ht be called an inexperienced boy. Major Mair, who had been 15 years in the Government service, had rendered invaluable service to the Government in Native matters, besides the excellent effect his influence had on the Maorip. The hon. gentleman also referred in complimentary terms to services of Gilbert Mair and Mr Searaneke to the Colony. . Mr SHEEHAN saw no reason to alter Mb : views, and he asked the- House to assist him in resisting the motion just made. He hoped the time would cdine when the position of the Government- 1 and the* Civil 'servants would be just tKe sams as that of a private emplf -yer and thoßaheemplr>yed,butatpresentaoyonewhohad control of the Native Department should have the power of dispensing with the services of any of •its servants if found wanting in the qualities Tequisite,-because:it sometimes happened that, although an officer, might be all that was necessary, ;as far as mere observance of rpcl-tapeism was concerned, -at the same time^ he- might be utterly deficient in zeal and those qualities.by which success could only be achieved. He denied that Mr Grace had bean appointed to Major Mair's place, but he bad been tb assist Mr Northcroft, who was to do the work of two R. M. 's— Mair and Searaneke. As for Searaneke, he had been very fairly treated ie the way of compensation, 'and had nothing to complain of. He denied that Tawhiao or Rewi evinced any sympathy for the dismissal of Mair. He referred to the noticeable fact that previous to the meetings with Rewi and Tawhiao by the Premier and him3elf, all communications received from Mair threw cold water upon all their negotiations, and predicted gloomily as to the results. On the other hand, they had received the most encouraging accounts and anticipations from Major Te Whero, and in every instance his predictions had been verified. As regarded the removal of these officers, he had not been actuated by any personal feelings whatever. If these gentlemen felt aggrieved, let them come to the House themselves. The Government regarded the motion as practically one of censure, and he asked the House to help them. He had no fear, however, if any inquiry were to be held, as he would inform them that the executive action taken, had been taken solely in .the public interest, Mr KELLY said any Government with selfrespect must resist auch a motion, and said the hon. member for Wauganui acted very similarly when he was in office, and was supported in it by the House. ..,.'■ '■ Mr SUTTON" protested , against the extraordinary degree of personal government going on regarding, the Natives, and. demanded as a right that this mystery surrounding Native matters should have been. dissipated years ago. Officers in one department should be treated in the same way as officers : in another, and when they were removed from office some reason ought to be given. . - Mr FOX deprecated this constantly treating every tiling, as a vote of want of confidence. He expressed surprise that the .Government refused to take the sense, of, the House on the matter, as at this rate things looked as if they were going to adrift into the secret tribunal system. 1 He. denied there was any. necessity, for eecrecy. That idea had been long ago exploded. .. The hon. member rediculed afi,this. mystery about. negotiations whicn, so far as. kunwn, had resulted in nil, and said that there was a telegram-then on the table whichshowed that the Waimate, Plains would have been surveyed months ago had they not been stopped by the present Native Minister on his accession to office. V, „ . -.-'. : ;,. : . . - . ; , : The House then divided, and the motion was negatived by 47 against : l2,,;j r ...... . . ■-..- MIDDUB ISLAND AFFAIRS. Mr T AI ARO A moved that ;,LSOO be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for printing Mr. Macka y's ; work : on. \ Middle t Island affairs, ■in the Maori language. >. .' "-,,', „' The Hon. : J,- SHEEHAN said that' the Tequest was. reasonable^ and. he would ascertain what the probable cost weuld be, and the debate was adjourned in the meantime. PUBLIC WOBKS. Mr SAUWDERS moved— "That in the opinion of the House no system of public works canjbe satisfactory that proposes to exclude a large tax paying area from all participation in its benefit, and common justice demands that those large districts in the Colony which can be clearly defined as not preseuting such physical and political .features as would, justify the construction of railways tbat would enhance their value, .'take the heavy traffic off their common roads, and to a great extent obviate the necessity for common bridges should h» exempted from all contributions to the public works by which they are not benefited, or should be assisted from the Colonial revenue in the construction of their ordinary roads, bridge?, or wharves." The hon. gentleman argued at considerable length in support of his motion. He considered thafcfor the past eight years the Colony had been intoxicated with borrowing, which culminated in an attack of "D.T. V at th 6 late banquet at Dunedin, and he thought, now that the Colony was about to feel tbat depression which usually followed excesses (and he reminded the House' tbat this year they were going to pay as interest and sinking fund more than they proposed to spend on public works), he thought the time had arrived when the House, should face the question of the ■promotion of the prosperity of theicountry on a different basi? to that which theyhad.been going on. The hon; gentleman criticised the way public works had been carried out, to show to what a" large . extent there had been waste and extravagance, : especially in rtiakiDg railways where there was neither traffic nor land to be opened up. There were' parts of the Colony wliich: did -not want J1 rail ways', but merely roads, and bHier parts agafn merely wanted ■ buildings, andhe thought the time had arrived rwhen: the people fin : certain parti df the Colony would^ object Ho " 'being taxed for public works which" cohfenred no benefit* whatever 'upon thenv The position takeriup in this matter by * the . present Government intensified ; tfae j evils which, liad been Tvcomplained of ■ in the j past. ''There Ywere in Tiw/'districty two "rivers" ■jvb.ichT "needed as m'ublf f as ; 'any river of 'the s 'Colony^btit' i becauie l rthe- district only Bent one j member ' to ._ the^Honsei^ h% f was unable 1 to \put f t^e' J '<^o'^ / copse- * quently 'tHe 'rivers remained UEbridged;-' I -i.^^ % ; r Mr^ ; Ht^STjaro.'DßE^ wbftf* Heconded . ; the /MibtJlo^ f ar^ieS'at r; cSnsiaela^le^leng^n^agairist ,^Vl y nnwi§iyS>nrSe sJf 'compellingsdifl-c tricts isolated from { the benefi te of f the : , Public Works fflcWmeito^-^y2^ibevfamev-'prdi>prlipb'' os those ; f a 'vgfaedL districts in :'th^ SouthViwhich;' were abundantly^provided l 'with v meanß of eon-;

vtyiDg their produce to market. Such a mode o« proceeding could only, lead to the creating, of a strong feeling of antagonism between the negl«ctdd districts and' their -more fortunate neighbours:-' "■■■ ■■•> . ■• -•;;;.-' „...; ,> .. ;.. Mr M ANDERS opposed : the motion; ■ The Hon. R. STOUT deniei ttiere was any. large tax-paying area in the-Colony which; was not benefited by public work.4/ : The meaning of the laotion was that all of the Colony should progress With equal pace, but" that was an/ impossibility. The soil, the climate^tae people, and position all exercised an influance in determining the progress of a locality or district. It was impossible any government could carry out all necessary public works at once; besides, the Public Works scheme was not yet finished. - -■'„ .■:-., The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 5.30 p.m. Evkning Sitting. The House resumed at 7. 30. AN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. Oa the orders of the day, Mr Beetham's motion for the organisation of an engineering department, toactincdnjuelion with the Survey Department to lay off roads through Crown lands, waa withdrawn, on the assurauce of the Attorney General that "instructions had been issued to take special care in laying off roads through Crown lands. bills. . ; The Incorporation of Campbell town Bill was passed. The North Otago Benevolent Institution Bill, New Plymouth High School Bill (referred to the Waste Lands Committee), Hamilton Public Hall Site Bill, Wellington Corporation Land Grant Bill, Riverton • Harbour Land Endowment Bill, Riverton High, School Bill (referred to the. Waste Lands Committee), wereallread a second time.