Tuesday, August 25.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 251, 1 September 1874, Page 3

Tuesday, August 25.

Upon the House resuming, Mr Fitzh'erbert moved his resolution for 'the dissolution of Parliament. The: original motion was negatived by 45 against 19, on a division. The resolution as amended, by the Premier, as follows, then became the substantive motion: —V That all the words of the original motion commencing with the words ' organic change' to the end of the resolution, be left out, and the following substituted :—•' That the,. Provincial Governments of the North - Island should, as soon as possible be followed by aW inexpensive, but more thorough, form of local government under which these Islands should be divided into districts and sub-districts, endowed with substantial revenues, and the residents therein be enabled to take larger shares in the management of local affairs and the expenditure of the local revenue than at present."' The motion was carried. Seventy-eight members of the Assembly met to-day, and subscribed £SOO, and formed a Constitutional Association. The object is to resist by all constitutional means the proposed, fundamental changes in the Constitution of the Colony, until after the change contempUted shall be clearly set forth by the Bill or Bills, and that, after such Bills are introduced, the House of Kepresentatives should be dissolved, and an appeal made to the petple before legislation on such an important matter takes place. The first count-out of this session took place ai Monday evening. While Mr T. L. Shepherd was speaking, almost every member rose ard walked out. The Speaker's attention waji called to the state of the House, the bell wai rung, and the Government had great difficulty in keeping a quorum. Members would rot listen to him. He got very warm, was calld to order by the Speaker three times, and was compelled to retract several allusions, le refuses to record his vote, and complaint bitterly that the Government does not recogiise his claim. There it a strong feeling in the House to make the Middle Island land revenue colonial. Wilson Gray's Pension Bill passed the Upper Hoise this evening.

Tiursday, 27th August.

The Coutcil threw out, very unceremoniously, both of Shepherd's Bills—the Goldfields Amenlment Bill, dealing with the pollution of strjams, and the Clyde Waterworks Borrowing Ell. The matter now being discussed is Gordon's report <n the volunteers, which is most damaging. _ le charges the corps with insubordination and the commanding officers with imposingon the Government, the corps and battallion&lso with utter unacquaintauce with the drill. He holds the Bruce Rifles to be the best in tie Province. He recommends the'discohtinuince, amongst others, of the Queenstown anl Riverton Rifles ; also that the commissions of Majors Bathgate, Jones, and Steward sbuld lapse or be cancelled, they not having\ilfilled their commissions. A division to>k place in the Legislative Council on the Rulways Bill—lß against 15. Ngatata and Ritimond did not vote. The effect of this willbe to deprive Otago of the half million it expcted to get to make branch railways, and offer works authorised last session by the Provincial Council. The Southern mtnbers all proceed South on Saturday.

Murray, in a perWl speech, moved that the nomination of bastoral tenants of the Crown to seats iu tin Legislative Council was highly objectionable,and tended to a defiance of Parliaments.—TheSpeaker pronounced the motion as simply a pece of impertinence.— M'Lean hoped the notion would be withdrawn. It ought neve to have been put on the Order Paper.— Mlrray pressed the motion.—The Speaker sai< he hoped he would withdraw it, and not Ving ridicule on the House.—Murray said itwas a great constitutional question. He 6jected"to being accused of impertinence, ftid exposed to contempt. He would not wihdraw, even if he stood alone on the list. Ie had no intention to reflect upon the Counci, but thought more of his duty to the country. Reid supported the moton, which should commend itself to the floue. It was highly improper that legislation shuld be interfered with by persons personally nterested. on important matters brought befa-e them. Gillies agreed with what had fallen from Reid.

After considerable debate be motion was withdrawn.

The Burial Ground Bill, wih the cremation clause, has passed.