HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3122, 30 June 1881, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday. The House met at 2.30 p.m. NOTICES? OF MOTION. Mr Oliver gave notice to move for a committee of enquiry into the management and working of the New Zealand railways, with power to report its opinion as to any changes desirable. Mr Stewart gave notice to move for a committee to report on the removals and reductions in the police force during the past year. QUESTIONS. Eeplying to questions, it was stated that in dealing with the report of the Inspector of Prisons cave would be taken to do no injustice to subordinate officers, and that each case would be dealt with, relative to new appointments, on its own merits, irrespective of the report; _ the Government were of opinion that it was best to allow County Councils to impose a dogtax of not 'less than five shillings ; the matter of selecting historical text books for the use of schools rested with the Education Boards, the Government having provided a list of such books for the Boards to select from ; the Government would be prepared to provide facilities for free vaccination and re-vaccination of grown-up persons ; the Government had no desire to see the Public Trustee competing for business by means of newspaper advertisements, and enquiries would be made into his authority for issuing such advertisements. TIHST HEADINGS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time: — Taranaki County Council Loan Act 1878 Amendment Bill; Waitara Harbor Board Loan Bill (Trimble) ; Cook County Kivers Bill (M'Donald) ; Bill to further enable affirmations to be taken in lieu of oatbs (Grey). BATES TOR EAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. Mr Hursfchouse moved that districts throughwhich Government railways have been constructed or are being constructed should be rated to pay the differense between the working expenses —including interest on cost —and the receipts. He argued that the proposal was part of the Public Works policy as originally proposed, but unfortunately it had not been acted on. While the lands through which the railways had been taken largely benefited by the lines being constructed, other places where there were no railways had actually been injured in proportion. Under these circumstances it was absurd to argue that they should all be taxed alike for tbe deficiency arising in the working expenses. ; Mr George thought the motion impracticable, but argued, by way of equalising matters, that the Government should take over the responsibility for the maintenance of the main roads throughout those districts through which railways had not been made.

Mr Seymour instanced the case of the Marlborough railways to ahow how unfair it would be to tax districts for expenditure of an utterly unnecessary character incurred through ignorance of local matters shown by the General Government authorities. After some further discussion, Sir George Grey said ho considered the motion a most important one, but thought it should not be further discussed until they had the Government financial proposals before them. Ho moved the adjournment of the debate to admit of those proposals being brought down.

Mr Hall admitted that ifc was a mistake that the principle sought to be affirmed by the motion had been ever allowed to drop out of the Public Worke Policy. # They could not now, however, return to it. Besides the railway works, they had other public works, such as goldflelds, water races, telegraphic extension, lighthouses, &c, and the properties the value of which had been increased by the construction of those works would be equally liable to taxation as those contiguous to railway lines. He opposed the motion for adjourning the debate, contending that no practical advantage would arise therefrom. However true the principle of the motion was there were now unsurpassable difficulties in tho way of its adoption. The House divided on the motion for adjourning the debate —Ayes, 25 ; noes, 35. Mr Shephard then moved the previous question. Mr Hall appealed to the mover of the motion to withdraw it. The G-overnment, he said, fully admitted the principle of Mr Hursthouse's motion, but in the existing state of matters it was quite impossible to act upon it. Sir George Grey opposed the withdrawal of the motion, and charged tho Government with shelving every proposal of importance without having the courage to face any question of policy. In that state of matters he called upon them to move off the G-o----vernment benches altogether. The House divided on tho motion that tho question be now put —Ayes, 40 ; noes, 25. On the original motion being put the House again divided —Ayes, 35 ; noes, 31. The motion was therefore carried. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed afc 7.30. SECOND EEADINOS. The Education Eoservcs Act Amendment Bill (Bastings) and the Hawke's Bay and Marlborough Rivers Act Amendment Bill (Fulton) were read a second time. STIRTEYOBS INSTITUTE BILL Mr Tole moved the second reading of the Surveyors Institute Bill. Mr Eolleston objected to the bill, which he thought would fail to attain its object. The Government, being responsible for land transfer surveys, must retain control over the admission of surveyors, but to remove all suspicion of unfairness he admitted that they should be examined by an important board instead of by the Chief Surveyors. Mr Kelly, Colonel Trimble, and Mr Eichardson spoko unfavorably of tho bill's provisions. The bill was read a second time. HARBORS BILL. Mr Richardson took the Harbor Act Amendment Bill into committee, and after considerable discussion the various clauses were pasted with amendments, and two new clauses—one making Harbor Board premises liable to Municipal rating, and the other altering tho constitution of the Lyttelton Harbor Board, so as to give further representation to tho country districts —were inserted.

The bill was reported as amended, and tho House rose at 1.25.