HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 3 August 1881, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday.

Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr Dick gave notice to move for leave to introduce the Town District Bill. THE £300 PAID TO ME REES. A communication was read from the Auditor-General to the effect that the £300 illegally paid to Mr Rees had not been refunded. . ;-_^^^**-x. Mr Hall ??; communication be dealt with by^KTj'ublic Accounts Committee, y Mr Stewart strongly objected to that cotrstfj insisting that the proper course was frtf riibe to refer the matter for *' a-vice-TO the law advisers of the Crown, with a view to .the recovery of the money. Mr Johnston said that the communication had been made by an official who was in no way amenable to the Government, and there wa9 no option left ivith Ministers as to the course to be pursued. Tho motion was agreed to. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, it was stated that an additional supply cf timber waggons was being prepared for the trade in Southland : the Government would inquire intct the alleged impossibility of obtaining v/onvictionß for breaches of the Arms Act in consequence of the severe punishments provided, with tho view of getting the punishment mado more in accordance "with

the offence ; inquiries would be made into the condition of affairs: existing in small telegraph stations, with the view df relieving the operators from Sunday duty ; to present confusion, Alexandra (Otago) would in future bo designated Alexandra South, to distinguish it from Alexandra North; the Government considered the precautions already taken against the introduction of small-pox sufficient, and would not suspend all communication with Sydney and Queensland ; the Government deemed the law as it existed between landlord and tenant unsatisfactory, and if. time, permitted steps would be taken this Session td have it amended. NEW BILLS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time :—lnvercargill Gasworks Site Bill (Bain) : Christchurch Municipal Council Empowering Bill; Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill (Stevens). EEDISTRIBTTTIOX OF SEATS. Mr Hall moved for leave to introduce a bill to readjust the representation of the people, Mr Barron moved as an amendment that it be a recommendation to the Government in framing the Representation Bill that the present number of representatives should not be exceeded! He disclaimed all intention of raising a party question, the amendment being moved. in conformity with a general feeling prevailing amongst members. Sfr Hall said that the amendment was most unusual, and at that stage Would be most inconvenient. He suggested that th<3 amendment be withdrawn, and that it be moved wlien the bill came on for its second reading. Mr stigmatised the amendment as an an attempt to influence the GovernI ment by means of a distriob caucus, Mr Macandrew denied that such was the purpose. He considered the present an eligible opportunity for discussing the point. The whole framework of the bill depended upon the number of members to be provided for, and the sooner that was settled the better. Mr Moss said that the present was the most convenient opportunity they could get for discussing the point, as upon the second reading the Government would regard anyisuch criticism in the light of an ; adverse vote. Sir George Grey said the amendment had come upon them in the form of a surprise. He moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr HalLjpbjecjied to the adjournment. Mr Deljautour 1 supported the adjournment, and insisted that if they allowed the bill to go to its second reading any adverse criticism would be taken as a no-oonfidence motion, On the motion that the amendment stand part of the question the House divided— Ayeg, 22 ; noes, 40. The hill was introduced and read a first time. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30. COMMITTEE OP SUPPLY. The House went into Committee of Supply on the estimates, when the Government proposed to go on with the Post aud Telegraph Departments. Mr Johnston stated that the amalgamation of the two departments had enabled thirty-four officers to be dispensed with, and altogether a saving of "nearly £33,000 appeared in the present estimates of these departments compared with last year. The salaries had been rearranged and fixed at what should be paid to each officer, without the ten per cent or other reduction for the last nine months of the year. Several members objected to the form in which the estimates were printed this year, and to going on with them then, as they had only just been circulated. After some discussion tho Government consented to postpone tho estimates till Friday. Progress was then reported. GAMIN- AND LOTTERIES Bill. This bill, in committee, was strongly opposed by Mr J. B. Fisher, who denied that it was wanted by the country, and doubted whether the Government really wished to pass it. Mr Dick expressed his emphatic conviction that the country demanded the bill, and said tbe Government intended to pass it. After a long, discussion over the various clauses, and several divisions without any important amendment being made, clauses 46 and 47 were struck out, and tho rest of the original bill passed. Mr Dick then moved the following new clause : —" Every person who uses, exhibits, and keeps any book, paper, writing, or other means or substance for the purpose of entering, recording, or noting any bet, wager, or game, or who invites, solicits, or prepares any person lo bet or mako any wager, printer into any such game as aforeMONDAY SITTINGS. Mr Hall intimated his intention to ask the House to sit at 7.30 on Mondays in future, and to give up one of the private member's days in each week to tho Government.