HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3158, 11 August 1881, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE PATENT LAW. Mr Murray gave notice to ask if the Government would communicate with the other Australian colonies with the view of securing one uniform patent law for the colonies, to enable a person with greater facility, simplicity, and economy, to obtain protection and reward for their ingenuity. QUARANTINE REGULATIONS. Mr Hutchinson asked how it was the steamer Wakatipu had been allowed to land her passengers and cargo that day. Mr Dick explained that it was under the new quarantine regulations which had been framed on competent medical advice.' Mr George without notice, asked if the WakatipuS mails had been fumigated. Mr Johnston said the member had better give notice of question. Mr Andrews said, if such curt and evasive replies were to be given, he would move the adjournment of the House to enable members to express their opinions. Mr George said it was quite impossible that the Wakatipu's crew and passengers could have complied with the recent quarantine regulations; they could not all have been recently and successfully vaccinated. It was a most disgraceful proceeding, and due to local influence. Mr Turnbull agreed in this. Mr McLean said he had known nothing of the new regulations till they were issued, but he condemned the action taken by _ New Zealand alone amongst the colonies in refusing to enter vessels coming from Sydney with a clean bill of health. He objected to the insinuations thrown out. The Union Company neither asked nor received any exceptional favor. Tbe interference which had taken place with their Sydney trade was unreasonable. Mr Hall said the new regulations had been framed under the guidance of the best medical authority available. Mr Macandrew expressed the opinion that the smallpox scare had been much more alarming than the disease itself would have been. Mr Johnston promised that a report respecting the fumigating of the mails would be forthcoming at the earliest possible moment. He pointed out that not having been on board the steamer it was impossible he could say what had been done until he made enquiries. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, it was stated that after the estimates were passed last year no reduction in rank or pay besides the 10 per cent, had taken place amongst sergeants or constables in the police force ; in consequence of irregularities in postal communication landowners in some cases had not received proper notice of the sitting of tbe Appeal Courts under the Property Assessment Act, but it was understood that the shortcoming had been specially provided for—any particular case not so provided for, if mentioned, would be looked into ; a fine of £20 inflicted upon a butcher for the sale of a hare without a license was in the estimation of the Government a hardship, and steps had been taken to amend tbe existing law accordingly ; the 10 per cent redaction had been refunded to exJudge Harvey, and on the representation of ex-Judge Weston that he was equally entitled to the refund the Government had acceded to tbe request —the refund hid been made since the papers on the subject were laid on the table. NEW BILLS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time:—Auctioneers' Appraisers, and Agents Bill (Levin) ; Protection of Crops Bill (Saunders). STEAM SERVICE SUBSIDY. ] On the motion of Mr Gisborne it was agreed that the House go into committee on the following day to consider an address to the Governor praying that £1000 be placed on the estimates for a mail steam service between Hokitika and Puseygur Point lighthouse, so as to secure the periodical visit every six weeks of a small steamer at the ports on the south-west coast of the Middle Island. ADAPTATION 0* EXPENDITURE TO INCOME. Mr Saunders moved, " That no financial proposals will be acceptable to this House that are not based on the strict adaptation of the annual expenditure of the colony to its annual revenue without any assistance from borrowed money, and that do not aim at the complete separation of colonial and local finance and the entire emancipation of the latter from the control or interference of this House." He condemned the reckless system of borrowing which had been going on, and argued that if they had confined themselves to their legitimate

income the extravagance noticeable ie the mode of conducting the operations of the various departments would never have sprung up. He made strong complaints against the Audit Department, which he insisted should be swept away and tho whole work of the department left in the hands of one moderately paid officer whose honesty could be depended upon. Major Atkinson said that the motion, even if carried, could effect no good purpose, inasmuch as it aimed at no practical result. He denied that tbe Public Works scheme had been a failure, or that the principle of borrowing money for the construotiou of special works was open to the censure attempted to be passed upon it. Reforms were necessary in the Audit Department, but it was neither fair nor yet was it a fact that the work of that department had shown any disposition or leaning towards anyone to the prejudice of the public interest. Mr DeLautour expressed sympathy with tbe motion, but he could not concur in the extreme views entertained by Mr Saunders as to the impolicy of borrowing money for necessary public works. j The debate was interrupted Ly the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. FUMIGATION. Mr Johnston stated that the Wakatipu's mail had been fumigated. law practitioneb's hill. Sir George Grey, with the consent of the members in charge of the first thirteen bills on the order paper, moved their postponement to enable bim to bring on the committal of the Law Practitioner's Bill. This was carried by 43 to 13. In committee the bill was strongly opposed by Messrs Whitaker, Stewart, Oliver, Trimble, and others, and supported by Messrs McDonald, Shrimski, Kelly, Sbeehan, Wallis and others. Several amendments were proposed, but lost on a division, and the bill was reported with unimportant alterations and read a third time and passed on a division of 26 to 17. NEW PLYMOUTH HABBOB WORKS. The committee on the New Plymouth harbor works brought up a long report, the effect of which was that the work would involve large further borrowing, and then prove at the best of little value ; that it was the wotk of local and not colonial importance, and that the Legislature should at once stop all further expenditure upon it, and take over the assets and liabilities, the land fund to be restored to its proper purposes after defraying the liabilities. Ihe report was ordered to be considered on Friday week. passage op bills. The Parliamentary Oaths Bill (Grey) and the Kakanui Harbor Board Borrowing Bill (Shrimski) was read a second time, and the Tinaaru Harbor Board 81l was read a third time and passed, an amendment by Mr Rolleston to recommit it in order to strike out the endowment schedule being lost by 23 to 9. The House rose at 1 o'clock.