HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3165, 20 August 1881, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Friday, The House met at 7.30 p.m. PRIVILEGE. Mr Pyke, as a matter of privilege, drew attention to the fact that the notice of motion given by him on the previous day relative to the prorogation appeared on tho order paper in a mutilated form. Ho was proceeding to speak on the subject, when Tho Speaker ordered him to rosumo his seat, saying ho quite understood the point raised, and would allow no further argument. He had altered the notice of motion because ifc improperly introduced the name of the Governor, and seemed intended as a burlesque. Mr Pyke insisted on his right to speak, but was several times ordered to sit down. He said ho wished to explain, but was again ordered to sit down. Tho Speaker called on the House to support his authority, and on tho Sergeant-at-Arms to attend. Mr Hall moved a resolution that Mr Pyke, by vexatiously interrupting the orderly conduct of business, had been guilty of contempt of tho House. The Speaker said he would put this motion, unless Mr Pyke submitted. If the latter wished to bring his conduct under review of the House ho would allow him to do so by motion. Mr Pyke agreed to this, and gave notice of motion, and tho matter dropped. LAW PEACTITIOXERS HILL. Sir George Groy's now Law Practitioners Bill was introduced and read a first time. NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR WORKS. The consideration of the report on the New Plymouth harbor works then came on. Mr Wright movod that the House approves of the recommendations of the committee, and requests the Government to introduce a bill to give effeot to them. Mr Kelly, in a long speech, challenged tho correctness and fairnoss of the committee's conduct, figures and conclusions, and defended the harbor scheme. Mr Hall thought the House should act cautiously, and while giving the committee every credit, he said that a further enquiry was necessary to justify further action. He therefore moved as an amendment that the House is of opinion that the Government should at once prepare and bring in a bill to appoint a Parliamentary Commission to enquire into and report upon the New Plymouth harbor works scheme.—l. As to its utility and practicability j 2. As to the financial condition and prospect; 3. As to the fairness of rating equally or otherwise all lands included in the present rating district. The Commission to have full power to stay all expenditure on the present harbor works. Mr Fulton defended the committee's report. Sir George Grey supported Mr Hall's amendment as a fair and reasonable course. Sir W. Fox concurred in this view. A long discussion ensued. Mr Ballance warmly defended the Wanganui Harbor Board from certain imputations which he considered had been pointed at by Sir William Fox although it had not been absolutely named. Messrs Sheehan, Weston, Trimble, Hamlin, Swanson, Lurdon, Richardson, Gisborne, Barron, McCaughan, Shrimski, and Levestam, all spoke on the question. Ultimately Mr De Lautour moved the omission of the last paragraph of Mr Hall's amendment, and the substitution of words providing that all expenditre on the Harbor works should be stopped until the commission had reported to Parliament, and the house had considered the report, except expenditure necessary to preserve the works from injury, and secure the plant, such expenditure to be undertaken by the Government, and defrayed out of the money belonging to the board. He stated that the committee and the Government had agreed to this. Messrs Kelly, Trimble, and Seddon, protested against the works being thus hung The original motion was negatived on the voices, and Mr Hall's amendment, as amended by Mr Do Lautour, agreed to. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. The Education Act Amendment Bill (Bible in schools) was received from the Council. The usual formal motion for the first reading was, however, declared to be lost on the voices. Several members then objected to the bill being thus disposed of, and after discussion Mr Fulton gave notice that he would move the first reading again on Tuesday. The House rose at 1.30.