PARLIAMENTARY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3193, 22 September 1881, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wednesday. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. bills. The Property Tax . Bill and the New Zealand Consolidated Stock Bill were read a first time. The Property Assessment Act Am9ndX, ment Bill, the Divorce and Matrimonial "Causes Bill, and the Corrupt Practice Prevention Bill were read a third time and passed. On Mr Whitaker's motion the Deceased Persons Estate Duties Bill was reinstated and read a third time and passed. INTERESTED VOTES ON THE RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION BILL. Mr Wilson moved that the votes of Mr Hart, Mr Dignan, and Mr Williamson on the Railway Constrtuction Bill be disallowed on the ground of their being personally interested in the bill. The motion was negatived by 22 to 7. The Council adjourned at 3.30. HOUSE OF, REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday. The House re-assembled at 2.30. - DEATH OP PRESIDENT GARFIELD. The Premier brought up the following address to be telegraphed to the VicePresident of the United States :—" The V House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled expresses its deep sympathy with the peoplo of the United States of America in their grief at the death of President Garfield, a calamity to be deplored by all English-speaking communities throughout the world."} The address was agreed to. ,; TELEGRAPH POSTS. In reply to a question put by Mr Bowen. without notice, as to whether or not steps would be taken to prevent the disfigurement of towns by the erection of telegraph posts and wires in all manner of inconvenient positions, Mr Hall said the matter would be considered, and he believed the attention now drawn to it \ would be sufficient for the purpose aimed at. V~-w . THE VACANT SEAT FOB ASHLEY. / On the motion of Mr Hall, it was agreed ' that the writ for the election of a member in the room of Mr Moorhouse, deceased, should be delayed until the issue of writs for the general election. PUBLIO KEYENUES BILL. The debate on the second reading of the Public Revenues Bill was resumed by Mr Turnbull, who spoke of the importance of getting a Minister for Public Works appointed. He said he would oppose the Appropriation Bill unless definite information on the subject was given. Mr Saunders spoke of the importance of getting the House called together as early as possible. The present Government represented neither the country nor the House. It was a Conservative Government supported by the Liberals against what was conceived to be a reckless Liberalism. He went on to argue that it was absolutely necessary that they should have a little more of the true kind of Liberalism in the Government, and for that purpose he advocated the propriety of curtailing the duration of the recess. Sir George Grey said they were bound as a House to consider their duty to their successors. If the Government were outvoted at the elections they ought to resign so as to allow their successors to prepare their measures. He thought supplies should be limited to February. In that way the Government would be bound to call Parliament together at the earliest possible moment. It was absurd for tho Treasurer to make the duty of remodelling the Civil Service a plea for 12 months'supplies. The House had relegated that duty, not to the Government, but to a Government. If he had his will rio supplies would be voted beyond the 31st of December. Let them have a short session after the elections, then disperse and re-assemble again at the ordinary period for meeting. Mr Hall argued that the proposal for an early meeting of Parliament was to some extent antagonistic to the Government. It was not the idlers that desired to represent

the country, but the busy and the thriving. Kow they could not possibly get that class 1 to meet again at an early date. He believed the Government were consulting the interests of the colony and the wishes of the people by calling Parliament together at the •■usual.time. Mr Macandrew counselled members to proceed to business. The bill, if passed as brought down, would enable the Government to delay calling Parliament together till the middle of July. That was wrong,

and he thought something should be done to prevent it. The sooner they had a new Parliament tho better. He would support the limitation when in committee.

The motion for the second reading was then pufc and carried. On the motion to go into committee on the bill, Sir George Grey made a few remarks in reply to Mr Hall, after which the House went into committee.

Clause 4 was altered to read two months instead of three, on a division by 31 to 27. Mr Montgomery said he would propose a further limitation unless the Government gave a pledge as to when the next Parliament would be called together. Major Atkinson said that if Mr Montgomery had not threatened the Government a distinct understanding on that point would have been come to, and Mr Montgomery knew of it. Now no pledge would be given. Mr Montgomery denied the truth of the statement. He knew nothing of the sort, and he denied that he had made any threat. Major Atkinson said the Government would call upon their supporters to uphold the original proposal. Mr Reeves moved as a further amendment that the clause be altered to read during the "space of two weeks" instead of two months. , , , Messrs Thomson, Pitt, and Gibbs supported the amendment. The discussion was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Reeves' amendment to limit supplies to two weeks instead of two months after the expiration of the financial year was negatived by 37 to 33, and the clause was carried by 38 to 34. The bill was read a third time and passed. BILL PAS.ED. The Special Powers and Contracts Bill was also passed. PEITIXEGE. A long discussion, resulting in nothing, took place over a complaint by Mr Seddon of the account published by the Christchurch Press of the scene some time ago between Mr Pyke and himself. SUPPLY. On the motion for going into committee of Supply on the supplementary estimates a discussion arose as to the action of the Government in refusing to allow the Messrs Brogdens to try their claims by petition of right. Several members agreed that the claims should be tested afc law in the ordinary way. Mr Hall said one claim was now being so tried, and until they saw the result they could not say what they would do aboufc the others. They were prepared to treat all fair claims not only justly but liberally. The House went into Committee of Supply on the supplementary estimates. In Clause 1., Legislative £3648, the item, cutlery and electro-plate for Bellamy's £98, was struck out on the voices.

The remaining items were passed, as were also the following votes :—Class 2, Colonial Secretary, £18,842. Class 3, Colonial Treasurer, £2.26. Class 4, Minister of Justice, £859. Class 5, Postmaster-General, £1193. Class 6, Customs, £1132. Class 7, Stamps, £52. Class 8, Education, £9200. Class 9, Native, £8942. Class 10, Mines, £6338. Class 11, Public Works, £1632. Class 12, Defence, £12,764. Class 13, Lands, £19,926. On the item of £10,000 for the abatement of the rabbit nuisance being read, a motion to reduce it by one-half was lost by 26 to 9. A motion to omit the item, remission of royalty to the Westport Colliery Company, £531, was negatived on the voices, and the vote passed. The following public works fund votes were also agreed to.- —Class 3, Railways, £1000. Class 5, Roads, £11,581. Class 6, Nnlive Land Purchase, £565. Class 9, Public Buildings, £3200. Class 10, Lighthouses and Harbors, £1168. Class 11, Contingent Defence, £100,000. The following other votes passed: — Government Insurance Department, £2750 ; consolidated fund services not provided for, £57,420 ; public works fund unauthorised expenditure, £34,123; extra supplementary estimates, £14,119. The House rose at 4 o'clock until 11. Thursday. QUESTIONS. The House met at 11 a.m. Replying to Mr De Lautour, Mr Rolleston said all the liabilities for volunteer uniforms incurred bona fide prior to the withdrawal of the capitation allowance would be provided for. Replying to Major Harris, Mr Hall said the Papatoitoi post office had been removed to Wood side for reasons of economy, and that enquiries would be made as to the necessity for re-establishing an office at the former place. REPRESENTATION BILL. A message was received from the Acting Governor sending amendments in the Representation Bill to have the existing electoral rolls, and to provide that each of the new districts should, for purposes of registration, be deemed to have been constituted for six months. The amendments were agreed to. APPROPRIATION BILL. The Appropriation Bill was introduced and read a first time. On the motion for the Becond reading, Mr Seddon spoke at great length on the injustice proposed to bo done to the West Coast in the matter of roads appropriation. The motion for the second reading was carried. The bill was considei*ed in committee, passed through committee, and reported witli amendments, read a third time and passed. The House adjourned at 1.5.