GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 754, 29 September 1876, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

—o—(From our Exchanges.) Wellington, September 19. Sir George Grey and Messrs Macandrew and Stout last nigbt, after protesting formally against the Indemnity Bill, withdrew from the House, and were followed by all the Opposition, except Mr W. Wood and Mr J. C. Brown. Mr Wood moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months, but on a division only fie and Mr Brown voted for it. There was a good deal of talk even after Sir George Grey and the others went. Mr Sheehan and Mr Hislop both returned and spoke. Mr Whitaker made a very injudicious speech, hitting all rohjid, and Mr Wakefield replied very war Ally indeed. Shortly before midnight the Dill was passed through all its stages, with a slight verbal amendment.!, The Bill has been before the Council today, and they have inserted a clause that before it can be pleaded as a bar to actions already commenced, Ministers must pay all costs already incurred. They are now discussing the preamble, and seem to wish that the report of the Legislative Council Disqualification Committee should be received, as well as tb it of the House Committee. The Bill will be passed to-night. Mr Larnaoh has given notice for an address to the Governor to recommend provision for payment of members at the rate of L3OO a year each. 8 pm. Mr Macandrew is now moving bis resolution. He has no desire to raise prolonged discussion, but appeals to the love of fair play of the TfjSniSe. The resolutions are founded on two- facts which cannot be denied. The first is that the Abolition Bill is repugnant to the wishes of the people of Otago. The elections showed this, and also the resolutions passed within the last fortnight at meetings throughout the Province. He read the Dunedin and Caversbam resolutions. Ho denied hiving instigated the meetings, and said the resolutions were the spontaneous emanations of the people. The second fact was that the Abolition was injurious to the interests of Otago, as it would deprive the Province of between LIOOjOOO and L 200,000. Abolition really meant one purse, administered from Wellington, away from the eye and control of the people. He would bo sorry to interfere with those Provinces which wished to be governed from Wellington. He thought they were making a mistake, and would some day be glad to get back what they were now so ready to part with : but he would let them please themselves, and he asked for Otago that it should be accorded the same liberty —that it should be allowed to retain its own lain! revenue for expenditure within its own bounds, and the uncontrolled power of determining their own form of Government. He asked the House to pause before doing a great wrong to a large and important section of the people of the Colony—a wrong which would create a feeling similar to that entertained by Ireland towards the Imperial Government. Their request was fair and reasonable, and if it was refused, they Would demand it, not as suppliants, but as free men. He moved the resolution. Mr Rolleston, amidst cheers, seconded it. Major Atkinson has just risen. Septeber 20. The debate last night bn Mr Macandrew’s resolution was not a particular lively one. All the speeches wore short. Mr Macandrew and Mr Burns both seemed very much in earnest. It was thought that the division would have been much closer. It is understood today that Messrs Macandrew ami Stout will leave for Otago on Saturday, being hopeless of doing any more good. Sir George Grey’s -Permissive Abolition Bill will probably come oh to-night, but will not fare better than Mr Macandrew’s resolution. The whole of the afternoon has been taken up with the Honorarium preliminary debate about going into Committee on it to-morrow. Parties are pretty equally divided. The L3OO a year, however, is scarcely likely to be carried, although active whipping is going on in its favor. The majority of the Otago members support it. Several Wellington and other members refuse to vote one way or the .other. The division on going into Committee on payment of member's question was—Ayes, '3O j noes, 20.

To-day Messrs .1. C, Brown, Bastings, jLamach, Robert Campbell, and John Cargill waited bn the Minister of Public Works, to urge that tbo railway to Lawrence should be pushed on so as to bo opened by tbo end of the year, in order to bring down this Season's wool. The Hon. Mr Richardson referred them to the Engiutor-ia-Chief, whom they saw. They stated that if the railway was opened, 6000 hales of wool

wjilph ivould, (otherwise go into town liy dray, would bo brought doWu ; and tjihy urged that, by an expenditure of not more than LQOO'in carting rails ovOr tho Round Hill so that tho permanent way cbuld bo laid On tho other side before tho tunnel was finished, the work could bo much expedited. The Engineer-in-Chief could not bo said to promise to have the whole line open, or to adopt tho suggestion of carting over the Round Hill. The gradient was too steep on the Dunedin side to allow trucks to bo unloaded safely on that side of the tunnel. He, however, promised to have the liho open as far as Havelock by the end of the year. . The payment of members question ia likely to bo amicably settled by all parties agreeing to make the amount L2OO this session. Sir G. Grey ia expected to speak to-night advocating the principle of paying members, and urging that the question should be settled by Act. East night Sir G. Grey postponed fora Week his Permissive Abblitibrt Bill. A number of the Government supporters are very much annoyed with the attitude of Ministers on the payment of members question. Mr Montgomery’s Disqualification Bill has been re printed, with the amendments recommended by the Disqualification Committee. It is understood that the Waste Lands Committee recommend a still further increase in the price of land in several Provinces, as an amendment of the Waste Lands Administration Bill.