THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3261, 2 August 1873, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Electric Telegraph.] Wellington, August 1. In reply to Mr Sheehan, Mr Vogel stated that the Government had no intention of amending the Mining Companies’ Act of last year. In reply to Mr Carrington, Mr M'Lean said the Government would make some provision for repairing roads through Native reserves, where the Natives were not paying rates. In reply to Mr Thomson, Mr Vogel said the Minister for Public Works would make the Public Works statement ou an early day. In reply to Mr Rolleston, Mr Vogel said that Queensland had prohibited the importation of stock into that Colony from New Zealand, and New South Wales and South Australia would follow suit. In reply to Mr Murray, Mr Vogel said the Government did not think a Laud Improvement Act necessary. In reply to Mr Wakefield, Mr M‘Lean said he had no intention of making any statement on Native matters simultaneously with a Financial ■'tatement regarding the condition and management of Native affairs. Mr Johnston asked the Commissioner of Customs when he will produce a statement showing the value of the total quantities of all articles specified in the new tariff upon which. Customs duties were paid during the financial year, and the amount of duty paid thereon?—Mr Vogel said there would be an increase of L 50,0.0. A great many persona w*re passing resolutions upon a mistaken notion. They were mistaken in supposing that the new duties will not (?) lead to a decrease in the declared value of imports. Mr Sheehan asked the ,'ative Minister whether the Government proposed to afford the House an opportunity of discussing their Native policy ? He said the policy in question was before the House in several bills. Why not bring down the whole of the Native measures, and have a discussion on them on one day ?—Mr Vogel said the Government di-a not admit the necessity for a discussion, and therefore had no intention to submit the question to the House. Certain measures regarding Native matters would be introduced, and Mr Sheehan could then take action, in rep'y to Mr Tribe, Mr Vogel said the Government had no intention to increase the vote for water supply to the goldfields to half a million. The Provincial Officers Disqualification Bill was introduced by Mr J. E. Brown, and read a first time. Consideration of the Civil Service Amendment Bill and Permanent Officers’ Salaries Bill was postponed. The Cable subsidy Agreement Ratification Bill was committed.—Mr Stafford objected to the Bill, as it did not compel the contractors to keep the cable open between New Zealand and Australia. According to the Bill, the contractors might close the communication, losing only L 5.000 or L 6,000 a year.—Mr Vogel said the sixth clause provided for such a case. The time was coming when New Zealand would be independent of Victorian importations, and a necessity existed for direct communication with Europe, —Mr Gil ios did not see that a cable would effect such results.—The debate then assumed a bitter toue. —Mr Rolleston accused Mr Vogel of impertinence towards the House in challenging its right of criticism.—Mr Vogel replied, accusing Mr Rolleston of irritability.—Mr Fitzherbert condemned Mr Vogel’s contract with Queensland and New '•outh Wales, and advocated that New Zealand should retain the right to send messages via South Australia.—Mr Vogel said another offer was about to be received from the 'Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company. —The Bill was reported to the House without amendment Mr Vogel said that fresh proposals regarding a mail service had been received from Messrs M‘Meckan, Blackwood, and Co., which would be submitted to the House Mr Bathgate denied having stated in the House that he had not read certain Bills introduced by him, as stated in the Evening Post. The Post's report was incorrect in every particular. —The Speaker said that newspaper reporters were admitted to the gallery by favor of the House, and their reports should be correct. He would take care the reports in the Press should be correct.—Mr Gillies said that Mr Bathgate was rash in stating the report in the Post to be

incorrect in every particular, as the report in the Post was correct. —All the reporters in the gallery affirm the correctness of the Post's report, and deny the Speaker’s authority to interfere with newspaper reports. The Speaker has excluded the Post s reporter from the gallery. August 2. In Committee on the Provincial Councils Powers Bill, Mr Gillies thought all the objects gained by the Declaratory Bill defining the term “ Court of Civil or Criminal Judicature.” The whole difficulty was due to the ambiguity of the term He would give notice of amendment accordingly, and proposed reporting progress to take the Attorney-General’s opinion on them. —Mr Bunny moved amendments to leave the Provinces to deal with all matters outside those prohibited in the Constitution Act. - Mr Fitzberbert condemned the Bill as the narrowest, and most pettifoggiug.and technical Bill that could have been framed. It was evidently drawn by a subaltern, and as the Government could make neither head nor tail of it, they brought it to the House to amend in Committee, —Mr Vogel, after speaking in defence of the Bill, said if the House and the Government desired the same end, he would not object to reporting progress, and in the meantime a better Bill for°the purpose than the present one might be framed. The Speaker said with reference to Mr Bathgate’s complaint against the Evening Post's report, he had summoned the reporter to wait on him, but the reporter flatly refused. He had also received a letter from the editor, accepting the responsibility of everything in the paper, and questioning the right of the Speaker to summon any of his staff. He wished to know what the House desired. —Mr Vogel said the House should support the Speaker in checking habitual misrepresentations in reports, but the present case was not such. The local papers gave very fair resumes of the proceedings, and the present case was an error under peculiar circumstances, which was very excusable.—Mr billies concurred with Mr Vogel, and said the acoustic properties of the House would excuse any mistakes. —Mr Stafford said he had understood the reporter did not flatly refuse but pleaded his engagements, and offered to wait on. the Speaker at some other time, which was a very different matter. —Major Atkinson thought the Speaker should try Ids right, and the editor would probably have to do the same. —Mr Swanson thought it hypocrisy in being so particularabout what the Wellington papers said, and in paying no attention to others.—Mr O’Connor regretted that the whole correspondence had not been read, when the matter might look different. —The Speaker, in a pet, said he understood the papers in the future might make what mis representations they liked, and he was not to notice them.—Mr T ogel objected to such an interpretation of what he said. —Eventually the -'peaker said he would pay no attention to complaints of reports, except on motion that the Speaker do leave the chair. The Post < ffice Act Amendment, Washdyke and Pleasant Point Railway, and Bank Holidays Bills, were read a second time. The Canterbury Width of Tires, and the Canterbury Waste Lands Bills were committeed. The Native Councils, Insolvency, Education, and Miners’ Franchise Bills were postponed, A motion for reports by the General Manager re telegraph lines Maketll to Gisborne and Napier to Gisborne was ordered, and a committee appointed to consider the Diseased Cattle Act.