THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3552, 11 July 1874, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[Bt Telegraph.] Wellington, July 10. The House in Committee considered a resolution for an imprest supply of L 250.000, payment of salaries for carrying on the work of the Government. The Premier said there was no urgent need for this, and he only asked for it on the ground that the money then spent was without authority. In connection with fch]s question the Premier intimated that au alteration in the present practice of net discussing the Estimates until after the Financial Statement was brought down was exceedingly desirable for promoting the despatch of business. The present practice was without precedent Another usage had grown up of late years of members abusing the privileges of debate when ia Committee of Supply, by talking upon every conceivable topic, whether relevant or not Mr Speaker said that many great changes were being made in the Imperial Parliament. Owing v o the almost impossibility of overtaking the public business, privileges of members in regard to private business bad to give way before the superior claims of the public. He hoped to bo able to propose soon as near an approximation as possible to the present practice of the House of Commons as would be deemed advisable.

The Premier, in movingtbe second reading of the Electric Telegraph Bill, explained that its chief object was lor making mere effective the provisions against injury to telegraph lines, and protecting the officers of the de-

partment from actions at liWl for sending libellous telegrams. He thought the Tele? gfaph Office should bo looked on as a piece of mechanism, the same as the Post Office. The most important part of the Bill was in regard to calling for telegrams, for the purpose of inspection. The Act provides that telegrams should be provided only on the consent of the sender or receiver, with the exception of general cases, where telegrams should be pr oducible on the decision of toe Commissioner of Telegraphs, ft was very hard to have to bring in such a measure at all, because it had not been found requiaite do bo in other countries. It was dear that the practice had lately been growing up in 2< ow Zealand of attempting to make the Telegraph Office a medium for •obtaining legal evidence. ;ot long since a great innovation was made by an order ef a Judge of,the Supreme Court to inspect all telegrams, without particular ones being specified. The Premier referred to the case of Maoassey v Bell to show the danger ef the practice of ordering the pro-duction-of telegrams, by affording an opportunity for legal practitioners of fishing eut something npoa which an action might be founded. It was obvious, by the conduct of the Judges nt Home, as shown in several recent cases, that they determinedly eet their faces against the practice of ordering the production of telegrams, and had positively refused t» grant an order for that purpose. It was unsafe to allow the matter to rest in its present unsatisfactory state. The whole question should be finally put beyond doubt by legal provision. Their present object should be the placing of telegrams on the same footing as letters. He hoped the time was not far distant when fac-simile telegrams could be sent by a process which would not require the operator to road the telegrams at all. The plan had already been tried on a small scale successfully.—Mr Fox hoped the Government would at once secure the public, by laying it down that telegrams should not be kept. If, as the Premier had said, they would soon not have to copy telegrams at all, they bad better recognise the principle at once. It was desirable that some precaution should be taken te prevent the secrecy of telegrams being violated. At present the operators were liable to heayy penalties for divulging the contents ef telegrams, but there was no penalty upeq a third person outside the department who becaiqe ac: quaintsd with the contents of any telegranq, and divulged them. He would moye ap amendment that would remedy this, tp the effect that the Government should also en-

deaTor to devise some meaps by the primary offender, in divulging telegrams, should be forced even to indemnity the party giving such information, as was done by the commissioners appointed to inquire into the trade union affairs at Sheffield.— Major Atkinson said the House agreed as to the necessity for such a Bill; but it seemed to him, if the desire was to assimilate tho Telegraph Department to the Post-office, a good plan would be to compel the operator, as soon as ever the massage was taken off, to enclose it in an envelope addressed to the person, and then put it in the Post-office.—. Vlr Gillies wouid not oppose the second reading, but he thought the measure contained a considerable amount of what might be called panic legislation He failed to see any great necessity for legislation in the matter, because the general practice of Judges at Heme was decidedly against ordering tho production of telegrams, except in very rare cases. The suggestion of Major Atkinson should be simplified, and the whole question ought to receive the consideration of Government.—The House then adjourned till Tuesday. In the Legislative Council the business was merely formal.—Mr Luckie obtained ten days’ leave of absence. Messrs Rolleston and Montgomery were granted absence for a week each.

In reply to a question by Mr Steward, regarding a lighthouse at Cape Wanbrow, Mr Reynolds said he could not recommend the House to make an appropriation, in the face of the report on the matter by Captain Johnston.

In reply to Mr Sheehan, he said the Government were preparing a Bill to remedy certain defects in the Native Lands Act. 1873.

Mr Wakefield asked whether any steps were being taken by the Government to bring the murderers of Sullivan to justice. Mr Vogel said the whole object of the Government, and these in charge of the Native Department, was to obtain from all people of the Colony due respect for its laws. Bay end that, he could give him no info nation.

The Municipal Corporation Gas Bill, and the Bill to amend the Wellington Special Settlements Act, 1871, were read a first time.

[From our own 6orreapnctent .) July 11. On Tuesday the Government will lay on the table papers on the Fiji question, with a view of ascertaining the views of the members on the desirability of adopting some scheme by which the trad* of those islands may be secured to New Zealand, and with the ultimate object of forming a rrand confederation. lam informed on the best authority that if the majority of the members are favorable to the proposal the Government will submit such a scheme this session': if not, it will be left over for a future time.

The abolition of Imprisonment for Debt Bill comes into force on tb* first of October. On this second reading of the Imprest Supply Bill, Mr Vogel suggested that the English plan of discussion of the Estimates immediately they are brought down, instead of waiting for the Financial Statement, sheuld be adopted,—Mr Thomas B. Gillies agreed to the suggestion, and recommended the alteration of the Standing Orders accordingly. The participation of insurants in Government Life Insurance in profits is not to take effect until ten years after the establishment of the institution—vis, 1880, and then every five years thereafter.

Mr Vogel moved the second reading of the Telegraph Amendment BiU in a lenrthy speech, saying the principal objects were to protect the operators from the oonssqueuoes of sending libellous telegrams, and to define the conditions under which telegrams may be produced in Law Courts. The debate was adjourned till Tuesday.