THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3921, 17 September 1875, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Telegraph ]

Wellington, September 16. In the House of Representatives, at 2.30 yesterday, Mr Taiaroa gave notice to ask leave to introduce a Maori Representation Amendment Act.

reply to Mr Rolleston, Mr Bowen said the Government did not intend giving any representation to the New Zealand University next Parliament, He doubted whether the University was yet established on such a footing as to warrant their giving it representation in Parliament. In due time, however, the Government would be prepared to consider the matter.

In reply to Mr Brown (Tuapeka), Major Atkinson said the Government would not consent to alter the second clause of the Abolition Bill, so that it should not come into operation until the passing oi a resolution by the new Parliament asking the Governor to give effect to it.

The following Bills were introduced and read a first time :—A Bill to amend the Coroners Act, 1867 (Pyke); Anatomy Bill; Neglected Children Act Amendment Bill (Bowen) ; Riddle Land Grant Bill Succession Bill; and Piako Land Exchange Bills (1 and 2, Atkinson), Upon the House going into committee upon the Abolition Bill, Mr Stout at once moved that the title of the Bill be altered to the Two Provinces Bill, 1875. There was nothing in the Bill to justify the title, which was at present a misnomer. Mr Wood entirely _ sympathised with the amendment. The Bill only tended towards a separation, and the nature of the Bill should be made clear on the face of it.

The motion was negatived on the voices. Clause 2 was struck out. An amendment was made in clause 3 (interpretating), bringing within the meaning of the term “ governing body'’ any persons or bodies having control of the government of local affairs.

On the motion of Mr Stout, the latter part of the clause was struck out, thus preventing the General Government Buildings being classed as “ public works.” Clause i —“ Provinces to be abolished”— Major Atkinson'moved the first three lines be struck out, and the following words inserted The second section of the Constitution Act is hereby repealed, and that the Provinces of Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, Nelson, Wc-t and, and Marlborough be, and are hereby, abolished. Sir George Grey pointed out that the clause hj »d been inoperative for years, and it mattered little whether it was struck out or not. He, however, moved that the word “ Auckland ” be struck out, as he believed his right to doubt the legality of their proceedings m futme. Ho understood from the Minister of Justice that the Government were about to obtain an Imperial opinion on this question, though the House had never been made acquainted as to whether such an opinion had hem taken. As k® intended to test the legality of abolition when the proper time came, he moved the word Auckland be struck out.

The Speaker suggested that the difficulty would be overcome by inserting the following words :—“ On the day next succeeding the last day of the first session of the new Parliament the Provinces shall be abolished.”

Sir George Grey’s amendment-—that Auckland bo struck out—was put aud negatived on the voices.

The doors having been looked, Mr Stout moved that the word “ Otago” be left out, aud called for a division, tho result being fifty-three against and eleven for. J hose for the motion were Sir George Grey, Messrs Uacandrew, Sheehan, Swanson, Thomson. Dignan, Brown (Tuapeka), Reid, Stout, and.Muiray. Clause 6 was amended and passed. Mr Wood moved that clause 5 be expunged. Mr O’Conor moved a long amendment, providing for the creation of a new Provincial district of certain area o.a the application of three-fifths of the electors of the House of Representatives. After some discussion, Mr 0 Conor withdrew his amendment. Mr Wood’s amendment was then put, and was strongly supported by Sir George Grey, J he House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.

At 7.35 p.m. the debate was continued on clause 5. A long discussion ensued on Mr Cuthbertsou’s araendm' nt, which terminated by Mr Cuthbertson withdrawing it. Clauses 6 and 7 passed with little discussion. Clause 8, for vesting certain powers over lands and property aud now in the hands of the Governor, gave rise to discussion which occupied the remainder of the evening. . Major Atkinson, in the course of his explanation of the intention and object of the Government, said they were abolishing what ho considered the worst form of Centralism. Bir Geo. Grey immediately rose and delivered a long harangue, rebuking the Tieasurer for insulting Provincial institutions and denouncing th« Government for acts which were unbosom

ing and unparalleled in the British Empire. He cited an instance where a General Government agent was offered a douceur in the form of a share, worth L.2,000, in a prospector’s claim while negotiations for opening the goldfield were pending, and when the agent declined to take it, it was given to a clerk in hifl office. The Government had an amount of funds at their disposal which, considering the smallness of the population, was unexampled, and their great power was improperly exercised in the House and out ef it. He could cito many instances, and could prove all of them, and he boldly asserted as his firm conviction that the chief reason for the Government’s hurrying on the Abolition Bill was with the hope that those charges now pending against them might be shelved—in fact, he almost despaired of bringing to light those charges. To show the extravagance of the Government he referred to L 4,000 being advanced to fcir J. Vogel at Home, Mr Bowen and Major Atkinson intimated that this was no proper time to go into these questions. When the proper time came the Government would ehed all possible light upon every charge made. In the couree of further remarks by Sir George Grey on the same point, he made some offensive remarks respecting the position of Mr Luckie towards the Government, but upon being called to order apologised. MetfS's Gibbs and Wakefield remonstrated against the impropriety of Sir George Grey’s persistently making damaging charges against the Government while they were still not proven. It was un-English to consider a man guilty before conviction.

Mr Macandrew proposed to amend the clauses so as to place the control of education in Otago in the hands of the Education Board.

After considerable discussion the Treasurer prevailed upon Mr Macandrew to withdraw his amendment upon a promise that the Govern ment would introduce a clause placing education throughout the Colony in the hands of local Boards,

Upoa clausd 10 Mr Reid commented upon tlie three new clauses 30) to be added to the Bill as a sort of complement to the arrangement between the Government and the Opposition. Those clauses he said bound the Opposition to agree to Previn cial Councils not meeting again and to no new contracts being entered . upon; but, as be understood it, no such arrangement had been made, and he for one would object, and would prefer going back to the former position of parties, and fight the matter out till February.

Messrs Stout and Sheehan took similar views of the arrangement, and expressed their determination to resist.

After remarks by Messrs Rolleston, M'Lean, Filzherbert, and Montgomery, it appeared that the misunderstanding was merely splitting a straw, and the clause was passed without reporting progress, as was first demanded by Mr Stout.

The following clause passed without dis. cussion, and the House adjourned at 12.40 a m.