THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3939, 9 October 1875, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[Bt Tfxegraph.] The House met at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. In the adjourned debate on the San Fran* oisco service, Mr Murray withdrew' his amend* ment in favor of one by Mr Stafford, to th« effect that that contract should be ratified, subject to such mod.location of the contract as first be agreed upon between the Governments of New Zealand and New South Wales and the contractors, whereby the annual charge imposed on New Zealand should not exceed .40,000. His would leave the Government ecuipanatively free io arrange as to detail! within tho limit of L4O 000. He utterly failed to see why the line should be made a eoiumer•ial one. The Colony was not in a position to lisregard tho saving of L 5,000 a year. He nuch regretted toe late Premier should have aken it upou himself to instruct the agent of mo Government in tho negotiation to go beyond the amount sanctioned by the House, and ie thought the House ought to mark its distpprovai of such conduct by accepting his <m;n Imc-nt. Hy bis account the Government would be at perfect liberty to effect, r-r iot, any modifi-aliens in respect to the coastal part of the service. Mr Macandrew said he wished to move a revision to the effect that the terms of the outran t should be so modified as to comply with the whole of the provisions sanctioned by the House last session, namely, the coastal . rV i IC io nm lx y ear!4 ’ contract at maximum cost "p S:iul Ihe oiiginal intention a the House was not so much to obtain oastil communication as (o foster trade ietween the two countries. If the contract onld have been Jet drop honorably, he would .lave no objection to Kiting the contract drop md making o'her arrangements A line of teameis by way of he Sti ait of Magadan was. e believed, 'he best line for New Zealand, ■s tothe objectum raised agi.imt the coastal urt ot the ban hrancisco mail contract—iiiniely, that the steamers w-rc too big *md lid not nay, he couid inform the House that iVebbs bo.ts pail better between Auckland Ghalraers than between Auckland .ml byduey. Due .f these boats left Port halmers with L 6.000 worth of freight, besides as senders, A good irade was being opened ap when the service broke down Air Bowen said what the House had really to iecide was whetln r tho t cfc that the amount sanctioned by the House for seivice had been exceeded ay the small sum of L 5.000 justified , m *. n llwt ratifying the present, contract, which in many respects was most satisfactory, t liere had been .. real difficulty in a. rangin'* the contr ct with New South Wales, which deefined to bear auv sliai e of the coastal sendee of this Colony. Ihe Government had no objection to accept iiistiuciioiis horn ihe House that a modification ol the contract should be arranged as soon as possible. Mr I itzhurbert said that in two respects the instillations of the House had been flagrantly violated, nam. ly, as .egnrded the cost and duration of Hie service, and bo protested agamst the Co.ony. m its pr. sent financial posii I - U n'A 1 . nt;U iT‘ ng . tll(! ex P 1,80 of additional LO.UOA He objected, too, to the Colony being tied down upon such an important matter for any but the briefest period, because no one could tell wua would he developed in the way of cheap, rapid, and safe steam communication* He would ask the Hons.• not to go, in common honesty, beyond L 40.000, and a six years’ contract. Ah a matter of financial principle, ho was opposed to postal subsidies in any shano or form. Mr Murray ebjeefed to the working classes • taxed for postal services which were subsidised to carry the wool of the pastoral tenants of the Colony, who had already a great advantage over the rest of tin* community iu the low rental paid for their lands. r oi°il eßt , 0u w ? u W v °te for the amendment of Mr Stafford, and considered the House bound to record its opinion regarding the direct violation of the instmetio 'S of Parliament. £ tK l rew also supported the amendment. Mr Reid defended the policy of subsidising the coastal service. They subsidised a service r ??- n j l6 A11( ldlo Island, one to Fiji, and subsidised coaches in the North Is and ; and if one why not another? The national and commercial features of the service were oi infinitely greater importance than the postal part of it. He was in favor of the amendment of the member for Port Chalmers. Mr ftPGlashan looked upon tho breach of the piesent contract as undoubted repudiation Sir Donald M'Eean said that, considering the impo tance of the question involved and the diffeient amendments proposed, the Government desired an opportunity of considering the whole question. While fully alive to the necessity for economy, they also wished to avoid any breach of faith in regard to the New South Wales Government. 1 he debate was adjourned, Mr Richardson moved the second reading of the Immigration and Public Works Amendment Act. and exp ained its provisions, which provided for various nia tern in connection with railways and tramwais—such as deviations, taking of land lor railways, paying and fixing coaipeasuti n, tre-pass, keefin. account s, pciialti"B for injuri. s to roads, &c ; also for vesting Kawa Kawa railway in Her Majesty. Mr.lveid regretted the too great tendency of i ß j ■ Government power to lay hold ol private properly. He strongly objected to clause seven, pioviding for the amount of compensation. The fion, gentleman spoke very sti ongly against the arbitrary way in which private land was taken lor public purposes. H<- ohjH.ited to the repeal of section lmmigration lmmigration and Public Works Act, 18< 1. ihe other piovisions of the Bill be thought might be required, but he hoped private piopeity would noQbe allowed to be taken without proper compensation was allowed. . ~^ r G’Con or protested against elause 23, providing for the repeal of section seven of Railways Act, 1574, relating to the Cobiery Reserve Crown Laud, a moustrou-. injustice to the upon that reserve. He denied that it was impossible to remove those people. Mr M umiy agreed with the remarks of tha member lor the Taieri. Mr Joseph iSheuhard deprecated an interference with tho rights of property calculated to deter people from settlement. Mr Richauison pointed out that the seventh clause ha.) been rendered necessary by the extortionate claims for compensation from which Government suffered severely. Clause eight was introduced because the Government found that in several cases they had to a;o beyond tho limits of deviation. With regard to the Kawa Kawa railway, he might say that the company were responsible for interest and sinking mnd. Ihe royalty they paid pretty nearly covered the interest on the cost. The Bill was read a second time, and the House rose at 5.30 p.m.