HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 99, 23 October 1895, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30. .. A motion by Mr Mills for the introduction of the Criminal Code Amend; ment Bill (relating to the Chemis case) was carried by 37 to 20, and the Bill read a first time. Mr Mills then moved that the second reading be made the first order of the day for Friday, which was carried by 83 to 30. Hod. Seddon moved the introduction of the Native Reserves Act Amendment Bill, which he explained would give the Public Trustee power to renew leases of native reserves on the West Coast of the North Island without submitting them to public competition. — Motion carried by 51 to 15. . . . Public Reserves Vesting and Sale Amendment Bill was read* a second time. {. .- ,■ . The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Ward said he desired to make a statement in reply to an editorial article that bad appeared in that evening's paper. He went on to say that the arrangements for the payment of the" £600,<KK^" interest due in London at the end of the present month, had been made weeks ago, and there was no reason for any measures on this head. He also wished to give an absolute and positive denial to the assertion that it had been intended to again collect the land tax in advance. It was not? trub that recourse would have to be made to ; the trust moneys of the Government Insurance and other Government: Departments. On the contrary large: sums of money were lying in various lending, departments of the Government waiting investment. It was also absolutely untrue * that the Advances to Settlers were to- be suspended. The office had been established to make advances to settlers, and it would be used for that purpose, and . that purpose alone. As a matter of fact a very large sum, amounting from £800,000 to one million, was here for disposal by that department, and it was kept in the special, trust account. He desired to assure members that the Government had kept the fin* ances of the colony in a strong and sound condition. A long discussion took place on the Public Works Estimates, the report to report progress being negatived by 87 to 26. : The whole of the Public Works Estimates passed after much discussion with one reduction, the item £800 for the Pobangioa sawmill being strnck, out, Mr Pirani Btating the sawmill" was not required in that locality. * '•> ' > At 2.30 a.m. the House adjourned till 11.30 a.m. •■••..„