GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 73, 25 August 1874, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(Per Anglo-Australian Press Talegragh '> t Agency.) ■ Wellington, August 24,

In the Legislative Council to-day, The application of the Ward-Chapman joint-committee for a general commissionto follow up the inquiry into the case was refused. " /A": ' ; '“U

In the House of Representatives,. • • I: ; In reply to Sir Gracroft Wilson,‘regarding the bailiff being put on board the Tartar at San Francisco, . : ■ / u ‘ Mr. YoGEL said true that the Tartar had been detained foY several days at San Francisco until communication was had with home, and arrangements were made for her departure; Ilf the mails were sent from Wellington, the Government would take,.care that they would leave San Francisco. New South Wales was anxious for the continu-, ance of the service, but the Government discouraged the, idea of any: agreement with: that Government for a temporary contract, It is expected that arrangements will be made with the builders of the steamers for carrying out the contract. In reply to Mr Stafford, The Premier said the reason of his Excellency’s resignation was not through any. dislike to the colony, or the people, or the Governorship ; but solely with a desire to resume a more active life at.home than being Governor of a constitutional colony. , Mr Reynolds laid a report on the table regarding the lighthouses, which was ordered to be printed. The substance of the report was that new lighthouses were being erected as follows—On Cape Marie Yan Dieraan, East Cape. On the Brothers, Cook’s Straits, (which was expected to do away with the one at Mana). One between Akaroa and Timaru ; one at Moeraki; one in Fouveaux Straits; one on Rabbit Island (which would render unnecessary that on Dog Island) ; one at Cape Farewell, and another at Cape Foulwind, which was expected not to be delayed much longer as every mail, was, looked for to bring the . new:s * that, it I; was fini|hpd ;• and ’ also -"that "Captain' Edwin " expected to be able before next session to perfect a system of storm signals so as to give warning several hours in advance to mariners in iopen roadsteads, such as lOamaru, Timaru, and New Plymouth, of approaching bad weather, and thus enable -them to get to sea in time. . ; Wi 3 : ■ j

Mr O’Neill moved that the report of the trial made at the Royal Mint, Sydney, of New Zealand woods by E. W. Ward, captain of the Royal. Engineers* dated December 20th, in 1856, be printed. Agreed to. Mr Williams moved for a committee of the House tomonsider presenting an address to the Governor to place a sum on the estimates to defray the expenses Mr Von ; Sturmer, Mr Williams, Mr Horn, and Mr Jervis were "subjected to as Justices of the Peace. The hon gentleman went into the whole facts of the case to show : the great hardship and injustice to which these men were subjected in' the performance of their duties as J.P.’s.

Mr Reynolds admitted that a tolerable case had been made but by the mover, still he considered the fault their own in not being guided by the law of the colony, fie declined to interfere, on the grounds that it would encourage a great deal of carelessness on the part of justices of the peace throughout the whole colony. .. . Mr Luckib supported the claim- The Commissioner of Customs should not talk of eitablishing a precedent, as- one was established in 1861. .!• 1 ATJAI

The Premier said this matter had already, come before the House again and again, and he thought it most unjustifiable to bring it up after decisions ' were already given without'adducing any fresh evidence. These kind of appeals were becoming too common, and it was'necessary to discourage such con- : stant claims for compensation. All a person had to-do.now was to be persistent enough to get what he wanted. i Mr Reader Wood was familiar with the case of Mr Jervis and Mr Horn, and was prepared to say it was one of great hardship, and if it was true that the case was twice before a committee of the-House, it was no reason that the House itself should not have an opportunity of deciding upon the matter now. Tf the Government did not protect the unpaid magistracy from the effect of these almost unavoidable clerical !errors they would 1 not serve. [A voice : “ Good job too.”] ; Mr T. Kelly who was chairman of the committee, considered the case a-very hard one.

Mr Fox also warmly defended the claim as one eminently deserving consideration, and especially so in the case of Mr Von Sturmer and MrWilliams.

Mr T. L, Shepherd opposed the claim. He was opposed to the system of unpaid magistrates, who were too much in the habit of signing warrants and other important legal documents, without even looking at them to ascertain whether the documents were properly made out. Mr Said justices of the peace acted under the instructions of the Government prosecutor, and instanced a case where the Government paid the cost of defending a salaried officer in a similar case, and absolutely defrayed the cost of putting him through the bankruptcy court afterwards.

Mr Creighton said these J.P.’s committed a man under an Act which gave them no power whatever to do so,

Mr Swanson opposed the motion. If these unpaid officials were to be paid for their mistakes, who were to pay the people who suffered by their mistakes? It appeared to him that these people who ran after the honor of J.P. so much ought to be made to suffer for their mistakes. He trusted, if the House did do anything, it would act only upon the recommendation of the Select Committee;

Mr McLean said the Government felt bound to attach weight to the report of two Select Committees, and set their faces against this growing practice of coming to Parliament for compensation.

Mr FITZHERBERT considered enough had been said to show that the case was a hard one, and deserving the consideration of the Government.

Mr Brandon supported the motion, Mr Bryce deprecated the House deciding the case without evidence. It had been

decided already by a Select Committee, who had taken all tpc evidence into consideration. If pebple were so anxious for the honor of J.P, they should accept the responsibilitiesmf the position. A division was called .for, and the result was, for the mbtion, 40 • "against, 21. The I’u E.MlE u suggested that the motion should be amended ■so as to make it read that/ the Government should cause a Court of enquiry fb be made into the claims of Messrs Yon Sturmer, and Williams, and Messrs Horn and Jervis, and to report on the same to the House next session. , The Premier said to carry out the resolution in its original form would cover the House with ridicule/

The amendment was agreed to without v ? u

Wellington, August 25. In the House of Representatives last night Mr Fitzherbert moved his dissolution resolution, in a short and temperate speech, the. burden of which was that he regretted not having spoken on the previouse debate, and asking ; the Jlouse;to pause/beflore giving effect to the resolution destroying the existtence of local government in the North Island, and, depriving .the people of their rights sanctioned under the Constitution Act, without ascertaining the wish of the people, or indicating clearly what machinery was to (replace that to be swept away ; he con/ eluded by amending the. resolution with the addition of the words “and that the. bill or bills, prepared to give effect to these resolutions be submitted to the House before; the same shall be passed into law.” ! The Premier replied in a long speech. Inj this speech he referred to the previous, debate. He denied that Parliament was not competent to deaf with the most important; question, even to the effecting of great; organic changes; he quoted a number of pre-; cedents from the English Parliament from: Pitt to Gladstonej t'o show it was not necessary, or usual, to dissolve at the wish of the; minority; he maintained that the arguments, adduced against the resolutions had no; weight. He commented at Considerable; length upon Mr Reeves’ speech—-he said the: constituencies seldom gave a direct answer : to issues set before them ; no matter | what questions you put, you would; be answered, by one that. he/,. wanted a road, and another wanted: a/Keayy: tax upon imported grain. He con-| fessed that he did not expect such a large majority in his favor; but he noticed that of the sixteen members, voting against the resolutions, eleven, held i>rovinqia] offices. He admitted that his sympathies had. for a long time been provincial; but the House would admit that he warned them in 1870 and 1872 that the provinces which failed in .their functions must make way for more suitable machinery. He only realised fully the obstructive disposition of the provinces Avheff the. reasonable proposals regarding the land in the Forests’ Bill were so violently opposed. He denied that he showed any desire to introduce the French beaureaueratic system. Resident ministers had been employed in the colony many, years without objection. He proposed to establish a substantial,form of local Government, and give them the local ' revenues, not elemosynary aid. The larger districts with spare land fund to enable them to carry out large works such as railways, must ; distinctly understand that the time was coming when they must look to the fund as security for the loans for. carrying, out the public works. He had recognised the necessity for making a. land fund for the North Island, and he thought as the island became populated, the colony would gladly lend its aid to acquire much lands. Compact, or no compact, they would adopt the same course even supposing there had been no compact. He believed the House could not do better now than make one, and establish a local land revenue. He believed that the people of the colony would heartily endorse the present policy, and that the party which carried it would be cemented stronger than ever. He concluded by moving an amendment to insert the following, after striking out the principal portion of Mr Fitzherbcrt’s motion; —“ That the Provincial : Gbvotmncnt of the North Island be, as soon as possible, followed by an inexpensive but more, thorough form of local government, under which the island be divided into' districts 'and sub-districts, which shall be endowed with substantial revenues, and that residents therein be entitled to take , a larger control of affairs and expenditure of local revenue than at present is the case.” f Applause.] 1 ■ Mr Stafford followed in a speech giving cordial support to the Premier’s-proposal as , a steo in the right direction;He had advocated the principle inside and outside of the House for years. He criticised'the speech of Mr Fitzherbert'unfavorably/ We were living under a system of local government found’in ho other British colony. "This step whs the begining of the end,-and the country would go a great - deal further." The south soon Would follow the' example of the north. Some -who voted against the resolutions did so 1 :cause they did not go far enough. He could see the time was coming when they would want the best men of the country to do their best-to carry the country through, and if they would not come forward and do their best, regardless of old party ties and prejudices, then God help the country. Mr Fitzherbert having replied,

Mr Fox made a long and able speech in favor of the Premier’s amendment, and gave the whole history of provincialism, to show its functious had passed away, since it ceased to be the real colonising power of the country. He denounced its centralising tendency to the empoverishme.nt of the out districts, as seen all over the North Island,

Mr White asked where the substantial revenue was to come from. Mr Johnston would vote for the amendment, because of that expression. Mr Rolleston said that the real issues which the people would make up their minds upon, and demand to be satisfied upon, were, the redistribution of representation, the incidence of taxation, and the protest against the present personal Government; and the voice of the people would not be as the Premier expected. The House divided upon the original motion, which was lost by 45; to 19. ,;'' The, Premier’s amendment was then made a substantive motion on the voices, f ; Mr Swansjon .proposed an addition to the resolution, compelling the Government to circulate the Bill two., months .before the meeting of Parliament. i . ■ i ■ The Premier considered this an'indignity, and was supported by Mr Stafford. On a division the amendment was rejected by 40 to 21. ■ a,. ■ An adjournment of the House took place at forty-live minutes past’!,' '- ii r