GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 81, 3 September 1874, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(From a correspondent of the “ Press.") Wellington, August 31, As I pen these lines the boom of cannon announces that the closing scene of the session is about to be performed, and ere the ink will have dried the fourth session of the fifth Parliament of New Zealand will be at an end. With the exception of Friday the business of the last few days has been of that formal hurried character which denotes the approaching end. In the Upper House particularly, Bills were rushed through so quickly that it was almost impossible to consider them, and if it had not been for the risk of impeding public business, several measures would have been rejected on that score. Mr Waterhouse, Mr Hart, and Mr Mantell, were loud in their complaints of the unfairness of being asked to consider a measure of the importance of the Native Lands Act, the day lief ore the prorogation ; and hon gentlemen were not slow to accuse the Government of having purposely delayed the Bill until the last moment, in order to stifle discussion. Mr Mantell, in particular, was fierce in his denunciation of the action of the Government, and said some very savage things, causing Dr Pollen, at a later stage of the debate, to charge him with being essentially a man of words, and not of action — one Who was always talking of what he would do for the Maories, while when he had the opportunity he did nothing. However the Bill passed its second reading, with some amendments suggested by hon gentlemen interested in the matter. As showing the extreme haste with which during the last two days of the session Bills were rushed through, it may be mentioned that Dr Pollen confessed he was unable to explain the effect of a particular clause in the Bill, and that the amendments made in the measure in committee, had subsequently to be fallen from, because considered by the Government to be prejudicial to the good working of the measure. On E’riday, in the Council, we had some debate over the Appropriation and Amended Railways Bills. On the first mentioned it was chiefly in the direction of urging the Government to at once place the officers of the Council on the same footing as those of the Lower House as regarded salary. The hon Mr Campbell broached the

subject, and he, Mr Waterhouse, Mr Holmes, and other speakers, bore testimony to the zeal and efficiency of Mr Stowe and his assistants. The disproportion of salaries of the officers of the Upper House compared with those of the clerks of the Lower House is so great as to demand immediate alteration; and there is little doubt that the Government will at once sanction an increase, based on the length of service of the officers entitled to be so benefitted. As this is a favorable opportunity, allow me to express to Mr Htowe my warmest thanks for the courtesy and attention I received at his hands. No trouble was considered too great by that gentleman in placing at the disposal of your correspondent information in his department which was likely to interest the readers of the Press. The rejection by the Legislative Council of the Railways Bill led to the introduction of the measure in an altered and divided shape. In the Railways Bill No 2 was included the first schedule of the original Bill, comprising works to which there was and could be no objection. This was forwarded to the Council, and passed without debate or delay. The Otago Provincial Public Works Advances Bill dealt with the purchase of railways in that province. In the Lower House there was a regular free-fight over it. Mr Macandrew, savage at the loss of the half a million on which he had depended for the construction of a number of light lines, to the construction of which the province stands committed, charged the Government with mala fides in not insisting on the Rill passing in its original shape, but Mr Vogel, in spite of taunts and insinuations, would not budge an inch. To the understanding of purchasing the railways Mr Vogel considered the Government were bound, and in earnest of their intention proposed to advance to the province £60,000 on account of the purchase, the valuation to proceed during the recess ; and next session, if Parliament approved of the purchase, the balance to be paid ; if otherwise, the £60,000 to be treated as an advance to the province, made in the same way as to the other provinces under the Public Advances Act of this session. Finding that it must be so, Mr Macandrew gave way, and the Bill straightways went to the other Chamber, where Mr Waterhouse wa» bitterly sarcastic, and “ riled ” the Otago members considerably by speaking much after this manner : “ It is not my intention to oppose the second reading of this measure. The Bill contains no reference whatever to those objectionable clauses which led the Council to refuse the second reading of the Railways Bill. It simply provides that the Government may advance to the province of Otago £60.000 to enable them to complete engagements into which they have entered and which they find themselves powerless to complete without assistance from the Central Government. Under the Advances to Provinces Act we have doled out to Auckland £60,000, and when a piteous cry for help comes up from Otago we ought not to harden our hearts so far as to refuse to accede to their entreaty. I did not anticipate that, at so early a period, we should have seen the province of Otago joining in the scramble for the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table, which has so long characterised the other provinces. It is quite clear that Otago, no more than the other provinces, can any longer carry on on its own hook. The colony must be prepared in a short time to assume the government of that province, for the very same reason that it contemplates assuming the control of the North Island provinces, viz., incapability of managing its own finances without recourse to the General Legislature. The agreement states that this advance is to be made upon such terms and conditions as shall be agreed upon between the Minister of Public Works and the Superintendent of the province. I hope the resuH of this condition will be to bring about a better state of feeling between the Superintendent of Otago and the General Government than exists at the present time. It is well known that the Superintendent of Otago has been restive of late, getting his legs over the harness and kicking in a somewhat vicious manner. With such gentle pressure as this Bill authorises the Government to administer, it is to be hoped a better state of things will shortly be brought about. I cannot see any reason why, in spite of existing differences, these two high contracting parties should not merge their differences, especially when such gentle pressure can be brought to bear. I have little doubt the various Superintendents who require assistance will be much more moderate during the recess than they have been during the session, seeing that the terms and conditions on which assistance is to be afforded is so entirely under the control of the General Government. I can, however, imagine that the general principle upon which these grants will be rendered, will be on the grand national one of ‘ you scratch me and I’ll scratch you.” So hostile a speech could not fail to bring to their feet the Otago members. First we had Captain Fraser, true to his character of a fire-eater, vowing that the province would scorn as he did the offer of eleemosynary aid; Mr Holmes regretting that the province was reduced to the humiliating position of having to ask assistance, while Mr Menzies came out defiantly and told the Council if the money was not forthcoming the province would sell its lauds. Subsequently, the last mentioned gentleman modified his observations, limiting himself to the opinion that, in such a contingency as he bad referred to, the province might find it necessary to part with some of her estate to meet her engagements, though he did not for a moment think such would be done. Dr Pollen, was particularly happy in his reply. He gave Mr Menzies a quiet rap over the knuckles for his intemperate remarks, and answered Capt Fraser by saying that past experience showed that the provinces were disposed to put up with agreat deal of that degradation which was synonymous with the central government supplying them with funds. This debate, as have others during the past fortnight, has served another purpose. It showed unmistakably how strong is the feeling in the Council in favor of the abolition of provinces. From what I have heard, I have not the slightest hesitation in saying that when the time comes twothirds of the Upper House will be found supporting the Government Bill to sweep away provincialism. The Licensing Bill was one of the last measures considered. It will be recollected that the Council made two amendments—one limiting the hours of barmaids to ten to ten ; the other, a new clause making a conviction for selling adulterated liquors punishable by the forfeiture for ever of the license—to which the other Chamber objected. For the House, Messrs Steward, Swanson, and Sheehan were appointed

managers, and they drew up the following reasons of dissent. lo the alteration in the barmaid clause ; 1. Because while in either case the clause (either as passed by this House or as amended by the Legislative Council) secures the limitation of the hours of labor of the class proposed to be benefited to “ not exceeding ten in each day of twenty-four hours,’’ the effect of the amendment will be to defeat the intention of this House, which was to prevent females so employed from being overworked without involving any reduction of their emolument. 2. Because the effect of the amendment will be to cause such reduction of pay without shortening the hours of actual employment, 3. Because the class proposed to be benefitted themselves prefer the extra hour off duty in the morning as giving opportunities for needful exercise to the being released from duty an hour earlier at night. 4. Because the alteration proposed by the amendment will operate prejudicially to the employers, and because the effect of the amendment will be to deprive in many cases persons of the very class which it is desired to benefit of their means of livelihood,” And to the adulteration clause—- “ Because the clause objected to by making the offence consist in selling or keeping for sale adulterated liquors without proof that the offence was committed wilfully and knowingly, will lead to many innocent persons being subjected to penalties which in many cases will amount to confiscation of property, and will ‘for ever debar’ such persons from carrying on a trade authorised by law. Because it is well known that large quantities of adulterated wines and spirits are imported into the colony and are sold to the retailers as genuine and unadulterated, and the clause would leave the really guilty parties untouched, while the retailers already imposed upon by the sale to them of an adulterated article, are to be punished for vending it without knowledge of the fact. Because no reasonable facilities exist at present, even in the largest towns in the colony, for obtaining cheap and expeditious analyses of articles of food or drink, while throughout the greater part of the colony such analyses cannot be obtained at all. Because inspection of wines and spirits for the purpose of detecting adulteration should in the first instance be made while such wines and spirits are in bond, or in the hands of sie importers. Because by the Adulteration of Food Act, 1866, ample provision Ims been made in respect of the matter with which the clause in -question deals, it only remaining for the Government to appoint a sufficient number of analyists to enable the requirements of the Act to be enforced. Because the clause in question virtually repeals the provisions of the Adulteration of Food Act, 1866, and does not provide any adequate machinery to take its place, and cannot itself be given effect to without the addition of a number of other clauses providing for analysis by competent persons and other matters of importance.” On the adulteration clause the Council gave way without debate, but considerable opposition occurred on the barmaid clause. It was at the suggestion of the Hon Major Richardson that the barmaids’ hours of labor had been shortened by the Council, but it having come to his ears that the persons proposed to be benefitted were averse to the alteration, he at once set about getting the hours placed in the Bill as they originally stood. It was incidentally mentioned in the course of the debate that a member of the Legislature had interviewed the barmaids of Wellington, and ascertained from them that they preferred the hours of 11 to 11. And by a majority of one they have their wish gratified. To all intents and purposes we have heard the last of the Ward-Chapman enquiry. The Upper House flatly refused to recommend the appointment of a royal commission, and Mr Vogel, in the discussion the other evening in the Lower House, said the Government did not think it necessary to go to such an expenditure as a commission would involve. For the present the evidence is to be forwarded to the Government for them to take “ such further action as may be desirable;” but it is generally understood that that action will be limited to arranging a shifting circuit for the Supreme Court and District Judges in the South Island ; and investigating the irregularities which Messrs Clayton and Holdsworth, operators at Oamaru, are charged with by the committee. It now transpires that the so-called “ impudent forgeries” were obtained by Mr Macassey from a Mrs Grokcr; but it is only right to add that the lady is as positive in denying as Mr Macassey is strung in asseverating that it was so. The committee —if one is to judge by the declaration of its chairman —accepted Mr Macassey’s account in preference to that of the lady. The evidence, after the Government are done with it, will be retained in the possession of the Speaker of the Legislative Council, but there will be nothing to prevent its publication next session.

On Friday, the members of both Houses entertained the Governor at a dinner, which was served in the Plouse of Representatives. Major Richardson occupied the chair, supported on his right by the Governor, and on his left by the Premier. The company, which numbered close upon a hundred, comprised—The members of the Ministry ; the officers of H.M.S. Blanche ; the Bishop of Wellington ; Judge Johnston, and every member of the Legislature at the time resident in Wellington. (There had been a general flitting the day before, and some malicious people are evil enough to suggest a connection between the dinner and the extremely hurried departure of several hon gentlemen, but I refuse to believe anything of the kind.) Tin; di.n nr, ’I need hardly be said, was of the best ; the music, supplied by the Blanche’s band, excellent ; and the speechifying brief and to the point. The chairman was felicitous in proposing the toast of the evening ; and the Governor, in replying, gave us some advice which we might at once act upon to our profit and advantage. His speech would have been a capital one if be had not laid the butter on in one or two places. It hrs been given out that Sir James goes home late in November or early in December. Pie cannot bo said to be a popular man, though there is little doubt his worth is appreciated in parts of the colony. His successor is described as being a man possessed of virtues which will at once endear him to those with whom he is brought into contact. The lobby rumors of the last day of the session were—First, that MrR. J. Creicrhton, M.H.R. for Eden, and at present editor of the Guardian, goes home as an emigration agent. ('For some time past Mrs Creighton has been seriously ill, and the necessity of obtaining her change of air and bettor advice, has as much as anything to do with his departure from the colony at the present time.) That Mr Vogel is likely to go home

to float the new loan, and negotiate for the laying of a cable between New Zealand and Australia; and that Mr Thomas Russell goes to Sydney by first boat to ucgociate a new Californian mail contract. The closing day of the session was the most dreary witnessed for many years. The weather, as Wellington weather has been for months past, was wretched, consequently only those whose business compelled them to be there, were present to witness the closing scene. The attendance of ladies was exceedingly small, and of the public barely a handful. Punctually at three o’clock his Excellency entered ‘the Council Chamber, the customary formalities were gone through, and a couple of minutes thereafter the fourth session—one of the shortest, but by no means least important—of the fifth Parliament came to an end.