GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 632, 28 June 1876, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(From a correspondent of the Press,') HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, June 27. The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m; PETITIONS. Petitions were presented from the settlers at Waitepeka (Otago), praying that the Southern Trunk line might be diverted up that valley ; and from the miners at Ohinerauri, praying for an enquiry into the causes of the extension of the area of the native re* serves in that locality, QUESTIONS. 1. Mr Manders asked the Minister for Immigration—(l) If the Government have had under their consideration the charges made for rents for gold mining leases of land, issued under the Goldfields’ Act, 1866, viz, of £2 10s per acre per annum.* (2) If they are prepared to consider the advisability of reducing these high rents, seeing that the miners already pay a gold duty upon their earnings, and, if so, when 7 2. Mr Manders asked the Minister for Justice—(l) If it is the intention of the Government ,to extend the jurisdiction of the Judges of the district court as regards their civil and criminal pcftvers so far as regards Otago and Southland, (2) If the Government are prepared this session to introduce a Bill giving to the District Courts Act an extended jurisdiction, so as to include sentences being inflicted for a period equal to ten years’ penal servitude for criminals, and power to try all cases civilly up to the amount of £SOO, such cases being those that the Courts now deal with up to the extent of £2OO, and adding thereto causes for libel, Blander, breach of promise of marriage, and seduction, but not including cases of land title, treason, &c, as set forth in existing Act. (3) If not, if they will so leave the matter that it may be considered next session of this Parliament. (3) Mr Shrimski asked the Government what steps, if any, the Government have taken for the erection of a proper Custom House at Oamaru. (4) Mr Murray asked the Premier if the Government will introduce a Drainage and Outfall Bill this session, and if so, when copies may be obtained, (5) Mr Sharp asked the Minister for Public Works when the extension of the Nelson railway from its present terminus in town to the port will be carried out, and if it is settled by which route it is proposed to be taken. (6) Mr Tole asked the Minister for Public Works—(l) If he has received the resolutions of a recent public meeting held at Mount Albert, near Auckland, relative to the immediate extension of the Kaipara and Riverhead railway to Auckland. (2) When tenders for the construction of such extension will be called for, and to what date they will be receivable. (8) If he will state whether or not, in the event of such tenders being called for, the Government will accept any of them. 7. Mr Teschemaker asked the Minister for Public Works if it be true that the reason of the delay in opening the line of rail from Timaru to the Otaio is caused by the imperfect arrangements existing at the Timaru station for traffic, and if there is any report on the subject from the engineer in charge. The first question was withdrawn, and the following replies were given to the others. (2) Government are not prepared this session to bring down any Bill to extend the provisions of the District Courts Act, but during the recess will consider how far it is advisable to extend it. (3.) There is no necessity for doing so, as the railway buildings will provide all necessary accommodation. (4.) Something in this direction will be brought down this year in the Public Works Bill. (5.) Nothing is yet determined on. (6.) The matter will not be lost sight of in the public works statement, its construction will depend upon the nature of the tenders sent in. (7 ) It is not true that the reason for the delay is the imperfect arrangements existing at the Timaru station. The Minister for Public Works had no official report from the officer

“ua’charge of the particular district, but he had a report of a departmental nature, extracts from which would be laid on the table if desired. There were two reasons for the existing difficulties at Timaru ; one was the want of arrangements at the Lyttelton station for working the narrow gauge system ; and with regard to Timaru station the inconvenience at present resulting from the branch line employing its traffic, would be obviated when the additional accommodation ordered was available. NOTICES. Mr Rees gave notice of hia intention to move for a select committee to enquire whether or not Mr Whitaker does not come within the provisions of the Disqualification Act by reason of his connection with the Piako. Swamp. The committee is to report within three weeks, and the principal members of it are Messrs Stout, Gibbs, Johnson, Wood, Curtis, Sir G. Grey, and the mover. PAPBPE COAL MINE. In reference to the Papepe coal mine, Sir G. Grey read a telegram from Mr Tole, Commissioner of Crown Lands, to the following effect “ The parties named in the grant arc Messrs Whitaker, Russell, James Williamson, and Wm Aitken. The consideration money is never expressed in the Crown grant, but in the present instance the amount is £3695 15s. There are 9650 acres ; the date of the execution of the grant October 23rd, 1874; the date of the sale October 2nd, 1874.” Sir J. Yogel, while not objecting to the telegram being laid on the table, hoped these laud questions would be discussed fully and once for all. The Government would give every facility to that end, but would object to such questions being brought up intermittently, as they were desirous of getting on with the real business, WESTPORT COLLIERY, The report of the Westport Colliery commission was laid on the table. ELECTION PETITIONS. On the motion being made to try—(l) The allegations contained in the petition of Mr James Mackay against the return of Sir G. Grey for the Thames district; (2) to try the allegation contained in the petition of Mr George Bentham Morris against the return of Mr G. E. Read for the East Coast district; and (3) to try the allegations contained in the petition of Hendre Potae, complaining of an informal election for the Eastern Maori electoral districts, Mr Macandrew suggested that Sir G. Grey should now be allowed to say which constituency he elected to sit for, but Mr Stout pointed out that, according to practice, that could not be done until the petition was disposed of. On Mr Reid’s motion, the Executive and Mr O’Borke were exempted from serving on the committee. In reference to the Poverty Bay seat, it was mentioned that Mr J. H. Shaw was agent for the petitioner, and Mr H. 8. Pifcsherbert for the sitting member. In reference to the Eastern electoral district, Sir D. McLean moved that the petition should be dismissed, whereupon a short debate ensued. Mr Bees contended that on the face of the petition it appeared that if the polling bobth had been fixed where it was appointed, no benefit could have been received by the petitioner, as it was impossible he could have been successful, so disproportionate were the numbers polled by Kariatiana and the petitioner. The House should remedy the irregularity, or at all events allow Kariatiana to sit until it was shown in the proper course that he was not entitled to sit, Mr contended in a similar strain, and cited a Supreme Court decision on a Provincial Council election in Otago under analagous circumstances. Several speakers commented strongly on the action of the returning officer ; and Mr Reader Wood moved —“ That a committee should be appointed to consider the whole circumstances of the election.” Mr Button enquired why, if it was a mere irregularity, had it not been remedied by the Governor in Council ? On Mr Macandrew’S motion the debate was adjourned till Friday; PIAKO SWAMP DEBATE. After Mr Stout had made a short personal explanation, Mr MACANDREW rose and said the sooner a conclusion was come to the better. He had seldom listened to a debate into which there had been imported so much extraneous matter. The speakers, instead of confining themselves to the Piako swamp, had travelled over the wide range of creation. It was deeply to be regretted that the Government had insisted upon making this a party question [Opposition cheers] thereby debarring many members from dealing with the question ou its merits, For his part, he absolutely declined to treat it as a party question. The question was not one of big or little men, friend or foe of the Government, but whether it was wise, prudent, expedient, and in the interests of the public, to dispose of 87,000 acres of land to one individual without competition, and at 2s 6d per acre. That was the naked issue to which the House should confine itself, without reference to collateral considerations of any kind. As a member of the committee of enquiry last session, a strong impression (which remained) was left on his mind by the evidence, that this swamp was just as good land as was the Taieri plain twenty-five years ago. It was because he was convinced this swamp could be made what the Taieri now was with its 400 freeholders, churches, schools, comfortable homesteads, and thriving population which could be counted by thousands, that he was averse to this proposed sale. He was not one of those who charged the Government with corruption, because he was perfectly certain that not one of them made a single farthing privately out of the transaction. He maintained Government had made a mistake, and he now desired Government would rectify that mistake. The amendment he would propose would indicate how that might be done, and if the Government adopted it they would stand higher with their supporters and higher with the country. They should have acquired the land, and put it up to auction to be dealt with according to the land regulations of Auckland, instead of sacrificing this enormous territory upon the altar of party. Whether adopted or not, this amendment expressed hia opinions—“ Resolved, that in the opinion of this House it is expedient in the public interest that the Piako Swamp should be surveyed into suitable al otments, and disposed of either specially or by public auction, in terms of the land regulations of Auckland. That the Government be recommended to refund to the purchaser the sum paid by him by way of purchase money, also the amount actually expended upon improvements, with interest thereon, from the date of the respective payments ” One woid in conclusion, the people in the South would

better comprehend the merits of the case when he said, if this transaction was carried out, it was precisely similar to selling the Taieri plain for £6OOO. hir J. Vogel objected to the amendment \ as irregular, and | Mr Macandrew gave notice of his intention to move it when Mr Stout's amendment was disposed of. Mr Sharp could only regard it as essentially a party question. [Opposition cries of “ No.”] Certainly some members of the Opposition had made it so. He did not think the Opposition believed in the charges made against Ministers. He rather gave them credit for feelings of justice. If the charges were believed in, the Opposition should not treat them jocularly as they had, and the member for Auckland East might instruct the House by moving for a return showing what part of the proceeds of the Piako Swamp sale went into the pockets of Ministers. Mr Tore considered both the spirit and letter of the law had been broken by the Government in this matter. Mr Pearce contrasted the sale of Piako with the Manchester block, and dwelt upon the advantage of employing capital in opening up the country. It would be a dark day for New Zealand if, by any action of this legislature, this colony was to cease io be a fair field for the employment of capital. In the interests of the colony and of working men, whether immigrants or settlers, everything should be done to encourage the profitable employment of money in this country. There ought to be some consistency in matters of this kind. Mr Woolcock, from a study of the matter, had come to the conclusion that the sale was a good one. He believed there had been an irregularity which should not enter into the administration of public affairs. The illegality of the sale was not proved, and the allegations of corruption, secrecy, and underhand dealings, were unfounded. Mr Larnach considered a very fair and legal sale had been made, and that the house would not, at the eleventh hour, lend itself to disputing such a sale. Mr Fisher thought a grave error had been committed, though the charges of corruption brought against the Government were unproved. Being opposed in principle to the sale of large blocks to a few individuals, he would oppose the Government on this question, and in voting as he did he considered he was giving an entirely independent vote. Mr Fitzroy supported the Government resolution for the simple reason that a contract had been concluded between the Government and a third party, Mr Pyke was speaking at the hour of adjournment. {Per Press Agency.') Mr Pyke continued the Piako Swamp debate last evening, asserting that the charges ef corruption were emanations of diseased minds, and a motion of it might have been brought forward immediately, if the charges were believed. Mr Lusk endeavoured to prove, in an argumentative speech, that the sale was vicious in the extreme, inexpedient, and injurious to the welfare of the district, that more laud was given away than originally bargained for, and said the land was worth twenty thousand pounds. Though he did not say that the transaction affected the honour of Ministers, the sale could not have been carried out, if the public of Auckland knew of it. The Governor had no right to give away principalities; no action of Government could be more disastrous to the interest of the people of Auckland, The Waikato people who defended the sale were all directly interested or dependent on the Piako Swamp works. To pajs the resolution was like whitewashing the Government, Major Atkinson laid maps of the. swamp upon the table, and defied anyone to disprove the correctness of the maps, or say that more land was given away than originally bargained for. As to the legality of the transaction, neither the late Attorncy-Gener&l nor the present Solicitor-General had expressed any doubts as to the legality, and Government could not bo far wrong in acting according to their interpretation of the law, Mr Joyce opposed the motion on various grounds. Mr McLean said he visited the Piako Swamp solely with a view of being better able to give an opinion upon the subject, and he was quite satisfied that neither four hundred nor any number of small settlers could be placed on the land. It was only fit to be treated under a comprehensive system, and in parting with it as they did, Government did wisely for the district. There was no analogy between the Piako Swamp and the Taieri Plains—it would be nearer the mark to say Taieri Lake—nor was there any comparison between it and the blocks of land disposed of to companies in Southland. He hoped the Government would come as clear out of everything as they must out of the Piako Swamp sale. Sir D, McLean took all the responsibility of the transaction upon himself, denying that he and Mr Russell had anything in common, or that he favored him in any way, He took every care to preserve rights in connection with the land, and maintained that the sale was conducted fairly, openly, and honorably. Mr Button maintained that the sale was quite legal, and now that he had all the circumstances satisfactorily explained to him, he considered it a good sale under all the circumstances. Mr Hodgkinson thought the transaction very “ swampy,” and wondered how Mr Stafford supported it. Mr Andrew defended the action of the Ministry. Sir Julius Vogel made a long speech, answering the principal arguments of the Opposition speakers, and dealing with a great deal of matter dragged in but not very pertinent to the debate, such as his telegraphic correspondence with Sir George Grey, and the correspondence ■ with the banks. He ridiculed the idea of Sir George Grey taking on behalf of the Queen, under a writ of scire facias, legal proceedings againt her Majesty’s responsible advisers. The hon gentleman intimated in the course of his remarks that after the impending constitutional change, all provincial property would be vested in the Governor, and all Provincial Government officers would now become General Government officers. He announced that the financial statement would be delivered on Tuesday next. A division was called on Mr Stout’s amendment, which was lost by 52 against 20. Another division then look place upon the original motion, which was carried by 61 against 19. The first order of the day to-morrow will J be the address in reply, to be moved by Sit ! Robert Douglas,

The following is the division list: — AYES. Mr Andrew Mr G. M ‘Lean Major Atkinson Montgomery Mr Baigent Moorhouse Ballance Murray-Aynsley Barff Ormond Bastings Pearce Bowen Pyke J. E. Brown G. E. Read Bryce Reynolds Bunny Richardson Button Richmond Carrington Rowe Cox Russell Curtis Sharp Sir R. Douglas Stafford Mr Fitzroy Stevens Gibbs Tairoa Henry Tuiwiti Hunter Teschemakor Johnston Tribe Kelly Sir J. Vogel Kennedy Mr Wakefield ■Larnach Wason M‘Farlane Williams Manders Woolcock Sir D. M'Lean Hursthouse NOES. Mr Brandon Mr Murray J. C. Brown Nako Burns Rees DeLatour Rollcston Dignan Shirmiski Fisher Stout Hamlin Swanson Hodgkinson Tole Joyce Thomson Lush W. Wood The House adjourned at 1,40. SOUTHERN RAILWAY. 1 By Telegraph,] With reference to the resolution lately passed by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, urging more vigorous. prosecution of the railway works between Christchurch and Invercargill, Mr Richardson stated that only two sections of the whole length are not yet under contract. The one from Balclutha to Clinton has been delayed during an entire season, solely by the action of persons locally interested, who wished a deviation from the route chosen by the engineers. This is now being prepared for contract. The other is a short length at Waikouaiti, which will be put in hand when the adjoining contracts are further advanced. Mr Richardson adds that any impression that greater vigor is being used by the Department in extending railway accommodation in other provinces than in Otago, is altogether groundless.