GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 636, 3 July 1876, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

{From a correspondent of the Press.') HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, June 30. CANTERBURY RAILWAYS. Mr Wason moved for all correspondence bet ween the Provincial Government of Canterbury and the Colonial Government, as to the break of gauge on the Canterbury railway; as to the course which it is intended to adopt for the future with regard to a uniform gauge in the province; and in respect to the general arrangements purposed to be made at side and more especially terminal stations. He trusted the Government would understand that he did not wish in any way to embarrass the relations existing at present between the Provincial Government of Canterbury, and the Colonial Government; but in view of the probable changes he felt bound to bring under the notice of the Government the intensely unsatisfactory relations existing at present between the railway department and the general public. The injury that has already been done to the agricultural community was simply incalculable, the amount of grain that has been ruined by weather, the |grievous loss from the delay suffered by both buyers and sellers ; ships waiting weeks for their freight, while the grain was rotting at way-side stations ; the weary waste of time. He had known of drays waiting from daylight to dark, in the vain hope of getting their loads off, and at last being compelled to unload on the wayside. Unless remedial measures were taken at once, the agricultural interest would receive a check that it would not recover from for years. He believed the department had used every endeavour to cope with the traffic. Mr Richardson said there had been some correspondence on the subject of the most amicable nature. The Superintendent had applied for information to the Engineer-in-Chief as to the management of the Christchurch and Lyttelton stations ; but as the reports were of a purely departmental character, he failed to see that the production of the few papers there were would be of any particular use. If, however, the hon gentleman particularly desired that those papers should be placed on the table, the Government would offer no objections. Mr Aynsley spoke strongly in the same direction, urging upon the Government the necessity of procuring a greater supply of trucks from home at once, so as to be prepared for the next season. Mr Wakefield strongly condemned the way the Canterbury railways were managed, and expressed hopes of finding an improvement when the General Government look charge of them. He described the difficulty of getting the Provincial Government to give a couple of lamps to the Timaru station, although two trains reguhrly arrived there after dark.

Mr Montgomery said he would be sorry if the House would form an opinion from what had been said, thd, the Provincial Government of Canterbury had not taken care to procure good met to manage the railways. The present tnffic manager had produced first-class testimonials as to his ability and experience before he was appointed, and he believed the Minister of Public Works had been consulted. The engineer had been selectee from a great many applicants, and a sahry of £BOO per annum should have procured a good man. He believed they were both good men. The political managers—that is (he Executive not being political friends cf his, he would only say that he supposed thjy did what they th ought best for the interests cf the public, and if there were complaints not amended, and grievances unredressed, he thought the Act of last session, which prevmted the Provincial Council from meeting,was the cause, •Had the Council been able to meet, irregularities could have been dieussed on the spot. At present the Executive is irresponsible, and they might tske for granted that the same attention had mt been given which would have been had ihe Executive had the fear of the Council before their eyes ; but he did not wish tc say the Provincial Government was much to blame, on the contrary, he wished to wbe off the reproach attempted to be cast outhe province, and to say that it was difficul to meet the largely-increasing traffic, whch produced receipts amounting to £25,00 monthly, without some irregularities, <f which the public would naturally complan. Hon E. Richardson explaned that he had never been consulted abou; the appointment alluded to. j ■ Mr Brown thought the peope of Canterbury made most unreasonable demands for railway accommodation, aid actually growled if they did not get luxiries. Rural stations in Canterbury were oten superior to those in some towns in otbr provinces. The Canterbury railways were not so well managed as those in Otago. Mr Fitzroy expressed a fervent hope that they would soon be relieved o: Provincial management which he describedas very bad, Mr Lusk replied that the] were not .ikely to be much better off under the General Government, if the simple of its management which they had ii Auckland was a fair test. It gave the most unmitigated dissatisfaction there, and the trade was driven away from the railways bf ridiculous regulations, so that farmers tock their produce forty miles by dray, rather ihan send it by rail. Mr Bastings pointed to the successful management of the Otago railways. Mr Stafford endorsed Mr Bastings's remarks. He did not knew which was worst, Auckland or Canterbury’s management of the railways. On the one hand the Provincial Government had had the heart taken out of it, and on the other the General Government had not entered on the management, and between the two, the public suffered. He hoped that some good might eome out of the discussion, by securing a reform. Mr Stevens did not think, witbJJr Montgomery, that the Provincial Coincil not-~‘ meeting was the cause of the unsatisfactory state of affairs. That the of matters was not satisfactory, doubted,;;and recently *the whole traffic was suddenly stopp-fid in of & strike. This was, he understood, by the authorities misconstruing an ment about overtime, and eeaployes haHB he believed, to appeal to the for a fulfilment of the arrangement, thought the present system wasthe cause the whole thing, and he hoped it FOuld soon he altered, so as to place matters 6b a-proper footing. After some remarks By Mr Fisher and Mr 5 Rees, the motion was to. STEAMER sj|y JAVA. : * The Premier read a' teKfcram from Sydney to effect ttorttke New South Wales GorWa- ■ ,V- -h

f ment had made arrangement to charter a Steamer to carry telegrams between Java and Port Darwin, and so soon as that was definitely arranged particulars would be forwarded. IMPREST SUPPLY. TJ’o Imprest Supply Bill for £500,000 was introduced and read a first time. Mr Beadeb Wood objected to the large amount. The Premier pointed out that it was only sufficient to meet their probable requirements, and that as the Government had no intention of dissolving the House, there could be no reason why the Opposition should be afraid of granting sufficient supply. Mr R. Wood expressed bis pleasure at this announcement, and referred to the rumor that he had heard as to the intention of Government to prorogue Parliament at once, in order to bring the Abolition Bill into immediate effect. He did not believe this. The Premier assured him that such a thing had never entered into the mind of the Government. PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE, On his own motion, Mr Reynolds was relieved from serving on the public accounts committee ; and, on the motion of the Premier, the name of Mr Macfarlane was substituted. Mr Reynolds explained that being on so many committees, and seeing the strong feeling that there should be on this a large number of Auckland representatives, he took the course which was now agreed to. Mr Stout said something about the Premier’s private pique towards Mr Rees. Mr Rees supported the motion, though be and Mr Macfarlane were not the best of friends ; but he recognised his fitness, and he was proud that on the last division. Mr Macfarlane sunk any private feeling in the discharge of a public duty. Several sessional committees were appointed, and the House was adjourned till Tuesday. A caucus of goldfields members, convened by Mr Pyke, was held on Friday ; fourteen members were present. Mr Tribe proposed that the Government be requested to exempt the goldfields revenue from any but departmental charges. This was carried, and it was agreed that until a reply to the proposal was received from the Government, the question of the reduction of the gold duty should be left open, Mr Woolcock carried a motion to the effect that efforts be made to reduce the special taxation of gold miners. Mr Montgomery, on Friday, presented a petition from 128 inhabitants of Okain’s Bay, .1-ittle Akarba, Leßon’s Bay, and districts, praying that a small subsidy be granted to one of the coastal steamers, to establish communication with Lyttelton, Mr Wason has asked for a Select Committee, to inquire into the expediency of utilising brown and pther native coal as fuel ’ for steam purposes on the colonial lines of railway. In the Council, it is proposed to recommit the Building Societies Bill, for the purpose of considering the clause prohibiting in societies to be hereafter constituted the practice of disposing of shares by competition. It is understood that the Hon Mr Scotland has written to the Government, apologising for his letter to Mr Grant. Alluding to Mr Wood’s speech on Thursday, the Argus says:—” It is perfectly well known that the Otago contingency is actively canvassing the Canterbury and Westland members to throw in their lot with Otago, and if the overtures be successful, the wishes of the rest of the Middle Island will be conveniently ignored, and one province for the Middle Island will be the policy, Auckland’s price for giving up its claim to making the land fund colonial revenue is, that it ihall be the seat of the Provincial Government for the whole of the North Island. Sir G. Grey aspires to rule the whole Horth, and Mr Macandrew the South; Mr Wood might just as well have told the House boldly and at once, for it is perfectly well known. We are informed by a leading member of the Opposition that Mr Wood bad no authority to speak in the name of that party on Thursday evening, and that the party is disgusted with and entirely opposed to the policy he enunciated and the way he did it. As we do not suppose that Mr Wood spoke on his individual responsibility, we can only assume that his followers have found it convenient to throw him over and to disavow his leadership.”