GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 706, 23 September 1876, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

(Per Press Agency .) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, September 22. The Rating and the Otepopo Athenajum Bills were read a third time. In committee on the DDiversity Bill the Hon Dr Menzies moved the striking out of the second clause, which contains the whole principle of the measure. The motion was lost by 8 to 7. Further progress was postponed to allow of communication with Otago; the committee to resume on Tuesday. The Public Works Bill was further considered in committee, and considerable progress made. The Canterbury Sheep Ordinance Bill was considered in committee ; the fifth clause was struck out, and the rest of the measure agreed to and reported to the Council. The Council rose at 5.30. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, September 22. The House met at 2 30 p.m. SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE. The report of the Select Committee on the San Francisco mail service was read. It was to the effect that, first, the service should be direct from San Francisco to Sydney via Honolulu, Bay Island, or Auckland ; second, that the coastal service be ten knots, and to be performed by a private company, approved of by the Government; third, that the subsidy be reduced ten thousand pounds per annum. The committee also recommend that the offer of Mr Cunningham to pay £IO,OOO in satisfaction of claims under the Hall-Forbes contract be accepted. Hon F. Whitaker moved that the report be printed, Mr Stout moved that the report be referred back to the committee. If they were not going to have the coastal service, they were paying too much to get their letters from England. If it was intended to encourage commerce between San Francisco and this colony, they could not do so by having these steamers transhipping their goods at the port of Auckland. If they were not going to have a direct service better do away with it altogether. After some discussion, the amendment was withdrawn. The report was ordered to be printed and considered on Monday. THE AGENT-GENERAL. The Premier laid on the table the correspondence relative to appointment of Sir J. Vogel as Agent-General. NEWMARKET STATION. In reply to Mr Tole, Hon Mr Whitaker said it was intended to make an experiment by establishing a telegraph station at Newmarket in connection with the railway station, it being intended to see how the station master could combine the duties of telegraphist and station master. triennial parliaments. Sir G. Grey’s Bill to establish triennial parliaments, was read a first time. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. The Premier asked that the House at its rising adjourn till 7.30 on Monday, when Government business exclusively would be gone on with. Agreed to, IMPREST SUPPLY. On the Imprest Supply Bill being brought down, Mr Rees took occasion to examine the way in which the public accounts were kept, impugning the statements already made by the Premier as to] finances, and demanding that on Monday he should give a fuller and clearer explanation than he hitherto had done. It appeared to him that the accounts were all getting adrift, and it behoved the House to look sharply after these accounts, for it appeared the Treasurer knew nothing about them, and all he wanted was to induce the House to bestow attention upon the question. He repeated the assertion that the colony had gone to the bad four hundred thousands pounds during the last year, notwithstanding that the same statement had been contraverted by the Premier. The House had already voted an imprest supply of five hundred thousand, and now another imprest of five hundred thousand was asked for, which was a million, and that before any estimates were seen. Such an enormous imprest seemed to him to be unprecedented. He did not think half a million ought to be asked for at the end of the session. It might be necessary at the beginning of the session, but now it was simply preposterous, and ho hoped the House would not grant it. The hon gentleman maintained that none of the charges he had made against the finance of the colony had been explained away, or replied to in any way. It was the duty of the treasurer to put the accounts in such a shape that any ordinary or unskilled person could understand them. For himself, another feature, entirely neglected in the public accounts, has the want of any statements as to liabilities and the incidental payments of various kinds, such as payments to contractors for extras. The Premier explained that he intended to ask for £250,000, or' less if the House desired it. They bad every confidence in

the House that it would vote whatever amount was required by the country. He regretted this House departed trom the practice at home, namely, that of bringing down the estimates irrespective entirely of financial statement and early in the session. Here it had become the practice to refuse to grant supplies until the financial statement of the Government was before the House. He would not argue with the hon gentleman, Indeed it appeared impossible to do so with one who did not seem to understand the ordinary Government book-keeping. The hon gentleman forgot or did not know that there was an audit department entirely beyond the Government control, and that it was perfectly impossible to draw any money out of the Treasury unless according to law. When ho told the House there was a certain balance, he expected the House to believe it. He could inform them that at the end of every day he could tell exactly what amount was to the credit of the colony. After carefully listening to the hon member, he believed he discovered how hebad gone astray in endeavoring to understand the public accounts. He did not seem to be aware that the accounts of the Agent General’s and that in New Zealand were kept as one account. There was no colony in the world that had such a knowledge of its accounts as New Zealand, Within one hour he could inform the House exactly how much remained unexpended of each vote. He had no objection, if the hon member would wait upon him, to go into the whole matter, and do his best to make clear to him that which he seemed to be astray upon. Mr R. Wood said, if the Government were so anxious to make their account clear to the House and the country, it was curious some method had not been Revised so that the accounts might be simplified and rendered intelligible to ordinary comprehension. The hon member wanted some statement to be made by the Treasurer. There were various matters in relation to which some statement should be made. [The Premier —“ldo not intend to make any statement on Monday, as was imagined by the member for Auckland East, but intended to make one when the Financial Abolition Arrangements Bill came on.’’] The hon gentleman went on to say that no money should be granted by the House until Monday, when the Treasurer ought to inform the House of the true financial position of colony and its indebtedness. He contended that Mr Rees ought not to go to the office of the Treasurer to have the public accounts interpreted to him, because they had a right to demand that Government should bring down the accounts so that every member of the House might be able to understand them. The Government should inform the House what arrangements had been made for the provinces, whose ai - propriation would lapse next week. The colony was on the eve of one of the most gigantic crises ever known in any colony, and the Government ought to take the House into their confidence. They talked about their system of audit, He believed it was copied verbatim from an English Act, and after a trial was found to be quite useless, and had to be repealed. If they would not accede to his request, he would resort 1o every means in his power to prevent supplies being granted until such a statement as he required was made. Mr Montgomery hoped supplies would be granted for carrying on necessary business. It was to be hoped Government would make a statement, but it was usual to allow Government to choose their own time ; the time of course being reasonable. Mr Stout blamed the House and the country for not looking more after the finances of the colony. He did not believe anything would be done to replace the provinces on the 30th of September, and perhaps it would be best, so as to let the people see what abolition had done for them. Mr Hunter referred to the index to the financial statement to show what an enormous amount of information relative to the finances of the colony had already been laid before the House.. It was not the fault of the Government if some hon members could not understand these accounts. It was impossible to bring every detail into these accounts. To him they were clear enough. The hon gentleman went on to show that the position of the colony was much better than was sought to be made out, and he, for one, apprehended no such crisis as was pointed to by the hon member. After some remonstrances from Mr Eowe and Mr Murray, the House proceeded to consider the resolution. Sir G. Grey would oppose the Imprest Supply until Government informed him what arrangements were to be made for the provinces, which would expire that day week. The Premier said he assumed that the Superintendents of the provinces would have made representation to the Government about their expiring provinces, but if they did not do so, Government would be prepared to deal with the matter by further extending the appropriation. The proceedings were interrupted by the Speaker leaving the chair at 5.30 p.m. POLITICAL NEWS, {From a correspondent of the Press.) Two hundred guineas for the session was the kindly compromise which Government offered between Mr Larnach’s proposal and the present allowance to members. It seemed to have a soothing influence on the majority, but Mr Montgomery and Mr Stevens strongly objected The latter expressed his regret at the course taken by the Government, and promised his firm opposition when it was brought on the estimates afterwards. The House addressed itself to some practical work, rushing, through a number of Bills. To the Municipal Bill large additions were made, including the following:—“ If in any proceedings by information at the suit of the Attorney or Solicitor-General it is decided that the council of any borough has wrongfully or illegally disposed of any of the real or personal property of the borough, or has applied the same to any purpose to which it was not lawfully applicable, or that the council has permitted any of the reserves, the management of which is vested in the borough, to be used for purposes not autholiscd by law, or if by any such proceedings the Council is restrained from doing any such things, then it shall not be lawful for the Council to pay out of the Borough funds any costs or other expenses arising out of such proceedings, or incurred in doing the things to which such proceedings relate, but the Court shall order that the members of the Council, who by voting or otherwise assented to the illegal acts complained of, shall pay all such costs and expepoes."

The Law Practitioners Bill was the subject of a warm debate till after midnight, but the strong opponents of Mr Smythies were not numerous enough to throw it out. Another trial will, however, be made on the Bill on the third reading, honW. H. Reynolds, Mr Burns, and Mr Wakefield being particularly pronounced in opposition. Extravagant rumors were abroad about Otago members departing disgusted, and a caucus held to-day was magnified into a meeting to discuss the subject. Whatever figment of truth there may have been as to their intentions, the resolution was to remain and discuss closelyjthe items of the estimates, Another account is that resolution was passed that the present Province of Otago should be constituted one county with a council or board of works consisting of seventeen members. The Board or Council to have full control of the land and railway revenue of the county, power to be given for any portion of the county to constitute itself a separate county on the petition of twothirds of the ratepayers. A committee, consisting of Messrs J. C. Brown, Reynolds, Bastings, Larnach, and Eeid was appointed to lay the resolution before the Government. The committee subsequently saw the Premier, and presented the resolution to him. Hon Major Atkinson promised.to submit it to his colleagues; The Westland members had also a meeting, at which Mr Tribe’s proposal to make two counties south of Teremakau, was negatived, and it was agreed to have three counties to the north, viz. Grey, Inangahua, and Bullcr. The Californian Mail Committee’s report roused some (Southern members, including Mr Stout, who wanted at once to throw back the report, but Mr Macatdrew interposed, and the subject will be fully discussed next week, immediately after the financial statement. In addition to a direct service by way of Honolulu and Auckland or the Bay of Islands, coastal service, and the reduction of the New Zealand subsidy by £IO,OOO, the committee recommend the payment of £IO,OOO by Mr Cunningham in satisfaction of claims under the Hall-Forbes contract. The report of the Marine Department is published. It details the progress of lighthouses, and recounts the wrecks. There were 107 casualties reported to the department during the year, 95 of which were on the coast; 96 lives ,1081, besides 30 in trade between the colonies. Specimens of the post cards were exhibited in the House last night, for issue of which the Bill was passed. They are ordinary colored printing card, neatly bordered, with short instructions as to their use, and a fac smile of the present penny stamp. Correspondence will shortly, it is expected, be published, showing that Mr Coleman Philips’ claim as author of the Polynesian scheme is any f hing but what it was represented to be.