GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 711, 29 September 1876, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

{Per Press Agency .) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, September 28. The Colonial Secretary, in reply to the Hon Mr Hart, as to the cost to the Government of the administration by the official trustees of the 739 bankrupt {estates during the years 1874 and 1875, said that £2OO had been paid from 1873 to 1875. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, September 28. The House met at 2 30. CLUTHA RIVER, Mr Fyke gave notice to move for £2OO being placed on the estimates to defray the costs of a flying survey of the Clutha river, GAMS. Mr LARNACH asked the Government whether they will introduce a Bill to enable the Governor in Council to fix the seasons during which the various kinds of game in the colony may be hunted, shot, taken, or killed. Hon C. C. Bowen said he believed hares were becoming a great nuisance, and a •■serious danger to new plantations in the ■colony, but it was competent for them by proclamation to exclude hares from the operation of the Protection of Animals Act, and as there was no danger of exterminating them now, that would be preferable to introducing fresh legislation at present. INSURANCE OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY. Mr LARNACH asked the Government (1), "What Government buildings, stationery, and furniture throughout the colony are insured, and if so, for what sums and in what offices, (2) Whether the Government accept any of above risks on Government account, and if so in what manner is the account for such kept in the book* of the Government. The Premier said the Government insured the large buildings to a limited extent, but not throughout the colony. The House they were in, the new building on the reclaimed land, the library, and public works office, were all insured. Practically, however, Government were their own insurers, -though they kept no account. He would, however, instruct that an insurance acgount be opened at once in the Treasury,

THE AUCKLAND RAILWAY STATION, Mr DiGNANj asked whether the Government are taking, or intend to take, measures for extending the Auckland railway from the present terminus at Britomart Point to Queen street wharf, at its junction with Custom House street, Hon E. Richardson said they would consider the matter as soon as they had funds for the work at their disposal. At present they could not undertake the work. Mr J. 0. Brown asked the PostmasterGeneral if the name of Havelock, Otago, would be allowed to be changed to Waitahuna. Hon F. Whitaker explained that the Post-master-General had not power to change the name, though he had the power to name the post office, and if he understood the hon gentleman to be expressing the wish of his constituents, he had no objection to call the post office Waitahuna Post office, COURT HOUSE, ETC, AT KUMARA. In reply to Mr Barff, the Hon B. Richardson said Superintendent of Westland had taken steps for the erection of Courthouse and Police Barracks at Kumara. LANDING MAILS AT WELLINGTON. Mr Fitzroy moved opinion of this House, it is expedient that better provision than at present exists in the harbor of Wellington, should be made for the landing and shipping of mails to and from the San Francisco mail steamers.” Hon F. Whitaker said it was the contractor’s business to land the mails. The Postmaster-General knew nothing about the mails until they were delivered. There never had been any difficulty but on one occasion, and then the mail was very small, The motion was negatived. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. On the motion of the Premier it was ordered that Government business should take precedence on Wednesdays for the remainder of the session. SITTING DAYS. Mr Button gave notice to move that the House sit on Saturdays for the remainder of the session, and that after to-morrow no new business be taken. RAILWAY BRIDGES. Mr Lumsden moved—” That itis desirable that all railway bridges over the main rivers contiguous to the main road lines, where bridges have not been previously constructed, should be made available for ordinary traffic under such regulations as the Government may from time to time see fit to enforce.” Hon E. Richardson said there were a great many objections against doing what was asked, but the chief one was on the score of expense. Experience too had shown that these combined bridges were a mistake. It was better and actually cheaper to have two bridges—a skeleton one for railway purposes, and a substantial one for road traffic. The motion was agreed to on the voices. THE POLYNESIAN SCHEME. On the motion of Sir G. Grey, it was ordered that the original draft of the Polynesian scheme be ordered to be laid before the House. SCHOOL OF MINES. Mr Barff moved—“ That, having in view the vast undeveloped mineral wealth of the colony, and the necessity of obtaining the fullest possible information concerning the metals and minerals with which the country abounds, this House is of opinion that it is advisabletoestablishaschoolof mines.” The hon gentleman said that though the number of miners in New Zealand had not decreased lately, the yield of gold bad decreased very sensibly; in Victoria, on the other hand, while the number of miners fell off very largely, the vield of gold had increased, and this result was felt by those capable of giving an intelligent opinion upon the matter to be entirely due to the school of mines, the foundation of which was laid in 1869 in a very humble way. He did not think it would be necessary to go to the expense of an erection for the purpose of establishing a school of mines. The most economical plan would be to establish the school of mines in conjunction with some of the scholastic institutions of the colony. He was not very particular as to what part of the colony the school was in. He thought a beginning could be made if the Government would put a very small sum on the estimates. From what was known of the resources of the colony, he ventured to predict, if the House affirmed his resolution, that greater benefits would be derived iu this colony than had been the case in Victoria, and there they had undoubtedly been very great. Hon C. C. Bowen had no objection to agreeing to the motion, in so far as the expression of an opinion went, but all they felt prepared to do at present was to take the earliest opportunity of communicating with those at the head of the scholastic institutions, both in Canterbury aud Otago, in each of which there were gentlemen well qu ilified to impart all the branches of knowledge required in connection with a school of mines, The motion was agreed to. The Speaker left the chair 5.80. The waste lands committee of the Assembly has amended the Bill, and advocate the cutting of the lands into small blocks of 5000 acres, and to sell them at twenty shillings per acre on deferred payments with a residence clause.

LAST NIGHT’S SITTING. The House met at 7 30. FOREST ACT REPEAL. Mr Macfaulane moved the second reading of the Forest Act Repeal Bill, with the view of stopping the present expenditure on forestry. The Fresher did not oppose it, but announced that in committee he would convert it into merely an amending Act by repealing the money clauses of the present Ant, and leaving the useful portion to be availed of at a future time. While every speaker agreed in condemning the Forest Act as wild and inapplicable to the wants of all parts of the colony and unnecesssary, the majority appeared to be of the same opinion as the Premier. The Bill was read a second time. OTAGO MUSEUM. Mr LarnAoh moved for £2OOO being placed on the estimates for the Otago Museum, but withdrew the motion, on the assurance of the Premier that he would, in the meantime, provide for the support of the Museum out of the land fund of the province, and next session bring down proposals of general application. SECOND READINGS. The Rabbit Nuisance Bill was read a second time, A long discussion ensued upon the second reading of the Diseased Sheep Bill, the penalties imposed, in the first part of the Bill being considered monstrous by some

members, while those interested in wool raising said that stringent _ measures were absolutely necessary in the interests of the country. DRAINAGE BILL, ELLESMERE. The Lake Ellesmere and Lake Forsyth Reclamation Bill was introduced by resolution, and read a first time. HARBOR BILLS. The Harbor Bill will be taken this afternoon (Friday). POLITICAL NEWS. {From a correspondent of tthe Press.) To members from the remote parts of the provinces, the extension of provincial appropriation was not very acceptable, as it seemed to involve a further continuance of superintendents and executives. The Premier, however, explained that they would absolutely cease at the end of the session, and added two new clauses to the Bill, giving the Governor power to retain portions of the provincial services, and to give authority to sign warrants for payment. This again was objected to as notnineeism, but the Premier denied that such was the case, and explained some arrangements necessary for local payments of contractors and officers, instead of payments direct from Wellington, Notwithstanding this disavowal, very probably the Superintendents or other officials will, if they consent, continue to discharge the duties in the interval between the session and the end of the year. Sir G Grey amused the House by his determined declaration that the provinces, Superintendents, and Executives, would not cease at the end of the session, since he meant to try the question in the courts of law, and defied any power to oust him except the Provincial Council by act. He postponed his Provincial Permissive Bill, possibly in expectation of Messrs Macandrew and Stout's return, but the only probable effect of discussing it will be the waste of time. Members are much exercised at present about the cha racter and authorship of anj article in the Timaru Herald on the subject of the increase of honorarium. Mr Larnach convened a meeting, at which forty members attended, but there was a diversity of opinion as to raising questions of privilege on newspaper articles, and resolved rather to first consult the Speakers of both Houses on the subject. While the subject was being thus seriously discussed, the Post published the principal part of the article. Of course the authorah-p is attributed to a particular member of the House. Nothing of any moment was done this afternoon. Several members were absent, A Bill to repeal the Forests Act is the first order for this evening. The movers of the Harbor Board Bills are in a dilemma. They first entrusted them to the Government, who brought them down in the form of a message. They are now in most cases reported to be private Bills, but the Government will probably accept the responsibility, and eliminate from them the clauses giving them a private character. The committee’s recommendation was that a general Bill should be prepared, and adopted by the localities next session. The Diseased Sheep Bill, which originated in the Council, has been introduced in the House. It consists of three parts. Part one makes the owner of scabby sheep liable to a fine, and after the first conviction liable to a peualty, with restrictions as to the removal of rams. Part two extends the Canterbury Ordinances to part of the Amuri, and restricts the Nelson Ordinances, and amends several sections of the Canterbury Ordinance. Part three validates the Otago Sheep and Cattle Bill, and legalises the introduction of certificated sheep from Otago to Canterbury, or vice versa. Sir J. Vogel has postponed his departure for a week, his health preventing him leaving by the Ringarooma.