GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 716, 5 October 1876, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

(P«r Press Agency.") LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday. October 4. questions. Hon Mr 9VATERHOUSE asked the following questions of the Hon Dr Pollen; —'From what data will the Hon Sir J. Voarel com monc"! to draw his salary as Agent-General; whether or not Government is to pay the cost of the passage to England of Sir J. Vogel and his family; whether or not travelling allowances will be paid during such voyage, and if so, at what rate per diem ; whether or not the Agent-General will be required to devote the whole of his time to the duties of his office ; whether or not he will be called upon to find security for the discharge of his dnties." The replies were as follows :—Sir J. Vogel would draw his salary from the date of his appointment; the passages referred to in the question would be paid for; travelling allowances would riot be made. As to the fourth question,." Yes ;" and as to the last, the previouß Agent-General had not been called upon for security, and the Government did not think themselves justified in making a difference between Sir J. Vogel and the gentleman who had previously held the appointment. DEBTOES AND CREDITORS BILL. A clause, at the instance of the Hon Mr Hart, was inserted in the Debtors and Creditors Bill for appointing a provisional trustee in the place of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, and trustees appointed by the Registrars. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, October 4. .questions. ' Sir G. Grey said it appeared from a memorandum submitted by Ministers to the Governor, and published, that an opinion had been obtained from the law officers in England as to the power of the Assembly to abolish the provinces. He wished, without notice, to ask the Government if this was so. The Premier said the hon member should give notice. Sir G. Grey then gave notice for tomorrow. In reply to a question, by Sir Q. Grey, the Premier announced that he would make a supplementary financial statement on Friday night. COUNTIES BILL. In committee on the appropriation clauses in the Counties Bill, Sir G. Grey moved an amendment in the clause relating to the appointment of auditors with the view of placing the power of appointing the auditor in the hands of the Council. After a great deal of discussion, the House divided, and the amendment was lost by 36 to 21. Auditors are to be paid out of the Consolidated Fund.

The next discussion arose upon the schedules. The boundaries of Mongonui, Hokianga, Bay of Island, Wangarei, Hobson, and Waitemata were agreed to with slight amendments. The name of Marsden county was changed to Rodney, on the suggestion of Mr Sheehan. A new county, called Eden, was created out of Manukau county, and the names of Waiheki, Rangitoto, and other adjacent islands, were excised from the description of Manukau county. Bir G. Gbbt proposed new boundaries for Coromandel county, which were agreed to, and the islands were struck out from that and the Thames county. Sir G Grey and Mr Rows proposed an amendment virtually amounting to the •addition of half Piako county to the Thames, which was opposed by Mr Murray and Hon F. Whitaker. The proposal was carried by 37 to 26. The other half of the Piako county was added to the Waikato county. The House rose at 5.30. LAST NIGHT'S SITTING. COUNTIES BILL. The House resumed at 7.30 on the schedules of the Counties Bill and all the counties were passed, until coming to the first of the Otago counties (Waitaki), when Mrß-EiD moved as an amendment—" That Southland and Wallace remain as two counties, but that all the rest of Otago be known as the County of Otago, and that all the counties laid out in the schedule be called ridings." This led to a long discussion among the Otago members. A division was taken and the amendment lost by 36 against 23. On coming to the Molyneaux county, Mr Thomson proposed the name be changed to Vincent county. This was carried by 27 t 0 22 ' ' . , „ Mr Stout then moved—" That it be called the Viacent Pyke county."

This was lost by 31 against 19. The name of Lakeland county was amended to Lake county. A discussion arose as to the Mataura watershed, withjregard to Southland county, it being Jadded to Clutha county on a division, by 26 against 12. Stewart's Island, Ruapuke and the adjacent islands, on the motion of Mr Stout were constituted a new county, and King's county and Stewart's Island county were added to the second schedule. Schedules 3 to 9 inclusive were agreed to. The Bill was reported with amendments and ordered to be considered on Friday. attorney-generalship. Hon F. Whitaker moved the second reading of the Attorney-Generals Bill, and gave a slight sketch of the tenure of offioe of the Attorney-General since the creation of the office, and said that the time had come when a change should be made. The Bill, he explained, allowed the office to be political or non-political, as the case might be. Hon W. H. Reynolds opposed the Bill. He was bound to say from his experience that political Attorney - Generals gave opinions in accordance with their politics. Mr Moorhouse could understand an At-torney-General being a partisan and keen politician, but fcould not understand jhim risking his reputation by giving bad law. The Bill was read a second time. PUBLIC HEALTH BILL. Hon F. Whitaker moved the second reading of the Public Health Bill. Objection was taken to going on with the Bill that session. Mr Stout took the same view, and moved that it be read that day month. Mr Sheehan and Mr Hunter strongly supported going on with the Bill, which, as Mr Bowen explained, had already received a good deal of - consideration in the other House, and was a measure that had been before the House before.

After some discussion the Bill was read a second time.

Tanneries were classed as offensive trades, the only amendment made in the whole Bill of 153 clauses, which went through and passed. The House adjourned at 1.45.

POLITICAL NEWS. {From a correspondent of the JPrcss.) The Counties Bill has been almost continually in committee all week, except last night, when the Education Boards Bill was reported and read a third time. At present the committee are discussing the schedule of the new counties, and the boundaries of the same promise to be a prolonged subject of dispute. The committee commenced at the North Cape, and have not yet got Bouth of Auckland.

[u the discussion on the Education Bill, Mr Wakefield made himself obnoxious to some, by his manner of speaking, and was contradicted in his matter by Mr Rolleston and Mr Montgomery, when he accused the Education Board of neglect of South Canterbury. This provoked retaliation for past events, and the members would not have Mr Belfield's name in the Education Board aB proposed, but better counsels prevailed later, and the Bill will probably be recommitted for the purpose of adding the name. Interest wai awakened by the.expectation of the supplementary financial statement being made to-day, but it is now postponed till Friday. The public works estimates are to be tabled on Monday.

The goldfields members had an interview with the Premier, but their account of the •same is not very clear, except that it was satisfactory. The principal point of agreement was that the goldfields revenue is to be handed over to the counties not as a subsidy, but as a matter of right, except at Thames.