GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 730, 21 October 1876, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

(Per Press Agency., HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, October 20. The House met at 2.30. PRESS TELEGRAMS. The report of the Select Committee on Press telegrams was brought up and read. The report recommends that the evening papers’ privilege of receiving five hundred words at evening rates be extended for three months by way of experiment, leaving it to the discretion of the Government whether the privilege be continued or not. Sir G. Grey asked that the extension be till next session, which was negatived, and the report agreed to. SITTING DAY. Mr Seymour asked to move without notice, that the House sit on Saturday from 2.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. The Premier had no objection. Sir R. Douglas and other members opposed. Several strongly supported the motion to order to get through business. The motion was amended by adding “ For Government business only.” A very warm discussion ensued, Sir G. Grey protesting strenuously against sitting on Saturday as cruel and wrong. Mr Sheehan then moved that the morning sitting be devoted to private business, and the afternoon to Government business, which was carried by 26 against 21. The amended motion was agreed to. Sir G. Grey moved—“ That for the remainder of the session the House meet at 4 and rise at 11,” but, being out of order, he gave notice to move it at next day. Sir G. Grey gave notice to introduce a Bill to regulate the hours of sitting for the remainder of the session. FINANCIAL. The House then went into committee of the whole to consider the following resolution :—“ That the Colonial Treasurer be authorised to advance £50,000 out of any money standing to the credit of the public works accouut, or of the defence loan account, in aid of the consolidated fund, such advance to ba in addition to advances authorised to be made by the 14th section of the Public Revenues Act, 1875, but to be otherwise subject to its provisions.” The chief object of the resolution was to enable them to meet the irregularly large payments which Government have to make during the first quarter of the year. After considerable discussion, which chiefly turned upon the mode of keeping the public accounts and dealing with the revenue, the resolution was agreed to. PUBLIC WORKS BILL. Hon B. Richardson moved the second reading of the Public Works Bill, being a consolidating measure. As well as a Bill providing for drainage, it provides for repealing forty-two Acts of the General Assembly, and sixty-five Acts of the provinces. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. LAST NIGHT’S SITTING. The House resumed at 7,30. PUBLIC WORKS BILL. Sir G. Grey raised a point that the Bill was a Money Bill, and should have been introduced in that House by message from the Governor. The clauses he took exception to were held by the Speaker not to be appropriation clauses. Mr Rees, however, again raised the point, and went at length into the Bill to show it was bristling with clauses that dealt with revenue, and levied charges upon the people. In support of his conclusions he quoted from May and the Journals of the House of Commons. On the motion of the Premier, the debate was adjourned to allow the Speaker to decide whether the privileges of the House had been infringed. THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS BILL. The House then went into committee onthe Abolition Financial Arrangements Bill, A very keen debate took place upon a number of clauses, and progress was very slow. > A long discussion took place as to making" roads north of Auckland, Mr Stafford strongly supporting the arguments adduced by Sir R. Douglas to show that the Government should provide main lines of dray road. The Premier would have been only too delighted to do so. but their means were limited, and it became an absolute necessity to cut their coat according to their cloth. A discussion also ensued on the clause for giving the Superintendents their salaries for their term of taking office. The clause was struck out by 26 against 23. When clause 34 was reached progress wasreported. public works bill. Before rising, the Speaker ruled that, after careful consideration of the Public Works Bill, he was of opinion that it was* inconsistent with the privileges of the House to go further with the Bill in its present shape. It will be reintroduced to-day. The House adjourned at 3.30 a.m.