GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 733, 25 October 1876, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, October 24. The amendmeutß of the House of Representatives in the Diseased Sheep Bill were disagreed with. The House of Representatives sent reasons for disagreeing with the amendments in the Debtors and Creditors Bills, substituting official for Registrar of the Supreme Court. ' <r''7'<" (> ii j v . A committee was appointed to eonfe. with the House. f • '■ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, October 24. mail service to ahaura. Ic ?ep!y to Mr Kennedy, the Government said' ijalf. tor tenders for a pack horse mail 1 service from the 1 ''fiatimer 'Plains to Ahaura, viaihe Aoiuri Pas'd, >■ ' ' NEW ZEALAND LOAN- BILL, The House went into committee on the Netf Zealand L6an Bill. A "Wftifk ,90 tie clause with respect to appointment fcf Crown Ayentg. Mr sug'geste'd' tha'tr there should fla three asjerits, ami pointed' out the objection '0 repining ]p ( 'ls 'tfae ha'hds of Sir J. Vogel, whose natural jtion jv ( Quld would be to place all the w'jith the srm of Messrs Rothschild, which he thought was undesirable. Mr ROLLEBTON wished to know whether Sir J. Vog>l had defined powers, or whether

he was empowered to act at his own discre'-. tion in the appointment or discharge of officers in connection with the Agent** General's department. Clause 3—Loan of two millions authorised for certain purposes, was amended by limiting the sum to one million pounds. The Bill then passed. MAIL SEEVICE. Hon F. Whitakee stated in relation to the San Francisco mail service, that he had received telegrams from Messrs Gilchrist, Watt and Co, to the effect that they desired to omit Honolulu in the San Francisco service, as it would effect a saving of time. The New South Wales Government were in favor of the proposal, and desired to know the opinion of the New Zealand Government. The hon gentleman intimated thathe would later in the day advise the House as to what the Government of New Zealand: proposed under the circumstances. WASTE LANDS ADMINISTRATION BILL. On the motion to go into committee, Mr Sheehan moved—" That the Bill he> committed that day three months," andt spoke strongly on the injury it was calculated to do Auckland. He complained that no provision was made for special settlements, and said the Bill was calculated to> retard settlement. Hon Major Atkinson pointed out that special settlements should be dealt with specially by the House, and not by a general measure. He considered the Bill favorable to settlement, and expressed his intention of introducing a clause, when in committee, giving power to the Waste Lands Board to fix special price on particular blocks of land. Mr Stafford pointed out the necessity for guarding against the exclusion of small communities by large landowners. Bir Kobekt Douglas said the country should be opened up first and sold afterwards. The contrary had been the case in Auckland. He would not oppose the Bill, and hoped the member for Rodney would withdraw his motion. Let the onus rest with the Government if the result should be prevention of settlement. Further discussion ensued, principally with reference to the deferred payments system. Sir G. Grey was of opinion that the Government proposals would have the effect of locking up land. Mr Stafford supported the deferred payments, and Mr Bowen pointed out that the nonsuccess of the 40-acre system in Auckland was due to the fact that men could not prosper on forty acres of poor land. The Government proposed to give an opportunity of settling on 200 acres, and paying for it gradually. That was on deferred payments system. It was absolutely necessary that under the present system of affairs a Bill of this kind should be passed. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. LAST NIGHT'S SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30, On the Waste Land Administration Bill, and, after a good deal of discussion, went into committee on the Bill. The rest of the sitting was taken up with the measure. Ultimately, it was put through committee and reported with amendments. POLITICAL NEWS. (From a corresvondent of the Press.") Political news is dependent on the existence of parties, and there is apparently an end to parties for this session. The situation is one of persons, and particularly one person, Sir G. Grey, he retaining two supporters ; and Mr Tole and six others vote with him without speaking. On two divisions last night the minority numbered nine; on the second occasion the division was on the committal of the New Zealand Loans Bill. He opposed the committal of the Bill, and being beaten, contented himself with solemnly protesting, on behalf of the in? habitants of Auckland and their descendants, against the manner in which the loans were being raised and distributed to the disadvantage of Auckland. Today he was apparently prepared far more obstruction, fretfully moving about the House with a copy of the Standing Orders in his hand, but he was subdued by some of his quondam supporters, and business was permitted to go on. A majority of the members are decidedly in the hnmor to end the session, and for the rest of the week business is expected to proceed smoothly. At present the House is discussing the Waste Lands Administration Bill, and the Government views appear to be in sufficient favor to enable them to carry it in a form different from that recommended by the committee. To-day, in reply to a question by Mr Kennedy, Hon F. Whitaker said that in the event of a coach service being established between Chri<tchurch ■ and the Hanper Plains,' 1 the Government would call 'fof tenders for the conveyance' tit mails' to the West Coast by the Amuri, and accept'the same if the cost was of moderate amount.'

will be required to meet outstanding engagements with Mr Latter, for timber in course of delivery, and other claims. It h obvious therefore that unless strenuous efforts are made to procure further and more liberal contributions from the public, future pro gress in the erection of the Catbedral must of necessity be very slow. The following extracts from the last annual report of the Cathedral Guild will show the zeal exhibited by that body in creating and extending as wide as possible a general sympathy with the object they have at heart:—'Your committee, in bringing forward thiß, their third annual report, have to congratulate the members of the Cathedral Guild on a very satisfactory year's work. Although the yearly increase in numbers has not been large, the society is steadily progressing; subscriptions are readily paid, and a substantial and practical result is before the public. The total number of members is 263 ; of these forty-three have joined during the past year. The gross amount raised is £636 19s sd, and the income of the year has been £309. The last twelve months have been characterised by one or two events of considerable interest to the society. The first of these is the completion of the western doorway of the Cathedral, a work entirely carried out by the Guild, and now forming the most prominent feature of the building. The total cost has been £395 14b 6d, including the purchase of the piece of sculpture, which was the special gift of Mrs John Bealey, and came direct from the architect, Sir G. Gilbert Scott. Another event of importance was the commemoration service of the Guild, which last year took the form of a festival service, held on the Anniversary Day within the walls of the Cathedral. Owing to the great interest taken in the project by the churchmen of the diocese, and helped by the state of the weather, the festival was a genuine success. The offertories and collections made during the day amounted to £lO9 Is The work now being done by the Guild consists in the erection of the first column and arch of the nave—a work very necessary to the progress of the building, and an initiation, it is hoped, to the erection of other columns and arches by individual enterprise. The treasurer's statement shows the receipts for the year to be £421 128 10d, including a balance of £ll2 12s lOd from last year. The expenditure will be seen to have been £346 10s 9d, leaving a credit balance of £75 2s Id.' The commissioners have also embodied herewith the last report of the resident architect, as being the most satisfactory method of Bhowing to Synod the work done since last session : —' Since my last annual report, contract No 4 has has been completed. This has carried up the west front of the nave to the striDg course immediately below the rose window, and the west walls of the aisles to their entire height. The two western responds and the springing of the arches for the main arcades have also been carried up. As it was considered that immediate future progress should be confined to the western portion of the building, there is now nothing else that can be done before some of the piers end arches of the main arcade ; and I have now directions from the Cathedral Commission to carry out two of the piers and arches. For this purpose I lost no time in getting out the sizes of the stones, as from their large scantling I knew it would be some time before they could be found; and as it was anticipated that orders for other piers would follow, I gave general orders for more bases than for those now ordered. Mr Tait had the order on Augußt Bth, and up to the present time only three out of the four stones wanted have been obtained. Mr Tait tells me that he expects to procure the fourth stone in about a week, when I shall at once commence to work them. For technical reasons I was desirous of obtaining a more than ordinary compact white stone for the body of the piers, which have to bear [great weight on a small area, and was about to recommend Oamaru stone for the purpose, when I was shown samples of stone from several proposed new qnarries, some of which seem very good and suitable. As this is a matter of much importance, I haye postponed my order until I pould lay a definite recommendation before the commission and obtain their sanction for the order. 1 bavelnow several samples under experiment, and in a week shall be able to State which I consider the best. lam promised another, which is stated to be very good. I shall exhibit specimens to the commission today. In regard to the timber contract (No 3), Mr Latter has delivered about 20,000 ft, and he tells me there is a good quantity ready for shipment so soon as the roads are fit to take such heavy loads, Owing to the high class of timber demanded, about three times the amount required has to be felled, as the flaws are not discovered till it is cut up. All the timber delivered is now properly stacked in the Cathedral, with fillets between each layer, so as to admit the air. The western doorway is now completed by the insertion of the sculpture, which arrived from England since my last report. ' B, W. MOUNTFORT, 'Architect Overseer. ' Cathedral Office, Ohristchurch, ' r ' i ' ' '« October 4th.' 1876.' f! In conclusion, the Cathedral commissipners would draw particular attention to the following resolution, passed at their last meetiogi to the effect —' That the Cathedral commission would approve of a special effort being made to obtain funds for the completion of the tower and spire of the Cathedral, and for procuring a peal of bells and a clock for the same. 1 "