GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 737, 30 October 1876, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

(Per Press Agency.') HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Saturday, October 28. The House met at 11 o’clock this morning. MINISTERIAL CHANGES. In reply to Mr Murray, the Premier said, regarding ministerial changes during the recess, that the Native Minister and the Minister for Public Works would retire. One of these portfolios would be taken by Mr Ormond. The other gentleman was not yet decided upon. SCHOOL BUILDINGS. Before going into committee of supply, Mr Montgomery moved that £50,000 should be appropriated for the erection of school buildings throughout the colony. The Premier opposed the motion. The million was to be borrowed for certain specified purposes, and that was no time to make a change in the application then, if it were possible to take such a sum out of the million. He asked that the motion should stand over till next session. Mr Sheehan and Sir G. Grey supported the motion, which was agreed to on the voices. PRIVILEGE. Sir G. Grey raised a question of privilege, based on the fact that the Governor’s private secretary had informed him by letter that the Governor would not forward any more correspondence or communications unless furnished in triplicate. He argued at considerable length against so obsolete a rule, and one which he had never enforced during the twenty-six years he was a Governor. At the earliest possible period next session he would bring the matter before the House formally. The House adjourned for an hour at 1.15, The House resumed at 2,15 p.m. SUPPLY. The Supplementary Estimates, and all the remaining votes, were passed unaltered. The Immigration and Public Works appropriations were also passed without alteration. The House went into committee of the whole, to consider of introducing a clause into the Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Bill, for the purpose of enabling the Government to hand over to the County of Thames the mortgages held on the Pumping Association’s plant, the resolution was agreed to. In committee of ways and means, a resolution passed, voting £2,320,286 for the purposes of public works and immigration. RATING BILL, The Legislative Council insisting upon their amendment in the Rating Bill, a free conference was decided to be held between both Houses. TARANAK GREAT SOUTH ROAD. The Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Bill was passed through all its stages in ccmmittee. Itemg£2soo for the Taranaki Great South road was passed, and the House adjourned till 7.30. The House resumed at 7.80. WAYS AND MEANS. In committee of ways and means, the following resolutions were agreed to, viz : Towards making good the supply granted to her Majesty, £1,261,432 out of consolidated fund ; £4.0,000 out of ways and means in connection with defence loan; £11,1)04 granted out of ways and means for State forests to be transferred to consolidated fund ; 304,226 to be granted out of land fund of New Zealand, £10,963 to be granted out of confiscated lands account, £13,140 to be granted out of the trust fund of New Zealand. appropriation act. The Appropriation Act was read a third time and passed. counties bill. The conference of both Houses on the Counties Bill was unable to agree, and a new conference was appointed. The result wasthat the Premier announced that they had agreed on this basis, viz , the county chairman to be elected by the Council, and not to be disqualified from sitting in the House of Representatives. The ordinary loan clauses were struck out, aud special loans limited to four times the rateable property in the county, leaving the increase in overdraft as provided by the Council. The other amendments were only trivial. At midnight the House adjourned till 2.30 p,m. on Monday.