GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1397, 7 August 1878, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[Per Press Agency,} LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, August 6. nomination of new members. Mr Johnston moved—" That the Governor be requested to present to the Council the Ministerial recommendation to appoint new members to the Council, together with any memoranda thereon from his Excellency." Colonel Whitmoee characterised the motion as unprecedented, but said he would not oppose it. The motion was acrcpd to. RETURNS. Mr Laiiman moved for a return of expenditure for the Brunner Railway from the Ist July, 1876, until 20th June, 1878 ; also, for the correspondence between the Public Works Department and the contractors of harbor works at Greymouth during the same period. The returns were promised. LITERARY INSTITUTIONS. Colonel Whitmoee moved for leave to introduce a Bill to regulate the incorporation of members of Literary Institutions, and to provide for t he establishment and maintenance of public libraries. Agreed to. bill tassed. The Sale of Food and Drugs Amendment Bill passed. imprest supply. Colonel Whitmore asked that the StandingOrders might be suspended in order to pass an Imprest Supply Bill through all stages. Mr Hall asked why it was not brought down before. Colonel Whitmoee replied that there had not been more than five sitting days; that according to custom it was not allowed to bring down an Imprest Supply Bill till after the fourth sitting. Mr Hall asked how the Government had managed to get on without the money. Colouel Whitmore replied that the Government had always a margin of £IOO,OOO at their disposal. The actual expenditure on the Civil Service was comparatively small, and Government had been abla to delay till to-day without any inconvenience to the public service. The Bill then passed.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, August 6. The House met at 2 30. NEW MEMBER. Mr Olliver, introduced by Messra Macandrow and Stout, took the oaths and his seat. FEMALE FRANCHISE. Dr. Wallis gave notice to move for the introduction of a Bill conferring the same political privileges on women as on men. REFOHM OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Mr Curtis gave notice of his resolutions for' reforming the Legislative Council. REPRESENTATION. Mr Woolcock gave notice to ask whether it was the intention of the G-overnment to* redistribute representation according to population as shadowed forth in the speeches of the Premier. CHINESE IMMIGRATION. Mr Reeves gave notice to ask whether the G-overnment intended to introduce a Bill this session to prohibit the introduction of Chinese. "LEAVE OF ABSENCE. A week's leave of absence was granted to Mr Howe. THE HOT SPRINGS DISTRICT. Mr Richardson asked whether the Government have secured the land included in the hot springs at Rotomahana and Rotorua for the benefit of the public. Mr Sheehan said the Government were taking step 3 to acquire the land for tho benefit of the public. ENDOWMENT OF LOCAL BODIES. Mr Thomson asked whether the Government intended this session to introduce a Bill relating to the endowment of Counties and Road Boards. Mr Stout said the Government did not intend to introduce such a Bill. If all local bodies were endowed as they wanted, there would be no land left for the Government to sell. FREIGHT ON GRAIN. Replying to Mr Wakefield, Mr MACANDRKW said the Government were taking steps to have a uniform rate of freight on grain throughout the whole of the railway linee running north and south from Lyttelton. MILFORD HAHBOR. Replying to the same member, Mr MACANdkkw said Sir John Coode had not in any way reported as to Milford harbor. COUNTIES' ACT AMKXDMK.VT. Replying to Mr Cotton, Mr Stout said the Government would cause to be introduced in i.nothor place a Bill to Amend the Counties Aet. TOUT OF FOXTON. Replying to Mr Johnston, the Premiersaid the Government had undor their contideration the question of making Foxton a port of entry at the earliest possible moment, SUPPLY. Mr Ballanee brought down tho f.mpresfc Supply Bill for £250,000. Mr Gns borne protested against the Ministry asking for such a large amount at so eejly a period of tbe emhm, without affording,

more specific information as to what the money was required for. Mr Ballance explained that be had only acted in accordance with the practice, and that the money was required for salaries, expenses, and contingencies. Mr Sutton asked if it was true that Ministers had drawn their salaries up to the end of July, while all the civil servants had not yet been p dd theirs. Mr Ballance explained that Ministers salaries were paid from another source than that from which the civil servants were paid, and that if they had drawn their salaries, they acted quite in accordance with usage. Major Atkinson pointed out that before asking for any more money it would be incumbent upon the Government to enlighten the House as to their financial policy. The Bill was put through all its staged, and passed. reprinting statutes. Mr Stout moved the second reading of the Eeprinting Statutes Bill, the object of which was to separate statutes in force from those which have been rendered inoperative. Mr O'Bohke paid a high tribute to the measure introduced by f he Attorney-General, as beini? one of great importance and value. Mr Fox attached a great deal less importance to the Bill than his hon. friend from Onehunga. It did not appear to him that the benefits supposed to be conferred by the Bill would be felt, much by the public at large. What really was wanted was the making the present statutes more clear and intelligible to the general body of the public. Half of them now could scarcely be comprehended by any person deficient in technical knowledge. Mr Barton wanted to know what the proposed reprinting of statutes would cost. He did not think tho object to be gained justified the expenditure on what he hoped would only he something temporary. He thought the Government ought not to stop short of making the statutes intelligible He was going to say that he had grown grey in trying to interpret the New Zealand statutes ; but he had absolutely lost his hair altogether in trying to understand the laws of the colony. He went on to point out how badly the laws of the colony had been drawn up, especially those with regard to land dealing, which Appeared to him to be altogether unintelligible unless perhaps to a few civil servants. He attributed the disgraceful state of our laws to the want of lawyers in the House to guide members in the delicate work of law making. Mr JOYCE wae of opinion that they never would get simply drawn and satisfactory laws so long as lawyers took part in framing them. He instanced the benefit conferred upon India by the codified system of laws simply worded, so that every native who could read could understand them. Mr Whitakbr said that the unsatisfactory state of their laws was entirely owing to the large amount, of legislation which was rushed through every session. The Acts were first compiled with paste and scissors and without being carefully considered as to whether the circumstances in New Zealand were the same as where the original was in force. They were passed through the House in a few hours. Major Atkinson thought it would be better for them to spend their money in consolidation, and afterwards in codification. He hoped the Government would carefully consider whether it was really advisable to spend the money in the way proposed. Mr Stevens would support the Bill as a measure much required, as was well-known to anyone who had endeavored to consult the Statutes. It appeared to him that a better plan to adopt than tinkering with old Acts would be to paBS new meamres entirely. Mr Stout ridiculed the idea of thinking that persons who knew nothing of law were better qualified to act as law reformers than lawyers who had devoted themselves to tho study of the law. As"for consolidation of the statutes, he considered that perfectly impossible to carry out at present. The cost of reprinting the statutes, he did not consider would be so heavy as seemed to be anticipated. He did not believe in any clean sweep reforms. All reforms must grow. The Bill was then read a second time. DEBTORS AND CiIEDITOBS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. This Bill was read a second time. FRAUDULENT DEBTORS BILL. In committee this Bill led to considerable discussion, especially over clause 5, providing for a penalty for absconding with property. Mr Barton proposed an amendment, and called for a division, which resulted, for the amendment 7, against 40. The House rose at 5.30. GOVERNMENT ADVEBTISEMENT3. Mr Fox will move on Wednesday next for a return containing all particulars regarding the distribution nf Government advertisements. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. The strangers', ladies', and Speaker's galleries are filled up. FINANCIAL STATEMENT. On the House going into committee of ways and means, Mr Ballance rose to deliver his Financial Statement. [A summary of which is published below.] Ho was greeted with loud applause. The delivery of the speech occupied over an hour and a half. On the conclusion there was considerable applause from both sides of the House. CHANGES IN THE TARIFF. A resolution giving effect to tho proposed changps in the tariff was then submitted to the House and agreed to, Mr Ballance having explained that should tho Bills subsequently to be introduced for carrying out the proposed changes be lost, the resolution would fall to the ground, and any monies collected under the resolution would be refunded. The House adjourned at 9 20.