GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1411, 23 August 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[PBB PBBBB AGENCY.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, August 22. ADDBESS TO THE QUEEN. The greater part of the afternoon sitting of the Council was occupied by a discussion on the address to the Queen, moved by Captain Fraser, congratulating her on the result of the Berlin Conference. After verbal amendments, the address was carried. SALES OF WASTE LANDS. Mr Chambbblain’B motion, for a return of the price per acre received from all Government lands, excepting town and surburban lands sold in the provincial districts of Canterbury and Otago, during the year ending 30th June, 187« was agreed to. THE COUNTIES ACT. Mr Hall’s motion, for a return of the names of those counties in which the whole of the Counties Act has been brought into force, was also agreed to. BILLS ADVANCED. The Executive Councillors Bill was read a third time and passed. The Nelson Harbor Board Bill was read a second time. The second reading of the Southland Boys’ and Girls’ High School Act, 1877, Amendment Bill, was postponed till to-morrow, also the second reading of the Lake Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation Bill. The Council adjourned till 7.30 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, August 22. The House met at 2.30. MB MACANDBEW’S DUNEDIN SPEECH. Mr Fox gave notice to ask if Mr Macandrew used certain words attributed to him as having been used at a banquet at Dunedin, regarding a probable return to a modified form of provincialism, and if so what he meant by them ? IBISH IMMIGRATION AGENCY. Mr McMinn asked whether Government would re-establish an immigration agency in Ireland ? Mr Stout said it was under consideration, but Ireland had a far greater share in proportion to population than any other country. LICENSING BILL, Mr Wakefield asked the Government when the Licensing Bill would be brought down, and whether they would make it a Government question. Mr Sheehan said the Bill would be made first or second order of the day for Tuesday next, but they did not consider the measure one on which a Government ought to go in or out. MUNICIPAL OFFICERS. The Government, in reply to Mr Sharp, promised a return of the number of officers employed by the various municipalities, with salaries, travelling allowances, &3. THE SEPARATION SCARE. Mr Barton asked the Premier whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce a measure for the creation of two largo provincial Governments, one in each island, the seat of the Government for the South to be Christchurch, and for the North Auckland, the jurisdiction of these Governments to be so large that little or nothing will be left for the General Government to do, Hn Post-master-General and perhaps the Con mi 'siouer of Customs and half a dozen clerks ap see to constitute the General Government, ani once in three years the General Assembly to meet. Whether the published statement in the Wellington press that Sir G. Grey, Messrs Macandrew, Fisher, Sheehan, and Stout are all in favor of such a scheme has been authorised by Government, The Premier said the Government had not considered the matter. He could not give any further information than he afforded yesterday, and could only add that the statements were not authorised. FIRST READINGS. The Native Lands Bill and Hokitika Harbor Board Amendment Bill were read a first time. THE STORE DEPARTMENT. Mr Bowen moved—“ That all papers connected with the abolition of the Store Department be laid before the House.” The hon. gentleman, in referring to the work of the late store department, said that thousands of pounds were saved to the colony by the system of check upon the departments of Government. He feared there was no check now, although now, as before, large quantities of stores, representing large sums of money, were under the control of officers who had no check upon them. He could not believe that any satisfaction would result from the departments doing their own check and audit. It was only recently at homo that it was found a system of wholesale plunder of iron, coal, &c., was going on solely through a want of system of check. In one instance special trains were being run to take away the company’s own goods. Mr Barff animadverted on the destructive propensities of Colonel Gorton, the officer referred to, by saying that so indefatigable was that officer that he destroyed any quantity of furniture all over the colony. The Government did well to abolish a department so utterly destructive and useless. Mr Gisborne would bo glad if they could save the cost of the department, and secure the property of Government (about £200,000 worth) from loss. Ho was certain Colonel Gorton saved the colony many thousand pounds. Major Atkinson said that for years he had an intimate knowledge of the services rendered by Colonel Gorton, and he was able to say he saved the colony tens of thousands of pounds. The late Government had intended to make a change, and place the check upon stores in the hands of the Audit Department. Messrs J, C. Beown and Shrimski ridiculed the idea of a store department, which did more harm than good. Mr Stout said there were no papers on the question. After Colonel Gorton’s resignation the Government considered the office unnecessary. He (Mr Stout) considered Major Atkinson’s remarks regarding the savings by Colonel Gorton as a slur upon the character of the department officers. Mr Richardson said that in 1873 a largo quantity of furniture was taken away from the buildings they wore then in, and it had been found absolutely impossible to trace it. His own experience was, that such an officer coming round and taking stock prevented such occurrences as that referred to. It was notorious that in Canterbury and Otago no check was kept upon stores, very much to the loss of the provinces. Mr McLean, speaking from experience, would not advocate dispensing with an inspector of stores. Ho believed the chief fault of the late officer was over zealousness.

Mr BowENjcouldJscarcely believe that there were no papers or reports regarding the sweeping away of such an important office. If it was so, then it was a more reckless proceeding than he had at first thought. The motion was agreed to. CHINESE IMMIGRATION.

Mr Reeves moved —“ That in the opinion of this House immediate steps should bo taken to prevent the probable influx of Chinese.” He urged it would be wiser to take tirr p by the forelock. So great hud been the influx of Chinese into California that on the Pacific elope were 100,000 and 40,000 in San Francisco, where they were as

boes round a hive, and they had completely crushed out white labor, and were such a curse to the country that no one could be surprised any day to hear of great bloodshed. In Hawaii again the Chinese became a curse, realising the danger of |an influx of Chinese. He hoped the Attorney-General would not wait till the evil was upon the colony. If the Government did not bring in some measure imposing a poll tax he would do so himself, Mr Joyce said the Chinese should not be allowed in any British colony, and if any Imperial law stood in the way, then they had better cut the painter at once. We had no right to degrade and deteriorate our race by allowing Chinese to come amongst us in large numbers.

Mr Rowe regarded the motion as a chip in porridge, it would neither do much good nor harm. The evils referred to did not exist, nor were they likely to. Altogether, the motion was premature.

Mr Mandkrs, while bearing testimony to the industry and general good conduct of the Chinese in his district, thought some restriction to the introduction of Chinese should be imposed. One feature of the problem was this, that the experience and knowledge gained by the Chinese while here, might be turned to advantage against us after they returned to their own country. Mr Stout could not see how the same slate of things could arise here as in California. Still he was prepared to go the length of saying that, if the colony saw signs of being overrun by Chinese, probably it would be right to impose restrictions upon them coming hero. There were fewer Chinamen coming here now than two or three years ago. If the House thought it necessary to legislate upon the question, any measure that would bo introduced should be some such measure ns that in force in Queensland. MrPrKK said there were only 3200 Chinese in the colony, and it was rather derogatory to Europeans to be afraid of them. They were an industrious and law-abiding people, and in many parts of the colony they were not regarded with any aversion, and, indeed, their absence would be regarded as a loss. Mr Babff, while agreeing that what the Attorney-General said would meet the case, pointed out what danger would arise from the introduction of leprosy, a case of which was reported in Otago, while numerous instances (details of which would be unfit to relate) occurred in Victoria.

Mr Gisborne could merely sanction exceptional legislation when exceptional circumstances arose. Attention having been drawn to the matter he would move the previous question. Mr Reeves then withdrew the motion. regulation of mines. In the interrupted debate on the question that it be an instruction to the Goldfields Committee to ascertain the practicability of amending the Regulations of Mines Act, Mr Reeves, who had been interrupted in the previous debate by 5.30, afterwards moved the previous question. The motion was again talked out at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. PARNELL RESERVE BILL. On the Homo resuming at 7.30, The Parnell Reserve Bill was read a second time. Mr Moss explained that the committee had altered it so that only part of the reserve was vested in the Mayor and Council for a town hall site, the rest being reserved for a public school. MILFORD HARBOR BILL. In committee on the Milford Harbor Board Bill, Mr Whitaker asked that the endowment clause should be postponed a week, in order that the House should decide once and for all what course they should adopt in regard to the principle of endowments, and accordingly moved that progress be reported, Mr Wakefield defended the Bill, disclaimed any idea of its being a swindle, and protested against its being made the scapegoat on account of this sudden outburst of principle. Mr Stout did not want to see the hon. member in charge of the Bill risk it by going on with it. He would suggest that it be postponed for a week, by which time all the other Harbor Bills would have reached their second reading, when probably the House would be prepared to deal with the very large questions opened up by Bills of that kind. Mr Wakefield expressed his willingness to withdraw the Bill. Mr Rees said no single Bill could settle the question. It was necessary the House should affirm its principle on the question by resolution, and in order that the whole question might be debated, he would take an early opportunity of bringing down a resolution lor the purpose. Progress was reported and leave given to sit again. WELLINGTON COLLEGE. The Wellington College Act Amendment Bill, the second reading of which was moved by Mr Gisborne, was very strongly objected to by several members on the ground that its object was to take away for its own endowment land which belonged to the New Zealand University. The Premier suggested that the best way to settle the difficulty was to provide a separate endowment for it of land set apart for secondary education. The debate was then adjourned till Wednesday, to enable members to make themselves better acquainted with the Bill. bills advanced. The Gatlin’s River Cemetery Bill passed through committee. The Waimakariri Harbor Endowment Bill was read a second time, and referred to the Waste Lands Committee. Mr Ormond moved the second reading of the Napier Harbor Bill. Read a second time, and was referred to the Waste Lands Committee. ADJOURNED DEBATE ON ELECTORAL BILL. Mr SEATON said that any man worth his salt after six months’ residence in the colony could have a vote under the existing law. As to the Government Bill, he considered that after bringing such a Bill down, they were not deserving of confidence, and ho intended before he was done to move that the Bill be read that day six months. He believed the effect of the Bill would bo to throw the control of elections into land rings. Supposing a hundred gentlemen chose each to spend a hundred pounds on land, they could so invest it as each to get four votes. That could be done ad infinitum, and imagine the effects of such a practice springing up. The Government should have harmonised the Electoral Bill with their financial arrangements. In the one property up to £SOO should be exempt. Let them fix that amount with regard to votes under the Electoral Bill, and that would meet one of the greatest difficulties to be overcome. He would move—“ That the Bill be read that day six months,” The debate is continuing.