GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1417, 30 August 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[per press agency.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, August 29. civil service bill. In tho Council to day after the transaction of some formal business, a passage of arms occurred between the Colonial Secretary and Mr Waterhouse. The latter asked the former to postpone tho Civil Service Bill, which Colonel Whitmore did, but said the step was quite unnecessary. Mr Waterhouse deprecated the ungracious reception of a reasonable request. SAVINGS BANK PROFITS BILL. On tho Savings Bank Profits Bill three minor amendmenls, made by the House of Representatives, ware agreed to. OAMARU WATERWORKS. A long discussion took place on tho money clause of the Oamaru Waterworks Bill, which giv- s power to borrow £40,000. The clause was agreed to on division by 19 to 4. Progress was then reported, and tho Council adjourned shortly before five o’clock. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, August 28, EDUCATION ACT AMENDMENT BILL, Messrs Reeves and Manders supported the Bill. Mr Woolcock opposed that part of the Bill which would have the effect of establishing a largo number of small schools, ill-paid teachers, and an inefficient system of education. He would vote for the second reading of the Bill, reserving the right, should tho Bill go into committee, of proposing that its operation bo restricted to largo centres of population. Mr Saunders hoped they would not return to donominationalism. Mr Gisborne supported the Bill. Mr Sheehan said the lion, member who had just ear down appealed to tho Government to support the Bill. He would say at once emphatically ho would oppose tho Bill. He might bo called a bad Catholic for doing so, but ho declined to be hound in respect to his vote in that House by the dictum of any priest or religious body. He contended that the interest of every Catholic lay in promoting strictly secular education in the colony. It the Bill were allowed to pass, the result would ho a return to donomi national education, which lie strongly {objected to. It would establish a harrier between two large sections of the population, and engender a bitter party spirit. He was sorry that elements of this kind had already grown up in tho colony through the establishment of Orangeism and Hibcrnianism. Tho population of New Zealand ought not be disturbed by elements such as these. There should be no party or national distinctions, but all who came into the country should consider themselves New Zealanders, and forgot those dissensions that conduced to such evil results at Home. Religion or nationality should not intrude itself to that extent, as at present tho whole population of Now Zealand were living on terms of peace and goodwill with one another as colonists. Mr Barfp, Sir R. Douglas, Messrs Seymour, Sutton, Murray-Aynsley, and Gibbs supported tho Bill, not seeing how it could do any harm, and being of opinion that it was certain to do good. Messrs Montgomery, Bowen, Moss, and Hodgkinson opposed tho Bill, and Ur. Henry moved the ad journment of the debate, which was negatived by 33 to 27. Mr Pyke then moved the adjournment of tho House, and when a division was called for, he explained that he had no idea when he made the motion that it would have the effect of shelving the Bill, and ho therefore gave bis voice with the noes, and voted with them. The result was for the adjournment, 30 against 30. Thursday, August 29. The House met at 2 30. education act amendment. Mr Pyke asked to move, without notice, that tho second reading of the Education Act Amendment Bill be made an order of the day for next Wednesday week. He hoped the House would agree to tins, because of his involuntary blunder last night. Mr Sheehan, on behalf of the Government, offered no objection, and the Bill was ordered to be restored to the order paper. EDEN TOLLS. The Government decline to abolish tolls in the county of liden. loans ok local bodies. Mr Stevens asked whether the Government would lay before the House returns showing the total loans issued by all local bodies t hroughout the colony. Mr Stout said they would make inquiry as to whether the information could bo obtained in sufficient time to get a return during tho present session. PISH PROTECTION. Mr Rowe asked whether the Government intended to amend t he Fish Protection Act Y Mr Macandrkw answered in the negative. INVERCARGILL CRIMINAL SESSIONS. Mr Feldwick asked whether tho Government were prepared to hold quarterly sittings

of the Supreme Court at Invercargill instead of half-yearly, ns at present, by which great injustice was often indicted upon prisoners awaiting trial ? Mr Sheehan recommended that all such complaints should be held over until such time as the Government Bill dealing with the matter was introduced, ns ho thought it would meet the greater number of objections raised to the present system. HARBOR ENDOWMENTS, A batch of Bills for endowing the following harbors were read a first time—Mahurangi, Port Albert, Matakana, Wade, K.ipara, Miranda, Hokianga, Mongouui, Whangaron, Bay of Islands. Immediately after, Captain Morris gave notice to introduce seven more Bills for endowing harbors. HIGHER EDUCATION. Mr Rees moved that there should bo four seminaries of higher education in the colony with un efficient professorial staff for each, to bo placed in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Ho argued to show the necessity for establishing these institutions. Half the work was done already, inasmuch as each place had already endowments for higher education. Mr Stout suggested that the motion should bo withdrawn, as nothing could be done this session, and by next session the Government would probably be in a position to lav before them the result of a commission which they intended to appoint. The motion was withdrawn. HARBOR WORKS. Mr Rees moved that all questions affecting harbor works in the colony should be dealt with on a general plan, and that harbors should not bo endow( d with money or land until the opinion of a coraprient engineer was taken, approving of the work. Mr Whitaker objected to endowing Harbor Boards with land. There was a crop of (hose Bills before them now, and ho did not- know where the land was to come from to endow forty or fifty harbors, which they were likely to bo called upon to do if they endowed any single one. He moved an amendment on the latter part of the resolution, to the effect that endowments of land shall not bo granted except below high water mark, and of land abutting on the harbor and required for the purpose of conveniently carrying on any projected harbor works. Mr Stout said the Government could not assent to all the Harbor Bills introduced. If they did (hero would neither bo land for railways nor anything else. Mr ’ Eeldwick moved that the debate bo adjourned. After a good deal of discussion the debate was adjourned till that day fortnight. .iackson’s bay settlement. Mr Barff moved that the Government, bo requested to take immediate steps to cause a special inquiry to be held into the working of Jackson’s Bay special settlement, and that any Aggrieved persons obtain ample opportunities of giving evidence on oath. He then read a petition on the matter, which alleged in general terms instances of mismanagement, such as settlers being compelled to accept orders for goods on Mr Marks’ store, and compelled to purchase goods at 30 per cent, higher than they could obtain the goods for cash elsewhere. Mr Gisborne, who seconded the motion, said ho had received written complaints in the same direction, and these he forwarded to the Government. Mr Stout said it was the intention of the Government to appoint a competent person on (he spot to make full inquiry into the matter. They preferred doing that to appointing a commission, in consequence of the great cost. Air Rykk said if the Jackson’s Bay settlenent was a failure, it must be the result, of gross mismanagement. If Government wished to throw the settlement over, he hoped they would hand it over to Vincent County. Mr Woolcock said ;in angel from heaven could not make the settlement a success. Mr Reeves said that if a tenth-part of the allegations made regarding the management of the settlement were true, then it must go hardly with some gentlemen who had the disbursing of Government money. lie might go so far as to sny that the way the settlers down there were treated was something horrible. They had to take rotten potatoes and rotten bacon in lieu of money, as there was no other store in t he place. The motion was agreed to. MINES ACT. On Mr Mandcrs’ motion, that the goldfields committee ascertain as to the practicableness of amending certain provisions of The Mines Act, being put to the House, a division was called for, and the motion carried by 41 against 8. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. TRIENNIAL PARLIAMENTS BILL, _ Dr. Wallis moved the second reading of this Bill, urging that it was the natural complement to the Electoral Reform Bill introduced by the Government, and expressing his surprise that Government had deemed it prudent to stop short in the work of reform they had laid down for themselves. This was the more strange considering the general confidence the House reposed in the Ministry, lie thought they should have had no hesitation in bringing down a complete measure of reform. However judiciously Ministers might have acted in postponing the question of redistribution of seats, they ought at least, to have provided a measure for triennial Parliaments. The hon. gentleman proceeded to narrate what had occurred in England in regard to the duration of Parliaments, his object being to show that, although septennial Parliaments were there established, in point of fact the practice had been for Parliaments to be dissolved every three or at most every fourth year. When British statesmen found they were not in accord with the House, they sought to rectify things by means of a dissolution. Here, however, Parliament had a strong objection to performing the happy despatch upon itself. Members liked to cling to their seats. He tlxen wont on to show that the majority of Legislatures of the world lasted only three years, and another considerable proportion only four years. All ( his went to show (hat the common sense of mankind was in favor of shorter Parliaments than the New Zealand term. Hero they found themselves in Wellington in the midst of shams and dissipation and all the vulgar pretences of a puny metropolis where they saw how the bone and muscle of the working man were mortgaged to the money lenders of the homo country, and made victims of a system of cox’rupt patronage. These things could not be had members a shorter time to serve in Parliament. By the time five or seven years elapsed representatives hardly knew who or what they represented. The changes of public opinion were much more rapid in a colony like this than in any old country, and for that reason alone they ought to have shorter Parliaments, so that their legislators might be brought into closer sympathy with the people. Civilization could not have begun until such time as men began seriously and earnestly to discuss their public affairs, and the more dicuseion there was the healthier the sign, and therefore the more frequently they were brought face to face with their constituents the better. He admitted that annual Parliaments were the logical consequence of his argument, but there were other things than logical consequence to consider—the fitness of things, ami other things, wore to bo considered. Mr Mandebs opposed the Bill as claptrap. Mr Thomson did not. see the utility of t riennial Parliaments, unless there was some important public question requiring to be dealt with. Mr Murray-Aynslev thought sufficient encouragement had been given to the Premier to introduce such a measure, and he fully expected one would be brought down, especially after all that had been said and promised on the subject by the Premier, He was iu favor of going before his constituents oftencr than at present. Ho hop;-d a dissolution would take place as soon as new rolls were ready. He would support thp Bill. Dr. Hougkinson supported the Bill cordially. Indeed he would prefer triennial

Parliaments. Ho believed that the time had come when several important measures must be taken up. The time had come, too, or would soon come, when they should restore their Constitution, which had been so ruthlessly destroyed. Mr Stout congratulated the House upon the unanimity of feeling shown regarding this question. He believed the time would come when annual Parliaments would bo the rule The measure was not a Government, one, and members of the Ministry would vote on the Bill according to their private views. Mr Bowen criticised the hon, mover’s reference to English parliamentary history, and went on to show that, notwithstanding the septennial system, an appeal to the people was never prevented by that system, if an appeal was considered necessary, whereas, if they passed the present Bill, it would give Parliaments a statutory term of existence, and, to that extent, prevent appeals to the people. As to the constitutions of foreign countries referred to, they were systems still on their trial. These systems had not grown up with the people, but wore, more or less, imitations of the English system, and it was not quite proved yet (hat in foreign soil these institutions were a success. He would oppose the Bill, on the ground that it was calculated to lessen the independence of members, to weaken the responsibility of electors, and waste the time and energies of the people. Altogether the scheme was rash, fantastical, and mischievous He would move that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. Mr Moss supported the Bill. In replying to some of the arguments of the hen. member for Kaiapoi, ho admitted that English institutions were not, a success on the Continent, but that was because the Governments referred to had developed into pure bureaucracies in which everything was centralised They were exactly what New Zealand would soon become if it were not for the natural instincts of the people. It appeared to him that owing to the destruction of their old constitution, they had arrived at a time when they should as a safeguard be compelled to meet their constituents every three years at least. The Premier announced that, ho would vote for the second reading. Ho did not think it his duty as a member of the Government to bring forward such a Bill during the present session. The Government had important duties to perform, and it behoved them not to imperil those duties. By widen ing the suffrage they cleared the way for a new Parliament which could then look after itself. The hon. member for Kaiapoi had said that the institutions of foreign countries were on their trial. Why, the English Constitution itself was on its trial, and had always been so. The same hon. gentleman pointed to the corruption in governing in the United States. But what greater instances of corruption than could be pointed to some years back ? Look at the dukedoms that were obtained through the sale of boroughs. The hon. gentleman pointed to the evils that had befallen the poorer classes of England. These evils would never have overtaken these people if they had had triennial Parliaments. Ho entirely disapproved of the Parliamentary doctrine laid down in the Australian colonies, viz., that a dissolution ought not to bo granted until the House was exhausted that is, until a Government was not able to be formed that could do anything. Here was a case in which the people were deprived of their just rights by preventing a dissolution, the only means by which they could make their wishes fully understood. Then again look at the rapid changes ■which came over public opinion, and ho need only refer to some of the divisions which had taken place in that House during the session. It was clear, therefore, (hoy ought to do what they could to stimulate political activity by keeping political matters before the minds of the people. Triennial Parliaments would help to do this. By this system men would become accustomed to consider the questions uppermost, and regularly record their votes, whereas if they only voted once in live or seven years, they were apt to become apathetic. Now that there was such a Bill before the House, he hoped they would seize the golden opportunity. The bon. gentleman referred to the passing of the Abolition Act as an act of unexampled tyranny, and one which could not have been perpetrated had the people been granted their right of dissolution. The debate is continuing.