GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1457, 17 October 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[per PRESS AGENCY.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wednesday, October 16. In the Council to-day, after several reports had been brought up on local Bills, Colonel Whitmore, in replying to a question, said no prisoners bad been released at Naseby. A petition had been presented for the release of the men, but tho sentences were so short that the Government could not see the necessity for issuing a pardon. Colonel Brett moved for the issue of free passes to enable volunteers in the South Island to attend a general review at Dunedin on the Prince of Wales’ birthday. The motion was agreed to. HURRYING THE BUSINESS. It was agreed on the motion of the Colonial Secretary, that all public Bills should, for the remainder of the session, be allowed to pass through all stages at one sitting. FREE PASSES, Mr Robinson moved for a return of all free passes on the railways. Agreed to. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time — Inchclutha, Greymouth Racecourse Reserve, Hamilton Public Hall, and Malvern Water-race. TIMARU HIGH SCHOOL. On the motion for the second reading of the Timaru High School Bill there was a long debate, partly raising the whole question of secondary education. The second reading was agreed to. At the evening sitting the following Bills wore passed through committee: —Malvern Water Race (without amendment), and Timaru High School. The committee then proceeded to the Electoral Bill. Clauses 19 to 26 passed as printed; clause 27 was amended so as to provide for the purging of the roll after each general election. Clauses 28 to 51 passed without material amendments, and clause 52 was postponed. Clauses 53 to 61 passed as printed, and clause 62 was postponed. Clauses 62 to 115 passed without any amendment of importance, and at the close, at 1 a.m., progress was reported, and the Council adjourned. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. [by SfE.JAL WIRE, PER PRESS AGENCY.] Wednesday, October 16. Tho House met at 2.30. THE LATE FLOODS. In reply to a question by Mr Thompson, asked without notice, Mr Macandrew said the Government fully recognised the difficulties in which local bodies in the South would bo placed through the recent floods, and the Public Works Department was making inquiries with the view of ascertaining the amount of damage. No doubt the House would authorise considerable advances to these local bodies on loan. Something must bo done to provide for their immediate necessities. THE WAITAKI NATIVES. Taiaroa had a question on the order paper, idative to tho course the Government intended to pursue, in reference to the occupation of certain lands by natives at Waitaki, but it was postponed until to-morrow. BILLS WITHDRAWN. Mr Reeves withdrew Bills for endowing Reefton aud Greymouth Hospitals. D. MOORE’S PETITION, Mr Bastings moved that to-morrow tho House should go intp committee to consider an

address to he presented to the Governor to give effect to the report of the goldfields committee on the petition of Daniel James Moore of Otago. Messrs De Lautour and Joyce said if tins vote were passed, there would bo hundreds of applications from miners who had an equal share in discovering gold in some gully. Mr Bakff defended the system of giving rewards for the discovery of goldfields. It would give an impetus to prospecting. Mr Macandrew said this motion really affected a large body of men, and ho thought it would bo well if the evidence taken before the Committee were printed. He moved the adjournment of the debate. After some discussion Mr Macandrcw’s amendment was carried OTAGO UNIVERSITY BILL. Mr Stout moved that the report of the Joint Committee on private Bills on the Otago University Ordinance Amendment Bill be disagreed with. He intended to go no further at this late period of the session, and would not move that the Bill be committed to-morrow. He contended that the Bill was in no sense a private one, as it was not brought in in the interests of a private party or a company, nor did it affect private property in any way. The Bill merely proposed to devote one-third proceeds of a church endowment in Otago to the establishment of a certain chair in the Otago University. It left the management of the property and the nomination of the professor in the hands of the Synod. If the House ruled that trust properties were private properties, and could not be touched except by a private Bill, it would lead to gross abuses. Mr McLean said the whole Joint Committee, with the exception of one, agreed that this was a private Bill, and they had the whole evidence before them, and were better able to judge than the House. Major Atkinson thought the whole of the Standing Orders affecting private Bills were in a very unsatisfactory state. He submitted that the House could not possibly set aside the decision of the Joint Committee. He asked the Speaker’s ruling on the point he had raised. The Speaker frankly admitted that he was not clear on the point, as the relations of the House with respect to private Bills had long been very unsatisfactory. He should like time to consider how far the House had relegated its power to the committee. Mr Brandon spoke at some length. He was understood to defend the decision of the com mittea. * The debate was ultimately adjourned till Wednesday next. HAWKE’S BAY NATIVE PETITION. Mr Taiaroa moved—“ That the petition of Heuare Matua and other Hawke's Bay Natives should be printed. After some debate the petition was ordered to be read on the motion of Major Atkinson, when it turned out that he prayed that Mr Justice Richmond might not be allowed to try Native land cases on the ground that he (Justice Richmond) had caused the Waitara War, and they thought the Waikato War, and that his mind was already made up and his opinion expressed on many of these suits. Mr Bowen, Major Atkinson, and others strongly objected to a petition containing such a serious'slur upon the impartiality of a judge of the Supreme Court being printed, and Mr Toiaxoa ultimately withdrew his motion. WASTE LANDS COMMITTEE’S REPORT. Mr Kolleston moved that it is desirable that effect should be given to tue recommendations of the Waste Lands Committee in the matter of Mathias and Ensor. The motion was agreed to after some disdussion. DEFENCE OF THE COLONY. Mr Manders called the attention of the House to the position this colony held to the mother country in case of war being declared by her, and to the defensive power of the colony. He said that, after the debate in Committee of Supply on the defence vote, ho would not speak at length. He considered that some general scheme of defence should bo inaugurated, the expense of which should be borne by the land fund revenue. To give opportunity for discussion, he moved the adjournment of the House, Mr Stout protested against private members’ day being occupied by such a question. No one spoke, and motion for adjournment was negatived. TAXING DISTRICTS NOT BENEFITED BY PUBLIC WORKS. The interrupted debate on Mr Saunders’ motion, relative to taxation and public works, was resumed. Mr Bowen agreed with the principles expressed. There were large districts which had gained no advantage from public works in Auckland, on the East Coast of the North Island, and in the north and west of the Middle Island, which for years to come would not benefit from public works expenditure. He thought it the duty of Government to devise some plans by which some works of an important character, not strictly local but not colonial, might bo carried out in these districts. Mr Sheehan said it was impossible to point to a certain district and say that that district had received no benefit from public works expenditure. Every part of the colony had responded to the public works policy, and land everywhere bad increased in value owing to it. though ho admitted that many districts had been unfairly treated. In bis opinion there must be some general scheme for relieving local bodies in outlying districts in proportion to their means, either by taking over the main roads or by other means. It seemed to him iniquitous that a large proportion of old settled richly endowed towns should receive a pound for pound subsidy, the same as a poor thinly settled outlying district. He came from a district in which he did not think there was a macadamised road. When any change was inaugurated the subsidies must cease. Major Atkinson said Mr Sheehan appeared to have slightly misunderstood the effect of the motion, but he, in common with others in the House, would have listened to the Native Minister’s speech with much pleasure had it but expressed tbe mind of the Government. It was, however, directly opposed to the policy contained in the Public Works statement. He thought Mr Saunders deserved the thanks of the Colony for bringing the question forward. Mr Hodgkinson agreed that there was much truth in what had been said in support of the motion, but he could not see how the motion could bo carried out except a general scramble by every district were engaged in, or the Government had thrown on their shoulders the invidious task of declaring what works should be executed in out districts, which would justly or unjustly lead to suspicion of logrolling. Mr Macandrew failed to see what practical bearing the motion had unless the posit : on taken up by the House, that roads and bridges must be provided for by local bodies, were abandoned. The motion must be imperative. Ho denied that any district had failed to receive benefit from the public works expenditure. Mr De Lautour sympathised with the motion but could not see what effect could bo given to it, except that it could be taken into consideration when the question of reform in local Government was before the House. Mr Pyke said the motion was merely an expression of opinion. He knew by bitter experience the uselessness of that. Last session the House declared that reserves should be set aside for counties. But what effect had been given to that resolution ? A few days days ago the House resolved that hospitals should be endowed, but as soon as Bills were brought in to carry the resolutions into practice, they were negatived. Mr Thomson was speaking at the adjournment. EVENING SITTING. RAILWAYS bill. The Railways Bill was discharged from the Order Paper, but immediately re-introduced by message from the Governor. It was first introcommittee. The Bill passed the first reading, and the second reading was fixed for to-morrow. SECOND READINGS. The Ashburton High School Bill and District Law Society Bill passed the second reading. TOWNS ON PRIVATE LANDS. On the motion forgoing into committee on the Towns on Private Lands Regulation Billl, there was much discussion. Messrs P.vke, Skrimski, Barff, and Oliver strongly objected to the State interfering with the owners of private property. They argued that if streets were ninety-nine feet wide they would never be properly kept. Mr Hodgkinson said that all Mr Oliver’s remarks simply showed the necessity for the Bill, as he had spoken entirely in the interests of speculators. Mr Bastings moved that it bo committed that day six months. If any such measure were introduced, it should be by the Government Mr Murray protested against the House being ruled by land speculators. Mr Richardson agreed with Mr Bastings. Mr Oliver again spoke to the amendment, saying there was no necessity for the Bill, which, if passed, would defeat its own object, and load i j overcrowding, as areas of less than five acres, which were exempted from the operation of the Bill, would continually be cut up into very small allotments. Mr Swanson warmly supported the Bill, pointing out the great expense old cities were now incurring to widen their streets. He reminded Mr Oliver that the Bill did not profess to be framed iu the interest of land sharks.

Mr J K. Brown said Mr Swanson was talking bunkum. The bill was not in the interests of the public, who, if it passed, would have to pay three times ss much for town sections. It was an absurdity. Mr Thompson -aid he would agree to modify the Bill in committee. Mr Bastings’ amendment was negatived by 40 to 22. The House went into committee on the Bill, and an attempt w s immediately made to report progress. After a heated debate the motion was carried by 32 against 0 BILLS IN COMMITTEE. The House went into committ o on Public Libraries and t l.ristchurcli Boys’ High School Bills. CHRISTCHURCH BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL. A new clause was added to the Christchurch High School Bill, making the school subject to Government inspection. third readings. The Public Libraries’ Bill and Christchurch Boys’ High School Bill were read a third time and passed. BILLS DISCHARGED. The Publicans’ Licenses Bill and the Maori Representation Act Amendment Bill, were discharged. GOLD MINING DISTRICTS. The Gold Mining Districts Acts, 1873, Amendment Bill, was read a second time, and referred to the Goldfields Committee. The Church Trust Property at Little River Exchange Bill was reported and read a second time. The House rose at 12.25 a.m.