GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1462, 23 October 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[special wire from press agency.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, October 22. In the Council to-day several reports on Bills were brought up. It was recommended that the Timarn Harbor Bill should pass as amended. The Council considered the amendments made by the House of Representatives in the Harbor Bill. Ultimately managers wero appointed to confer with the ether Chanabey. On tho S[ieep BUI a free conference was apTho Debtors and Creditors Act Amendment was read a second time, on tho motion of Mr Wilson. _ The District Railways Bill was also read a second time. At tho evening sitting of tho Council the postponed clauses of the Electoral Bill having been finished, a new’ clause, providing a Maori interpret at elections, was agreed to.

Colonel Whitmore proposed a clause giving Maoris the franchise, if possecsed of land under Crown grant, of the annual value of <£2s. A long discussion ensued, and ultimately the clause was rejected on the voices. In the course of debate, Sir D. Bell spoke in most emphatic terms of the conduct of Mr Kecs, in misrepresenting him in his (Rees’) speech at Napier. Ho said if a man like that could so misrepresent a gentleman then he was only worthy of contempt. The schedules of the Bill then passed, A new clause to close public-houses on election days was introduced by Mr Waterhouse, and agreed to on a division by 15 to 13. In the Revenues Bill the sub-section of clause 2G “ Disqualification Act not to apply to members of the Executive Council or of the General Assembly,” was struck out on a division by 10 to 15. The remaining clauses were agreed to, and the Bill reported. Mr Nurse moved the re-committal of the Electoral Bill for the purpose of re-considering the public-house clause just introduced, when the clause was struck out by one vote, the numbers being 15 to 14. The Council adjourned just before 1 a.m. HOUSE”OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, October 22. PETITION. In the House to-day Mr McLean presented a petition from Messrs Holt and McCarthy of the Press Agency, stating that the Government have given a monopoly of a wire to a few individuals, and praying that they may be placed on an equal footing. HOUSE COMMITTEE. The report of the Joint House Committee was brought up, recommending that the members residing in Wellington during the recess bo appointed a House Committee during that period. Mr Richardson commented on the fact that the Committee last year spent .£4OOO without any check, and had claimed the authority of Mr Macandrow for many items. Mr Macandrew denied all knowledge of them. Mr Swanson said many items in the account incurred by the House Committee during the recess showed gross extravagance and overcharge. It was agreed that the report be printed and considered to-morrow. TRANSLATING “ HANSARD.” The Committee on the question of translating “ Hansard ” recommended that during the rocess the Government should obtain information as to the expediency and cost of printing portions of “ Hansard” in the Native language. LAW OF EVIDENCE. Mr Curtis asked the Attorney-General if the Government will take into their consideration during the recess the expediency of so amending the law of evidence as to admit of the examination under carefully considered restrictions of persons on their trial for criminal offences. He said the Imperial Parliament lately introduced such a clause into a Bill. Mr Stout replied that the question was a difficult one. The Government doubted whether it would be advisable, but would consider the matter during the recess, as well as the expediency of altering the present mode of prosecution. FISHERIES PROTECTION. Mr Feldwick asked the Minister for Public Works if ho intends to proceed with the Fisheries Preservation Bill this session. Mr Macandrew said the Bill was likely to lead to considerable discussion. Probably a measure would be brought up next session. MARINE DEPARTMENT. Mr Gisborne asked when the usual yearly report on the Marine Department will be laid before this House. The Premier replied that the report had been delayed in the printing office. He hoped it would be laid on the table to-morrow. MR BARTON’S CHARGES. Sir E. Douglas asked Mr Barton whether, in the event of a committee or commission inquiring into the grave charges he has made against Chief Justice Prendergast and Mr Justice Richmond, ho will have any objection to the same committee or commission inquiring whether ho as a barrister had conducted nimself as a barrister should do, and if the charges made by him are found to be false, whether he should not be debarred or suspended from practice. The Speaker said this custom of members putting questions to each other was frequent in the House of Commons within certain restrictions, but had not been taken advantage of in New Zealand, Mr Barton replied as to the first portion of the question it was assumed that charges _of misconduct as a barrister existed against him. He would reply that he was not aware that any such charges had been made or could be made. As to the portion of the question in which the member for Marsden asked him to assume that he was capable of making charges against the judges knowing them to be false, he regarded the question as unworthy of the hon. member himself, and equally unworthy of notice from him (Mr Barton.) THE SPECIAL WIRE. Mr M‘Lean desired to move without notice, that the papers laid on the table relative to granting special wires to certain newspapers be printed. Mr Stout objected. Mr McLean, in order to have an opportunity of speaking, moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr Stout said the printing office was fully occupied. The papers referred to could not be printed this session. Mr McLean urged the importance of printing these papers, which disclosed an attempt to grant a monopoly to certain papers of the colony. The Premier had granted this monopoly against the advice of the General Manager of Telegraphs, whose opinion was that the proposed arrangement would involve a cost of .£4OOO a year. These papers were the Auckland" Herald,” “ Lyttelton Times,” and “ Otago Daily Times,” in the latter of which one member of the Ministry was interested. The telegraph manager had protested agajnst the proposed arrangement unless facilities were offered to the whole Press of the colony. If the postal and Customs tariff were regulated by Act, why should not telegraph charges be similarly regulated instead of by orders iu Council. The Attorney-General should be ashamed thus to assist a journal in which ho was interested. The arrangement was designed to kill the Dunedin “Star,” “Morning Herald” iu Dunedin, and Canterbury Press, and any independent paper which criticised the policy of the Government. He hoped every member of the House would read the correspondence. Mr Wakefield said the impression had got abroad that an exceedingly wrongful transaction had been attempted in the shape of a special contract with a few newspapers to the exclusion of the rest. The idea was that the Government proposed to give three or four newspapers a monopoly of wires for two years. Mr Stout said the arrangement proposed would not apply to any particular journals, but the Press Agency could obtain the same terms if willing to pay the same amountMr Fo£ said frqm a perusal of the correspondence he believed Government proposed to give a monopoly of special wires to throe newspapers which were already largely subsidised in the way of advertisements. This monopoly was granted in defiance of the advice of the General Manager of Telegraphs, who reported that the proposed scheme would involve an expenditure of £4OOO a year. The newspapers concerned got the cost reduced to £2OOO, and the Government had ac:epted this, and made an exclusive arrangement without consulting the rest of the Press of the colony. Mr Fisher said eight newspapers joined the combination. The Government intended to provide a special wire for the Press regardless of political creed. The Press Agency would have the same facilities as other journals.

Mr Swanson said he had a telegram from the Auckland, “ Star” f,plaining of being excluded. Mr FiSHt.u said at present the Government did hot see its way to increase the accop\m«du,tion granted to evening papers. _ The special wire arrangement would pot come into operation until the beginning of nest year, and by that time the Government hoped to have another special wire to accommodate tho Press of the colony generally. Major Atkinson contended that this was an admission that the Government intended absolutely to give a monopoly to a few newspapers, leaving the rest of tho Press of the colony dependent on tbo chances of another wire. Mr Richardson said he had been informed that a letter, written by tiro Press Agency, was left out of tho correspondence laid on tho table.

Mr Ballance replied the, Government would lay it on tho table, - •' l ' ,v Mr MoLe.vn said ho was informed that tho letter which was not laid on tho table was from the Press Agency applying for a special wire, and asking tho Government to name their price. Would the Attorney-General deny that he had not prompted the editor of the paper in which he was interested to make this application. Mr Stout: That is utterly untrue, it is utterly false.

Mr McLean called the Speaker’s attention ty, the words. ! ' ■

The Speaker ruled Mr spoilt out of order, Mr Stout said he would substitute * that the statement of tho hon. member had not an atom of truth in it.”, “

Mr McLean said he had merely mentioned the matter in a categorical form. Iho Government could not stretch an additional wire from Auckland to the Bluff in two months, even if they had the material. The motion for the adjournment was negatived on the voices. BILLS DISCHARGED. The following Orders of the Day wore discharged from the Order Paper Fencing Bill, Fine Arts Copyright Amendment Bill, Fisheries Preservation Bill, Publicans Licenses Bill, Brands Registration Bill, Impounding Bill. Bribery Bill, Dog Kegistralion Bill, Wanganui Harbor Board and River Conservators Bill, Dunedin Botanical Gardens Bill, LICENSING BILL. In the course of discussion, Mr Sheehan, referring to the Licensing Bill, said he had caused a Bill to be drafted this session, but when he considered the question he came to the con-clu-ion that it would not bo right to regard publicans generally on the principle that they were rogues. Ho would not promise to draft another Bill, but if he did he would make its provisions public before next session. Publicans licenses being local revenue, if any reductions were made local bodies would have a claim on the House for compansatiou. A fair solution of the difficulty would be to give local bodies power to raise what publicans fees they deemed proper. At the half-past live adjournment the House was in committee in consideration of the amendments in the Disqualification Act made by the Legislative Council Mr McLean has given notice of the introduction of a Bill to-morrow to amend the Electric Telegraph Act. EVENING SITTING. DISQUALIFICATION BILL. When the House resumed at half-past seven, Mr Taiaroa moved that the Chairman leave the chair. Sir Robert Douglas accused members of the Government of being interested as shareholders in newspaper printing. Mr Barer complained of the complicated Disqualification Act. Mr Hamlin supported the motion that the Chairman leave the chair. The House divided: —Ayes, 15 ; noes, 50. The amendment was negatived. Progress was reported on the Bill, and it was agreed to further consider the amendments tomorrow. SHEEP BILL. The House disagreed with certain amendments made by the Council in the Sheep Bill, and appointed managers to confer with tho Council. HARBOR BILL. A similar motion respecting the Harbor Bill was negatived on a division, by 35 to 33. Mr Stout moved that the House agrees with the amendments of the Legislative Council on the Harbor Bill except in clause 52. Ayes, 4G ; noes, 21. The motion was agreed to. REWl’s TELEGRAMS. The Native Minister laid on the table telegrams between Rewi and the Governor relative to his Excellency’s visit to the Lakes and Waikato. MR BARTON. The Premier said Mr Barton was anxious to put in a corrected copy of his “ Hansard ” speech, specifying his charges against the Judges, and that copy had not yet been procured. RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION BILL. The Minister oe Works, in moving the second raiding of the Railways Construction Bill, explained its object. With respect to the line from Amberley to Cook’s Straits, a survey would be made during the recess. The line was included iu the schedule because there was no available data. He believed the line from Amberley to Hokitika would produce greater advantage to the colony. The Government could not construct this line and tho other simultaneously, because the cost would amount to two millions. The Government recognised the necessity of completing through communication from the Bluff to Cook Straits, and hoped that all the liues in the schedule would be completed in five or six years. Most of the surveys of these lines were in a crude state, but all the House was asked to do was to affirm the principle of the Bill, upon which the Government would ask authority to spend £ 100,000 within the current year. Next year a larger sum would be asked. In Committee he would move to strike out subsection three, and would insert an amendment to provide for annual appropriation. .£157,000 would be spent on immigration during tho year, labor being au important clement in the scheme. Ample reserves would be made along the lines for towns and for land to be sold for settlement for cash and on deferred payments. The miuimum area of blocks of land opened in the colony has hitherto been too large, He was glad to hear from telegrams that the proposals for a monthly steam service between New Zealand and Home wero on the way out. Many men iu the colony wore able to undertake contracts for fifty or a hundred thousand pounds, and remain out of their money for two years, if fair interest wero paid. With regard to North Island railways, the Government proposed to spend ,£OOO,OOO this year out of last year’s loan. The new lines will, of course, depend upon the acquisition of Native land ; but there wero lines which might he pushed on with all despatch. The unfinished link between Wanganui and New Plymouth would be completed in from two to three years. In addition to the estimates which had been brought down, the _ Government proposed to spend on railways in the Middle Island as follows —First year, 108,000; second £550,000: third, .£585,000; fourth, .£702,000. With regard to the items of expenditure in the Middle Island the following were some of the figures : Central Otago, first year, <£55,000; second year, £120,000; Amberley, first year, £30,00.0; £150,000; Greymouth and Hokitika, first, £15,000 ; second, £BO,OOO ; Canterbury, first, £15,000 ; second, £50,000; Ashburton, first, £10,000; second, .£15,000,. Major Atkinson— How about the North Island? Mr Maoandkew —I cannot state the specific dates when tho land will be acquired from the Maori King. With tho exception of the two lines which depend upon this question, all the other lines will be completed within three years. Mr Richardson regarded the Bill as unnecessary, and considered that annual appropriations would meet all requirements. Ho believed that the lines already authorised would absorb the loans, and that the Government ly,d been advised not to enter the Home money market for two years, so that the money required would have to be furnished out of our land sales.