PARLIAMENTARY.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2244, 11 June 1881, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

[PBBBa ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Embay, June 10. In the Legislative Council— The Hon. Mr Ohambbblain gave notice to move for a return of all bonuses offered and paid for the promotion of colonial industries, giving all details. The Hon. N. Wilson gave notice to move for a return of all moneys paid to Sir J. Vogel by the colony. The Hon, Captain Baillie was re-elected chairman of committees, and the Hons. Whitaker, Mantell, Waterhouse, Wilson, Johnston, Martin, Lahmann, Baillie, and Brett were chosen the House committee by ballot.

The Married Women’s Property Act Amendment Bill (Hon. Q. M. Waterhouse) was read a first time.

The Hon. Captain Baillie gave notice for the appointment of the Standing Orders, reporting, selection, and printing committees. The Hon. Mr Scotland complained of members of tho Lower House being kept standing during the delivery of the Governor’s speech on the previous day. He was ruled out of order, hut the Speaker stated that be bad arranged with Sir G. M. O’Borke that seats should he provided in future. The Council adjourned at 3.10, HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Fbiday, June 10. The House met at 2.30 p m. new bills. Notice of the appointment of several sessional Committees was given and of the following Bills ; —Hospital and Charitable Aid (Hon, T. Dick), Licensing (Hon. J. Hall), Chinese Immigration (Hon. Major Atkinson). • ADDBEBB IN EEPLY. Dr. Wallis, as a matter of privilege, asked whether Mr Collins, not being sworn in yesterday, it was competent for another member to give notice of the Address in Beply on his behalf. The Spbakee said that Mr Collins was present now. Ho accordingly took the oath, and then renewed the notice. YKBTBBDAY’S PBOCBEDINGB. The Hon. J. Hall, referring to the complaint made by Sir G. Grey yesterday that members of the House bad to stand in the. Council Chamber during the opening ceremony, said that the omission to provide seats was purely accidental. For himself, however, he did not object to stand in the presence of Her Majesty's representative. Sir G. Gbby said that the question was, were members of the House to stand while members of the Council sat. _He thought j that If there was to be a difference, the, position of the Representatives should be the most honorable. He know of one colony where the Bepresentative Chamber refused to attend at the Council chamber, and the Governor had to summon both Houses to Government House. He thought the subject so important that he hoped the Government would move for a committee to consider it fully. The Hon. J. Hall eaid that [Government would consider the suggestion, and give a reply on a future day. The Speaeee read a memorandum from the Speaker of the Council explaining that the omission to provide eeats was purely accidental, and saying that instructions had been given to prevent its recurrence. FIBST BEADING. The Auckland Synagogue Site Trust Bill (Mr Speight) was read a first time. BETUBNS. The following motions by Sir G. Gbet were agreed to without remark “ That all [ correspondence or telegrams be produced connected with the Patatere block of land which may have passed with the Government since the date of the correspondence on this subject which has been laid before Parliament.” “ A return of all payments which may have been made to any newspapers in the colony, showing the name of such paper, the place and dates of publication, and the dates and amount of any payments which may have, been made to each.” ADJOUBNMENT. The House adjourned at 3.15 till Tuesday at 2.30 p.m. PARLIAMENTARY NEWS. [eeom thb own cobbespondent op the “ PBBB8,”J WELLINGTON, June 10. Very few members have yet arrived, and the House of Bepresentatives presented a eomewhat bare and melancholy appearance when it met this afternoon. Sir G. Grey had the speaking nearly all to himself, and expended much eloquence on the hardships sustained by members in being compelled to stand when summoned to the Legislative Council yesterday. He did not mind for himself, but was only anxious for the good of the people of the colony. Here some derisive ohucklee were heard, and Sir G. Grey at once made a .savage attack on Mr Whitaker for interrupting him. Mr Whitaker, however, defended himself stoutly and appealed to his next neighbour, Mr Wakefield, who bailed him up readily. Sir G. Grey returned to his breach of privilege, but Sir G. M. O’Borke promptly disposed of the whole affair by reading a memo from the Speaker of the Legislative Council, regretting the inadvertent omission to provide sitting accommodation, and instructing the clerk to see that it did not occur again. So ended the absurd little fuss. Ridiculous as it seems, it was not concocted by Sir Q. Grey without some artful design. He never acts without some scheme in view and it is the general opinion that this little stroke was a device for future use in exciting popular feeling against the Council for slighting the elect representatives of the people. He was next very pertinacious about his advertisements motion. Mr Dick . expressed readiness to afford the desired information, but suggested that it would be advisable to return the whole of the advertising since the completion of the last returns on the subject, and for all papers in the colony. To this Bir Q. Grey stoutly objected, insisting on having only the information be asked for, but the sense of the House was against him, and with the Government. Even his own adherents voted for the full return. It is understood that Sir G. Grey is anxious to contrast the neglect of the Wairarapa “ Standard,” in which he takes an interest, with the different treatment of the Auckland 11 Free Lance,” which he does not love, nor it him. Very little is yet arranged as to the programme of the business, and all arrangements will be purely tentative until members have arrived, the feeling of the House has been tested, and the behaviour of the Opposition ascertained. It is probable that Mr Fulton will second the address in reply to he moved by Mr Collins. Ovring to the limited number of Opposition members present, it is [not known whether any amendment will be moved, hut eo far this is unlikely. There is no probability of the hndget being brought down eo early as last session, and it is expected that it will not he delivered before the middle of July. The intention of the Government is to make a strenuous effort to get on with the Licensing and Charitable Bills, and if possible clear these measure fairly out of the road before tackling such questions as representation, finance, or Legislative Council reform. An attempt will therefore be made to push on each of the first-named Bills until thoroughly finished and remitted to tho Council. The Licensing Bill is not yet printed, hut I am assured that its provisions will be as telegraphed. I have a copy of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill, which simply takes np whore Parliament left off last session. Although the above is the present plan of Ministers, they will be quite prepared, if assured that members prefer it, to take up representation, &c., at an earlier stage of the session. So long as the business is actually got through this time, they are not particular as to what method is adopted, but they are determined to get the necessary measures passed whatever difficulties may arise, I have reason to believe that they will have the support of the House in this endeavour.

The complete railway retwro for the financial year has just been presented, and proves of a very satisfactory nature. The actual net profit for the year wag -£314,503, that of Amborloy-Kingston line, 788 miles in length, being £254,513, or over a quarter of a million clear profit towards the net cost—equal to £330 per mile. The Auckland line, 115 miles, yields £19,255, or £177 per mile, but the Greymouth coal line beats them all, yielding a clear net profit of £728 per mile, I hear

that the return for April, the first month of the current financial year, will be out next week, and will show surprisingly favorable results, the working expenses being reduced below 60 per cent, of the gross receipts. Mr Brogden, M.P., is pressing the claims of his firm against the Government. He claims in all £256,000, of which £20,000 is on account of the action of the Government relative to immigration and interference with his arrangements for the introduction and employment of laborers. The correspondence, which is very voluminous, will shortly come before Parliament.

The report prepared by Mr Fitz Gerald, the Controller-General, on the management of accounts and the audit of public revenues in the Australian colonies, was laid on the table to-day. It is a very able and exhaustive document, covering 165 closely printed pages, of which it is quite impossible to give any adequate idea in a telegraphic summary. Among his recommendations are tho following :—That tho public accounts should be shown to bo correct by periodical balancing ; that they should be so arranged that Parliament and the country may be supplied as early as possible, also in a most simple and intelligible form ; that every department should keep full and detailed accounts of its transactions, instead of everything being left to the Treasury ; that such accounts should be kept uniformly by double entry, balanced weekly, and compared with Treasury books ; that the sum placed at the disposal of Ministers to meet unauthorised payments should be largely reduced and votes taken in a more precise and detailed form, and estimates incorporated with the Appropriation Act; that a statutable form of accounts should to adopted ; that the accounts of local bodies should be independently audited, and that the relations between the Post Office and Treasury should be materially modified. An enormous mass of detailed information is appended to the report, which is largely of a technical nature.