GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2593, 29 July 1882, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[ABM ASSOCIATION TMUSaBAM.] j LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, Jtcx 38. c»- ] MIKUQ OOKMXIM BIIX. ) The Mining Companies Aot 1872 Amendment Bill waa read a third time. ! QtTBSTIOBS. i In reply to the Hon. Mr Williamson, The Hon. Mr Ouvbb said a telegraph olerk at Onehunga, who had refused to send a tele, gram between 10 and 10 30 on Sunday, had been guilty of a breach of duty. STATUTE BHYISION. ; Several Statute Revision Bills were passed through the Council. MBBT BBADINOS. The Employment of Females Bill, the Bluff Harbor Foreshore Beclamation Bills, the Lytteltcn Harbor Board Bill, and the Dunedin Southern Market Beserve Leasing Bills were received from the Lower Housa. and read a first time. The Council adjourned at 435. HOUSB OF REPRESENTATIVES. Fbiday, Jr/xv 28. The House met at 2.30. QTJBSTJOHfI. Replying to Mr Kelly, The Hon. Mr Johnston said that under the Telegraph Aot, 1860, the Governor in Oounoll had made a regulation that the Government would not be responsible for errors or omissions, or delays in the transmiasion of tolegrams, nor for the non-transmission of telegrams, or delays in the delivery thereof from whatever cause the same might arise. Replying to Mr Kelly, _ The Hon. Mr Bbyok said that compensation had been awarded Capt. MoCarthey, of the Hannah Mokau, but the letter containing the cheque had been rt turned through the Dead Letter Offioe, and now stood at the unclaimed balance in the Audit Office. It would be available for MoCarthey whenever he claimed it. The amount was £ls, and that was all the claim the Government reoogni«ed.

Replying to Sir Gbobgb Gbbt, The Hon. Mr Johnston said the increase of pay to railway employes would take effect from the 31st inst.

Beplying to Mr Tole, The Hon. Mr Johnston said the Government had under consideration arrangements whereby the inhabitants of Eden terrace, Newmarket, Epsom, and the other suburban districts of Auckland might be enabled to post newspapers at the several local post boxes, or at all events eomo arrangement whereby the inconvenience would be obviated. Beplying to Mr J. McKenzie, The Hon. Mr Dick said that with the view of obviating the necessity of removing prisoners for trial from Naieby to Uawrence it was proposed to make arrangements for the trial of suoh prisoners at Oamaru. Beplying to Mr Fish, The Hon. Mr Bollestoh said that the propriety of planting the sandhills reserve at Dunedin with forest trees, and making it otherwise suitable for recreation purposes, had engaged the attention of the Government. The work was delayed in oonsequenos of the dispute in connection with Bichard'a contract, but the proposal would not be lost sight of.

Beplying to Mr Oadman, The Hon. Mr Bolxeston said the Government had been attending to the work of replanting forest trees. Provision would be made in the supplementary estimates to enable local bodies to take the matter in hand and prosecute the work with energy. Beplying to Mr Seddon, The Hon. Mr Diox said the Government would take the opinion of its legal advisers as to whether members of tho Westland Board were personally responsible to refund £1256 appropriated by them from the building fond in 1881. The Government was not in the habit of insisting upon vouohers beiag produced before paving over money so appropriated, and as they were fully advised of all the. circumstances of the case, they did mot deem a commission of inquiry necessary. BILLS. The following Bills were introduoed and read a first time:—Roads and Bridges Construction; Counties Act, 187 G, Amendment (Major Atkinson) ; Besumption of liands for gold mining purposes j Gold Mining on Public Beierves (Bolleston). FKOFOSBS LAND TAX. On the motion of Sir Gbobob Guar for leave to introduce a Bill to reduce the burdens now imposed on the people by enabling reductions to be made in the property tax arid oustoms through the imposition of a tax on land in proportion to its value, exclusive of improvements, The Sphaibb ruled that it was ultra vires of a private member to introduce a Bill altering or remodelling the mode of taxation. That power alone rested with tho Government.

Sir Georhb Gbbx argued that, as a private member, he had a right to deal with the grievanoe. It was necessary that they should have the right to deal with the question of taxation, otherwise grievances could not possibly be remedied. Moreover, he contended that the ruling* of the House of Commons was in favor of and supported his contention. The Sfhakbb adhered to his ruling, and the introduction of the Bill was disallowed, SECOND BEADIHGB. The following Bills were read the second time:—Mining on Harbor Board Reserves, Mining oa Education Reserves, Mining on Water-race Reserves, Canterbury Rivers Aot, 1870, Amendment. NATIVE BESBBYBS BILL. The debate on this Bill was resumed by Mr Tawhai, who said that he had seen copies of the Bill to be oiroulated amongst the Maori population, and they, in common with himself, looked upon the Bill as most unsatisfactory. The Hon. Mr Bbtcb said that while the Fublio Trustee would have a general control over these reserves, he would be assisted by a Oommiision. The Government had no intention, as had been alleged, of withdrawing the measure. The idea of plaoing these reserves under the Fublio Trustee had been mooted in the Native Affairs Committee. Tho argument was that it would prevent a certain pressure being brought to bear on Ministers in connection with these reserves. The trustee was assisted or in some respects controlled by a Board. He thought it would be wise to put a Maori on that Board. The Government would aooept an amendment in that direotion. He would be able to give valuable advioe with regard to the management of these reserves. Again, the Bill made provisions so as to prevent too large a quantity of the public estate ooming under the operations of the Board. He agreed in the opinion that there should be a subdivision of the land to a very great extent, but that would be a work of time, and many years would be required to arrange suoh a subdivision. While he did not agree in the opinion that the Maoris were dying out, he had means for ascertaining that they were not so numerous as was stated. They were decreasing at one time, but that state of matters had of late been checked. There was a considerable desire on the part of the Maoris to sell their lands now. If they were to be a permanent race it was right that an inheritance should be secured for them. This Bill went very far in that direction. lie agreed that their lands must be made reproductive, and not looked up, without any ohanoe of being made reproductive. That view of the case had been carefully kept in view in framing the Bill. The working out of the Bill would be in the interests of both races. He believed the time would oome when the land would pass out of the hands of the Public Trustee into that of the Minister of Lands, assisted oy the Land Board.

Mr Bkethah spoke in support of the Bill, contending that it would operate in the interests of both races. In cases of suooesBion, be believed that the Bill would be largely taken advantage of. Mr DAsiBL spoke against the Bill. Mr Whitakbb deprecated the proposal to plaoe their lands in the hands of the Public Trustee. That offloer had already too much to attend to. There was much, however, in the Bill that he approved of. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment, EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. NATITB REsaams HIXL. Mr Wuitakbr resumed the debate on the Native Reserves Bill, announcing that he would support the motion for the seeand reading, although in committee he wonld move in the direotion of oertain amendments.

Mr Moniooiibbt said that the Bill wonld give the proposed Board immense power, and that the Board praotically consisted of

the Government, 10 that in reality theie vast powers were placed in the hands of the G-overmnenfc of the day.

it seemed to him that it was a most dangerous proposal, and that the Board should be so constituted as to be independent of the Government. The proposal to put ore Native on the Board would not he oonoljuded meet the emergencies of the case. The Board ought to be an independent one. As that Board was proposed to be he was bound td vote against the Bill. JMr Seddon end Mr Thompson' spoke against the Bill. The Hon. Major Atkinson said that it was not right to hand over those lands to the Natives to deal with them as they might think fit. In that case all manner of J

impositions would be praotised upon the Natives, and some protection must be provided, and he concluded that they would have to be managed by a Board. What was wanted was a Board free from political influences, and if Mr Montgomery could show s mere independent Board than that proposed, then, in that cuso, he would have the support of the Government. The only political officer on the Board was the Treasurer, and he would like very muoh to see that officer takon eff the Board, as he had already quite enough of work to do. He hoped he had shown that

the prinoiple ot the Bill was to escape political influence. The mover of the amendment that the Bill be read that day six months did not ob jest to these reserves being managed by a Board. What he wanted was that they should be managed, not by a general but by j a local Board. There was no real principle in that objection. Mr Mobs said that the Bill would place an enormous power in the hands of an irresponsible Ministry. They could do a large job here and a large job there with perfect impunity. There was a report, which ho believed was true, that at that very moment there wsre men negotiating for largo tracts of Native lands under the Thermal Springs Act. He asked the Government to cay whether or not that report was correct. Mr Macanbek w denonnced the proposal as a monstrous power to pass into the hands of any Board, and for that reason he would oppose the Bill.

Mr Watts supported the Bill. 16 was a measure calculated to protect the Natives against tho acU of unscrupulous persons of the European race. The House divided.

Ayes, 40—Messrs All aright, Atkinson, Beeth&m, Brown, J. 8., Bryce, Buchanan, J, Buchanan, W. O, Connolly, Dick, Driver, Fergus, Fitz Gerald, Fulton, Green, J., Hobbs, Hursbhouse, Kurat, Johnston, 0., Johnston, J. W., lievin, Mackenzie, F. W., Mrs on, McMillan, Mitohelson, O'Oallsghan, Peacock, Pearson, Fetrie, Postlethwaite, Rolleston, Sutter, Sutton, Swanson, Thomso-., 11., Trimble, Watt, Whitaker, White, J. B , Wright and Pilliet. Noes, 34 Messrs Bsrron, Bathgate, Bracken, Brown, J. 0,, Odd man, Daniel, Bargaville, DeLatour, Duncan, Feldwiok, George, Grey, Harris, Hutchison, Joyce, Devest am, Maoandrew, McDjnald, McEenzie, J., Montgomely, Moss, Seaton/.Sheehan, Shepherd, Smith, Stevens, Steward, Tavvhai, Thomson, J. W. Tole, Tomcana, Turnball, Weston, White, W. The Bill was then read a second time. NATITH LAND DIVISION BILL. Tho Hon. Mr Bbtob moved the second reading of the Native Laud Division Bill.— Carried. IBASEHOLDBBS QUALIFICATION. The Hon. Mr Dick moved the second reading oi the Leaseholders Qualification Bill. Mr MoNieoMBBY approved of the principle of the Bill, but objected to its details. Mr Joyce opposed the Bill on the ground that it would strengthen the pernioious system of plural voting. Mr Geoegb would not oppose the Bill, but in committee he would move in the direction of limiting the voting power of any particular class. Mr Ttjbnbtjxl thought it might be made a useful measure if the voting power were limited. The House divided—Ayes, 31; Noes, 21. The Bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed on Tuesday, MISCELLANEOUS. The Aliens Act Amendment Bill was farther considered in committee, and reported with an additional new clause; the Sheriffs Aot, 1858, Amendment Bill was further considered and reported. The Mining Companies Registration Validation Bill was next considered.

Mr Bkddos moved that, progress be re* ported. The Hon. Mr Dior said he had no objection, and progress was reported. The Education Districts Bill was committed and. reported with amendments j the Industrial Schools Bill was reported with amendments, And the House rose at 1.30.