GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1557, 1 August 1873, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN PRESS TELEGRAPH AGENCY.] Wellington, July 30. The Evidence Amendment Bill was read a second time. The following Government measures were postponed ;:— Electoral Bill, Regulation of Elections Bill, Provincial Elections Bill, Nakve Reserves Bill, Washdyke and Pleasant Point Railway Bill, Telegraph Cables Subsidy Bill, Provincial Council Powers Bill. ; The following Government] Bills have been withdrawn :— Leases Sales Amendment Bill, Notaries Bill, Law of Arrests Amendment Bill. The Sheriff Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. Mr 'Rolleston asked the PostmasterGeneral whether the Government will extend the steam service between Fiji and Auckland to the southern portions of the Colony, so as to embrace other Islands of the Pacific, especially the Samoan Group ; whether action had been taken in accordance with the suggestion of the Post-master-General to promote bringing those Islands, or any of them, under the protection of Great Britain. Mr Yogel said the Government desired to extend the Fiji service to the Southern : Provinces, but the first invitation ; for tenders had not been responded to. The Government closed a with tender at the rate of a • hundred pounds per month. The Government would communicate: with the present contractors. If the service could be arranged the Government would place a sum on the Estimates , for the purpose. The Government perceived the importance of New Zealand's' , commercial relations with the Pacific . Islands. With regard to the question of a Protectorate, a communication would be sent Home by the present mail. • : ' July 31. ; In the House, last night, Mr Steward ; i moved the second reading of the Justices s Disqualification Bill to prevent Justices > sitting on Licensing Benches. Mr Sheehan suggested that insolvency > should disqualify Justices. • Mr Thomson opposed the Bill as an in. ; fringement on private .. rights, and that it virtually pronounced the business;of pub--1 licans not respectable. ;He - moved that '< the Bill be read a second time that day six mouths.. ■ : Mr Luckie suggested an amendment to the Bill, so as to disqualify publicans ' sitting on licensing days. The Premier read the opinion of the Attorney-General that there was nothing unusual in the Bill. He did not think it threw < a stigma- on the publicans. Mr Wakefield argued that ,if publicans were . disqualified, wholesale merchants should be disqualified also. Mr Shephard, Nelson, opposed the ' Native Minister and supported the bill. Mr Rolleston thought the bill should 1 be more general. Mr M'Gillivray supported the views of Mr Rolleston. • Mr Gillies supported the bill. - Mr Brandon thought the appointment of Magistrates should rest with, Superintendents. ■■■",_ : Mr Fox supported the bill, but thought it did not go far enough. Mr Fitzherbert thought the appointment of Justices should rest with Ministers, under the advice of the Superintendents. Mr Steward replied. The,bill was read a second time. The Prisons Bill was referred to a select committee. ! i Mr Johnson urged the Government to publish the correspondence relative to the terms upon which the Bank of New Zealand negociated the half-million debentures in Australia. The said return showed that the bank charged a quarter per cent.' for remitting part of the money to Wellington, and threeeighths per cent, for remitting part to London. As the bank remitted at par.for the Provincial Government of Canterbury, such a rate of exchange should not have been paid. As a tax-payer he felt he had been plundered. . Mr Cracroft Wilson thought the arrangement between the Government and the Bank should be made public. : Mr Yogel said there was no objection to print the correspondence. The terms between the Government and the Bank were the same as in Melbourne, but ; the Bank here had not the same advantages. He deprecated attacking the Bank in the Houses , :> ■ The production of the correspondence was agreed to. ; A Select Committee was appointed to revise the Acts relative • to cruelty to animals. ' ' In reply to Mr Thompson, the Premier stated that the assertion recently telegraphed to the effect that Mr Russell had made arrangements in Washington for a new Calif ornian service was not correct, but that, if the other Colonies liked to join New Zealand in the matter, it was | i probable that a satisfactory contract could j be arranged. . , ; I

Mr O'Conor asked the Government whether they were aware that certain members of the Legislative Council were holding a seat by virtue of appointment by the Governor, and are in receipt of salary, wages, allowances^ or emolument and profit, contrary' to the sth clause of the Disqualification Act, 1870. He said

he did not refer to honorariums. He had been informed by one member of the '■;. Upper House that he was liable to a '% penalty of LIO, OOO. 1 Mr Yogel read an opinion from the ; Attorney-General, who referred to the 17th section of the Act. He said only dissatisfied were employed under or by the Government. The word "office," neither in letter nor spirit,- included >-/ : : " members of the Upper House. In reply to Mr Wakefield; the Native Minister said the Native members of the Executive only attended the Cabinet' when : a Native question was under discussion. Their advice and services had been useful, : and the experiment was successful. The \ Cabinet had fixed their salary at L3OO per year, with travelling allowances at the rate of 10s per day. None of them acted as assessors, and none received, pay as such.:, .v, , : ; ,-,,; ..'" : ■".... •.': The Post Office Act Amendment Bill and .Life Assurance Bill were read a secondtime. ■ . - :, Mr Steward moved for a ; Seiect, Committee to report on; the condition- of the Volunteer force, with a view to amending the Militia and Volunteer Regulations. ■ Mr M f Lean pointed out that the* cirenmstances of the Volunteers^ in 'the North and Middle Islands were very different. , } ■ Mr Atkinson suggested that each district should have the power of forming their own Volunteer Regulations, according to local circumstances. , Mr J. T. Browne denounced the Volunteers of the Middle Island as useless for defence or protection. He would vote for the abolition of Volunteers in the Middle Island. The ; Volunteers of the. North Island were useful, and should be maintained. Mr Stafford said the Volunteers of tl^ ; Middle Island were shooting clubs. ■■r^ Mr Steward repliedj : and- the' motion was passed with an amendment including a : Committee ,. to be appointed by the Upper House. - In reply to Mr Parker, Mr* Vogelfsaid correspondence had , passed between' the Government and the Admiralty, relative to making H.M.S. Rosario ; a ! Colonial training ship for boys, but the correspondence was incomplete. A motion for the production of . the correspondence was agreed to. On the motion of Tairoa, it was agreed to report on unfulfilled promises to Natives in the Middle Island; Mr Curtis moved for a return of all sums contributed by Provinces, under the guarantee system, which was agreed to. ■■■ ..y ; ; ; ; :; -- : :■■■ ■ yv >T ' ' ' The Juvenile Offenders Bill was strongly denounced from all sid«s of the House, and was thrown out on the voices.