General Assembly.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 811, 4 August 1870, Page 2

General Assembly.

In the House of Representatives, on Thursday last, the debate on Mr Barff's motion —" That in the opinion of this House, the discontinuance of the system of telegraphing the arrivals and departures of shipping at and from the various ports of the Colony has been productive of great public inconvenience, and that it is desirable that an alteration in that direction be effected"— was strongly objected to by the Government, on the ground of the loss which would accrue to the revenue if it was cariied. Ultimately the motion was negatived. In the House, on July 26, Mr Travers drew attention to the fact that petroleum was being introduced into the Colony in defiance of the "Dangerous Goods Act." Mr Vogel promised that the matter should be attended to.

In the House, on July 28, Mr. Haughton, in an amusing speech, moved, " That a copy of Mr. Justice Johnston's ' New Zealand Justice of the Peace ' be supplied gratuitously to each member of the Legisture." After some debate, the question was adjourned for a week, and the House adjourned for dinner. In the House, on July 28, Mr. Travers' trial by jury motion, —viz., that a verdict of two-thirds in number of the jury might be delivered as the verdict of the whole, — was negatived by 27 to 25. On July 28, the House went into Committee to consider the following resolution moved by Mr Yogel—"That, in the opinion of this Committep, it is desirable that the Governor in Council should be empowered to declare from time to time that any article whatever, when of the growth, pro duce, or manufacture of any of the Colonies in Australia, or of Tasmania, is or is not, admissible into. New Zealand free from

duty of Customs, and under what circumstances, conditions, and regulations; and that a bill be brought in accordingly." The motion being merely intended as a formal one to authorise the introduction of the Reciprocity Bill, was agreed to after a discussion on points of order as to the proper mode of procedure. On Tuesday last, Mr, O'Neill was to have asked the Hon. the Telegraph Commissioner " when telegraphic communication will be complete between Napier and Auckland, and between Auckland and the Thames."—Referring to this notice of motion, the Evening Post of Saturday sayß:—"What answer the Commissioner may return, is hard to tell j but as it is certain that communication cannot be complete until it pleases King Tawhiao and his ragamuffins in their clemensy to allow the lines to be erected, the hon. member would hare a much better chance of obtaining the information he desires upon .jea/ application to the Court of Tokangamatu. There are one or two amateur ambassadors about Auckland who would be delighted to undertake the mission."