GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Kumara Times, Issue 603, 30 August 1878, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[press AGENCY.] tf- J

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, August 29. The House met to-day at 2.30 p.m. Ou the request of Mr Viucent Pyke, the House reinstated the .Education Act Amendment Bill on the order paper for next Wednesday week. _ A batch of ten Harbour Endowment Bills were read a first time, and notice to introduce seven or eight more riven. Mr Rees motion for the establishment of seminaries for higher education in the chief towns of the Colony was withdrawn at the request of the" Government.

A long discussion ensued upon a motion by Mr Rees, that no harbour should be endowed with money or land until the opinion of a competent engineer was taken approving of the work, Mr Stout, on behalf of the Government, said, Government could not endow those harbor boards, or they would have no land left for railways or

anything else. After further discussion tlie uebato wns adjourned tiil that dav

fortnight. On the motion of Mr Mauders, it was onion <1 that the Gohl-fiel.ls Committee he instructed to ascertain the pratihleness of amending the Mines A ct.

Mr Barff moved that the Government be requested to take immediate steps to cause a public and impartial inquiry to be held into the working of the Jackson’s Bay .Special Settlement, and that any persons who may feel themselves aggrieved may have ample opportunities afforded them of giving evidence on oath before any tribunal which may be appointed. The hon. gentleman went at considerable length into the matter, alleging in general terms, that the mis management was something shocking. Settlers were paid by orders instead of coin, and were compelled to purchase their goods at the only store there, and pay thirty per cent higher than they could procure them for cash elsewhere. In fact the settlement only benefited a few gentlemen. ‘

Mr Gisborne seconded, saying he had received written complaints of a similar kind, and laid them before the Government.

Mr Stout said it was the intention of Government to appoint a person on the spot to inquire into the whole matter.

Mr Pyke said, if the Government wanted to throw the settlement over, let them give the control of it to the Vincent County.

Mr Woolcock said, an angel from heaven could not make, a , successful settlement of the place.

Mr Reeves said that if a tenth part of all the allegations regarding the corrupt management of the settlement was true, then it ought to go very hard with some gentlemen down there who had the disbursing of Government money. The hon, gentleman then narrated how rotten pottatoes had been bought by an agent for sixjnmce a bag, and sent to Martin’s Bay and sold to the people for seed potato^ The motion was agreed to. August 30. After the House resumed last night, Mr Wallis moved the second reading of his Triennial Parliament Bill.

The debate was kept up 7 until the House rose, at 12.30. Mr Sheehan, the Premier and Mr Stout, who strongly supported the Bill, said it was not a Government Bill, and members of the Ministry would vote according to their private views on the question, hut said that as the Bill had been brought down, the House should nob neglect to seize the golden opportunity.

The other members who supported the bill in speeches of considerable length were Messrs Murray-Aynsley, Hodgkinsou, Stout, Moss, Rees, and Tole. Those who opposed it were; Messrs Bowen, Manders, Thompson, Wakefield Moorhouse, Pyke, and Turnbull.

The debate was adjourned for a fortnight, on the motion of Mr Bunny.