PARLIAMENTARY

Kumara Times, Issue 2809, 22 September 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

COMMISSIONER FOR THE COLONIAL EXHIBITION. DR. DULLER AND THE NO-CONFI-DENCE VOTE. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES.— THE GOLDFIELDS VOTES. LOCAL BODIES’ CONTRACTS BILL. CONFERENCE ON THE LAND BILL. LOCAL BODIES FINANCE POWERS BILL. COST OF PROSPECTING. MINES ACT, AMENDMENT BILL. STONEWALLING THE DISTRICT RAILWAYS PURCHASING BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON SUNDAY MORNING ! MINERS’ RIGHTS AND BUSINESS LICENSES. (from our own correspondent.] Wellington, September 21. The time of the House at Saturday morning’s sitting was taken up with a free fight over the appointment of Dr, Buller as a Commissioner to represent the colony at the Colonial Exhibition in London. Mr W. F. Buckland (Franklj’n North) stated that the appointment was made as a reward for Dr. Buller’s having kept the Maori votes straight on the last no-confidence vote, Mr O’Conor said Mr W. F. Buckland was one of the most unscrupulous men in the House, and for a vote would stick at nothing. Sir George Grey defended Mr Buckland as being a most useful member, and well liked in the House. Mr Kerr said this statement of Sir George Grey was like others that gentleman had made, and ejaculated that he would lay Grey a fiver that on a vote by ballot Mr Buckland would not have ten members in the House who would say he was popular. Mr Seddon regretted there should be so much rancour shown ; all differences should be buried, and members should part good friends. The House at that moment reminded him of a digger’s hut after a bad washing-up: whenever there was a bad washing-up and poor dividends, the partners would have an allround growl at each other—[Laughter.] —The same, when under prosperous circumstances and big dividends, would be good-natured and jolly, and swear eternal friendship to each other.— [Laughter.] He proposed they should go to work and make the best of a bad job, otherwise the next washing-up might be worse than this. The Premier explained that Dr. Buller was not to receive any salary. The matter then dropped. The House went into Committee on the Supplementary Estimates. A violent attack was then made on the remaining Goldfields votes. <£2ooo was voted for tracks to the Browning Pass reefs; £SOO additional to Kumara Sludge-channel No. 2 ; and £ISOO for additional water-supply. The resolutions arrived at in Committee were reported and agreed to. The House then passed the Local Bodies Contracts Bill. This bill whitewashes all members who have in the past rendered themselves liable to penalties for having inadvertently contracted with the local bodies. For the future the penalties are reduced to £lO, and a refund of the moneys to the local bodies ; the informers to get the £lO, the local bodies get the goods for nothing, and suits now pending are to be settled on payment of £2OO and costs. The House then adjourned until the Conference on the Land Bill was concluded. The Council threw out Mr Seddon’s clause on the Local Bodies Finance Powers Bill which empowered local bodies to use a portion of their funds to defray the cost of prospecting. A conference was ordered, and Messrs Larnach, Seddon, and Men teaGi were | appointed on behalf of the House. I The reasons were submitted and ap- [ proved of. MrMenteath being absent, j Mr Bevau was substituted. The rea-

sons were submitted to the Council and agreed to by them. The clause was was then reinstated in the bill, and the bill as amended passed. The County Councils can now lawfully encourage prospecting. The Mines Act Amendment Bill is still in the Council, and it is likely (hey will reject the whole bill sooner than agree to reduce the miners’ rights to 10s. Later. The fourth conference on the Mines Act Amendment Bill met this afternoon. The managers for the Council could nob agree, therefore the bill as amended by the Council was then passed. A curious spectacle was to be witnessed in the parliamentary buildings on Saturday night and Sunday morning. In the Council the District Railways Purchasing Bill had a somewhat stormy passage, and was stonewalled until half-past one o’clock on Sunday morning. Whilst some of the lords were pleading for an adjournment, the Auckland Band was in the lobbies playing “ Still so gently o’er me stealing.” The medley of the music and politics were somewhat incongruous. The division bells ringing startled the band, whose playing had disturbed the oratorical effect of the speeches of our lords. On the whole the effect was bad. In the House this morning the amendment made by the Council striking out the clauses in the Mines Act Amendment Bill reducing the price of miners’ rights and business licenses was agreed to by 25 votes to 23, Thus for another year the miners must pay the usual .£1 fee for a miner’s right. The goldfields members are very much annoyed at the action of the Government in this matter and several have stated that they will withdraw their support. September 22. The House met at 10 a.in. yesterday, and the Minister for Public Works intimated that the conference on the Land Bill was still sitting, but that he hoped the managers would come to a decision within half-an-hour. The House adjourned for that time, and met again at 10.30, Replying to questions, Ministers said that Government would direct the Auditor-General to lay information in special cases of misappropriation of funds by local bodies; that the desirableness of appointing a local commission to inquire into a local government scheme and report before next session would be considered during the recess. The Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act 1877 Amendment Bill was read a second time, committed, and tend a third time, and passed. The Minister for Mines moved that the amendments made by the Council in the Mines Act Amendment Bill be agreed to. Mr Seddon objected to the amendments, and moved that another free conference be asked for. This was lost on a division by 28 to. 25, and, after some further discussion, the amendments made in the bill were agreed to upon a division, by 31 to 21. The Premier said he hoped that all business would be got through this evening, and that the prorogation would take place at 2.30 to-morrow afternoon. Government had asked that the southern steamer might be detained for the Southern members, and the Northern members would leave by the Hineraoa after the prorogation to-morrow. Sir Julius Vogel moved the introduction of a small bill to amend the Customs Duties Bill to define cottom piecegoods, now admitted free, to be goods not exceeding in value 5d per yard. The bill was read a second time, and passed through all stages. Mr Hobbs moved for a return giving the names of all members of the Legislative Council from whose honorarium deductions have been made during the sessions of 1884-85. Considerable discussion ensued on this motion. Mr Macandrew moved that the return should include members of the Lower House as well ; and Mr Fergus moved that the number of days on which members had been in attendance should be shewn. The motion, as amended, was agreed to on a division called for by the Premier by 42 to 14. The Piemier moved that—“So far as possible the return would be laid ou the table to-morrow, and in a complete form on the first day of the nextsession.” This was agreed to. Messages were received from the Legislative Council intimating that the Council had passed the Railways Authorisation Bill, and the District Railways Purchasing Bill, and had not insisted on their amendment in the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Billj

The Speaker questioned the right of the Council to impose conditions in a money bill like this. It was a g rav ’ e question of privilege, and it was his duty to draw the attention of the House thereto. The special Powers and Contracts Bill was agreed to, with amendments. The report of the free conference on the Land Bill was read, and The House then adjourned till 5 o’clock. At the afternoon sitting, the report of the conference on the Land Bill was adopted. Practically the Government have carried the leasing system. The District Railways Purchasing Bill, as amended by the Council, was reported. The amendments were disagreed with, and the Bill returned to the Council. The Council by two votes withdrew their amendments and the job is now consummated. The Appropriation Bill, after considerable discussion, was passed through all its stages. Major Atkinson reviewed the work of the session, and said it had done nothing. Stout and Vogel, on the other hand, claimed to have done wonders. The House adjourned at midnight. The prorogation takes place to day at 2 p.m.