GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Kumara Times, Issue 2991, 4 June 1886, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[united press association.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, May 28, The House went into Committee on the Municipal Corporations Bill. In Clause 25 (Governor may proclaim new boroughs), Mr Dodson moved to strike out the sub-section, which provided that not less than 300 people must be in a district before it is proclaimed a borough. The motion was carried. In clause 71 (if defaulter pays rates he may be put on the burgess roll), Mr Guinness moved that the clause be struck out. The motion was lost. In clause 78 (Mayor to be elected), Mr Dodsou moved that the Councillors shall vote for the election of Mayor instead of the burgesses. Motion lost. Mr Macarthur moved that there should he no disqualification of Councillors for performing contracts up to £5, Agreed to. Mr Seddou moved—“ That Chairmen of Charitable Aid Boards be appointed Justices.” Lost. Mr Seddon moved—“ That members of both branches of the Legislature should be Justices ex officio.” The Chairman (Mr Hamlin) hoped that members would put a stop to the state of affairs into which they were drifting. The amendment was lost. June 1. Mr Larnach moved the second reading of the Mining Companies Bill, and said its object was to consolidate the various Mining Acts now in force. Mr Seddon supported the Bill, and said it was an improvement on the existing law. Agreed to. June 2. In answer to Mr Seddon, yesterday, Government said the Goldfields Report would be down in ten days, also that Government had received Mr Bunny’s report. Today Ministers were interviewed by Messrs Guinness, Menteath, and Seddon as to the detour of the HokitikaGrey mouth railway so as to connect Knmara. The Minister promised to give favorable consideration. [from our own correspondent.] Wellington, June 3. The long-threatened storm has at last burst in all the concentrated fury of party strife. It is now war to the knife. Mr Montgomery has moved an amendment for Government to reduce the E-tiraates by £75,000. This moderate amendment the Government at once refused to accept, and they decided to make it a vote of no-confidence, and the decision upon it should determine their existence. Things are changed; they wont swallow a little pill of £75,000. Last session they swallowed Russell's pill of £50,000. The larger the pill, the more sugar-coating was on it; that accounts for the difference. This is a case of—you know : Ministers have been visiting various parts of the colony, explaining to the electors. Napier, a limes tone country, the Premier stayed there a few days; since that there has been a material stiffening of the spiral columns. The Minister of Mines visited Greymouth and its lime stone quarries. Accordiu® to political pygmies there has been a material increase of backbone, or dont-care-a-dump. The feeling was to go to the country. It is said Ministers reckon without their host. There is a large number of members who don’t care about going before their betters; hence last session’s performance will be repeated; Government must remain in office and their policy be kicked out, I was going to add ; but, having no policy, the kicking process is avoided. Hansirding is the order of the day. One member hansardised Cboinwell last night. The member for Dargavi le is not to be outdone; he was searching

for the Hansard published at the time the children of Israel were making bricks in Egypt. On being told there was no historical record of Noah taking into the ark political records, he was determined to move the postponement of the debate, so as to enable the Archeological Society to search the top and base of Mount Ararat for the lost records. Members opinions are divided as to which of the mounts is the one upon which the ark rested. Some members favor the Ararat of Victoria; others the Palestine; while the member for Hokitika, who is an authority on biblical history, says that if the tablets were of wood, they will have decayed and now form coal, and will be found by his brother out at Mount Camelback; if of silver or gold, they are safely entombed in Mount Rangitoto, and it only requires gold to bear up this long hidden mystery. The Minister of Mines has referred the matter to the Crown Law Officers as to whether the vote for prospecting can be legally applied to this purpose. The member for Kumara asserts the records were engraved on stone, and he has it on the authority of Bill Morris and E. Barrowman, both experts on stoneology, that if the Arahura River was brought into Larrikins that the two would bo sluiced through the No. 2 sludgechannel. The leader of the Opposition called a caucus of bis supporters this morning to consider the question of the adjournment, and, on the casting vote of the chairman they decided to support Montgomery’s amendment being carried, and the debate only prolongs the session. The Goldfields Committee met this morning, and, on the motion of Mr Larnach, the appointment a chuirman was postponed pending the result of the no-confidence debate. The Minister for Public Works has given instructions for the survey of the detour counecting Kumara with the Grey-Hokitika Railway. The branch from Kumara to Rocky Point would be 20 miles in a direct line; to Luke Brunner it would be 15 miles. The Taipo bridge being erected favouis the Rocky Point junction. Against that the connection at Lake Brunner would leave a less distance of the line to be constructed. June 4. At half-past eleven last night the noconfidence debate suddenly collapsed. The member for Nelson had finished addressing a somewhat thin House, and sat down. The Speaker put the question and had taken the voices, when Major Atkinson rose to speak. The Speaker ruled the voices had been given, and the debate closed. All was then excitement, and looks of disappointment were depicted on the faces of many members especially those members who had been Hansard hunting, and who had, in noteraaking, used fully half a ton of Stale foolscap. When the doors were locked and the voices again taken, it was soon demonstrated that Government had what I wired a week ago, a good strong majority. The tellers gave in the numbers 45, 28, all members accounted for except two; 16 majority for Government.