PARLIAMENTARY.

Kumara Times, Issue 3024, 13 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

THE MINING BILL. MESSRS BEY AN AND SEDDON AT LOGGERHEADS. SOUTH ISLAND NATIVE AND ARAHURA RESERVES. SALE OF A DISTRICT RAILWAY. THE EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY BILL. VOLUNTEER CORPS. ANOTHER GOLD DUTY ABOLITION BILL. DIVISION ON THIRD READING OF MIDLAND RAILWAY BILL. [from our own correspondent.] Wellington, July 10. Matters parliamentary are somewhat tame. The Mining Bill was passed by the Miners Committee to-day. On the motion of Mr Seddon, the bill, with the amendments, some one hundred in number, was ordered to be printed, and, after being printed, to be brought before the committee. There appeared in the West Coast Times a paragraph from its parliamentary correspondent in which Mr Seddon is stated to have been obstructing the bill, and to have been told by Mr Larnach that his company could be well spared; that Mr Seddon had left the Committee, and that Mr Guiouess had said “ Roll up your swag !” and that, generally, members were exasperated at Mr Seddon’s conduct. [The following is the paragraph in the West Coast Times refoi red to ;—] “Wellington. July I.*' 1 “Hie consideration of the Mining Bill, introduced by the Minister of Mines with (he object of consolidating

the mining laws of the colony, and embracing all the salient features of the Gold Mining Districts Act, 1873, and the Mines Act, 1877, with amendments, has been before the Goldfields Committee for the past week. The Committee has been sitting daily at halfpast ten o’clock. ■ The bill contains provisions for reducing miners’ rights to five shillings, and for general relief to the industry. There are 274 clauses, hut up to the present only 80 have been dealt with. Gieat dissatisfaction exists amongst the members owing to Mr Seddon’s obstructive altitude, and protests are being daily made in consequence. Many members prefer absenting themselves than submit to the inflictions. At nearly every clause he makes a long speech in a high tone of voice, and if he does not get his own way loses his temper entirely. He has been reminded more than once that members are not deaf, and do not intend being coerced by his difiant conduct, To day Mr Seddon moved that the committee adjourn to Tuesday next, as he had other work to do, and he was not going to allow the Minister to cram the bill down his throat. The proposition was made after half an hour’s sitting only. Mr Larnach expressed his strong disapproval of Mr Seddon’s conduct throughout, he evidently was trying to destroy the bill altogether, and the fact of the Jong adjournment proposed by him at this advanced stage of the session indicated Mr Seddon's wishes clearly. He (Mr Larnach) would, however, leave it to the good sense of the committee to assist him in getting through the bill, and as Mr Seddon was only one out of sixteen members he had no doubt that hon. gent could very well be spared. If Mr Seddon had objections to make to the bill, he would have ample opportunities of raising his objections in Committee of the Whole House, when no doubt the whole matter could be well ventilated and properly understood, but he (Mr Larnach) must protest against the time of the committee being wasted in the manner it had lately been. Mr Seddon hastily left the room with a huge bundle of bills under his arm, or, as Mr Guinness put it, rolled up his swag and cleared. The committee adjourned until Friday at half past ten. There is a very strong feeling of opposition aroused against Mr Seddon owing to the role of mentor he assumes, and his influence in the House may well be said to be at zero,” * Mr Bevan has been calling members’ attention to the paragraph in question, but the result will not no doubt he to him a disagreeable surprise. The following letter which has been received by Mr Seddon, has been kindly placed at ray disposal for publication. Mr Seddon informs me also that he has written to the West Coast Times, asking the editor to insert the letter in full, and demands that the Times’ Wellington correspondent should try to be a little more truthful. “To R. J. Seddon, Esq., M.H.R., Wellington. “Dear Sir—l believe I was of opinion on more than one occasion that you were offering obstruction to the passage of the Mining Bill through the Goldfields Committee, for it appeared to me that you consumed more time than was necessary over many clauses for a man so used with mining laws as you are. That your services otherwise were of great use to the Committee, I gratefully admit. “W. J. M. Labnach, “ Minister of Mines.” “ To Mr Seddon. “ It seems to me very evident that the report in the West Coast Times of July 2 has been furnished by some one with a bias against you, although I must say that at our first meeting on the bill, I was decidedly of opinion that you were opposed to it. I can now fairly say my opinion has altered in that respect, and I cannot but reco<*. nise that you suggested many substantial improvements in the bill above named. “ A. J. Cadman.” “To R, J. Seddon, M.H.R. “ Dear Sir—We have received the report in the West Coast Times of July 2 on your behaviour at the meeting of the Goldfields Committee re the Mining Bill. The report, as published, is unfair, and does you an injustice, for, instead of being obstructive, you have, whilst we have been present, rendered great assistance in making a very imperfect measure suitable to the wants and requirements of the goldfields in the South Island.—Truly, yours, “M. J. Scobie Mackenzie, “ A. A. S. Menteath, “A. R. Guinness." The Chairman of the Goldfields Committee writes as follows ; “The report is a very unfair one, und Mi Seddon has been of great ser-

vice in suggesting valuable amendments in the bill. “(Signed) “ W. Fraser, “Chairman Goldfields Committee.’ 1 idr Fraser is an ex-Warden. He owns the Thames Advertiser, and is a journalist of considetable experience, and the general opinion of goldfields members is with him in saying the West Coast Times report is unfair j and, as to Mr,Seddon’s influence being below “zero,” results do not point in that direction j if it were so, -some people here wonder why the member for Hokitika should take , such a paternal interest iri a nobody. The usual press rule is' to put nobodies in “ Coventiy,” and hot to advertise them in leaders or telegraphic parliamentaiy news, or in weekly notes from the galleries. Your readers, as also the readers of the West Coast Times must, ere this, bo sick of the childish squabbles of two members whose duly it should be to work in harmony for the people they represent, 1 and vVhbse interests are identical. Mr BinnyV report on the Native Reserve in the South Island was laid on the table of the House this afternoon. The bill giving effect to the report was also introduced. The report recommends that in regard to the Grey mouth Reserve a Commissioner be stationed on the Coast with statutory power to make arrangements with the parties interested. Fresh leases to be granted to present holders to buy freehold, to appoint a board in place of the Public Trustee, to place the reserves under the board, the Government in the first instance to acquire the freehold from the Natives where leases were to be granted. The Maoris were willing, and he recommended 66 years’ leases being granted. ABAHURA RESERVE. The Commissioner to deal with disputes. The Humphreys Gully Company have an extended lease. The Commissioner fears mining operations will clash with those who are settled on the land. Generally the report is fair, and will, if acted bn, go a great way to settle present difficulties. The bill is not yet printed. From what I can gather the principle will be leasing for 21 years, with full value for improvements and right of renewal on rents to be fixed by arbitration ; otherwise, if present lessee refuse, their lease to be sold subject to outgoing tenants’ usual value for improvements. In connection with this matter the Public Trustee, writing to the Trust Board strongly urged that the freehold of the land be acquired, and gave as bis reason that if the land was sold and the money deposited at interest, the Maoris would get far more than they do now. J THE HOUSE. The report of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the sale of the district rai'way by W. J. Steward, (member for Waimate), to the Government found that he had so done • that he also acted as agent for Mr Peaci.ck (member for Newton). The Committee blames Steward and the Colonial Treasurer, and though the transaction does not bring him" 1 under the Disqualification Act, yet the transaction was reprehensible. From the evidence, the commission receivable by Steward would amount to over four figures, A few more District Railways to sell, and politics would pay. The debate on the report was acrimonious and on the motion of the Premier it was postponed until Wednesday next. The Supreme Court Reporting Bill was thrown out. The Ciiminal Code Bill was also rejected. The Civil Service Bill and the Defence Bill passed through Committee. The House adjourned at 2 a.m. In the Legislative Council the Midland Railway Bill passed its second reading by 20 votes to 3 so that its passage through the Council will be easy. 1 July 13, The Bouse did good work last evening. The question of placing garrison and other corps on an equal footing was laised, and resulted in a draw. °Ultimately the matter was left to the Minister. The Evening Post, referring to the Mining Bill, says:—“The Mines Bill has been so altered before the Goldfields Committee that it has been found necesary to entirely reprint it, and the measure is to be considered in its amended form to-morrow. In all proLability it will be reported to the Bouse on Wednesday. Never was there a bill brought before the Legislature in the form this bill was, and true enonMi now, its father does now know hia own offspring. The handiwork of the member for Kumara is upon every page of it. The Minister of Mines i s !_ tlt ! ec * eve 7 credit for the patient

manner in which be sat by and saw the bill amended; nay, a minister of less elasticity would have thrown up the bill in despair. It was purely a North Island Bill when first it was introduced ; now it is a South Island bill, and contains nearly all the provisions of the Mines Act, 1877.” 1.20 p.m. The goldfields members received an answer from the Government re the Gold Duty Abolition at noon this day. Government will introduce another bill embodying Mr Seddon’s proposal that sixpence be taken off during this financial year, and sixpence the next financial year. Mr Larnach gives notice of the bill to-day. The following is the division list on the third reading of the Midland Railway Bill, which passed by 36 to 13. Ayes, 36. Allwright Lance Ballance Larnach Beetham Levestam Bevan Mackenzie, M.J.S. Bradshaw M'Millan Bruce Menteath Cowan Montgomery Dodson O’Callaghan Fraser Pearson Garrick Pratt * Grace Reese Guinness Richardson, E. Hakuene Samuel Holmes Seddon Hursthouse Stout Ivess Taylor Joyce Turnbull Kerr Walker Noes, 13. Barron Newman Buckland, J. C. Peacock Conolly Richardson, G. F. Duncan Rolleston Hamlin Ross Hislop Trimble Lake Pairs. For: Against ; Hatch Fergus Smith Wilson M'Kenzie, J. Fulton Harper Russell Macandrew Bryce Tole Whyte Vogel Thompson, T. Fitzherbert Johnston Dargaville Stewart, W. D. Brown Moss Coster Hurst O’Conor Mitchelson Sutter Hirst, H. Wi Pere Reid Gore Thomson, J. W. Steward, W. J. Buchanan