General Assembly.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 404, 17 September 1856, Page 6

General Assembly.

(From the "Southern Cross," Aug 15 ) Yesterday, in the House of Representatives, the business of the sessio was closed up, with a view to prorogation to-morrow. A long debate took place on consideration of his Excellency's message, No. 45, by which the House Avere requested to consider their negative vote in reference to expenditure for native purposes. Mr. Bell moved the following address to his Excellency, by Avhich tlie expenditure is sanctioned, but only in the case of extreme necessity. To His Excellency, Colonel Thomas Gore Browne, Companim of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, &c, &c. May it please your Excellency, The House of Representatives has taken into t> respectful consideration your Excellency's message, No. 45, desiring that the House would re-consider its recent vote on the subject of Native expenditure. The Hoi se begs to assure your Excellency of its c .rnest desire to„ respond with proper liberality to requests from your Excellency for t'.:s grant .of money required to make due provision for the public service; at the sam_- time, when this House remembers that the sum of „7,000 which. PaiTa>ment had specially placed at the disposal of the Governor of the colony for native purposes, has been, without the sanction of the House, and contrary to its wishes! appropriated to ol jects over which it has no control; that by maintaining that appropriation on the Civil List, the fund properly applicable to the services referred to in your Excellency's message, is withdrawn from our hands: that a total t sum of £14,000 Bs. 2d. has been devoted partly I by the Civil List and permanent appropriations, and

partly by grants of the House, to native services, including the interest upon a capital sum of £3,000, placed at your Excellency's disposal for native loans; above all, that the further sum now proposed to be granted would not be expended under the direction of your Excellency's ministers; this House feels that it would fail in its duty to the country were it, in the present state of the finances, to place a further sum for native services upon the estimates of the present year. At the same time, this House recognises the difficulties connected with the management of the natives, to which your Excellency has again called its attention, aud when your Excellency is pleased to assure the House that in your judgment the expenditure, for which the additional grant is asked, cannot be retrenched without probable danger to the peace of the colony, this house will not refuse— not an appeal to its liberality, but a reference to considerations of such paramount duty, as the one of relieving your Excellency from serious embarrassment and risk. If, therefore, circumstances should arise involving the maintenance oi peaceful relations between the races, and your Excellency should, in consequence, feel it imperatively necessary, before the next session of the Assembly, to expend upon native purposes a sum net exceeding £1,000, in addition to the amount already granted, this House respectfully begs to assure your Excellenc)' that it will make good the same, iv the supplies of the year 1857-8. (S.S.) Hugh Carleton, Acting in the temporary absence of the Speaker. Mr. Sewell objected to the words—"without the sanction of the house and contrary to its Avishes," — a nd nnved their omission. There appeared at one ti me to be s >me da .{. er of the House being counted out on a division : for it has become cltar that no measure can any longer be carried iv spite of either party, the retirement of a very few members depriving the Pouse of a quorum. Mr. Stafford said that the Government were now paying £20 a day in demurrage to the Zingari, and that if the House were counted out on any irregular motion, he should signify to the .master of the Ziugari that demurrage must cease forthwith. Mr. Fox said that he should certainly take his passage by her, on A-vhatever day she left. Mr. Stafford said that he did not doubt it, neither did he doubt that all the Southern members should do the same, even leaving the Appropriation Bill unpassed. In that event, he should feel it his duty to advise His Excellency to spend the money, without the sanction :of law. One item only he should except —the honorarium to members themselves, who would be no longer entitled to it if they deserted their duty. This called forth a sharp rejoinder from Messrs. Bell and Hall, who repudiated the bare idea that members could be influenced by such a consideration. "When the question Avas put, that the words Avhich Mr. Sewell proposed to omit do stand p:-irt of the address, the votes, upon a division, were found to be even; and curiously enough, the chairman had to give his casting-vote a second time upon the same question. He stated that he gave his vote with the Ayes, because he believed that the sum of £7,000 placed at the disposal of the Governor by Parliament had been alienated from the purpose to Avhich it was originally destined. The address was ithen put and carried without amendment" A long, and rather acrimonious discussion took place upon the following resolutions, moved by Mr. FitzGerald :— " That iv the opinion of this house, tlie building in question is suitable for the Houses of Assembly and for the offices of the General Government, and that it is very desirable that it should be occupied for such purposes." That in order to repay the Province of Auckland for the cost qf the building.; the present Government Offices, and the- buildings of the present: Houses of Assembly, together with the land on which these buildings are situated, and any other public reserves in the town of Auckland which may be available for that purpose, be given up to the province, if the province will accept tuch proposal. " That as part of the arrangement, it will be proper that a suitable building for the residence of the Governor should be erected on tho Auckland Government Domain, and t a a.sum not exceeding £S,0l)() be appropriated out of the debenture loan of £100,000. The concludiug words of the third were originally these: —" foi which it will be necessary~to make provision during the present session." At the suggestion of Mr. Stafford, the mover adopted the following in lieu :—"and that a sum not exceeding £8,000 be appropriated out of the debenture loan of £100,000. Aftei. a strenuous opposition on the part of Messrs. Fox, Bell, and Hall, in which some hard words Avere exchanged, and the ministry charged with breach of faith, tlie resolution was carried by a majority of seventeen to four. In the Approprirlion Act, Mr. Fitzoerald moved and carried two important amendments, — the first by way of addition to clause 7 ; the second to stand as clause S of the bill.

"Provided that the amount so to be paid to the Provincial Treasurer of each province shall not be less than three-jights of the gross amount of the duties of Customs collected within the Province." 8. If it shall ge found in the course of the current year, that the sums accruing to the General Chest after the payments herein before specified shall have been made to the several Provinces, are not sufficient to satisfy all the lawful demands on the General Governmants in the course of the said year, it shall be lawful for the Colonial Treasurer, in pursuance of an order to the Governor in Council to that effect to issue Treasury Bills bearing interest, after the rate of sixpence for every hundred pounds sterling per diem, payable at not more than three months after the date th*ereof, to the amount of the excess of the charges which the Governor is by law required to pay for the public service of the current year, over and above tlie revenues so accruing to the General Government for the said year. And the amount of the bills outstanding and unpaid at the end of the said year, shall be brought to account in the Estimates of the following year, and shalLbe provided for accordingly. This is an imitatiou of the English Exchequer Bill system. The Speaker read a letter from Mr. Charles Brown, member for the Grey and Bell district, giving in the resignation of his seat.