THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 396, 30 September 1884, Page 5

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

— ■- — ~<t»HOPSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thtjesday, Sept. 26. ■•'-'Mr Guinness gave notice that he would move that members of the police force be allowed to exercise the franchise. TEte also gave notice of a bill 'to abolish "coroners juries. . Replying to Mr Hurst, Sir Julius Yogel said Government looked upon the reappointment of Sir J\ D. Bell as Agent-general as perfectly right and legitimate under the circumstances, and neither in. this or any other ease of a similar .nature would they feel called on to interfere. The following bills were introduced and r.eV.d ,a first time: To amend "The "Cruelty to Animals Act 1880." nnl to (liable the people of New Zealand to make changes in their constitution whenever they think it necessary so to do (Sir G. Grey). Sir: ; Julius Yogel made the announcement that in face of the general objection to the proposal to the reduction in the vote for educattion, the Government had determined to abandon the proposal. Mr W.C. Smith gave notice of a motion which he intends to move on Wednesday, October 15 : "That in the opinion of this House the time has arrived when the whole .of the secondary and high school reserves and endowments., .throughout the Colony should be vested, in the Crown, and adminiptered for general, instead of for local educational purposes* and that the Government be requested to bring in a bill, to give effect to this resolution." Amongst other bills. . brought forward ..was .the Eight Hours' Bill by Mr Braidßb.aigh-Bradsb.aw. It was strongly opposed, however, and thrown out by a majority 0f. .tw0, . the voting being 30 for it, and 32 against. Mr, ; Leyestam's Adulteration Prevention ! Extension,, 3}ill passed' its S6cqnd reading; so did. the Seamen's Bill introduced by Mr .-Bruce, who , said a widespread feeling existed amongst seamen that they were mere-legal outcasts, „ i: Friday, Sept. 26» : !Mr Joyeegave notice that on Tuesday he would ask the Minister of Lands —(1). Whether the Chief Commissioner of the Otago Waste Lands Board acted under his instructions in allowing . his ( the Commissioner's ) name and official designation to appear on the prbspec^us of the Colonial Cooperative and-- Agency Co. of New Zealand,, Limited, as one of the pro r visional directors, and (2) if so, what number of shares in the said company the Government proposed to take up? ■ Mr G. !F. Richardson gave notice to move on Wednesday,. Ist October, that the House go into Committee on Thursday, 2nd,prox., to consider an address to his -Rxcellency the Governor stating that in the . opinion of this House . it is undesirable for further grants to he made under the Roads arid Bridges Construction Act, but in. lieu thereof that the property tax be levied to the extent of f d in the £, and that half the tax, not being required for General Government purposes; be handed • over to the County Councils for expenditure on local works the basis for distribution to be pro rata on ; the rateable value of said counties. . Replying to Mr G. F. Richardson, the "Minister of Public Works said the Government would consider the advisability of substituting payment, by stamps for railway charges, but he did not think the change would ensure any good purpose. Replying to Mr Guinness, Mr Ballance said a bill would be introduced during the session dealing with the exercise of the franchise by police officers. ; Mr Fulton moved the. second reading of the Anatomy ivet Amendment Bill, which Mr Shrimski opposed, contending that it was. unfair that only the poor classes of deceased persons should- be dissected. — Motion carried. Mr Bradshaw moved the second reading of the Employment of Females and Others Act Amendment Bill. He produced and read petitions in support of , the provisions of the bill.— Motion carried. ■ The second reading of Mr Steward's School Committees Election Bill wac opposed by" Mr Shrimski, who moved its reading tha !>• day six months. He urged that if once they attempted to interfere with the educational system they did not know where or how it might end. The country, in most unequivocal terms, had pronounced agaiasb any change of the system. — Motion carried by S4t to 32. Mr Fitzherbert moved the second reading of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881, Amendment Bill, which was agreed to, the lovers of small sweeps being unwilling that their little pleasures should be interfered with, . Mr J. G- Wilson gave notice 1 :> m ore " That in the opinion of the House it is advisable that all assistance towards higher education should cease, and that notice be given to the different institutions which derive any part of their income from the reserves set apart for higher education j that next year one-tenth of that revenue will be allocated to primary education, the second year one-tenth, jand so on till , the whole amount is allocate^ tP .that- purpose.".'.