HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 400, 14 October 1884, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

; Thubsday, Oct. 9. ■ Beplying to Mr Pearson, Mr Stout .said Guverhment would be quite williijig to appoint an unpaid commissioner to, inquire into the individual cases of the unemployed. ! Mr Macarthur asked " Whether it ia tbe case that one-third of the instalments of purchase-money on deferred payment lands, payable to local bodies, is not so paid in the cent of a deferred payment purchaser being allowed to capitalise his instalments, and if so, whether the G-overnment will adyence the one-third of the purchase ijabney to the local bodies, in anticipation of the eventual payment under ihe capitalisation clause of the Land Act of 1882, or otherwise make up to them the loss of revenue resulting from the capitalisation system." Mr Ballance replied ; The payments are passed. On the rent— that is, on the 5 per cent. — it is not the-intention of tho Grovernment to advance money, but the same amount will be paid as if capitalisation had not taken place. On the motion of Mr Brown the Gold .Duties Abolition Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. On the motion of Mr Steward, the Dog Registration Act iimendment Bill was read a second time. Sir George Grey moved the second reading of the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State Bill, the object of which was to provide a Parliamentary under-secretary who, unlike that of the Old Country, was to be unfettered by the permanent under-secretary. The debate proved of a long and animated j character. The Government, it ap- | peared, did not disapprove of the principle of the bill, bub thought that ! the number of undersecretaries should be two instead of four, and that these should be appointed in lieu of the proposed additional Minister and one of the Maori members of the Executive. The bill, however, did not meet with anything like general support, and was i rejected on the second reading by 33 to 25 votes. Another of Sir George's bills, that to elect J ustices of the Peace, received its quietus by 32 to 21. FaiDAY, Oct. 10. Replying to questions put, ifc was stated that the police were instructed to afford reasonable assistance to local bodies in enforcing the penal clause provided by the Dogs Registration Act, — The Government would be prepared to introduce a bill next session to extend tke provisions of the existing law relating to the drainage of lands in the following directions : — By way of advancing to districts moneys for the purpose of carrying ©ut large works of drainage, such as the straightening of watercourses ; the (government taking rating powers to recover interest and sinking fund. To assist by way of subsidy (say Ll foifLl) the efforts of districts in carry.ing^out large works for drainage purposed—The defence of the principal seaports would be considered during the recess. — Immediate steps would be taken to re-organise the Babbit Department, Sir J. Yogel moved the second reading of the East and "Wesfc Coast (Middle Island) and Nelson Railway Bill, He urged the importance of the work on the ground that whereas the district was known to be rich in mineral weallh the carriage of goods was so great that it was practically impossible to develop these resources at present. What was aimed at was the organisation of a company to cavrry on the work. —Mr J. W. Thomson opposed the measure and argued ' Msat the financial condition of - the '' Colony would not warrant an underf ' taking of the kind, and that despite the intervention of a company the 1 money expended would be a liabil'uy *to the Colony.-— On the motion o.f Mr 1 Ham'in. the debafco was adjourned till J Monday, The remainder of the sitting was 1 taken up in discussing bills relating to the Wanganui Harbor and Christchurch market reserve. ;