PARLIAMENT,

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 25 August 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE t OF BEPBESENTATIYES. FEIDAY, AUGUST 21. The Speaker took the chair at 2. 80 p.m. The Premier said it was not the intention to place a sum on the Supplementary Estimates for the payment of the chairman of the various Committees. ".!■/.■■ ■! The Lyttelton Harbour Board Land Bill was introduced by the Premier, and read the first time., A letter was received from, ttte Publio Trustee to the Premier, ' say* ing that he had not y.et been put upon his defence, and ' tn>t '' be claimed a full enquiry before.^Pai?. - liament before being subjected 3 ' to " dismissal from a public," office.',';. • The Premier then moved a resolution removing Mr- Hamerton from ■> his office as "Public Trustee, which he did, he said, with considerable regret. . It was the opinion, of the Crown law officers that a practical breach of trust had been committed by Mr Hamerton, and if he' ■ came-:: ■ before the House they would have to go into that matter. He hoped the House would oonsjder the „g.ues tion calmly, and without the intro- ' '" ' duction of any party feeling. Captain Russell said thaf in order. . . to test the opinion of the, House as ; ; to the legality of removing the Public Trustee he would move an amend,- , ( , ment, " That no distinct charges '; ■ have been formulated against liim, l \ and as no evidence on oath had ' been taken by this House or : , Committee of this House as to the : management of the Publio Trust Office, this House is of opinion that his removal would be irregular and ""./ unconstitutional." He brought for. ' : ward authorities showing that an' office held during good beljavioUjr,., could not be taken away jyitnout / ft,' distinct vote of both Houses pf, Parliament founded ijpondvidence; taken on oath before the , House, f He also quoted authorities ' showing., , , that the Publio Trustee was on .|tbe r ' same footing as a judge,; and dontended that they had no rigWTiq pass.. „ such a resolution as hacj Been moyed ; by the Premier, "because they nad " not complied with the rules laid .-■ down for their guidance. Mr Bees hoped some arrangement ,■ however, would be made by which, . without his forcible removal, he might be enabled to retire. • The Premier said he could not accept the amendment, on the ground that there was a special clause in the Public Trustee Act, which in no way appertained to a judge o| - the Higher Court. . If the House wanted to make any compromise in >- the direction of a larger pension, " he would agree to that,- but the - amendment he could not agree to, 'as : { they would be in a perfect deadlock. ■ „-, •:•:,.,..; The Premier moved , the secon|| ' reading of the Payment of Members ' Bill. They had, he said, for many years bad honorariums, vrhicbf. cfid ' not fully describe what it meant. c tij : really meant payment of memtyerj, ,' and this Bill was intended to' put' 'it , on that footing. They thought 'that '"' Ll5O was sufficient far the legisla* '' tive Councillors, because they ought to include a proportion of J&boi*' n i members, and L 240 was a- fair remuneration for members of I'the.1 ' the. H .'•' Lower House who had^to. live during a portion of the year in Welling 1 torn i r . The Hon Mr Bryce said he suppostd they were justified in regard-, .• ■■, ! ing this as one of the Government : .< policy measures ; what kind of polio?, it was another thing. He objected to the proposed increase, especially in view of the financial position, <of . the ( olony, and as to the Legislative Councillors they had no necessity for this payment. It was lavish c*- r penditure, and the Premier was not justified in looking with such a '•'/'• light heart on the finances of the Colony. It was also reported that paid i. ommissioners were to be ap- I*^1 *^ pointed from this House, which the j:i Colony had always set its face against. The natural sequence was r an increase in the salaries of Minis- > :.. ters, not by their own will, but because it would be forced upon them: \' by their followers, to whose;persuaV'--sions they would gracefully yield.. »v Another report was that members had been promised promotion to the - M Legislative Counctt; there was i ftlsd ■■ the Agent-Generalsnip dangling be- i ; fore their eyes,' and the whole effect •■■' of such a policy would be in .tbe^ highest degree dangerous. He moved' > ' that the Bill be read a second time ■ this day six months. The amendment was seconded by - Mr Moore. » ' Mr Tanner said the time was in* ' o pportune, and tbe proposal jan*d ; ' npleasantly on the Colony.

Mr Taylor did not believe in the Bill. Mr Saunders opposed the increase. Sir George Grey agreed with the payment of members, without which A) great amount of talent would, he be lost to the country. Tho labour Aneinbers were better able than himself to fix that amount, and he thought the best thing would be ' to take the opinion of the people on this subject during the recess. Mr T. Mackenzie said he would . rather see' a- concession made to members in regard to tel -grams and postage stamps than, an iucrease made in the r salary. The measure was supported by Messrs Macintosh, Eees, C. H. Mills, Earnshaw (who thought the payment should be increased to £800) and Buick (who denied being the instigator of the Bill), and opposed by ' Messrs J. Mills, O'Conor, Swan, and Meredith. Messrs Fergus and Duthie also opposed the Bill. The Minister of Education supported the measure. It was for the Committee to settle what was the real rate of pay which a member of the House ijhbuld receive. As for Ministers, -they wanted no increase of salary, and the Bill could be con gidered quite apart from that ques-* tion. The amendment was lost on a division by 88 to 24. The second reading was carried on a further division by 83- to 22. On the motion that the Bill be set down for committal on Tuesday, the Hon. Mr Fergus moved that the committal of the Bill be set 4own for this day three months, which was lost on the voices, and the original resolution was carried, The House rose at 1.10 a.m.