PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 29 August 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSEj OF BEPEESENTATIVES. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26. The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. The Minister of Education, replying to Mr Parata, said the Education Department had for years wished to give powers to committees of Native schools to fine the parents for the non attendance of their children. He was glad to see Mr Parata's views on the subject were in the same direction, and if next session he could show that the desire of the Maori constituencies was for some such change of legislation he would bring in the special Bill which would be necessary to give effect to their wishes. Mr McGuire resumed the debate on the report of the Committee on the New Plymouth Harbour Board, That the report do lie on the table, and that it be referred to the Government, with the view of effect being given to the recommendation of the Committee. He had, he said, always been opposed to a harbour being made at New Plymouth, but he thought it was not fair, seeing that it had been constructed for the peace and honour of the Colony, that the harbour rating district should be made to bear the whole of the burden. The Premier said they could not touch the question of the indebtedness of the New Plymouth Harbour

Board, without making themselves distinctly liable for these debts. . Mr E. M. Smith spoke strongly in support of the recom__:endations_Qf of the Committee being given eOTst to. Mr Duth?e moved an amendment, affir;ni jg that the House could not agree with the proposal of the Committee to communicate with the bondholders of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, and that it also failed to see that any claim on the colony had been created through the return of a portion of the waste lands of the Crown. It recognised, however the inconvenience that had arisen to the Board, from the disposal of those lands on deferred payment and perpetual lease, and if by the following concessions the Board could satisfactorily recast its balance the House would pay over the proportion, ultimately accuring on all land already disposed of, less £5115 and any other amount due by the Board to the Colony, and advance £5U,000 at 4£ per cent per annum, be repaid out of the first proceeds and future sales of the Board's endowments, all such advance to ; be used in discharging the Harbour Board's present indebtedness. Ultimately the amendment was lost, and v it was ordered that the report do' lie on the table and be referred to the Government. ' : ! THE LAND BILL. On the motion to go into Committee on this Bill, the principle of the measure was discussed at some . length. Mr G. Hutchison said, that while the Waste Lands Committee had, in many respects improved the Bill ; several objectionable features still remained in it, especially the deprivation of the right of purchase. In fact, without disguise, the main feature of the Bill was land nationalisation. — Several other members having spoken the Minister of Lands replied. The Bill was 'then committed and immediately reported. The House rose at 8.25 a.m.