HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 26 September 1891, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. The Speaker took the chair at 2.80 p.m. The report of the Conference on the Land Bill, to the effect that it had been found impossible to arrive at any reasonable compromise with the Legislative Council, was presented by the Minister for Lands, who proposed that the report be laid on the table and the Bill be dropped. Mr G. Hutchison hoped the House would not drop the Bill without another effort to arrive at very desirable amandments in the present law. After a very long debate, Mr Hutchison's amendment was lost by 36 to 27, and the report was simply ordered to lie on tho table. The Premier reported the failure of the effort to compromise in regard to the Electoral Bill, and it was agreed to drop the measure. In Committee of Supply, the Estimates for the Public Trust Office were discussed. The vote included £8612 for the expenses of the late Commission. Mr Macarthur advised Mr T. K. Macdonald not to accept the amount put down for him as it would certainly disqualify him from sitting. Mr Macdonald said that he should not accept the amount. The Hon Mr Rolleston deprecated the appointment of members of Parliament to Boyal Commissions. He condemned the action of the Commissioners in having, as he considered, evaded the instructions given in their commission, by allowing their report to bo printed, giving names and information in violation !of the secrecy of the department. This was quite subversive of the confidence that ought to enshroud an enquiry of the kind. The Premier said the Government were in no way responsible for the printing of the report. That was a matter of which the Commissioners had the entire control. Sir John Hall wished to know how ' it was that the Commissioners, in I their reply to the Controller-General said they were " in no sense responsible for the publication of an atom of the evidence." The Premier said he did not care for that, for he had nothing to do with the evidence excepting that after the Commissioners had concluded their business they left behind an order for the printing of certain returns which he considered would be detrimental to the interests of the office, and therefore he took the responsibility of preventing its publication. He agreed that part of the evidence ought not to have been made public. Replying to Sir John Hall, the Premier said that as the work was of an exceptional nature the Government intended to insert a clause in the Appropriation Bill to* legalise the proposed payment to them. Mr Rolleston strongly expressed his dissent from the introduction of a clause of the kind in an Appropriation Bill, and advised the Government not to insert it unless they wished Parliament to sit for a long time. Mr Fish considered it a violation of proper decency in attempting to influence members of the House by giving them profitable employment. Mr Macdonald was of opinion that the item ought never to have appeared on the Estimates at all. Messrs Loughrey and Larnach had sent the Government an account for five guineas each per day, and they were not likely to accept any less sum. Personally he had told the Premier that if he was to be treated as a professional man he must be paid a professional fee. Either he must be treated purely as a member of Parliament and not be paid at all, or if he was paid it must be at the same rate as the other Commissioners, and he had felt, aggrieved at the distinction that was proposed. The Premier said it was true that Messrs Larnach and Loughrey claimed £5 5s per day, but on looking up precedents the Government had found that the usual fee for experts in Eoyal Commissions was 23 3s per day, at which rate payment was' now proposed. Sir John Hall said he must say he had been utterly disgusted with the manner in which the proceedings had been conducted. That was also the opinion expressed by everyone to whom he had spoken on the subject whose opinion was worth having. There could not be in the breast of any man of honour, or of decent feeling, more than one opinion viz., that it was discreditable to those who had charge of the Commission. The vote passed with only the reduction of the amount set down for Mr Macdonald. Other votes were considered and the House rose at 6.80 a.m. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28. The Speaker took the chair at 2.80 p.m. On the resolutions from Committee of Supply being reported, the Hon Mr Rolleston complained of th late hours at which the House h had to consider the Estimates, a a f said he had 'never seen EstimaZl

framed with such an utter disregard of economy as those brought down by the present Government They bore unmistakable evidence of political pressure being brought to bear upon Ministers. In consequence of the failure to compromise with the Legislative Council, the Light From Crown Lands Restriction Bill was dropped. The Premier moved "That on the occasion of the retirement of Sir Francis Dillon Bell. K.C.M.G., C.8., from the position of Agent-General for the colony of New Zealand, the thanks of this House be given to Sir Francis Dillon Bell for the important and valuable services rendered by him in that capacity. 1 ' Sir John Hall, Sir George Grey, and the Hon Mr Rolleston having spoken in eulogistic terms the resolution was unanimously agreed to. The Hospital Trustees Bill, which the Premier said contained nothing that seemed, as far as he could see, to involve the colony in any liability, was read the first time. The Premier moved the second reading of the Hamerton| Pension Bill, to grant a pension, of -6250 a year to Rpbert Chisenha]! Hamerton, late Public Trustee, from tne 27th August, 1891. . He said tte . Bill followed upon the resolution passed by the House, on the adoption of which Mr Hamerton sent in his resignation. The second reading was agreed to. The amendments made by the Legislative Council . on the Coal Mines Bill were agreed to. The second reading of the Native Land Court Acts Amendment Bill was agreed to. The Appropriation Bill and Public Works Appropriation Bill were put through the stages up to and including the second reading their committal being jset down for, to-day. At 11.1 5 p.m. the House adjourned till 11 a.m.