PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 203, 23 August 1873, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

House op Representatives. Wellington, August 23. Id the House yesterday-the Minister for Works said, in reply to Mr HarrisoDj that the Government had received no application for the lease of the Mount Rochjfort coalfield, or tfce Brunner mine. N * Tne following bills -4vere read a first time : — The Distillation Amendment Bill, BroughtonJLand Grant B.ill, and Native Lands Fraujl Prevention Act Amendment Bill. Amendments by the Legislative Council in the Telegraph Cable Subsidy Agreement Ratification Bill, were agreed to. t The province of Westland £ik was committed ; the bill to come into force in January next. . i On thtfmotion of Mr Harrison , it was agreed that coal fields should not be qtfcler tl^cgntrol of the Superintendents of y provin'cqs. , The Life Assurance rompanidi£BJll was Cbpjmitted. \ The Further Evidence Amendment Bill was also committed. The Native Reserves Act. Amendment Bill is^npw under consideralionVn committee. The debate on the Native Reserves Bill continued'until 1 o'clocW'thia morning. The amendment and acfdvtions to the clauses were carried. Messrs Roljesto^, Gillies, jjbd Sheehan opposed the Bill. The latter" propoaed and carried many alterations. Mr Rolleston characterised the bill as a jumble of nil the Native Bilie,jbadly drawn, and worse than useless.

It. passed iv committee, and the third reading will be on Tuesday.