PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 245, 6 October 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Thursday. On the House meeting to-day, Sir George Grey raised a constitutional question by asking the Government if they would produce any opinion or advice of the Law Officers of the Crown in London to the effect that the action of the General Assembly in regard to abolition was ultra vires. The Premier said they had no such opinion or advice; and after explaining the process Colonial Acts had to go through after beiug sent Home, and the scrutiny to which they were invariably subjected by the different law officers of the Crown, he was justified in assuming that abolition had been left to its operation. This created a good deal of discussion, Sir George Grey having moved the adjournment for that purpose. Messrs Stout, Sheehan, Rees, and Grey urged that the whole proceeding was illegal, that the Government had been .warned they were acting illegally, and that when there was so much feeling upon the matter that the Government should have long ago sent Home and obtained a definite intimation as to whether they had acted legally or not. Great stress was laid upon a sentence in the Premier's reply to Mr Macandrew s telegram to the Governor, in which it is stated that it is open to Mr Macandrew to convince the courts of law that the advice he relies upon is sounder than that of the law officers of the Crown in London aud New Zealand. It was argued that this was deceiving the people ancl misleading the Governor by conveying the impression that the Government had the opinion of Home law officers. Mr Rees said it was equivocation, and any Government that could stoop to such shifts ought not to be trusted. The Premier explained that the phrase contained of was the formal and proper one, and that when His Excellency who was the Queen's delegage, assented to the Act, practically the Queen assented to it. In reply to a challenge by Mr Sheehan, Mr Whi taker gave it as his opinion, after mature consideration, that the Abolition was not uitru vires. A Bill was introduced to secure freedom of election and independence of Parliament. A good deal of debate arose upon a motion by Mr Joyce tbat the charges for Press telegrams should be uniform. It was opposed by the Government and several- private members, but upon being put to a division it was carried by 26 to 14. The Government gave a promise to Mr Pyke that they would have a flying survey taken of the Clutha River, with a view of ascertaining the practicability of its navigation to Wauaka. Mr O'Rorke moved for a steam launch for the harbor Manukau, but the Government opposed it. The discussion was interrupted by 5.30 p.m. Friday. The House resumed at 7.30. Upon the motion for the committal of the Forests' Act Repeal Bill, Mr Bowen expaiued that they wanted to make it an amending Act, merely repealing the clauses that provided for putting away £10,000 annually aud appointing forest conservators. Mr Reid moved that the whole Forest Act be repealed, and that the provisions of the Act of 1874, sought to be retained should be introduced into the Waste Lands Act, which he considered the proper Act for them to appear in. Mr McFarlane was willing to take the mind of the House upon it, and if it decided so, he would accept the amendments of the Minister of Justice. Eventually the Bill was carried as a Repeal Hill by 36 against 18. The Mew Zealand University Bill was read the second time, and the Rabbit Nuisance Bill passed. The House adjourned at 1.20.