HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 235, 4 October 1877, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Wednesday. The Disqualification Committee reporte'don spirit and intention of the Act had been Mr Kennedy's case to the effect that the violated, but not the letter of the law. uud ifc recommended au amendment of the Act to meet such cases. Mr Whitakcr said the Government would take an early opportunity to state their intentions in the matter. Considerable discussion took place on the motion to commit the Lands Bill. Mr Hodgiunson criticised the Bill. He would not give above five years to the Canterbury run-holders. Mr Delatour objected to the powers given to commissioners, aud said the Otago Board desired always to unduly conserve the un-

terests of the runholders. If the difficulty about auriferous land could he surmounted he would like to see free selection introduced. Sir G. Grey objected;to nominated Boards. He would like to see Ministers administering directly, or else to have elected Boards. Mr Rolleston supported nominated Boards? I they had worked well in Canterbury. Free selectiou with blocks for deferred payment was the best system. Sir R. Douglas objected to the Bill as perpetuating the system of Provincialism. The country was heing ruled by the towns. Ministers should act on the recommendation of the County Councils. Mr Bastings defended the action of the Otago Board. The deferred payments system was an unqualified success in Otago, and he would like to see free selection applied to pastoral land. Mr Rowe said the Thames people bad been for years vainly try to get land to settle on, yet the Auckland Board gave immense blocks to English speculators, like Mr Broomhall. In Auckland the nominee Board had no sympathy with the outdistricts. Mr Reynolds would rather have no Boards than nominated ones. He regretted that the Land Regulations of 1856 were altered. They were better thau insisting on residence. He objected to deferred selectors being forbidden to borrow. Mr Joyce supported deferred payments, but objected to free selection, which had ruined Southland. Mr Stout said that to introduce free selection in Otago would be a mistake, if not a crime. He denied that it had worked well iv Canterbury* He objected to the proposals of the Bill. On the Canterbury ruus ha would like to see the minimum price of all land fixed at 20s per acre Mr Wakefield praised the Canterbury land system. Mr JPyke advocated free selection. Mr Lumsden said it had nearly ruined Southland. The Bill was then committed. Clause 10 was postponed, and progress was reported at clause 18. The Mines Bill was partly considered in Committee, and the House rose at 12.20 a.m. 7.30. p.m. The House met at 2-30 this afterndoon. The Government, replying to questions, said that no funds were available to meet the recommendation of the Petitions Committee on the petition of Lewis Leton. They did not intend to take any action on the report upon the petition of James Carroll. Mr Whitaker moved, "That the House concur iv that part of the Disqualification Committee expressing the opiuion that Mr Kennedy's seat is not vacated under the Disqualification Act." Mr Macandrew moved an amendment that the House concur in the whole of the report.— The debate was adjourned until tamorrow. The debate was resumed on Mr Pyke's motion in favor of the construction of main ceutral railways in Otago, as recommended by the Committee. Mr Lumsden moved, as an amendment, that it was desirable the interior of Otago should be opened up by a main trunk line of railway, and that during the recess the Government should cause surveys ofthe various routes to be made, so as to submit details and proposals to the house next session. Mr M'Lean denied the justice of the charge made against him ia the telegram from Mr Pyke to the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce. All he wanted was to see the best line constructed, and get fair play for his district. Mr Reid said he and the Government would support the amendment. It would facilitate tho construction of the Strath-Taieri line quite as much as the motion. The surveys alone would take six months. Mr Ilodgkinson would support the motion if the Strath line stopped at tho Clyde, to which he understood Mr Pyke agreed. The Cromwell natural outlet was the Bluff. Messrs. Bastings, Macandrew, Kenolds, J. C. Brown, Carrington, Delatour, Hislop, Montgomery, Burns, and Stout supported the motion. Messrs Wood, Joyce, Dougas, and Ormond supported the amendment. The debate was interupted by 5.30 Thursday. The following Bills were read the second time, passed through Committee, read the third time, and passed:— Tokomair iro Farmers' Club Bill; Clyde Reserve Grant Bill; Lawrence Municipal Reserver Leasing Bill; Otago Girls aud Boys High Schools Bill; Rabbit Nuisance Act Amendment Bill; and Oamaru Reserves Bill. The Forest Trees Planting Encouragement Bill was read the second time aad referred to the Waste Lands Committee. The Wanganui Harbor Endowment and Borrowing Bill was read tho second time. In Committee of the whole an address to the Government to place a bonus of £10,000 on tiie Estimates, one half to he given for the first 500 tons of beet-root sugar produced in the North Island, and the other half for the same quantity in the Middle Island, was agreed to. The House rose at 12*33 a.m.