IN COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 173, 20 August 1878, Page 4

IN COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.

The following report is from the JRcw Zealander of Saturday :—

Tho House went into Committee of Supply, when tbe Estimates were conside^'. At Legislative Department, the tot*! mtp fnr which was set, down nt £39,597 17* 6 J.— On the ifpm (o Mr Spenker's permanent salary (£400) £200 addition, a lengthened debate eoßued.— Mr {••nuti-lors enid that on the bustinrjß members* of this House made a great many prornisfS about keeping a careful watch over lhe expenditure of public moneys, ami now wob the time to show lhat ihese premises were made in all earnestness by redeeming such promises. He hid himself told bis constituents that ho would use hia utmost endeavor to prevent all unnecessary expenditure of the public money, and he wou'd ni'-inlain that tbis prcposed addition was quite unnecessary. The question of salary wes, in his opinion, quite immaterial. Even although (he amount was £1000, in all probability ihu same gentleman would occupy the office. They had to look at tha ranlter purely as a commercial transaction, and if the chair wa3 filled efficiently, witbout regard io such questions aa emolument, he did not see that tbey would be justified in voting Ihe proposed addition. —Mr Barton denounced the remarks of the last speaker as an attempt to lower tho dignity of the country. The social duties of Speaker of ibis House could not b 8 perfcrrned for the paltry sum hitherto paid. In Wellington, Dunedin, and elsewhere he knew of commercial clerks who receive! quite as much as that Droposcd to be paid the Speaker — |_ A Voice — for five months in the year"]. Mr Bartou — Then we are to look upon him rs a rose that blooms only in the Bumme r , and remains dotraant all the rest of the year. [Laughter.] The social duties of the "speaker, bo maintained, extended throughout the whole year. His duties did not cease with the mere prorogation of Parliament, aod unless he wss pai 1 accordingly, a great injnplicfl would be done. — The Hon. Mr Bnllpnee, in the course of the discussion quoted the salaries paid to the Speakers of tbe Legislative Assemblies n Victoria, New Soutb Wales, Queensland,ond otlier colonitfsshowin*> that they wero paid far in advance of the increase proposed t<> he giver. He also stated lhat in rsnlily 'he item was no increase, as it was purely the amount voted last year. — Dr. Hodt-kinson contended that they were not just Tied in takiog the Baldrics paid hy oilier colonies as a precedent, for iheir guidance. The salaries so pai J appeared to he extravagant, and it wus not. right lhat tbis colony should adopt, a similar course of extravagance. —-Mr Wason thought that the tenor of the dr/h'/ie sieved that tlis time bad now cc'nt't when it was necessary the House fc\|.juld eon.;e to so ue clear understanding' on this point. At the soma time he disclaimed all intention of Voling merely for the sake of reducing the s'ilofy to be given t he Speaker. It was most unpleasant to have this subject cropping up constautly, and he thought the time had row fully arrived when action should be tuken so ss to get the question placed on a permanent footing and thereby finally disposed of. —Hon. Mr Sheehnn agreed with those membera who said that that there were dozens of men in the Colony who would be prepared to Ihke the Speaker's chair at the reduced salary, or even for no salary at o!J. There were also men to be found who would be quite prepared to occupy the Ministerial Beaches on similar terms. .Such men, however, would not prove lo be acceptable to the country. The office of Speaker wbb one of the highest official character. He was called upon to hold the balance as between members of this House, and, not unfrequently, lie was compelled to forget oil associatioDS and jump upon his personal friends. If they wanted pure Government — a Government free from the taint of suspicion — then it was necessary they should act liberally towards those in authority. If the item as printed, were past, next session something permanent would be done — » Mr Swanson Baid lhat now was the time for getting the question settled finally, and he would ask tbe House not to vote the item until a Bill lied been brought in to settle the matter uponu permanent basis. — The Hon. Mr Fox reiterated the remark of the last speaker that dow was the time. He knew what promises of this kind made by the Government meant. This was the beginning of the session, and the Government had plenty of time before it to bring down such a measure. — The Hon. Mr Stout could not agree with those members who thought that these question of salaries should not be discussed. He thought it was but right that they should "be allowed ample opportunity for speaking out tbeir minds upon both this and every other subject that came before the House. A Bill, he said, would be prepared, so that both Speakers might be placed ou an equal footing. — Mr Rolleston concurred in the opinion that tho best way out of the difficulty was for Government to give thera an assurance tbat a Bill dealing with the matter would be brought in. — The Hon the Premier said that his own personal opinion on the point was tbat they should not be asked to follow the example of other colonies in this matter. If they fixed one salary in accordance -with the principle laid down by another colony, then it would be necessary for them to fix every other salary in proportion. New Zealand had all the requisites of a leading colony — a colony ■whose example was worthy of being imitated by other . colonies, \w\wA

of following in thoir lead.— The House divided on the question, when the appropriation, as printed, was carried.—Mr T«iaroa moved— " That tho item £21,575 for expenses of members of both Houses be struck out," and on s division being taken tho motion was lost by 47 "noes to 17 ayes. —Mr Saunder? — "That the item be reduced by £5394. making it £150 a year." Ho remarked that he would have preferred lo see the amount reduced by one-half. — The Attoroy-General said lhat. fourteen members resigned last session because they could not afford lo attend, and unless memberg were piid they would lose some very influential men. —Mr Bastings hoped the Government would bring in a Bill lo finally settle the question, as ever since he had entered public lile in 1864 it had been a subject for a mock debate every session. Unless members were paid he believed that lhe working classes would not get men lo represent them. — Sir George Grey believed Ibe general opinion in ihe Colony was thut members should be paid. It was an old English custom, and unless ihey paid their members Ihey would hava a class legislation. Holding these views the Government would be inclined to introduce a Bill called tbe Payment of Members Bill, but they, found that by putting two hundred guioeas on the paper as expenses, that would meet the case. He ihought it better to place a sum on the Estimates, and co let them settle the question themselvep. He would much prefer to see the question settled by the new Parliament, but if they found the Government had done wrong by placing two hundred guineas on the Estimates, let it be nt once amended. He thought it was as fair and just an amount as could be fixed under the circumstances. — Od a division the motion was lost, the ayes being 19 and the noes 41.— Mr J. E. Brown moved — "That in tbe amount set down for ths expense of members the sum of £1057 10*, expenses of the len members of the Legislative Council residing in Wellington should be struck out." — Mr Moss suggested tbat the expanses for the seventeen members who voted for the reduction in the expenses Bbould ba struck ou?. (Laughter.) — The Hon Mr Sbeeban hoped that having affirmed the principal of paytneut of memberF, tbe House would not allow tho Wellington members to be made a scapegoat of. — Mr Hursthouse thought that members Bbould be piid by tbeir constituencies. — After a further ditcussion Mr Brown withdrew Lis motion. — Mr Wakefield moved — " That the item £250 " Bellamy's, on account of the establishment,' be struck out." — Mr Stout was of opiuion lhat Bellamy's wbb a mistake and advocated ita aholition. — Mr Sbeeban thought that the abolition of Bellamy's would result in a difficulty in keeping members about the House. He said, in all seriousness, it would iuterfere with tbe business of the House. — Mr Wason objected to Bellamy's because it caused one everlasting stink from morning to night. It woß'nt tbe drinking be objected to so much as the eatin» — (laughter) — there was always a smell of cabbage water and onions. It was unnecessary that a boarding - house should be kept up ia the House, and be thought the Houee would do well lo strike out the item altogether — Mr W. Wood moved, as an amendment, that progress be reported, and leave aßked to sit again, but, on the question being put, the amendment was lost.— - A division was taken on the question that the ilem "Bellamy's; on account of the establishment £250 be struck out Ayeß 22, noes 29.