PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 218, 23 October 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Tuesday night. Mr M'Lean presented a petition this afternoon from Messrs Holt and M'Carthy of the Press Agency praying that they may he placed on an equal footing with regard to a special wire with those to whom the monopoly is given. The Reporting Committee recommended that the Government obtain an estimate of the cost of printing portions of Hansard in Maori. Mr Stout promised, in reply to Mr Curtis, to consider during the recess the expediency of amending the law so as to admit the examination of prisoners in criminal trials. In reply to Mr Feldwick, Mr Macandrew promised to consider during the recess the necessity of a Fisheries Preservation Bill. The Premier promised to lay before the House to-morrow the annual marine report. In reply to Sir R. Douglas whether, in the event of his charges against the Judges being proved, Mr Barton should be suspended from practice, Mr Barton said the question waa unworthy of Sir R. Douglas, and equally unworthy of notice from himself. Mr M'Lean moved, without notice, that the papers be laid on the table relative to granting the use of a special wire to certain newspapers be printed.— Mr Stout objected to the motion without notice. — Mr M'Lean moved the adjournment of the House, and went on to condemn the monopoly attempted to be granted to certain papers as a design to crush the independent portion of the press, especially in the face of Dr. Lemon's protest.— Mr Wakefield said that an impression prevailed that a wrongful transaction had been entered into. — Mr Fox said the Government proposed to grant a monopoly to three Ministerial journals which were already largely subsidised with Government advertisements while the rest of the Press of the colony was not afforded the opportunity, the arrangement being exclusive. — Mr Fisher said that eight journals had joined in the combination. The new arrangement wonld not begin till next year, and in the meantime the Government hoped to provide another wire for the Press. The Government did not sec its way at present to increase the facilities granted to the Press. — Major Atkinson said that the proposed arrangement would give a monopoly to one section of the Press, and leave the rest dependent on the chances of another wire.— Mr Richardson drew the attention of the Government to the fact that one important letter from the Press Agency had been omitted from the correspondence laid on the table.~Mr Ballance promised that the letter should be brought down.— Mr M'Lean said the missing letter was an offer to pay for a special wire, the Government to name its own price. Would the AttorneyGeneral deny that he had instructed the editor of a paper in which he was interested to make this application? —Mr Stout: "That is utterly false."— The Speaker ruled Mr Stout out of order.— Mr M'Lean contended that the Government could not stretch another wire from Auckland to the Bluff by next 3ear, nor had they the materials at hand. — The motion for the adjournment was negatived on the voices. The following orders of the day were discharged from the paper: — Fencing, Fine Arts Copyright Amendment, Fisheries Preservation, Publicans' Licenses, Rabbit Nuisance.'Brands Registration, Wanganui Harbor, Dunedin Botanical Gardens. Mr Sheehan said that if he drafted the Licensing Bill for next session it would be circulated duriDg the recess. He believed the best method would be to leave the fixing of the license fees to the local bodies who received them as revenue. Wednesday. Sir G. Grey stated with reference to Mr Barton's charges against the Judges, that Mr Barton desired to put in the Hansard report his speech, and this was not ready, therefore the Government must postpone their reply as to the course they intend to pursue.

Last night Mr Macandrew moved the second reading of the Railways Construction Bill. All the works in the schedule except the line from Aniberley to Cook's Straits were to be completed in five or six years. The proposals re Aniberley to Cook's Straits line would be made next session. He was inclined to think there should be one responsible railway master for each Island. The Government proposed to expend this year £400,000 oq public works, and £157,000 on immigration. He would amend the Bill in Committee by making the appropriations annual and striking out the third sub-sectiop that reserves be made for towns and small farms along the line, some on deferred payment. He had received a telegram stating that proposals for a monthly steam service with England were on the >7ay out. The line through the King country would be dependeut on the requisition of the land, but the link between Wauganui and New Plymouth would be completed in two or three years. The expenditure proposed for the first year was £180.000; for the gecond, £510,000; for the third. £685,000; for the fourth, £902,000; for the fifth, £680,000; and for the sixth, £670,000. Mr Richardson criticised the ' Statement, and fiajd th,e Estimates were unreliable. The Bill was unnc&e-s^iry, as annual appropriations were preferable. Mr Curtis urged the clajms of Nelson to extended railway communication, and moved that the IJill be read that day six months.' Dr HodgkiHsoo eupported, and Alessrs Seymour, Richmond, Jiaigeut/Wood, Sharp, and Hursthouse opposed the Bill. The debate was adjourned at 125 a.m., when the House rose.