PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 139, 11 June 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

WBiiiifGxoN, Thursday. ' The House met at 2.30. ... Mr Reeves 'gave notice that he would move that an -import duty, be placed on coal iai- _ ported into the colony. \ "Mr Hall Baid he would ask that a sum to defray the fees of the patent conferring Knighthood on the Speaker be placed on the estimates. •-" ' - • - < ! \<r p'iThe following replies were made to ques- '■: tions :— The' 'Government will make every endeavor for f enabling the English mail for Marlborough to be delivered there soon after ita arrival.— There, was no truth in the report circulated by the press that the Government are considering the of changing the route of the main line at Timaru.— The j ..privilege to the Press of telegraphic correspondence during the session being received to ten o'clock p.m.,entailed a cost of £700 per 'annum; and if that outlay was guaranteed, the privilege might be resumed. — The Government had remonstrated with the Trench Government in reference to the political prisoners who lately came to the colony from New Caledonia. The following.-;. Bills were introduced and . ; read a first time :— . Malvern Water-rate ' Transfer Act, 1878, Amendment ; Ashburton County Waterworks Act, 1879, Amend- ,; ; ment; ; Invercargill Drill Shed Site ; Commissioners of Land Act, 1877. Mr Lundon moved that the Select Comxaittee on Native Affairs consist of nineteen members, and that Messrs Delatour, Thomp. son, McDonald, Whyte, and the mover be adde'di— Mr Bryce opposed the motion, as it would be an innovation on the arrangements made as to the constitution of - Committees, and would introduce the difficulties which the Government had been at the trouble of rectifying.— Mr Moss . complained tuat the Government had shown partiality in the ' constitution of the Committees, making them subservient to party purposes. He also condemned the appointment of Col.' Trimble as Chairman of the Committee;— Mr Speight contended that the natives would not have confidence in the impartial judgment of the , Committee as constituted, and supported the w motion.— Mr Seddon condemned the motion. —Mr Thompson suggested the withdrawal of

the motion. — Mr Delatour said the effect of > the conduct pursued by ,the Government in this matter . w.ould 'be that the minority would refrain "from' Committee work altogether. . They would not consent to sit and.'deliberate when it was well-known that but ono conclusion would be adopted, and he appealed to tho Government not to resist the motion. — Major Atkinson said as things were constituted the Government supporters must, of necessity, predominate on these Committees. As a matter of fact, the Committee in question was comprised of members equally divided in political opinion, and he contended that no case had been made out for altering the Committee as it stood.— Mr Gisborne said it was to be lagretted that the Committees should be regulated by party spirit. The,' result was that the qeestions would not be judged on their merits, but with regard to the favor or otherwise of those who appointed them members. — Sir W. Fox said this was a complaint common to all Governments. When the late Government was in power, he could remember a large preponderance of their supporters were on this very Committee. The reference made to the election of the chairman was a violation of Parliamentary practice. The House then divided : —Ayes 29, Noes 40. Sir George Grey gave notice of motion to have his name expunged from the Committee, Mr Hamlin also gave notice to have his name expunged. Mr Hursthouse moved that all transportation of cattle from the North Island to the South be suspended: until the Government were- satisfied that 1 pleuro pneumonia in Auckland was eradicated. — Mr Hall said the disease was confined to a small district from which no importation came. ' The disease was on the decrease and there was little danger of circumstances requiring the, Government to take extra steps to prevent its Bpread, and at present the motion was un» necessary. Mr . Ballance said many of the cattle slaughtered were not suffering from pi euro pneumonia at all and the alarm was groundless. The discussion was interrupted by the 530 adjournment.