PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 175, 24 July 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, Friday night. The House met at 2-30. Mr Richardson preseuted a petition against the retention of the bottle licensing system. Mr J. B. Fisher gave notice that he would ask if the Alexander M'Donald appointed a Native Land Purchase Agent had been convicted of shooting two mail coach horses at Palmerston. Mr Lundou gave notice that he would ask if Jt he Government had considered the policy of imposing a tax on coal. Replying to questions, it was stated that the case of M'Minn v. Kirkbride, tried in the Court at Marton, had not been taken notice of by the Government, as no formal report had been received on the subject. — The Government recognised the sacrifices made by miners employed recovering the bodies of men accidentally killed in the Government sluice-channel at Kumara, but thought it would be an insult to offer them payment for their services. — The Government was nob disposed to reduce the fee for the naturalisation of foreigners. — The Goverment would oppose any proposal to print a supplementary Hansard of speeches delivered by Native members in the Maori language. Mr Moorhouse gave notice that he would bring in, at the earliest possible date, a motion for the second reading of the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill, transmitted from the Upper House. The Treasury Bills Bill was read a second time. On the motion of going into Committee of Supply, Mr Seymour said the proposal to add £200 to the salary of the Chairman of Committee had beeu made without his consent, and not only was he prepared to forego it, but also to have the regular salary reduced in accordance with the general .policy of reduction. In Committee of Supply, the debate was resumed on the item of £450 Miscellaneous vote, for the compilation of a Maori HistoryAfter discussion,"the Government agreed to the vote being reduced to £300, ou the understanding that a bonus would be granted at the discretion of the House for the early completion of the work. Class I, Legislative Department, was considered. Mr Hall said that, in view of the 20 per cent reduction to be made in Ministerial salaries, the Government proposed a similar reduction in members honorariums. Sir G. M. O'Rorke said he would justify the proposed increase to Chairman of Committees. The two sessions held last year gave members in the shape of honorarium considerably more than had been paid to the Chairman of Committees as salary. That was not fair, considering the work he had to do, and the increase was proposed to recoup him for that loss. He dissented from the Premier's proposal to reduce the amount of the honorarium, stating that he believed that in this case and tbat of the Civil Service there was no comparison. Mr Fulton said it would be establishing a bad precedent for the House to reduce the salaries of the Civil Servants and not reduce the honorarium at the proper time. He would move that the amount be reduced to £150. On the vote, Legislative Council £1620, the item Chairman of Committees (addition to permanent salary £300) £100 was struck out, on the understanding that an amount would be placed on the Supplementary Estimates aa a boiiua to make last year's salary equal to the honorarium. The item £50, Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee, was struck out. The item £100, Clerk (addition to permanent salary of £400), was debated at length, and struck out on a division of 39 to 30. The House adjourned at 5.30. Saturday. The Estimates continued. " Legislative Council, Assistant Clerk £350." reduced to £300 on a division by 38 to 34. "Clerk £200," reduced by £20. "Interpreter £200," reduced by £20. " House of Representatives." The following items were struck out: — "Addition to Speaker's salary, £200," "addition to Chairman of Committees' salary, £200 " ; Chairmen of Petitions, Native Affairs, and Waste Lands Committees £100 each." Several motions to Btrike off ' "addition to salary of Clerk of Parliament £100," and a similar addition to the second cierk assistant were lost on divisions by large majorities. ' ' Sergeant at Arms £250 " was reduced by £100 on a division of 36 to 24. On the vote for the honorarium a long discussion took place. The Chairman thought the amounts for the two Houses could not be separated. ; Mr Murray moved a reduction equal to 20 , per cent on the House of Representatives,

and the total abolition of pay to the Council. Lost by 58 to 15. Mr McCaughan moved a reduction equal to 20 pet cent all round, which was rejected by 39 to 35. . , • > Ayes x Messrs Adams, Allwright, At km - sou, Bain, Bnrron.Bectham, Bowen, Brandon, Dick, Fox, Fulton, Hall, W. J. Hurst, Hursthouse, Johnston, Keuny, Levin, Mason, Masters, McCaughau, McDonald, Murray, Oliver, Ormond, Pitt, Richmond, Richardson, Rolleston, Saunders, Shephard, Stevens, Studholme.Swanson, Whitaker, and Wright. Noes: Messrs Andrews, Ballance, Brown, Bunny, De Lautour, Finn, J. B. Fislier, J. T. Fisher, George, Gibbs, Gisborue, Hamlin, Harris, Hir3t, Ireland, Jones, Kelly, Lundon, Macandrew, Montgomery, Moorhouse, Moss, O'Rorke, Pyke, Reeves, Reid, Seddon, Shanks, Sheehan, Shrimski, Stewart, Taiuui, Tawhai, Te Wheoro, Thompson, Tole, Tomoaua, Turnbull, and Wallis. Mr Allwright moved a reduction equal to 15 per cent which was rejected by 37 to 33, Mr J. T. Fisher moved a reduction of 10 per cent which was carried by 49 to 20. Ayes: Messrs Allwright, Andrews, Atkinson, Bain, Barzoo, Beetham, Boweu, Dick, Finn, J. T. Fisher, Fox, Fulton, Gibbs, Gisborne, Hall, Harris, Hirst,, Hurst, Hursthouse, Johnston, Kelly, Kenny, Levin, Macandrew, Mason, McCaughan, Masters, McDonald, Montgomery, Murray, Oliver, Pitt, Reeves, Reid, Richmond, Richardson, Rolleston, Saunders, Shanks, Shephard, Shrim9ki, Stevens, Stewart, Studholme, Swanson, Tole, Turnbull, Whitaker, and Wright. Noes : Messrs Ballance, Brown, Bunny, DeLautour, J. B. Fisher, Hamlin, Ireland, Jones, Lundon, Hursthouse, Moss, O'Rorke, Pyke, Sheehan, Tainui, Tawhai, Te Wheoro,' Thompson, Tomoana, and Wa\lis. The vote was then passed, and the House rose at 1.55 a.m.