PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue XVI, 28 July 1881, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, July 27. The Legislative Coaneil met at 2.80 p.m. Mr Wilson mov«d« That in the opinion of thil Council the laws refating to oaths and affirmation should be consolidated and amended." The motion was csrriaj, Th-j Adoption of Children's Bill Vagrant Act 1865 Amendment Bill' and the Drainage Bill were passed through Committee. The Diseased Cattle Bill was read a third time and passed. , Tne Education Act 1877 Amendment Bill (Dr MeDzies),waß read a third- time, as was the Imprest Supply (No. 1), from the Lower House. The Hoose met at 2.30. Mr Beeves gave notice that he I would esk if tbe Government was aware that Charles Ryland Tylden, of Auckland, had been bound over- to keep the peace for twelve months, and that. only two months of the term had expired when he was appointed to the •Commission of the Peace. Replying to quessiong pat, it was stated that the administration by the Waste Lands Board of the provisions of Appendix of Land Act, 1867, as] regards Mineral PfCßpeoting Licenses was now being acquired into, with the view of preventing lar*e areas of mineral land, being locked up, -for a consideration. ,_ The- Government had bo intention of removing to Greymoath the Government Hoose at Hokiiika. So far as the Government had made enquiry, they found that the applicant* were entitled to the Gold-mining L^sbb granted by the Nelson Waste Lands Board to the Johnston Bedstead Gaily Company. The Government considered the law relating to distfeu for rent in an ears .required to be altered, but it would depend upon the progress of business whether a Bill for its abolition wouid be in«roduced or not. Jibe omiseiqn to provide.a penalty for native game was an oversight, mm if time per milted, en amendment to tte Act woutd.be introduced this session. The Government recognised the imnortsnce of giving efect to the recommen Jatibns of the Committee on the rabbit nuisance, and if time permitted a Bill wbolU be introduced this session in; accord anca therewith. >' *" The- final report i>f tne Judicature XJomvohßiQn wis promised by the end of the oppatb, after which the Govern'meat would be prepared to say what 'farther s'eps it proposed to take, The following Bill was r<aJ a first Jiffi§r~To eoabfe persons elected mem-, hers of the Bong? to make, bafore taking their seats, an tifirmation in lieu or an oatb (Sir George Grey) - The Imprest Supply Bill for £50,000 weir introduced in Committee and 'passed through all its stages. The No-confidence debate was reBpmed by Mr Reevee. He critiojaed adversely the scheme for reforming the Legislative Coascii, and condemned es a wbola the Loaai "Government pro. jposats. Mr M'Donald aßd Major Harris followed on tte same side. The House adjouraed at 5.30. and resumed at 7 30. Mr Richardson characterised Mr Ormocd'c amendment as hasty and incon-siderate,-and said he would oppose it. He thought the Rating Bill might be moulded into a useful measure, but the Roads Construction Bill was hopelessly bad and he would oppose it. He ad vised the Ministry to withdraw their j Btlle. He thought the number of 'Counties should be reduced, and the administration decentralised as far as possible by increased powers being given to Coan ! y Council. Mr Sbephard thought the question of local government wsb agitating the country from end to end. He agreed that it was impossible to restore provinctalhm, but something was wanted . in-plsce of the provinces in fulfilment of promises made when they were He read the resolution on sntjpct moved by Sir Julias Yogel ■on 24tb August, 1874. The promises thus held out were never' fulfilled, and * the country was disappointed. The Conntie* Act did not confer any powers .which conld be called local government. It was no wonder discontent existed when these trifling powers were contrasted with those which the 'provinces exeicised. What had been lost to the districts bad been centralised in Wellington, and the subsidies to local bodies had vanished Any MiDistry which devised a goo<\ system of local government wouli deserve a loog lease of power. The Government prr.pos&ls utterly /ailed to indicate any sufficient scheme. : The only extension of local government promised was the abolition of Waste Land Boards acd a statemeot that the County Councils would be consulted about lands administration. ■ This wag utterly unsatisfactory, acd so were the proposals ea tolocal finance. If CrowD Janda were rated*, be saw no reason why the railways should not be ; the roada were greatly cut up by the railway traffic. The Rating Bill- would only yield a mere pittance to local bodies.; The opposition of the Native members to the method of rating native lands bad settled it. Hercoodemned the Roflds^onetruction Bill as utterly unsound He condemned the proposals of Sir George Grey s Bill as unreal and visionaiy, and Mr Sanndera* proposals amoanced to Provincialism run mad $ it would be worse lhan tbe wont form of Provincialism which had tver existed. For himteif he thought the only course was to deal with existing institu tions .as they were, and try and develop their nsef nlness. The towns, he thought, should be represented in the County Council*, and the funds available should be distributed to the various Rotd Boards fcr expenditure. Be would give the County CounoiU similar powers to thoee held by large Boroughs in England, He would give them power to deal with a large number of subjects wbich Mtjor Atkinson laid must necessarily he eec trained— amongst these were adulteration, police, priaooß, tmd public health, all of which in England were managed by the governing bodies of large Boroughs; gold-mining might alio, he thought, be tetter locally managed than by cUrkfl. "*■■■ r r,'-'i' ■■

in Wellington. So with sheep and aurveys. tinder certain general regolaticnß Aopklana might well manage its own timber floating. Lunatic*, negleoted cbildrsn, and hospitals conld be managed better by local bodies, es in England, instead of jointly, %s proposed by the Colanial Treasorer, subject of course to certain inspections. He felt strongly the necessity for better means of obtaining redress for grievances,, end thought the powers in this direction might be granted to local bodies. Mr Hutchison supported the amendment. Mr Bryce replied to Mr Hutchison, and while admitting that the Bill before the House was not entirely satisfactory to himself, or peihaps any member, he contended the time bad .come when local bodies should rely on themselves instead of looking to the Gevern- | ment. He defended the Government from a number of charges relating to S Colonial flcaaee and Native affairs made by Mr Hutchison. He thought Mr Ormond had been improperly accused of an intention to betray the Government. They bed good reason to believe he was no* in accord with them, but, at the saaa time, he thought Mr Of raond ehould not have brought on an amendment without notice, and as a surprise at the same time. He attributed Mr Ormond's action rather to the dissatisfaction he expressed lest session with the property tax rather than any real dissatisfaction with existing local institutions. Probably the amendment was only intended as a means to secure this end, and it would have been more fair of Mr Ormond to have raised a direct issue. Regarding the property tax, if Mr Ormond formed a Ministry he would probably find h imposaihle to repeal tbe property tax or carry out out the scheme of sacrificing the public estate or selling railways. Tbecountry wanted the existing instiiut;ous improved and simplified, and a betier system of local finance, but did not desire epy radical change, in the nature £of the institutione. No new local bodies were required, but rather' that tbe existing duplication should be done away wiib. He did not think the country would tolerate any intermediate body between exkting local bodies and <he General Government. It was impossible to regard Mr Ormond*a amendment as other than a vote of want of confidence, and therefore, although he disagreed with many of the Government proposal?, notably the constitution of the Boat da of Public Works, be would vote against tbe amendment. Mr Brown moved the adjournment of the debate, saying that he understood arrangements had been come to for the convenience of the Government, that if the debate was now adjourned, the division should take place to-morrow. Major Atkinson said the Government bad agreed to take the division to-mor-row, but- not for their own convenience. Aa the matter was put on that ground they would resist the adjournment. ' The House divided on the motion for the adjournment:-— Ayes, 18; Noes 42. ' Mr. Sheehan said an arrangement had been made by all parties to adjourn, but^ he had been compelled to vote against the adjournment just now because Mr Brown had entirely misrepresented the grounds on which the adjournment had been agreed to. These were the convenience of all parties, not of the Government or any of its members. j Major Atkinson thanked Mr Sheehan for his explanation, in which he entirely concurred.' He had felt bound to oppose the motion inconsequence of the offensive terms in which Mr Br.own had moved it. Mr Brown said he had been asked to move the adjournment, and thought the arrangement was in consequence of the Premier's ball. The adjournment was then agreed to, and the House rose at 11-55.