General Assembly.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 57, 13 October 1855, Page 3

General Assembly.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Sattjbdat, Ssptembeb 1. The house met, pursuant to adjournment. APPROPRIATION BILL.

The house having resolved itself into Committee for the consideration of the Estimates,

Mr. Sewell moved — "That tho Committee do recommend the house that a respectful address be presented to his Excellency, praying him to place upon the Estimates the sura of £90,014 for the services of the several Provinces in New Zealand, to be divided amongst such Provinces in the like proportions as the gross proceeds of the revenue of the colony shall arise therein respectively, and to be paid over to the respective Treasurers of such Provinces for the public uses thereof; and to be subject to the appropriation of the respective Provincial Councils thereof. — That, in order to supply the Provincial Governments with funds for current purposes, it is desirable that the present system of advances be continued, subject to general adjußtment at the termination of the present financial year ; and in order that the finances of the Provinces may rest on a secure basis, the whole arrangement ought, under no circumstances, to bo disturbed."

Mr. Forsaith was about to move an amendment, when a

MESSAGE FROM HIS EXCELLENCY having been announced, the Chaibman reportsd progress, and his Excellency's Private Secretary *ras introduced, who delivered the following to the Speakeb, by whom it was read to the house : — " No. 52. — Transmitting copy of two letters from Mr. Commissioner M'Lean, dated 30th and 31st August, on tho subject of the purchase of native

The house resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Meana for the consideration of his Excellency's Message, No. 52. The message aud enclosures having been read,

Mr. Sewell ro3C to move —

" That this house, deeply impressed with the importance of continuing the purchase of native lands, is nevertheless sensible of the great difficulties which at this moment surround the question proposed to it by his Excellency, viz., of borrowing money for that purpose." If, however, his Excellency shall be pleased to transmit to the house a bill for that object, the house will give to such the utmost consideration winch time and circumstances will permit.

Mr. Fobsaith moved, as an amendment, " that all the worcls of tho resolution be struck out, and the following substituted: —' That, in order to meet the case submitted to the house in his Excellency's Message, No. 52, the charges against the estimated revenues of the current year, as stated in Message No. 51, should be increased by the sum of £20,000, which sums should be exclusively appropriated to the. purchase of land.'" Original motion put and carried. The Speaker having resumed the chair, and the Chanjman reported progress, Mr. Sewell moved that a respectful address be presented to his Excellency, embodying the foregoing resolution. Agreed to. APPROPRIATION BILL. The house having resolved itself into committee on the Appropriation Bill, Mr. Sewell's resolution respecting an address to his Excellency, to place the sum of £91,014 on the Estimates for the Provinces, was put. Mr. Habt moved, as an amendment, that the consideration of the resolution be postponed. Amendment carried. The Estimates were then proceeded with, and the following agreed to: — Bank of Issue, Auckland. Manager £150 Bank of Issue, Wellington. Manager £150 Clerk 170 Supreme Court. Travelling expenses of Judges on Circuit, £300 Auckland. Registrar £400 Crier (increased from £90 on the motion of Mr. Forsaith) . . . 100 Contingencies 50 Wellington. Registrar (alao Registrar of Deeds) . £400 Deputy-Registrar .... 225 Crier (increased from £90 on the motion of Mr. Hart) .... 100 Contingencies 60 Nelson. Deputy-Registrar .... £50 Contingencies 20 New Plymouth. Deputy-Registrar .... £25 Contingencies 10 Canterbury. Deputy-Registrar .... £50 Contingencies 20 Otago. Deputy-Registrar .... £25 Contingencies 10 Registrar-General, under the Marriage Act. Registrar-General (reduced from £300 on the motion of Mr. Sewell) . £200 Messenger 12 Registrar of Deeds. The item—New Plymouth, also Post Master, £200, was struck out, on the motion of Mr. Sewell. The item —Canterbury, for 7 months' arrears of 1853, £87 10a., was postponed. The item —Nelson, also Resident Magistrate, nil, was also struck out. Native Secretary's Department. The whole of the items under this head were postponed, on the motion of Mr. Brown, until certain, information should be obtained respecting the Civil List. I i | 1

Agreed to. The Speaker having resumed the chair, The Chairman reported progress. Mr. Sewell moved that the abore resolution of the Committee of Supply be adopted. Agreed to. Mr. Mebbiman having moved that the house be counted out, and being found that there were only nine members present, The Council adjourned till Monday next, at four o'clock.

Monday, Septembxb 3. The house met pursuant to adjournment. SALARIES OP OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE; Mr. Mebeiman, in the absence of Mr. Carleton, and pursuant to notice, rose to move " That as the Legislative Council, through being debarred from interfering with details of appropriation, are unable to entertain the question of adequate provision for its own. officers, it becomes incumbent on the Representatives to affirm, with respect to the Council also, a resolution which wiis unssecl in favour of the officer of this house during the second session of the Assembly, namely, * That it is of the greatest public importance that the services of officers of this house should be secured by the payment of their salaries, irrespective of any questions arising out of other duties or services.' " Mi-. Mehbimax moved that a respectful address ba presented to bis Excellency, embodying the foregoing resolution. Agreed to. APPROPRIATION BILL. The house resolved itself ia committee for the consideration of the Estimates. Case of Mrs. Taylor. Mr. Mackat moved the consideration of Message No. 30, enclosing application from the widow of Mr. Taylor, late Chief Clerk in the Customs at Auckland. Agreed to. The Message and enclosures having been read, Mr. Mackat moved, " That the committee do re- . commend;, the house to address his Excellency theOfficer administering the Government, praying him to send down a supplementary Estimate, for granting to the widow of the late Mr. T. E. Taylor a sum, ofmoney as a gratuity. Motion negatived. H.M.S. Pandora. Mr. Tbatebs moved that the sum of £500 be appropriated as a gratuity to the officers and crew of H.M.S. Pandora. The Speaker resumed the cliair, and the house adjourned. Tuesday, August 4. TREATY OF WAITANGI. Mr. Pouter, pursuant to notice, rose to move a resolution of this house, declaring " that in all dealings with the natives it is the duty of the Government to carry out the treaty of Waitangi faithfully, honestly, and liberally, in accordance with the sense which they (the natives) understood it, and not according to any interpretation the Government may put upon it which they did not understand ; and that the discussion take place in s committee of the whole house." The last clause of the motion was expunged at the suggestion of some hon: members. Mr. Thavebs moved, as an amendment, — "That all the words of the foregoing resolution be omitted, with a view to the insertion of the following : — c That the consideration of the question involved in this motion be postponed until the formation of a responsible Executive.' " The amendment was agreed to. IMPORTATION OF WARLIKE STORES. Mr. Travehs, pursuant to notice, rose to move a respectful address to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, praying him to inform the house whether any correspondence had taken place between the Government of this colony and the Government of the colony of New South "Wales, on the subject of the exportation from New South Wales of gunpowder and other warlike stores to this colony, and if so, to lay such correspondence on the table of the house. The hon. member, in moving the above, referred to a Sydney paper, from which it appeared that steps were being initiated in that city to prevent the exportation to this colony of gunpowder and other warlike Btores. Mr. CucnrpTON, in seconding the motion, adverted to a well-known fact, that a vessel trading between Sydney and New Plymouth usually contained a large quantity of these articles, and that its owners Bold them extensively to the native population. Agreed to. STATEMENT OF THE SURPLUS REVENUE. Mr. BBO'n'X, pursuant to notice, rose to niove^— "That, inasmuch as the 'statement of the Surplus Revenue Account estimated for the year ending SOtjli June, 1855," furnished to the House of Representatives by the Auditor-General, is not made out in ac-" cordance with the Constitution Act, and being otherwise imaginary and fallacious, that a respectful address be presented to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, praying that a statement may be laid before the house, showing the actual receipts of the revenue (including land deposits) for the year ending 30th June, 1855, with the expenditure as authorized by the Constitution. Act and by the Appropriation Act of the General Assembly. •'Also, a statement for same period, showing the estimated receipts and expenditure for such portions of the year for which the actual receipts and expend!dure may, at present, remain unascertained. " Also, an account showing the surplus revenue for* distribution among the Provinces for the year ending 30th June, 1855, with the sum accruing to each Province and sums paid to each on account thereof" The hon. member gave some striking illustrations of the impossibility of understanding the statements of the surplus revenue, as at present furnished, and showed the urgent necessity of these documents being prepared in strict accordance with the Constitution Act. At the suggestion of an hon. member, he withdrew the words. Agreed to. LOAN BILL. This bill was read a second time, and its consideration in committee ordered to stand an order of the day for Wednesday. APPROPRIATION BILL. The house resolved itself into a Committee of Supply. On the motion of Mr. Mackat, Message No. 59. was considered. Of the Supplementary Estimate* therein enclosed, the following were voted : —

The consideration of pension to Te Hapukei, £Q0 t and to Horekingi, £20, was deferred for further information. Salary of Resident. Magistrate. Mr. Cableton moved that the committee do proceed to the consideration of the postponed resolution respecting an address to his Excellency, to place the sum of £100 additional to the sum upon the civil list for the salary of the Resident Magistrate, at Auckland. Agreed to, and additional amount roted. Hospital, Wanganui. The estimated amount for this department was £618 ss. Mr. SbwbliL objected to discussing the items, and moved that the estimate do stand, "Wanganui, grant in aid of Hospital, £420 j" this being the amount Toted last year. Amendment carried. Hospital, New Plymouth-. Major G-beeitwood moved that the estimate do stand, "New Plymouth, Grant in aid of Hospital, £414 4b." Agreed to. The following items were voted : — Otaki. Resident Surgeon .... £60 Grant* in aid of Hospitals for Native Patients. Auckland ...... £650 YFeUington , , , QQQ Otago 50 Canterbury 50 Nelson 100 • £1,400 The following item was negatived : — Bishop of New Zealand . . .£6OO

Resident Magistrate s Court, Auckland. £ s. d. Chief Clerk . . . . 250 0 0 Interpreter and Clerk (half salary), also Clerk of the Legislative Council, with the salary of £200 per annum . 125 0 0 Extra Clerk .... 180 0 0 Bailiff 155 0 0 Wanganui. Resident Magistrate . . . 200 0 0 Forage, at 4s. per diem (reduced from £73, on the motion of Mr. Sewell) . . .'. . 54 15 0 -j Interpreter . . . . 76 0 0 East Cape. Resident Magistrate . . . 200 0 0 Interpreter, at 7s. 6d. per day . 136 17 6 Hawkds Bay. Clerk and Interpreter . . 150 0 0 Kelson. Resident Magistrate . . 300 0 0 Mr. Seweiji moved, that this committee recommend to the house that a respectful address be presented to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, praying him to place upon the Estimates — £ f. d. For the Resident Magistrate at Canterbury . . . . 300 0 0 Clerk to ditto . . . . 75 0 0 For Resident Magistrate's Department at Wefiiugton . 819 5 0 Clerk to Resident Magistrate at Nelson 100 0 0

s. a. Extra clerical assistance for Colonial Secretary's Office . £205 Pension to Bernard Gapper ; 25 Clerk to Resident Magistrate, Nelson (increased from £100 onthemotionofMr.Travers) 130 Resident Magistrate's Department, Wellington . . 819 Ditto, Canterbury . . . 375 6 3 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0