PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4551, 21 October 1875, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday, October 20.

Having taken the chair at 12 o’clock, The Hon. the SPEAKER laid on'the table correspondence regarding the salaries of officers of the Legislative Council. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE said the matter should not be left where it was, and remarked at length on what he looked upon as an indignity to the Council. The clerks of the Council should be placed on an equality with those of the House of Representatives. He moved that the Council regretted that the resolution of the Council last year, that the officers of the Council should be placed on the same footing as those of the House of Representatives, had not been given effect to. The Hon. Mr. HOLMES thought some more decisive action was desirable than that taken by Mr. Waterhouse. He felt assured that the members of the Council would agree to a reduction in their honorarium rather than that the officers should not be adequately remunerated. After some further discussion. The motion of the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse was put and carried. DUNEDIN BORROWING EXTENSION BILL. 'Hie Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE brought up tfie report of the managers of both Houses in the conference on the above Rill. The report, which was adopted, read as follows ; “ The managers of the free conference on the Dunedin Corporation Borrowing Powers Extension and Debentures Act, 1875, recommend that the amendments made by the Council should be waived, on condition that the following proviso be added to clause 3, namely : Provided that of the sum of £300,000 hereby authorised to be raised an amount of one hundred thousand pounds shall be devoted to the purpose of draining the said city, and for the sanitary improvement thereof, and for no other purpose whatever.” JOINT HOUSE COMMITTEE. The Hon. Colonel BRETT moved that the report of the Joint House Committee be adopted, and a copy of the same, with this resolution forwarded for the information of Ministers. —Carried. DISQUALIFICATION ACT. The Council went into committee on the Disqualification Act Amendment Bill. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE proposed to erase clause 4, for indemnifying persons previous to the passing of this BUI A division was taken, and the motion was negatived by 12 to 8. The other clauses were then passed, and the Bill was reported to the Council, upon which it was read a third time, and passed. CONFISCATED LANDS BILL. A message was received from the Governor, submitting for the consideration of the Council an amendment in clause 16.—The amendment was agreed to. BEPBESENTATION ACT. The Hon. Mr. Holmes moved, and the Hon. Mr. Russell seconded, that the Bill be read that day six months. The motion was rejected by 12 to 7. The Council then went into committee. After passing the various clauses, The Bill was eventually read a third time, and passed. OTHER BILLS. , The Riddell Grant Bill was read a third time. The Vincent Land Purchase Bill was thrown out. IMMIGRATION AND PUBLIC WORKS APPROPRIATION BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN briefly moved the second reading of this Bill, The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE spoke at some length in condemnation of the salaries of departmental officers being paid out of loans. He also referred to the improvements of Ministerial residences being charged against the loan. The fact of placing upon loans items of expenditure which should come out of ordinary revenue, was calculated to have a damaging effect on the credit of the colony. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN, in replying, pointed out that the Public Works department bad been created by the expenditure of the

> i oaI1) and as the loan was expended the expenditure would proportionately decrease. : The Bill was read a second time, and the Council went into committee. The clauses were passed without amendment, the Bill was reported, and read a third time. APPROPRIATION ACT. . The second reading of this Bill was moved by the Hon. Hr. Pollen. After some remarks 6'n the part of the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, The Hon. Mr. MANTELL moved that the debate on the Bill be adjourned till Monday , next. He did so because the other branch of the Legislature had not respected the Council’s resolution regarding officers’ salaries. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN assured the Council that the grievance would be redressed next session. The motion was negatived, and after the second reading being carried, the Speaker left the chair. The Bill was then committed, reported to the Council, read a third time, and passed. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN moved, and it was carried, that the Council resume at half-past two o’clock to-day, as it was likely the Governor would be pleased to prorogue the Council at three o’clock. HOUSE OF REPRESEN TATI YE S. Tuesday, October 19. The item £305 195., for Messrs. Von Stunner and Williams (less bankruptcy expenses) foxdefraying legal and other expenses incurred in pi-oceedings to quash a conviction, was rejected. Also the item £SOO for a bi-idge over the Maerewhenua. The resolutions from Committee of Supply were reported to the House and agreed to. The House went into committee on the Public Works and Immigration Appropriation Bill, which was considered, amended, reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. The House then adjourned. Wednesday, October 20. The Speaker took the chair at half-past 2 o’clock. Several papers and reports were laid on the table. On the x-epox-t of the Public Accounts Committee being laid on the table, Mx*. Bunny moved that the House adopt tlxe repox-t, and thoxxglxt the Hoxxse should concxxr witlx its recommendations, especially that part with regard to giving notice to the Baxxk of New Zealand of termination of agx-eement as to deposit of the balance of the loan. This was opposed by the Hon, Major Atkinson.

Sir DONALD MoLEAN thought that after the allegations which had been made against Sir Julius Vogel in his absence, the resolution of the committee so completely exonerating him should be adopted. ‘The Hon. Mr. STAFFORD warmly supported Sir Donald McLean in his views. Sir GEORGE GREY thought that the matter should be taken further, and an approval expressed of the frank manner in which the Bank of New Zealand had at once expressed its willingness to have its private affairs thrown fully open when a public inquiry was needed. Mr. PEARCE concurred, and testified to the readiness to submit to the closest scrutiny exhibited by the Bank of New Zealand. The question that the House approve of the resolution of the committee exonerating Sir Julius Vogel was then put and carried on the voices, Mr. B unny withdrawing his motion. It was agreed that the resolution of the House be communicated to Sir Julius Vogel by the Speaker. The House went into Committee of Ways and Means, and passed resolutions, which were reported to the House and agreed to. The Appropriation Bill was passed through al The 3 Horn' Major ATKINSON bore testimony to the assistance the Government had obtained from the Comptroller in regard to these Bills. The House then adjourned.