PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4783, 21 July 1876, Page 3

PARLIAME N T.

legislative council. Thursday, Jolt 20. The Council met at half-past two o’clock. PAPERS. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN laid on the table the following papers : —New Zealand Civil List Account, 1875-6 ; return relating to Crown lands ; report of the present state of the Jackson Bay settlement; report by the Actuaries of the Government Insurance department. The Hon. Mr. BOISAR gave notice that he would move that the Jackson Bay report be printed. PUBLIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE. The report of the above committee was brought up by the Hon. Captain Baillie, and read. TORRES STRAIT TELEGRAMS. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN stated, for the information of hon. members, that a telegram had been received stating that the departure of the steamer which ran between Singapore and Port Darwin would be delayed until the following morning. CENTRAL GAOL AT TARANAKI. The Hon. Captain PHASER moved that there be laid upon the table, copies of the plans and specifications of the proposed central gaol at Taranaki. The hon. gentleman stated that the Colonial Secretary had, unintentionally no doubt, misled hon. members as to the amount of concrete to be used in the gaol. He read telegrams from Messrs. Lucas and Proudfoot, of Otago, which showed that that material had only been used in the foundations and round the fireplaces. He regretted that so much money was being swallowed by the insatiable maw of Taranaki. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN said the only objection he saw to the motion of hon. member was the cost involved. The time necessary for their production should also be considered. They would take not less than a week. He was surprised that the hon. member had gone to Otago for information which ha could have obtained from the Colonial Architect. If the Council thought it necessary to incur the expense, there was no other objection. The Hon. Captain ERASER said that the reason he had gone to Otago for information was that he doubted the evidence of his own senses. The motion was carried. TARANAKI BOTANICAL GARDENS BILL. This Bill was read a second time. Dr. Pollen explained the objects of the Bill, lu 1875 a Provincial Ordinance was passed with the same intention as this Bill. The SolicitorGeneral had taken exception to certain provisions thatwerein that Ordinance,whichhadgiven power to impose certain penalties, &c., and in consequence his Excellency was advised not to assent to the measure. These objections, however, had not been to the principle of that Ordinance. The Bill was subsequently committed, when clauses 1 to 8, 10, 11, 12, and 14 to 17, were agreed to. Clauses 9 and 13 were postponed. The Bill will be further considered to-day (Friday.) LAND TRANSFER ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The second reading was made an order of the day for next day. lOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH CHURCH OF ENGLAND LANDS BILL. The committal of this Bill was postponed till Friday week. MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. A message was received from the other Chamber with the Otago Presbyterian Church Validation Act. On the motion of the Hon. Dr. Menzies the second reading was fixed for Tuesday next. The South Dunedin and St. Kilda Municipalties Bill was also received from the House of Representatives, and its second reading, on the motion of the same hon. member, made an order of the day for Tuesday. The Council then adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, July 20. The Speaker took the chair at half-past two o’clock. PETITIONS AND NOTICES. A number of petitions were presented and notices given. QUESTIONS. Mr. ROLLESTON asded whether he could have a return prepared, showing approximately the extent of borrowing powers authorised by the act of the General Assembly to be exercised by Municipalities, Harbor Boards, Drainage Boards, or other public bodies, and the extent to which such power has been exercised ? The Hon. Sir JULIUS VOGEL said such a return could be prepared, but it would take some time. The hon. member had better give notice of motion. In reply to Mr. Stout, The Hon. Major ATKINSON said all official correspondence on the subject of the late Otago Waste Lands Board affair had been laid upon the table. NEW BILLS. Bills were introduced as follows:—By Mr. Bunny Masterton and Greytown Lands Management Act, 1871. By Mr Ormond Napier Municipal Council Reserves Bill,Napier Harbor Board Endowment Bill, Napier Hospital Bill. EXPENDITURE FOR DEFENCE PURPOSES. Mr. MURRAY moved,—That there be laid before the House, a return showing the expenditure out of loan and revenue from the 30th June, 1872, for native and defence purposes, in continuation of the return prepared to that date. Agreed to. government officers. Mr. MURRAY moved for a return showing what salaried officers of the General Government are permitted to receive remuneration for services outside of their service to. the General Government, the amount of such remuneration, and the value of such services. The Hon. Sir JULIUS VOGEL opposed the motion, and pointed out that the hon. member could not have considered the effect of the motion, for if it were passed, the House would also have to pass an Act to enable the Government to make inquiry into the private affairs of the officers. In many cases such an inquiry would be a little anomalous. For instance, registrars of births, deaths, and raarriagesynight be considered Government officers, but in most country districts these officers were engaged in business ; the same way with postmasters. Did the hon. member desire these gentlemen to furnish an account of their business ? So with revising officers being solicitors in practice. Not only was the amount of remuneration asked for, but the nature of the services, and he did not think officers would for a small sum per year state the character of the business in which they were engaged. The hon gentleman read a long list of the officers

who would come within the scope of the motion. At the instance of Mr. Macakdrew, the motion was amended by the return apply only to those officers receiving upwards of £2OO a year, and in this form carried. THE BABBIT NUISANCE. On the motion of D r * HoDGKINSON, a select committee was appointed to enquire into the rabbit nuisance. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CONSOLIDATED REVENUE. On the motion of Mr. Stevens, it was ordered that a return should be laid on the table of the House, showing the contributions to the Consolidated Revenue of each province during the financial year ended 30th June, 1876. PORTRAITS OP SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. WAKEFIELD moved—“ That Mr. Speaker be invited to communicate the desire of this House to Sir David Monro and Sir Francis Dillon Bell, former Speakers of this House, that the portraits of those gentlemen -ball be placed in the precincts of this House, side by side with that of Sir Charles Clifford, the first Speaker of this House. He spoke in favor of the practice of having mementoes of gentlemen who had occupied such distinguished positions in the country. Mr. J. C. BROWN would like to know at whose expense the portraits were to be obtained —if at the expense of the country he should object to it, and if not, it seemed a very peculiar position for the House to take up to ask three gentlemen to go to great expense in order to make a gift to the House. Several other members spoke in a similar strain, and the motion was withdrawn. LOCAL OPTION LICENSING BILL. The debate was resumed by Mr. Joyce, who said he had given some attention to this matter, and was of opinion that prohibition had proved an utter failure in the past, and he should oppose the Bill. Discussing the question of temperance, he thought the drinking customs must continue, and could ■ not be checked by legislation. Mr. ROWE spoke in favor of the Bill. He could not see why the people of a locality should not have the control of publichouses in their districts. He felt convinced that could the drinking customs be suppressed the colony would save a large sum in excess of _ any revenue which might be derived from spirits, Mr. HARPER opposed the Bill because he considered the Licenses Act fully sufficient for regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors. He would yield to none in a desire to check intemperance, hut he could not see that this Act would serve the purpose. Dr. HODGKINSON considered the Bill sound in principle. Mr. MANDERS opposed the Bill because he thought the licensing law required consolidation, not extension. Mr BRYCE also opposed the Bill, and spoke at some length on the advisahleness of educating the people, and not forcing them to abstain by legislation. He suggested that control should be afforded by giving people of localities power to elect licensing boards. Mr. STOUT replied at length. He referred to the great evils of intemperance in this country, pointing out that upwards of two millions a year was spent in New Zealand in liquor, and after tracing the history of legislation in America, said there could be no question as to the utility of this Bill, one of the good effects of which was that the attention of the people being called to the matter tritnnially would alone be a powerful agent in educating the people on the matter of temperance. He would be quite willing to fall in with the suggestion of the hon. member for Wanganui in respect of the establishment of licensing boards. Some people seemed to think the drinking evil ought not to.be grappled with, and would stand with folded arms and watch the gradual deterioration of the people, as had been aptly put by Mr. Chamberlain in the Fortnightly Review. There were hundreds of people jin this colony, aye, people in good positions, who were being daily ruined by drink, and if the House only rescued twenty of those people a year, it would be doing a good work, and a work which must be done. It was time the subject was grappled with, and the sooner the country took it in hand in earnest the better. A division ensued, and the second reading was carried by 38 to 28. The Bill was ordered to be committed in a week. AUCKLAND INSTITUTE BILL. On the motion of Sir George Grey, this Bill was read a second time. CANTERBURY EDUCATION RESERVES LEASING BILL. This Bill was passed through all its stages. The House then adjourned.