PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4846, 3 October 1876, Page 2

PARLIAME N T.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Monday, October 2. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at half-past two o'clock. GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. The Hoh. Mr. HALL moved,—That the Government orders of the day take precedence' of the other orders of the day during the remainder of the session.—Agreed to. SECOND READING. . The Blueskiu Athenaeum. Reserve Bill was read a second time. IN COMMITTEE. The Thames Domestic Water Supply Bill was further considered and reported. On the Municipal; Corporations Bill considerable debate occurred on the clause fixing a penalty of £lO for unreasonably proposing a candidate for a Mayoralty. The clause was agreed to. Clause 50 was postponed. Some farther progress was made, and the Chairman reported the Bilk PUBLIC WORKS BILL. This Bill was taken up on the 102nd clause. Sub-section 2 of clause 104 was struck put. All the words after “ employed,” with the exception of “ferry,” in sub-section 6 were struck out. Sub-section 7 was also struck out. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Monday, October 2. The Speaker took the chair at half-past two o’clock. PETITIONS AND NOTICES OP MOTION. Several petitions were presented and noticesof motion given. QUESTION. Captain MORRIS asked the Commissioner of Customs, —If it is the intention of the Government to erect a lighthouse bn East Cape' Island; and, if so, when the work will be undertaken? The Hon. G. McLEAN said it was the intention of the Government to erect the lighthouse, but the exact time at which it would be done could not at present be stated. NEW BILL. Sir GEORGE GREY obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Wellington Hospital Loan Act, 1874. THE HARBOR BOARD BILLS. When the second reading of the Napier Harbor Board Bill was moved, Mr. Bunny said that the Bill had not been circulated, nor could he obtain sight of more than one of the Bills that morning; and seeing the large alienation of the public estate contemplated by the sixteen Harbor Bills on the Order Paper, he thought members should have some time for consideration in the matter, and moved the postponement of the second reading until next day. The Hon. Major ATKINSON explained that the Bill had been circulated since the 26th August. Mr. ROLLESTON wished for an expression of opinion from the Government as to theseBills, which were the direct outcome of tho- ’ abolition policy. He would like to know the total amount of the borrowing power under these Bills. -■ The Hon. Mr. BOWEN said it had been, already stated that the Government were not in the position of guaranteeing these Bills. They had been brought down by Government in order to convenience hon. members, and to prevent their being all thrown out through a technical objection, but each member in charge of each particular Bill would support it on its own merits. Mr. HUNTER thought the best way to let each Bill stand on its own merits would be to read it a second time and go into committee on it. He supported the second reading of the Napier Bill, which was of great importance to the Napier Harbor Board. Mr. Bunny’s motion was then put, and declared lost on the voices. The Napier Bill was then read a second time, and on the motion that it should be committed on Thursday, Mr. Reader Wood said Government as a consequence of the abolition, policy, should have brought in a comprehensive measure to deal with harbors. The Hon. G. McLEAN said Government were considering carefully a general Harbor Bill, but it was impossible to bring it down this session. Government had also considered the endowments which they were prepared to support in regard to the present Bills, and: would notify their intentions in committee. Sir GEORGE GREY suggested that Government should then lay on the table a list of the endowments they were prepared to support. Mr. SHARP advocated the withdrawal of all the Bills, Mr. ROWE hoped the Bills would not be postponed. The Bill was ordered to be committed on Thursday. Before calling on the next order of the day, the Speaker notified that the Castlepoint. Harbor Board Bill and Patea Harbor Board Bill had not been distributed ; however, he thought as a matter of urgency the order of the day might be called on. Mr. ANDREW, in charge of the Bill,, moved the second reading of the Castlepoint Harbor Board Bill. Messrs. J. E. Brown and Bunny opposed the second reading of Bills which were not circulated. In answer to Mr. Rolleston, the Hon. G. McLean said a return of the endowments for harbors should be tabled next day. The Bill was read a second time, and made an order of the day for Thursday next.The following Harbor Board Bills were then read a second time, and their committal ordered for Thursday ’next ;—Thames Harbor Board Bill, Oamaru, Riverton, Bluff, Lyttelton, Tituaru, Wanganui, Hokitika, Patea, Wairaakariri, Moeraki, Wellington, Foxton; Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Bill. COUNTIES BILL. The House went into committee on the Counties Bill. Clauses 54 to 61 were passed. An amendment to clause 62, proposing that councils should fix the time for the annual meetings themselves, was lost on a division by 33 to 15. The date of the fixed annual meeting was altered from the third Wednesday in November to the fourth. The clause as amended was agreed to on. a division by 29 to 18 Considerable discussion took place as to whether the consideration of clause 62 should not, be postponed, as it depended upon the Financial Arrangements Bill, 1876, a measure not yet before the House, the subject being the distribution of the county funds. A division ensued on the question that the clause be postponed—Ayes, 16 ; noes, 36.—Sir George Grey and Mr. Bess strenuously opposed the clause being passed, and after a long discussion

the Hon. Mr. Whitaker said, to test the bona tides ol! the bon. gentlemen who said they were anxious to get on with the other parts of the Bill, he would consent to the postponement of this clause.' , Mr.'WASON called for a division, which resulted as follows;—For the postponement, S 6 ; against, 17. The clause was therefore postponed. The next clause on which a material discussion arose was . clause 119— Appointment of auditors by the Governor. Sir _ George Gbet considered it repugnant to the principle of local self-government that the appointment of auditors should rest with the Governor. Evidently the Government were afraid to trust the people. Messrs. Reynolds, Eeib, Gibbs, and other members insisted upon an independent audit being secured.—Mr. Bees pointed out that municipal corporations had larger borrowing and spending powers than the counties would have, and in respect to these bodies the auditors were not appointed by the Governor, but elected by the people. Eventually the Chairman nded that some of the provisions of the clause brought it within the category of appropriation clauses, andmustbe specially introduced in a committee of the whole House. Clause accordingly passed by. During a discussion on clause 120, regarding accounts, Mr. Donald Reid suggested that as these county authorities probably would,not be very well up in keeping accounts at first, it would be as well if the Government would lay down a certain. system, and prepare a set of books with printed headings, as an example of how the accounts should be kept.—Mr, Bees urged that the county system of keeping books should be as simple as possible. Ho com--1 plained of the complicated character of the accounts the Bill directed to be kept.—Messrs. Reynolds, Stevens, and Murray-Aynslet defended the system of accounts prescribed by the Bill as being exceedingly simple and necessary.—The clause was passed as printed. A division took place on the question as to whether accounts should be balanced yearly or half yearly. By 24 to 16 it was decided the balancing should take place in March and September of each year. On clause 128 being reached (at a quarter to one). Sir George Grey declined to proceed further, as he said he was completely worn out. The division list showed 28 to 10 ; but immediately alter each division the question was again raised. ' Several divisions were taken on the point, the numbers changing to 34 and 9 respectively, noes and ayes. On ■ reaching clause 132 progress was reported. . The House adjourned at 1.30 a.m.