PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4855, 13 October 1876, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, October 12. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. BUILDING SOCIETIES BILL. The following amendments, proposed by his Excellency the Governor, were agreed to ; “In lieu of clause 3, as passed, to insert following new clause :—The Governor may from time to time appoint districts for the purposes of this Act, and may give a name to each such district. Within each such district the Registrar of joint stock companies for the part of the colony comprised within such district shall, without further appointment, be the Registrar of Building Societies under this Act; and the expression ‘ the Registrar,’ where used throughout this Act shall, within the district to which such expression relates, be deemed to refer to the person by this Act constituted Registrar of Building Societies within such district. The Governor may from time to time appoint for each district a fit and proper person, being a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, to be a Revising Barrister for the purposes of this Act within the district for which he shall be so appointed; and any such person may from time to time be removed from his office, and another person, qualified as aforesaid, may be appointed in his stead. In the forms in the second schedule, insert the words ‘district of (naming the district) ’ before the words ‘ New Zealand.’ ” PUBLIC WORKS BILL. This Bill was further proceeded with m committee. The postponed clauses were considered and amended. Some new clauses were then proposed by the Hon. Hr. Pollen and agreed fo without opposition.—The Hon. Mr. Bonab moved the following new clause, to follow 116 :—“Nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to limit or interfere with the right to levy

tolls on any bridge, ferry, tramway, or tollgate granted to any person or persons during the period for which such tolls have been authorised to be so levied, except on paymext of adequate compensation.”—Agreed to after a short discussion. The schedules were then slightly amended and agreed to, and the Bill reported. The Bill was re-committed for the purpose of re-considering certain clauses. In danse 57 the words “one hundred” were substituted for “fifty." Clauses 174, 175, and 176 (penalties for foul water allowed to run into claims and for fouling a natural water-course ; private drains may be closed) were struck out. The Bill was again reported with amendments.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, October 12. The Speaker took the chair at half-past two o’clock. notices. Several notices of motions and questions were given. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. On the motion of Mr. Ballance, leave of absence was granted to Mr. J. E. Brown for a fortnight. PARIS EXHIBITION. Mr. SHARP asked the Premier, —Whether the Government are prepared or willing, to make any provision for the due representation of New Zealand interests and productions at the Grand Exhibition at Paris in 1878? . The Hon. Major Atkinson said he should be enabled to supply information on the matter in a few days, it being already under the consideration of the Government. INSURANCE OFFICES AT RAILWAY STATIONS. In reply to Mr. Hubsthousk, The Hon. Mr. WHITAKER said the Government had under consideration the advisability of establishing insurance offices at the various railway stations in the colony, HE JOHN ARNOTT AND OTHERS. Mr. KENNEDY asked the Government, — Whether it is contemplated to give effect to the report of the Public Petitions Committee in the matter of John Arnott and James Kerr, and Joseph Petrie? The reply was that the Government were considering the matter, and felt that the persons named had a fair claim. COOK STRAIT CABLE. Mr. MURRAY asked the Government, — What arrangements have been made as to payment of demurrage to the ship Zealandia, in consequence of the delay of the Government in taking delivery of the Cook Strait Cable? Why such delay has occurred? Will the new cable be laid on the beat line, irrespective of the old cable? The Hon. Hr. WHITAKER explained the 'arrangements made, in consequence of which the ship Zealandia was at the present time under demurrage at £2O per day. As to the second question, he said the delay had occurred through the interruption of the Port Darwin cable. As to the third question, he replied in the affirmative, namely, that the new cable would be laid on the best line irrespective of the old cable. BILLS INTRODUCED. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time :—Bill to provide for the Management of Certain Reserves of the Waitahuna Athenaeum, in the province of Otago ; and Goldfields Act, 1866, Amendment Bill. SIR JULIUS VOGEL’S TRIP. The Hon. Mr. STAFFORD moved,—That the name of Sir G. Grey be added to the committee on public accounts, for the purpose of investigating and reporting on the subjectmatter referred to that committee on the 10th instant, namely, the cost of Sir Julias Vogel’s trips to England. A discussion arose on a point of order as to a motion by Mr. Dignan that all the words after the word account be struck out, in order to make Sir George Grey a permanent member of the Public Accounts Committee. The Hon. Major ATKINSON stated the Government considered it desirable that bon. gentlemen who considered the public accounts unsatisfactory should be added to the committee, mentioning Sir George Grey and Mr. Bees. The Hon. Hr. WHITAKER stated he should give notice of motion that' the resolution preventing Mr. Bees being a member of the Public Accounts Committee be omitted, and that Mr. Rees’ name be added to that committee, and also the name of Mr. Reynolds. The amendment was then put, and on the Speaker declaring the ayes ,to have it, Mr. Reynolds called for a division, which was accordingly token, the result being that the amendment was carried by 41 to 2. THE PRESS AND THE TELEGRAPH. The Hon. Mr. WHITAKER moved, — That a select committee be, appointed to inquire and report to the House what facilities can be given to newspapers for the use of the telegraph, consistently with a due regard to its use by the public, and without entailing an undue loss of revenue. Such committee to consist of Mr. Ballance, Mr. Barff, Mr. Joyce, Mr. De Lautour, Mr. Macfarlane, M r - Montgomery, Mr. Reid, Hon. Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Swanson, and the mover ; with power to call for persons and papers ; five to be a quorum, and to report within fourteen days. The motion was carried. COMPENSATION. Mr. CURTIS moved, —That this House will on Wednesday next resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to consider of an address to his Excellency the Governor, praying that he will cause to be placed upon the Supplementary Estimates the sum of £BOO, in order to carry out the recommendation of the Public Petitions Committee contained in their report upon the petition of Alexander Stitt. A discussion arose on the motion. The case which came before the Petitions Committee was that the petitioner, being a contractor under the Government, had suffered loss through the performance of his contract while adhering strictly to the terms of the specifications. The Hon. Mr. RICHARDSON said the Government would not oppose the motion to go into committee, but should resist the proposal to be made in committee. Motion carried. INSPECTOR-GENERAL OP PRISONS.

Mr. BURNS moved that the Government be requested to transmit a cablegram to Great Britain without any delay, cancelling the appointment or promised appointment of any person to the office of Inspector-General of Prisons. He advocated appointing an Inspector from among the people of the colony. He mentioned Mr. Caldwell, of the Dunedin gaol, as an eligible man. The Hon. Mr. BOWEN said there were two questions involved in the motion —first, whether an inspector of prisons should be appointed, and whether, in the second place, he should be sent for to England. He proceeded to show how necessary it was that there should be a proper classification of prisoners and gaols, referring to the Home legislation on the subject, and the generally expressed opinion as to the necessity for a uniform system of classification. He drew attention to the evils arising out of there being, as there now were in New Zealand, different systems, thus creating difficulties for magistrates, and inflicting injustice on the criminal classes. The colony was in reality breeding criminals at the present time, because prisoners for widely different offences, some comparatively trifling, and others extremely grave, were placed together without any attempt at classification of them. Having thus pointed out the necessity for classification, —a necessity, which, he observed, was greater from the fact of the Legislature having postponed the establishment of a central prison,— he proceeded to the second part of the question, and contended firmly that it was necessary to send for an inspector to places where there were men acquainted with the most modern and best systems of uniform classification. He hoped that members would give the subject their earnest consideration. Mr. CURTIS hoped the House would not interfere with the action which the Government had taken in this matter, and agreed with the Hon. Mr. Bowen as to the desirability of having a superior man for the position, and one acquainted- with what was acknowledged to be the best system of classification. ' ...... ,:

Mr. REYNOLDS, while admitting Mr, Caldwell’s ability to fill the position he at present occupied, thought, it would be highly impolitic should the Government Appoint him to the highly responsible position of InspectorGeneral of Prisons for the colony. Mr. ROLLESTON spoke warmly as to the necessity of reform in the gaols generally, and particularly as to the want of extension of gaol accommodation. Mr. MURRAY trusted the Government would not go beyond New Zealand until they had tried to obtain the services of a man in the colony. Mr. BUTTON pointed out that the question was not as to the qualification of some person as gaoler. The office of Inspector was a very different thing ; he would he required to advise and make recommendations to the Government, and should have a thorough acquaintance with gaol matters ; therefore he did not think the Government should be tied to any particular place from which to select an officer.

Mr. HISLOP warmly supported the claims of Mr. Caldwell to the appointment. Mr. MACFARLANE did not think the office necessary ; that was his objection. Mr. DE LAUTOUR said the sum placed on the Estimates for the office, £6OO, would not attract any one whose position was higher than an ordinary gaoler. The Hon. Mr. BOWEN thought the last speaker was mistaken. Sir GEORGE GREY contended that there were qualified men in the colony to fill positions which colonial men were not appointed to. He considered proceedings like those on the part of the Government were most extraordinary. Encouragement, he continued to say, should be held out to the-young men of the country to aspire to important offices. He held that there were men in the colony fit to occupy the position of Inspector-General of Prisoners, and should support the motion, of the hon. member for Roslyn. Mr. SHEEHAN said the present machinery was sufficient to keep the prisons in a proper state during the recess. The appointment would be premature. The present was not a time for the creation of new offices, and there was no emergency demanding the appointment. He advocated the postponement of the matter for twelve months ; and when the appointment was made, it should be made within the colony, because he denied ■ that there would be any advantage in appointing a man from England, where he denied that they had arrived at a solution of the prison difficulty, and asserted that the system there was very little, if at all, better than our own. . Mr. HARPER supported the Government proposal. Mr. HUNTER agreed with what the Hon. Mr. Bowen had said as to the demand for classification of prisoners and prisons; and in view of the gaols of the colony being under General Government control, it would be necessary that there should be such an officer; and as to where the appointment should be made, no doubt England offered a better field than this colony. After further discussion, in which Dr. Henry and Messrs. Swanson and Fisher took part, the mover replied. The question was then put, and a division called for. It resulted in the motion being negatived by 25 to 24. PROTECTION OP ANIMALS ACT.

The second reading of the Protection of Animals Act 1873 Amendment Bill was moved by Sir George Gbey, carried on the voices, and ordered to be committed on Thursday. AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL LIBRARY BILL. This Bill was read a second time, and its committal ordered presently. ; IN COMMITTEE. The House went into committee on the Auckland Provincial Council Library Bill, the Dunedin Drillshed Reserves Bill, and the New Zealand University Act 1874 Amendment Bill. The two former were considered, reported, read a third time, and passed. In the case of the latter, progress was reported, a.ud leave obtained to sit again on Thursday. WAITARA HARBOR BOARD BILL. The second reading of this Bill was moved by Mr. Kelly, and carried on the voices. The committal was ordered for the same time as the other Harbor Board Bills on the Order Paper. THE COLEMAN PHILLIPS GRANT. The House went into committee of the whole to consider of an address to his Bxcellenpy the Governor,' requesting him to recommend to the House an appropriation of £3OO, to meet the report of the Public Petitions Committee in the case of Mr. Coleman Phillips.—Mr. Hamlin moved the address. — Major Atkinson opposed, stating" that he would place £l5O on the Estimates for the purpose, and moved an amendment to that effect—A discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Sheehan, Hon. G. McLean, Lusk Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Rees, Brandon, Murray-Aynsley, Hamlin, Webb, Andrew, and Rolleston ' took part. Mr. Andrew moved . an amendment reducing the proposed grant to Mr. Coleman Phillips to sixpence.—This, amendment was lost on the voices.—On the amendment for £l5O being put, it was carried on a division by 30 to 27.—This was reported to the House and agreed to. < AUCKLAND PUBLIC: BUILDINGS BILL. This Bill was read: a. second time on the motion of the Hon. Mr. Whitaker. WELLINGTON HOSPITAL AND COLLEGE RESERVES BILL. This Bill was read' a second time on the motion of Sir George Grey, and ordered to be committed on Thursday. CATTLE IMPORTATION RESTRICTION BILL. This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed after the consideration of the Harbor Board Bills. Mr. REES moved the postponement of orders of the day. other than the Harbor Board Bills.— Messrs. Rolleston, Hislop, Russel], and Andrew addressed the House, and the motion was carried on a division by 37 to 16. HARBOR BOARD BILLS. The Speaker then left the chair, and the House went into committee on the Napier, Castle Point, Thames, Oamaru, Riverton, Bluff, Lyttelton, Timaru, Wanganui, Hokitika, Patea, Waimakariri, Moeraki, Wellington, Foxtnn, and Otago Harbor Board Bills, and the Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Bill. Mr. Seymour took the chair in the absence of Mr. O’Rorke. An important amendment was made in the Thames Bill, the native rights to the foreshore being reserved, on the motion of Mr. Nahe. Mr. J. O. Brown proposed an amendment on clause 28 of the Lyttelton Bill, but it was lost on the voices. Clauses 59, 60, 61, 62j and 63, dealing with the endowment in the same Bilb were struck out. Mr. STAFFORD accepted an amendment by Mr.' Wason in clause 56 of the Timaru Bill, : dealing with the endowment. A division was then taken on the clause at the instance of Mr. De Lautour, 29 being for and 5 against it. Clause 53 in the Waimakariri Bill, dealing with the Ashley county, was amended, as was also the following clause, which deals with the foreshore. At a quarter past two Mr. Seymour left the chair for a quarter of an hour, the Moeraki Harbor Board Bill being under the consideration of the committee. Fourteen Harbor Board Bills passed through the committee from half-past twelve. (Left sitting.)