PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5105, 3 August 1877, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, August 2. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. ' PAPERS AND PETITION. Various papers were laid on the table by the Hon. Dr. Pollen, and several petitions were presented by the Hon. Captain Baillie from residents in the counties of Wanganui, Hutt, Marlborough, Port Chalmers, Waimea, and Eangitikei. MOTIONS. The Hon. Mr. Hall and the Hon. Mr. Booklet gave several notices of motion, and motions without notice were tabled by the Hon. Captain Baillie. QUESTIONS. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN, in reply to the Hon. Captain Fraser, who asked when it was the intention of the Government to carryout recommendations contained in the InspectorGeneral of Lunatic Asylum’s report, referring especially to the Dunedin Asylum and its overcrowded state, replied that the Government would carry out the recommendations of Dr. Skae as soon as possible, i.e., as soon as they could obtain the necessary appropriation for the purpose. forest tbees planting encouragement bill. The Hon. Messrs. Hall, Kobinson, and Capt. Eraser having spoken, the Hon. Dr. Pollen, in an explanatory speech, moved the second leading of this Bill The Hon. Messrs. Hall, Eobinson, Holmes, Colonel Whitmore, Sir F. D. Bell, Dr. Menzies, Capt. Fraser, and Colonel Brett, having spoken to the Bill, the Hon. Dr. Pollen responded, and the second reading was carried. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN then moved that the Bill be considered in committee on Tuesday next.—Carried. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN moved the third reading of this Bill. The Hon. Mr. PHAEAZYN objected, saying that sufficient consideration had not been paid to it by the Council. The Hon, Dr. POLLEN having replied, the Bill, which had been certified to by the Chairman of Committees, was then read a third time and passed. INDUSTRIAL AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN moved the third reading of this Bill, it having been certified to by the Chairman of Committees. This was carried, and the Bill passed. The Council then (at 4.30) adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, August 2. The Speaker took the chair at halfpast two o’clock. PETITIONS AND NOTICES. A number of petitions were presented and notices of motion given. Mr. MAC ANDREW gave notice of his intention to ask whether the colony was likely to lose the services of Sir Jalius Vogel at the end of the year. Mr. O’EOBKE gave notice of his intention to move on Wednesday next, —That an address be presented to his Excellency, praying that an appropriation of a 65000 should be made on behalf of public libraries throughout the colony. Mr. STOUT gave notice of his intention to move that the Governor should beeleoted by the people. QUESTIONS. In answer to Mr. J. C. Brown, the Hon. Major Atkinson said it was not the intention of the Government at the present time to recommend any further nominations to the Legislative Council. Mr. , HAM LIN asked the Commissioner of Customs, —If he will cause to be laid before this House a return showing (1) the distance steamed respectively by the steamers Hinemoa and Stella during the past nine months; (2)

the amount of coal consumed by each of the vessels; (3) the cost of-working each of the vessels; (4) a statement showing the services upon which these steamers have been respectively engaged?—The Hon. George McLean waa understood to reply that such a return would be forthcoming. In reply to Mr. Stout, the Hon. Major Atkinson said that the despatch of his Excellency the Governor to the Bight Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon, dated the 9th January, 1877, was writteu with the approval of the Ministry. Mr. BEES asked the Postmaster- General, —By whose authority telegrams sent to the Press are perused|by the telegraph officials, and altered or amended by them without the consent of the Benders?—The Hon. GEORGE McLean’s answer was to the effect that so far as: he was informed it was not the case that telegrams were altered by the officials. It must he understood that there were difficulties in connection with the working of the department; hut he knew of no particular case of impropriety which should have led to the question now put. In reply to Mr. Fitzboy, the Hon. Geoeob McLean said it was the intention of the Government to give effect to the intentions of the late Minister for Public Works, by opening telegraph offices for the use of the public at all the principal railway stations. Steps were now being taken to that end. bills introduced. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time : A Bill to provide that every House of Representatives shall, unless the General Assembly shall be sooner dissolved, continue for the period of three years from the day of the return of the writs for choosing such House, and no longer. A Bill to provide that all males of twentyone years of age and upwards shall be qualified to vote as electors in New Zealand, and to provide that in determining the number of members of the House of Representatives to be elected for each electoral district, regard shall be had to the number of electors within the same, so that the number of members assigned to any one district may bear to the whole number of the members of the House of Representatives, as nearly as may be, the same proportion as the number of electors within such district shall bear to the whole number of electors in New Zealand. A Bill to amend The Dunedin Drill Shed Reserve Act, 1876. REVENUE PROM NATIVE LANDS. Mr. TRAVERS moved, —For a return of all revenues accrued under the Native Lands Acts during each of the years 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1875, and specifically referred to in sections of the Appropriation Acts of those years, showing the amount accrued in each province of the North Island during each of those years. The motion, which did not elicit discussion, was carried. THE HARBOR BOARD OP OTAGO. Mr, BURNS moved, —That the Government be requested to take Immediate steps to prevent the members of the Otago Harbor Board paying themselves fees, in defiance of the fourth section of the Otago Harbor Board Act, 1876. A clear breach of the Act had been committed, and he had documentary evidence to prove that he was right. The Hon. GEORGE McLEAN remarked that when the general Harbor Board Bill was brought down the hon, gentleman would have a better opportunity of dealing with the matter, and he hoped therefore that he would withdraw the motion. Mr. BURNS consented to withdraw his motion. RAILWAY COMMISSION —COST THEREOF. Mr. BURNS moved, —That a return be laid before this House showing the cost of the Railway Commission, and the expenses incurred by each member outside his regular salary:—including railway and steamboat fares —and where the Hinemoa was engaged, her actual expenditure in stores, coals, wages, &c., during the trip. That commission took away several officers of the Government, and it struck him that if their duties could be carried on satisfactorily in their absence their services might be dispensed with altogether. The commission also made railway management worse than it was before. It was impossible that any uniform railway tariff could be made satisfactory to North and South alike. The Hon. Mr. ORMOND said the Hinemoa was not engaged at all. The other information asked for would be given. The rate of charges was lower under the new system in the South. Mr. READER WOOD said the Government had acted in direct opposition to the report of the commission. The railways were mismanaged throughout the colony, and instead of their paying there was a direct loss on every one of them. Mr. J. E. BROWN said the appointment of the Railway Commission was the greatest blunder that the late Minister of Public Works ever committed. A class of men less likely to bring about a satisfactory result could not have been chosen. The schedule of charges had worked most injuriously throughout the colony. He should be inclined to move that a committee be appointed to inquire into the management of the railways. Mr. TRAVERS explained, on behalf of Mr. Passmore, that that gentleman had, whilst he signed the report as one of the commissioners, protested against the system of accounts contained in the report.

Mr. BUENS, iu reply, suggested that it would be well in the interests of the colony for the Minister of Public Works to look more closely into the details of his department. The motion was then put and carried. AS TO THE NECESSITY FOR A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT. Mr. BUENS moved fer a select committee, to consist of ten members, to inquire into the necessity for the weather-reporting and stormsignalling department; to have power to call for persons and papers, and to report within fourteen days. The Hon. Mr. REYNOLDS suggested that the motion should be amended by inserting the following words after department Also, to inquire into the working of the steamers Hinemoa and Stella.” Mr. BUENS accepted the amendment, as also one suggested by Mr. Travers, that the Government should inquire into the advisability of merging all the meteorological departments throughout the colony in the weather reporting and storm signalling department. The motion as amended was agreed to. EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENTS.

The Hon. Mr, REYNODS moved,—That, prior to the committal of the Education Bill, a printed return be placed in the hands of members, showing the ■ amount of town and country land reserved in each provincial district for educational purposes, particularising whether held by the Government, education boards, trustees, or corporate bodies ; also the particular objects for which they were so reserved, and an estimate by the Commissioner of Crown Lands in each district of the value of each class of such reserves ; also a return showing what moneys, if any, are in hand from sales or rents of any reserves which have been granted, and in whose charge, and how invested ; also a return of all property vested in or under the control of any education board for educational purposes. Since the return of last session several educational reserves had been sold, and he thought before the Education Board Bill was brought under discussion, the House should be put in possession of such information as would enable them to know how much of these reserves had been disposed of and in what manner. The Hon. Mr. BOWEN said a great deal of the information asked for was being prepared, and would be laid before the House in a few days. On this understanding, Mr. Reynolds agreed, on the suggestion of the Hon. Major Atkinson, to strike out the words in his motion, “ Prior to the committal of the Bill.” NATIVE PETITIONS. Mr. NAHE moved, and it wag carried, that the petitions referred to the Native Affairs Committee during the session of 1870, on which the committee were unable to make such enquiries as would justify them in reporting an opinion, bo referred to the Select Committee on Native Affairs,

CONVEYANCE >OP ’IMMIGRANTS.- ■ ' -..Mr,-JOHNSTON .moved, copies,of the tenders of the present contract for the conveyance from the United Kingdom of immigrants and Government material be laid before this House. . . The Hon. DONALD REID laid the copies on the table. .

Mr. WAKEFIELD moved,—That a return be laid before the House showing the amount of fees levied without the authority of law by the instructions of the Surveyor-General during the past year. The Hon. DONALD REID said the practice of charging for inspection of documents had been in operation in Otago since he could recollect, and he denied that the charges were made without authority of law. In Canterbury some difficulty had been experienced, owing to the dilapidated state of the maps in the department there; but steps were being taken to procure duplicates, and very shortly the people throughout the colony would be in a better position as to obtaining information. There was no desire to obtain a revenue from this source.

Mr. GISBORNE protested against the doctrine that the public might be legitimately charged for the inspection of public documents. If a charge was to be made it should be done under thefauthority of a special Act, and not by the will of Ministers. Mr. TRAVERS, while fully approving of the action taken by the Minister for Lands, remarked that some regulation should be made under which the department might control the power of the public to examine the plans in the office, as there were certain plans to which the public should not have unlimited access, such as those exhibiting the data from which the ordinary accessible plans were compiled. Mr. SEYMOUR testified to the hardships experienced in his own district from the practice of levying this charge. Mr. STOUT pointed out that there was nothing to compel the Government to permit indiscriminate public inspection of all plans they might have in the Survey Department, and submitted that the Government had perfect power to make the charge. A long discussion followed, for and against the question. The motion was carried. WAKA MAORI LIBEL CASE. Mr. REES moved, —(1.) That this House is of opinion that it is unjust and unconstitutional for any Ministry to use the influence of the Government and the moneys of the State, on their own authority, for the purpose of defending an action brought by one citizen against another for an alleged libel. (2.) That after the deliberate vote of this House in committee last session, striking out the item asked by the Government for the Waha Maori newspaper, and the strong expression of the opinion of this House that the Ministry should not support that paper as before, this House considers the conduct of the Government, in still continuing to carry on the Waha Maori, is highly reprehensible. There might be circumstances under which the Government should defend those employes when such employes had acted under their instructions. This, however, was not a parallel case. He then referred to the articles published in the Waha Maori having reference to the Hon. Henry Russell. Presuming that a servant of the Government had gone outside his duty to do another man a wrong, it was surely unconstitutional and opposed to all principles of right that the Government should supply such servant with the means of defending himself in the action taken by the gentleman whose character had been attacked. It was stated that a plea of justification had been set forth by the defendant. Well, he could understand the Government coming to that House after the conclusion of the case and asking them to vote such amount of money as the defendant was out of packet, providing that the plea of justification was proved. But the Government took upon themselves to defend the case ; and the expense tell upon the State. The Government, he submitted, had no right to have a paper (supported by public funds) which could be made the vehicle for calumnious attacks upon its opponents. If the Government were responsible for the printing of this paper they, occupied the exact position of ordinary criminals, and the natural sequence was that they could be placed in the dock as ordinary criminals. Ha apprehendsd that not a single member of that House would sanction the Government in conducting a paper, or in employing tools for purposes of libel, and he really believed that had the Government thoroughly considered the matter before they would not have taken this course. He would draw atteutiou to the fact that if Mr. Russell had not taken proceedings in the matter he would by his silence have acquiesced in the charges brought before him. But the Government had not in the first place made enquiries to ascertain what was the truth of the matter. Now, however, proceedings having been entered upon, the Government had messengers employed scouring the country for information, and expending the public money in endeavoring to prove the plea of justification which had been put upon record by the defendants in the action, who could not be regarded otherwise than as the tools of the Government. He submitted that the action of the Government in having anything to do with the publication of the Waka Maori amounted to an expression of contempt for the House after the decided expression of opinion given last session. He explained that he had no desire to make this a party question, and so long as the principle of his motion was maintained he would have no objection to any modification of it being made which should strip it of the character of a vote of want of confidence. The Hon. Mr. WHITAKER said this subject should not have been brought before the House whilst the Waha Maori case was pending. The debate at this point was interrupted by the usual hour of adjournment. At half-past seven the House met again, and before resuming business, The Hon. Major ATKINSON said he understood it to be the desire of the House to adjourn. The Government weie quite prepared to go on with the business, but he would move the adjournment pro forma, and leave the question in the bands of hon. members. The motion being generally approved, the House adjourned.