PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5160, 5 October 1877, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, 4th October. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. TAPERS AND RETURNS. Various papers and returns were laid on the table of the Council by the Hon. Dr. Pollen. PETITIONS. The Hon. Captain ERASER brought up a petition from 100 residents of the town of Napier, asking the Council not to grant that the Te Aute estate should ba re-leased to the Eev. Mr. Williams.—The petition was read. MOTION WITHOUT NOTICE. The Hon. Colonel WHITMORE moved, and it was carried,—That a message should be sent to the House of Representatives asking permission for the Hon. Mr. Ormond to attend and give evidence before the select committee of the Legislative Council on the removal of J. A. Wilson.

QUESTION. In answer to the Hon. Mr. Fall, who asked him, Whether the existing law is sufficient to enable the Government to suppress public lotteries, or whether for such purpose an alteration in the law is required ? the Hon. Dr. Pollen stated that under local Ordinances only three districts, Otago, Auckland, and Taranaki, had power to put down lotteries. He had caused instructions to be issued to the police to enforce the law where it was operative, and instructed _ them to discourage the drawing of lotteries in publichouses, by warning the landlords; and if these latter took no notice of the warning they received on the subject from the police, it would militate against the renewal of their licenses. He still hoped that some steps might be taken to remedy the evil this session. MOTION. The Hon. Mr. MANTELL moved, and it was carried,—That there be laid upon the table a return showing all action taken by the Government under the Burial Ground Closing Act, 1870. MESSAGE. A message was received from the House of Eepresentatives, asking for a free conference on the amendments to the Canterbury Rivers Act, 1870, Amendment Act, 1577, and stating that they had appointed three managers_ to confer at any time and place a similar number of managers appointed by the Council might select. —On the motion of the Hon. Sir F. D. Bell, it was carried,—That the Council concur in the message, and appoint the Hons. Mr. Hall, Colonel Whitmore, and Sir F. D. Bell as managers to confer with the managers of the House of Eepresentatives, and that the time and place be No. 1 committee room at 5 p.m. this afternoon. ORDERS OF THE DAY. The Dunediu School Reserve Bill passed its second reading, and was ordered to be referred to the Waste Lands Committee.—The Port Chalmers Mechanics' Institute Incorporation and Reserves Bill was read a third time and passed. The Cromwell Athenosum Reserve Bill was rjad a third time and passed. OTHER BILLS. The following Bills were received from the House of Representatives, and read a first time, tiieir second readings being fixed for future dates :—The Lawrence Reserves Act 1877, the Tokomairiro Farmers' Club Reserve Act 1577, the Clyde Public Reserves Grant Act 1877, the Otago Boys and Girls' High Schools Act 1877, "the Lawrence Athenaeum and Mining Institute Act 1877, the Rabbit Nuisance Act 1576 Amendment Act 1577, the Oamaru Reserves Act 1877, and the Havelock Athenaeum and Mechanics' Institute Incorporation Act 18 77EDUCATION BILL. This Bill was further considered in committee up to clause 20, which was being discussed at the hour of adjournment. As the principle of cumulative voting was negatived, on a division, by a majority of one, the hon. Dr. Grace withdrew all his amendments bearing on the subject. At the evening sitting several amendment 1 " ■were made in clause 20, and the Bill was further considered up to clause.4l, when progress was reported, and leave obtained to sit again next sitting day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, October 4. The Speaker took the chair at the usual hour. PETITIONS. Mr. BUNNY presented a petition from the Roman Catholics'of Wellington, Hutt, Napier, and other places, against the Education Bill. Several other petitions were presented and notices of motion given. SARTORIS AND DOWNEs' CLAIMS. The Sartoris and Downes Land Bill was received by message from his Excellency the Governor, and read the first time. OTAGO MUSEUM BILL. This Bill was, on the motion of Mr. Stout, ordered to be committed on Wednesday next. EDUCATION RESERVES BILL. This Bill was ordered to be committed next day. ENDORSING PETITIONS. The SPEAKER directed the attention of hon. members to a practise that had fallen into disuse of stating on the face of a petition its purport. It was necessary to do this owing to the increasing number of pstitions presented to the House. Sir GEORGE GREY said that it would in many cases be quite impossible for hon. members to devote the time required. He thought that the Clerk of the Hou3e should attend to the matter. The SPEAKER said that question wa3 one for the House to decide. QUESTIONS. Mr. STEVENS asked the Premier,—On what plan it is proposed to administer the Christchurch and Timaru hospitals in future ? The Hon. Major ATKINSON replied that the mode of ad ministration was still under the consideration of the Government; but it would be fully explained before the close of the session. Mr. BALLANCE asked the Premier,—(l.) Whether, if Sir Julius Vogel is willing to continue Agent-General, the Government will avail itself of his services ? (2.) Whether the Government has, directly or indirectly, promised the Agent-Generalship to any person other than Sir Julius Vogel '! The Hon. Major ATKINSON in reply stated that he was unable to give a direct answer to the first question. It would be in the recollection of hon. members that the arrangement entered into between the Government and the Agent-General was for twelve months only, neither oarty desiring at the time to be bound by a longer term than that period. The question would be more fully explained when the vote for the Agent-General's services came before the House. With regard to the second question, the Government was absolutely free in the matter, having neither directly nor indirectly made any promise respecting a successor to Sir Julius Vogel. The Hon. Mr. FOX asked the Minister of Justice, —Whether, since perusing the depositions, the Government have expressed to the Resident Magistrate at Christchurch their sense of the impropriety of his summarily dispo3i'ii"' of the charge against Needhain, after heariu" the same with closed doors ; the said charge" being one which could not have received a less sentence if sent to the Supreme Court and might have led to a conviction for a far more serious offence ? The Hon. Mr. BOWEN replied. He stated that he wa3 bound to believe that the Resident Magistrate had committed a grave error of ■judgment, still he was of the opinion that that gentleman was actuated by the best motives in adopting the course he did;—that he had acted with the idea that no conviction could have been procured had the case gone before the Supreme Court. He (Mr. Bowen) thought that the Executive Government should not interfere with a judicial officer in a matter of this sort unless under very grave circumstances, when there was reason for believing that the magistrate had gone beyond committing au error of judgment. The Hon. Mr. I' OX asked if he was to understand that the Government did not intend to censure the magistrate? The Hon. Mr. BOWEN thought that the statement he had just made would convey the feeling of the Government in the matter.

MOTIONS. Mr. BUNNY, on behalf of Mr. J. C. Brown, moved, —That the correspondence relative to titles, honors, and decorations conferred upon colonists of New Zealand, laid upon the table on 9th August, 1877, be printed. The motion, after some discussion, was agreed to. Mr. STOUT'S motion,—That the constitution of the present Legislative Council is unsatisfactory, was, at the request of the mover, postponed until that day week. Mr. TRAVERS moved, and it was agreed to, that the name of the Hon. Mr. Richardson be added to the committee en survey examinations.

The Hon. Mr. Reid's motion,—That sec--23 and 160 and section 14 of appendix H. of the Land Act, and that sections 11 and 33 of the Mines Act, was postponed in order to be considered in committee of the whole House next day. Mr. THOMSON moved,—That it be an instruction to the Disqualification Committee to inquire into the circumstances connected with the sale of the steamship Luna, and to report thereon. —The motion was agreed to. The Hon. Mr. REYNOLDS moved,—That it be an instruction to the Standing Orders Committee to consider of amending the standing orders, so that no meeting of the House shall be held on Saturdays, unless by decision of the House on suspension of standing orders; and that no such sitting shall continue after 11 p.m.—The motion was agreed to. Mr. SHEEHAN moved, and it was agreed to, —That a select committee, consisting of the Eon. Mr. Ormond, Sir E. Douglas, Messrs. Williams, Macfarlane, Bunny, Hislop, Seaton, Bastings, Hamlin, and the mover, be appointed to consider the question of railways extension in the north of Auckland. Three to be a quorum. To have power to call for persons and papers, and report within three weeks. The adjourned debate on the question,—That the Government be requested to make early arrangements for the establishment of an Imprest Stamp Office in the city of Dunedin, for the purpose of facilitating the conduct of business generally, and for the convenience of the mercantile and trading community of that portion of the colony—was resumed. The Hon. Mr. BOWEN opposed the estabtishment of additional imprest stamp offices as being unnecessary, unreasonable, and creating unnecessary expenditure. The Hon. Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Sutton opposed the motion. The motion was lost by a majority of 6 —Ayes, 30; noes, 36, OTAGO RAILWAYS. The interrupted debate was resumed on the question,—That, in the opinion of this House, the recommendation contained in the report of the Otago Main Central Railway Committee should be given effect to forthwith. And the following amendment proposed thereto : That, in the opinion of this House, the interior of the provincial district of Octago should be opened by the construction of a main trunk line of railway; and, with a view to this being given effect to, the Government should, during the recess, get the necessary surveys executed to determine the route, and submit detailed plans and estimates to Parliament next session, together with proposals for the construction of the line.

Mr. MANDERS thought the committee's report was onesided. He would support the construction of the Strath Taieri line as far as Clyde. He urged the extension of the line from Kingston to Cromwell. Mr. PYKE said he should not have again spoken only for the remark made by the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs that the telegram sent by him (Mr. Pyke) to the Chamber of Commerce, Dunedin, was not true. By the publication of that telegram he gained for the Hon. Mr. McLean the approbation of his (Mr. McLean's) constituents. He was prepared to substantiate all that was written in the telegram sent to the Chamber of Commerce. It was not, however, intended that that telegram should have been published. On the question being put a division was called for, when the amendment was lost by a majority of 16 votes—Ayes, 37; noes, 21. INSURING GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. Mr. LARNACH moved, —That, in the opinion of this House the Government should take immediate steps for fully insuring in the local insurance offices of New Zealand all Government buildings in the colony. The Hon. Mr. McLEAN opposed the motion. Taking into consideration the large number of public buildings, it would never do to incur the expense of insuring those buildings in any office. In the case of large buildings it would be well for the Government to insure to a limited extent. With regard to the late fire at the asylum in Auckland, it was found not to be so serious as was first anticipated. He would ask the House not to agree to the motion. The Hon. Mr. STAFFORD agreed that the Government wereVmite right in opposing this motion. It would be a greater saving for the Government to lose a building every year by fire than pay insurance charges upon the whole. The Government have of late taken over a large numher of buildings. Hon. members would be startled to know that it would require between £20,000 and £30,000 a year for insurance. The number of Government buildings destroyed by fire during the past 20 years would not warrant the Government in insuring all the public buildings. He quite agreed with the Government taking a certain risk upon large and expensive buildings. Mr. MACFARLANE thought it would be wise that the Government should contribute to fire brigades. Mr. ROWE was quite opposed to the suggestion of the hon. member who had last spoken. The Hon. Mr. ORMOND said the value of the present Government buildings throughout the colony would be over one million sterling. The rate of insurance for buildings to that value would be about twelve thousand a year. So far as experience went, it would not pay to expend that amount annually in insuring Government buildings against risk of fire. The Government owned sufficient property to make it cheaper for it to become its own insurer. Accurate information would be laid befcre the House with respect to the whole subject. On the motion of Mr. C'URTIS, the debate was adjourned. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETIES. In committee Mr. Kelly moved that the sum of £2OOO be placed on the Supplementary Estimates as a vote in aid of agricultural and pastoral societies. —The motion was negatived by 33 to 25. RAILWAY FROM TArANUI TO WAIPAHI. On the motion of Mr. Bastings it was agreed that land to the value of £50,000 be set apart for the construction of a line of railway from Tapanui to Waipnhi, the land to be situate as adjacent as possible to the line of railway. BILLS. The following Bills were read a second time: Public Libraries Bill, Dunedin Town Hall Site, Bill, Christchurch District Drainage Act, Amendment Bill, Native Lands Act 1873 Amendment Bill.

The Municipal Corporations Act 1876 Amendment Bill went through committee, _was_ reported without amendment, road a third time, and passed. The House rose at a quarter to one.