PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5214, 7 December 1877, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, December 6. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at two o'clock. FIRST READINGS. The Counties Act Amendment Bill, the Rating Act Amendment Bill, the Queenstown Waterworks Act, the Lyttelton Harbor Works Compensation Act, the New Zealand Loan Act, the Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill, the New Zealand Consolidated Stock Act. SECOND READINGS. The New Zealand Loan Act, the Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill, the Waste Lands Sale Bill, the Financial Arrangements Act Amendment Bill, the Counties Act Amendment Bill, the Disqualification Act Amendment Bill, the New Zealand Consoli- ( date! Stock Bill, the Middle Island Half-caste I Crown Grants Bill, the Hutt County Offices Site Bill. The second reading of the Rating Act Amendment Bill was declared lost on the voices. COMMITTALS. The following Bills were reported from committee to the Council ;—With amendments.—The Waste Lands Sale Bill. Without Amendments.—The Financial Arrangements Act Amendment Bill, the Counties Act Amendment Bill, the Middle Island Halfcaste Crown Grants Bill, the Hutt County Offices Site Bill, the New Zealand Loan Act, the Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill, the New Zealand Consolidated Stock Bill. THIRD READINGS. The Mines Bill, the Laud Bill, the Maori Real Estate Management Act Amendment Bill, the Financial Arrangements Act Amendment Bill, the Counties Act Amendment Bill, the Waste Lands Sale Bill, the New Zealand Loan Act, the Middle Island Half-caste Crown Grants Act, the Hutt County Offices Site Bill, the Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill, and the New Zealand Consolidated Stock Bill. Several messages relative to agreement or disagreement in various measures by the House of Representatives were duly considered. PUBLIC RESERVES BILL. Certain amendments proposed by his Excellency in this Bill were considered and agreed to. The Council adjourned at 1.30 a.m. till 12 o'clock this day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday,' December 6. The Speaker took the chair at twelve o'clock. QUESTIONS. Mr. BARFF asked the Government, —If they will make arrangements for vesting in trustees, on behalf of the people of Hokitika, the building known as Government House, in the town of Hokitika, together with that portion of the reserve on which it is situated ? The Hon. Mr. MAOANDREWsaid if there were no tangible objections the Government would accede to the suggestion contained in the motion. They felt that the property should be used for the benefit of the people of Hokitika. NEW BILL. On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Sheehan, the Telegrams Copyright Bill was introduced, and read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday next. HONORARIUM. The Hon. Mr. SHEEHAN intimated that it was the intention of the Government to place such a sum on the Supplementary Estimates as would raise the honorarium of members to £2OO each. LOAN BILL.

On clause 3, authorising a loan of four millions, Major Atkinson asked the Government to furnish a schedule of items for which the loan was required.—Sir George Grey did not reply, and Mr. Ballanoe stated that he thought three millions would he a sufficiently large amount to fix', though from the statements of the hon. member for Egmont the Government were fully justified in bringing down a proposal for four millions. Two millions would only carry them on to the 30th June next, when they would have to make arrangements for another loan, and he asked what effect those small loans would have upon our credit. He thought the Government should take up the £BOO,OOO of guaranteed, debentures, and £300,000 he assumed would be required to payoff provincial liabilities. If a loan of three millions were raised that would leave, £1,900,000 for public works. But it would not be advisable to float the loan at a higher rate of interest than i} s per cent., and £200,000 might have to be deducted as discount on tbe loan. £1,700,000 would be then available for public works. He moved that the loan be three millions. —Major Atkinson said it was perfectly certain that they would have to go on the market next year. The speaker then went into particulars with the object of showing that two millions would be ample to meet requirements. . He moved that the amount of tbe loan be reduced to two millions. —Messrs. Ormond, Montgomery, Hunter, , and Travers supported the two million proposal, and Messrs. J. C. Brown, Gisborne, and Sharp spoke in favor of three millions. —A division was taken, and the three million proposal was negatived by 27 to 2G. — Mr. W. Wood proposed that the amount be £2,500,000. This was carried by 28 to 25. The Bill was reported with amendments, and read a third time. BILLS. The Public Revenues Bill and the Consolidated Stock Bill passed through committee, and were read a third time. The Queenstown Waterworks Amendment Bill was read a second and third time, and passed. The House disagreeing in the amendments made by the Council in the Land Bill, Messrs. Stout, Reid, and Ballauce were appointed managers to draw up reasons for so disagreeing. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Mines Bill were agreed to. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. The House then went into Committee of Supply, and the following items were agreed to;— Immigration.—£l4B,9s6. Public Works Department, £14,775; AgentGeneral’s Department, £1677 ; lithographic branch, Public Works, £2525. Railways.—Kawakawa, £6113 ; XaiparaPnnni, £142,830 ; Napier-Manawatu, £75,033; Wellingtou-Mastorton, £102,677 ; WaitaraPatoa, £50,000 ; Patea-Manawatu North, £141,956 ; Nelson-Foxhili, £11,083 ; PictonBleuheim,, £29,235 ; Brnuner-Greymonth, £35,006 ; Westport-Ngakawa, £38,234 ; Amberly - Waitaki, £182,754 ; Waitaki - Bluff, £365,488 ; Wintou-Kingston, £39,296 ; Western Railways, £37,587 ; surveys of new lines and roads, £IO,OOO ; miscellaneous, £43,208 ; roads, £30,964 ; land purchases, North Island, £91,825 ; waterworks on goldfields, £90,907 ; coal mines, £IB6O ; telegraph extension, £24,700. Public Buildings.—Judicial, £26,652; postal and telegraphic, £11,315 ; Customs, £750 ; public department offices, £35,875 ; lunatic asylums, £34,300 ; , miscellaneous, £2900 ; school buildings, £50,000. Lighthouses, £33,800. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. ■Liabilities of last year, £04,370. Mr. STOUT moved that £2500 for the General Assembly Library, towards cost of Royal Commission and new building, be struck out, and this was carried on a division by 33 votes to 22. —Public departments, £16,712 ; services chargeable to Land Fund, £38,775; grants-iu-aid to public libraries, £5000; total unauthorised expenditure, £35,280 ; supplementary public works, £186,300; public buildings, £4300. A bonus of £SOO to late Colonial Architect was struck out by 27 to 13. ADDITIONAL ESTIMATES. On the item of additional honorarium of £3500 for members, some discussion ensued, during which Sir George Givey stated that the Government would next session bring down a Bill for payment of members. The item was agreed to on the voices. A division was taken on the gratuity of £1256 to the widow of the late Colonial Architect, Mr. Stout having moved that it

be reduced to £356. The original amount was agreed to by 37 to 16.—The item of £15,000 for the final settlement of the Sartoris-Downes, and other claims, was passed.—Mr. Stout moved- that the sum of £3OO for the Botanical Gardens, Wellington, be struck out. The item was retained by 28 to 19. It was then moved by Mr, Stout that the total amount of £57,231 be struck out. This was lost by 39 to 14, The other items were passed without discussion. Total chargeable to Consolidated Revenue, £123,216. Chargeable on Land Fund, £34,737; Public Works Account, £79,645. The House was left sitting at 3.20 a.tu.