PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5487, 28 October 1878, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Saturday, October 26. The Hon. the Acting-Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. REPORTS. The reports of the Waste Lands Committee on the Waikato Crown Lands Sale Bill and and Southland Educational Reserves Bill” and those of the Local Bills Committee on the Ashburton High School and Oamaru Market Reserves Bills were brought up. All the reports were favorable to the passage of the Bills. ■ SHEEP BILL. The report of tho conference on this Bill was read and, agreed to. TUB HON. TUB SPEAKER. A telegram was read from Sir J. L. 0. Richardson, stating that hia health was much improved, and he trusted ho would be entirely restored to health and be able to bo in his place during next session.—A resolution Was passed to tho effect that the Council was very glad to hear of tho improved health of the Speaker. EDUCATIONAL RESERVES. . Sir F. D. BELL gave notice of a motion on this subject to the effect that general legislation on tho subject was desirable, and that the Minister of Lands bo requested to prepare a report on the matter. DISQUALIFICATION ACT. Tho Hon. Dr. POLLEN moved that the Council do hot agieo with tho amendments in this Bill made-by the House of Representatives, and that a free conference bo requested. —Agreed to. POBLIO RESERVES SALE BILL. The amendments made in this Bill were considered, and Colonel Whitmore moved that the Council do not insist on its amendments.—Agreed to. BILLS PROM THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Several measures were brought up from the Lower House and read a first time. THIRD READINGS. The Nelson Harbor Board and Wairoa Harbor Board Bills were read a third time and passed. SECOND READINGS. The second reading of the Cemeteries Management Amendment Bill, a measure, ho said, rendered necessary by the overcrowding of the Auckland Cemetery, was moved by Colonel Whitmore. The Hon. Mr. Chamberlin moved, as an amendment, that the Bill, bo read a second tirae,that day six months. thought tho Bill quite unnecessary, as sufficient provision was already made in the general cemeteries Act. The proposed cemetery, moreover, would affect the springs in the ' neighborhood.—The Hoo. Dr. Pollen thought the matter should he postponed.—The Hon. Captain Fraser was in favor of necropolis companies, and the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse would like to know what the public of Auckland thought of the Bill. He, too, thought it desirable that the Bill should be postponed till next session.—Colonel Whitmore replied, and on tho motion of the Hon. Dr. Pollen the debate was adjourned till Monday. Native Licensing Bill.—The object of this measure is to check the sale of spirits among the natives. Colonel WHITMORE, in moving the second reading, referred to late crimes perpetrated under the influence of drink, and said that the Bill was brought in at the instance of the Maoris themselves. —The motion was agreed to after a short discussion. The following Bills were read a second time, mostly without discussion : —Auckland Girls, New Plymouth, Waugarei, and Ashburton High Schools Bills ; also, the Waikato Crown Lands Sale and Oamaru Market Reserve Bills. ELECTORAL bill. The reasons given by the House of Representives for disagreeing with certain important amendments made by the Council in this Bill were read, and a free conference appointed. in committee. The following Bills were considered : Native Licensing, Auckland Girls High School, New Plymouth High School, Waikato. Crown Lands Sale, Otago and Southland Educational Reserves, Ashburton High School, Wangarei and Oamaru Market Reserve. The Native Licensing and Wangarei High School Bills were reported, read a third time, and passed, and the other measures were reported with amendments. At 9.30 the Council adjourned to attend the free conference. On reassembling at 10.30 it was found that no agreement had been come to, and. The Council adjourned at 10.15 p.m. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Saturday, October 26. The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. MANGONUI AND BAY OF ISLANDS. In answer to Mr. Williams, The Hon. Mr. SHEEHAN said the Government would appoint a commission during the recess to inquire into I he Bay of Islands electoral roll transaction. FREE PASSES. In reply to Mr. Pyke, The Hon. Mr. MACANDREW said the Government proposed to cancel all free railway passes (except those issued to members of the Legislature) on 31st December, with a view ■ of reissuing such free passes only as might appear to the Government to be necessary. FINE ARTS COPYRIGHT BILL. In reply to Mr. Barton, The Hon. Mr. SHEEHAN said the Government did not intend to proceed with this BUI, but be would himself bring in a similar Bill next year. . Several other questions, only interesting to the localities particularly affected, were asked and answered. PUBLIC WORKS ACT 1876 A3IENDMENT ACT. This Bill was read a third time. SPECIAL POWERS AND CONTRACTS., This Bill was reported to the House, and ordered to be recommitted. GOVERNMENT PURCHASE ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The committee reported progress, and leave was given to sit again. HAMLIN LAND OBANT BILL. On the motion of Sir Robert Douglas, this Bill was brought in, read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Tuesday next. THE BBOOMHALL PURCHASE. The Hon. Mr, FOX claimed tho indulgence of the Honso while ho made an explanation in reference to this matter. Xu a newspaper ownid by Ministers and others, called the Nm Zealander, it was insinuated that ho had been connected with what that - paper called a swindling transaction, and in tho acquisition of land for purposes of speculation. He had now been a resident of the colony for upwards of 35 years. He had been in such official positions from time to time that he could have made nse of millions of money, and acquired millions of acres for speculative purposes, but ho had never purchased a single acre of land for purposes of speculation. What he had bought was for occupation, and the only land he owned was what in the Middle Island would be styled a farm of cockatoo dimensions. These facts must be a sufficient reply to such mean, contemptible, and false attacks as had been made against him by tho New Zealander. (Hear, hear.) The some inaccurate newspaper also stated that he had . been closely connected with starting a Good Templar settlement. Now, Good Tempiarism was not at all connected with it, but it was the object of tho promoters to establish a temperance settlement in the colony, His connection with the matter consisted in tho fact that when he was last in England he became acquainted with Mr. Whitworth, M.P., and Mr. Broomhall. On receiving a letter from the latter gentleman, ho went to see him at Birmingham, and Mr, Broomhall then informed him that for a considerable time previously Mr, Whitworth, himself, and others had taken a great interest in New Zealand; that for-years they had been holders of Now Zealand bonds; and that they had seriously thought of talcing up land in tho colony and establishing a special settlement. Ho (Mr. Fox) said ho would give advice and assistance only on two conditions—first, that ho should have no pecuniary interest in the undertaking, and secondly, that one of tho company should go to New Zealand, see the country, and judge for himself. These conditions werp agreed to, jihd'he (Mr. Fox) thereupon gave all the advice and assistance he could. The firm of Benjamin Whitworth and Co. was a very largo one, and carried on extensive operations in various ■Ways- Some idea of tho firm’s standing and importance might bo gathered from the fact that in various ways it gava. employment to ■ 40,000 persons, and paidas much as £4,000,000 a year in wages. ,He thought, therefore, that it would ho of great advantage, fo Hew Zoa- * litniJ to have such a firm as this connected with

it in tho matter of settling tho country, and it was this consideration which .induced him to take so much interest in the undertaking ; hut ho had no pecuniary interest in it whatever. Mr. Bromball, ashen, members knew, came to tho colony, and was very much pleased with Auo'» land. He negotiated for the purchase of this block, and everything was arranged, when sudddenly Mr. Broomhall was.informed that certain native reserves would have to be made. Mr. Broomhall was quite willing they should he made, but as lie could not remain any longer in New Zealand, he returned to England, on tho understanding that as soon as these reserves were made a plan showing their extent mid situation would be forwarded to England, and that as soon as . these were sent he would pay to the AgentGenerall the sum of £25,000, and deposit £15,000 as a guarantee that tho contract would be carried ’ out for the establishment of a special settlement oa tho Aroha Block. Then arose the now difficulty raised by the present Government with regard to the extinguishment of the native title, the result being that the whole thing had fallen through, greatly to tho loss of Now Zealand. The sum of £2500 would not pay the expenses which Mr. Broomhall had been out of pocket, hut he was too , high-minded a gentleman to take advantage of the claims which he was morally entitled to have enforced, if he elected to insist,on the contract being carried out. He (Mr. Fox) believed that the colony had sustained a very serious loss through the scheme not having been carried out in accordance with the arrangements entered into by Mr. Broomhall with the Waste Lands Board of Auckland. The Hon. Mr. SHEEHAN said that Mr. Broomhall had brought the whole trouble upon himself, because he was warned of the fact that the native title had not been extinguished, and after his return to England he had done nothing to show that he intended to carry out the scheme. Ho believed it was a good thing for the colony that the undertaking had come to an end, and New Zealand would be a gainer rather than a loser by the nature of its termination. The discussion then dropped ;• the AttorneyGeneral having previously intimated that the Agent-General had effected a settlement with Mr. Broomhall by giving to that gentleman the sum announced in a telegram from the Agent-General to the Government. Several Bills having been advanced the House, at 9.30 p.m., adjourned until Monday, at 2,30