PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5838, 15 December 1879, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

: LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I Saturday, December 12. i The Speaklp. took the chair at t-v< I o’clock. GESEIiAL.—KIUST REA DEWS. A large number of coioiirt'ot report - huvji.g 1 been brought up the Hon. Air. Vv KITAKK.i said he proposed to give up tin; day to privc,"- business, and the Council might get O ivugh «, many local Bills as possible. Monday j.e proposed to take wholly for Government Bills, of which there were a number to come up, and members he hoped would he able to get away on Monday night or Tuesday morning. The Rotorua would be detained for Southern members. (An hour was here spent in discussing points of order.) —The following Bills received from the Bower House weie rea I a first time, and ordered for second reading on Monday :—The Property As-w-sment Bid, the Customs Tariff Bill, the Tobacco Manufacture Bill, Otago liarbor Board Empowering Bill, Sites for Working Men’s Club Bill. Mr. MaNTELL moved, — That leave be given to members and officers of this Council, during the recess, to appear and give evidence before any Court on any ca-e arising out of the proceedings before the select committee of tois Council on Council Paper No. 97 of IS7I (the Kinross case) ; and that the said officers be authorised, if called upon, to produce papers and rec mis of that select committee. — Carried. HEADINGS. —COMMITTEE. 'The Resident Magistrate's Act 1867 Amendment Bill having been recommitted, was read a third time, the Forest Trees Planting Encouragement Acts Amendment Bill, and the Slaughterhouses Act 1377 Amendment Bill were passed through committee, and the former was read a third time. The Council adjourned from half-past five to nine o’clock. On resuming at the latter hour the Auckland Improvement Commissioners Tran fer of Powers Bill, the Alexandra Corporation lieserve Bill, the Tiinaru Harbor Board Empowering Bill, the West Clive Public Hall Site Bill, the Auckland Free Public Library Aid Bill, the Palmerston North Deserves Bill, the Orel! Bridge and Ferry Reserves Bill, the Queenstown Racecourse Reserve Bill, the Bluff Harbor Foreshore Endowment Bill, the Riverton Drill Shed Reserve .Management Bill, and the Hawke’s Bay Rivers Act 1876 Amendment Bill were read a second time, parsed through committee, read a third time, and passed. The Council adjourned at 0.5 a.m. till 11 a m. on Monday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Saturday, December 13. The lion, the Speaker took the chair at half-past two o’clock. GENERAL. Several petitions were presented, notices of motion given, and reports and papers laid upon the table. Among these reports was one on the subject "f tlx© dismissal of Mr. Jackson. Ihe committee considered that greater consideration might have been shown him, and they recommended thai his case should lie referred to a Royal Commission. Mr. MaCANDREW said as a member of the committee he altogether dissented from the report. Mr. KELLY stated that out of the ten members of committee Mr. Macandrew was the only one who dissented from the report. THE LOAN. In answer to a qutstion the Government replied that they did not consider it would be expedient at present to Jay on the table the telegrams that had passed between the Government and the Agent-General on the subject of the five million loan. DISTRICT RAILWAYS. » Mr. SHRIMSKI asked if the Government would lay on the table of the House a list of the shareholders of the various district railways in the colony, iu order to see how certain members of the House were interested in them ? The Government stated it would be impossible to give the names required at a moment’s notice. Sir GEORGE GREY gave notice of motion, That all persons interested in the district railways named in the Public Works Bill he laid before the House, previous to proceeding with tiie Bill for the purchase of those railways, The lion, gentleman mentioned that several gentlemen in the House were interested in the railways in question. The Hon. Mr. HALL said the names of companies could be given, but not of individual shareholders. Mr. MACANDREW thought the names of directors might at all events be given. Ultimately, the motion that the House go into Committeeof Supply was carried as against the amendment for the production of names of shareholders in the district railways. COMMITTEE OP SUPPLY. In committee the following items on the Estimates were carried :—-Railway, Kawa Kawa, £10,500 ; Whangarei-lcamo, £IO,OOO ; Kaipara to Waikato, £202,000 ; Waikato to 'Thames, £115,600 ; Waikato to Taranaki, £SOOO ; Wellington to Napier, £228,000. Wellington to Foxton, £55,000. - Carried. Foxton to New Plymouth, £233,000. — Carried. Nelson to Greymouth, £117,000. After a good deal of discussion, the item was passed. Nelson to Rounclell, £50,000. Mr. PITT strongly supported the vote. Mr. SAUNDERS opposed it, on the ground of its inutility, and that the expenditure would be money thrown away. Mr. SHEPHARD supported the vote, and defended the Nelson members from the charges of log-rolling which had been made agaiost them. Mr. SHRIMSKI opposed the vote, on the ground that the Nelson district had already received more than it was entitled to out of the loan. Mr. ACTON ADAMS went at length into the question, with the view of showing that the mineral resources of this part of the country had been largely opened up since Mr. Saunders had severed his connection with it. Mr. REEVES strongly supported the vote, and made special reference to the coal resources of that part of the country. Mr. MACANDREW explained that one large item charged against the Nelson district had never been expended, and that many of the other charges made against the district were not justified. The Hon. Major ATKINSON doubted the capacity of the colony to carry out the work at the present time. Mr. SEDDON complained of the way in which Nelson had treated the West Coast when it was a portion of the province, but he would eventually support the motion. Mr. HURSTHOUSB also supported the proposal. An amendment was moved by Mr. Shrimski that the vote should be reduced by £40,000. After some discussion a division was taken, with the result of the numbers being equal, viz., 28. The chairman gave his casting vote with the uoes, so that the question might be re-opened. Mr. SHRIMSKI moved as a further amendment that the vote he reduced by £10,700. Division : Ayes, 23 ; noes, 30. Mr. THOMPSON contended that the ruling of the Chairman on the first amendment was against Parliamentary usage. Mr. BOWEN defended the Chairman, who stated that he had given his decision in accordance with the ordinary rules. It being now 5.80, the House adjourned. On the House resuming at half-past seven the Estimates were proceeded with. Item, £42,600, for the Canterbury interior main line. Mr. TURNBULL objected to the vote, as it would commit the country to a further expense of -- 350,000. Ultimately the vote was passed as proposed. Mr. MACANDREW. objected to the compensation to Otago Harbor Board, £25,500, in the vote for the Waitaki-Bluff railway, stating that the Harbor Board was not entitled to that amount. Mr. DICK explained the bearings of the case, and said the House bad been somewhat misled by the hon. member for Port Chalmers. Mr. HUTCHISON moved that the item be reduced by £12,750. ■The motion was lost on the voices. The other items in class 3 were then passed without discussion. Class 4. Survey of new lines of railway, £20,908 15s. 5d., was passed without dissent. There was a good deal of discussion on class s—Roads—a number of items being objected to. Considerable discussion took place on the votes, roads, bridges, and wharves. North Island, £50.000 ; ditto, South, £65,000 ; and roads and bridges in unsettled districts in Taranaki and Patea, £50,000. Mr. SHEEHAN characterised the votes as barefaced swindles. After a good deal of discussion the House adjourned for the usual half hour.

* Hoad, bndi'as, and wharves for the North IT.vd, £50.0 0. .Mr, UK LATOL’II moved that the item .-dj'i'i'd ho struck cut. Divi-ion. —Ayes, 21 ; imes, 41. —Item cr.rVoto tor roft.h) and bridget in unsettled diebird North Mand. €SO,(ML Mr. if I; I - >Kf propo. e ! that, it be struck out. Ij It the ain-Tidniout ;i -' neoa-.ived by 12 to 13. Roads and irid.o-n to Nelson South-west Go! H-i is, ot 7-. 3d,—Atn-. -d f,,. Westland roads and hi id/ee, £9OOO. The Hon. Mr. HichaiU/SON and Mr. J. T, Fisher opposed the vote, the latter moving that it he reduced by £3OOO. Mr. SEDDON sop: orted the original vote, which was r.ltim itely agreed to. Roads to open up lands for sale, £107,63 2 Bs. lid. Mr, Oi.IVER said that the vote was at the ~uls;de £20,000 more than set down for last year. A di.-cu -ion took place-, after which the vote was agreed to. Water races North Island, £10,383, —Agreed to. Water races South Island, £29,800. —Agreed to. Misc -Hane-ms public works, £230,322 16s, lid. Mr. DE L AUTO UR moved lh.il.it he reduced hy .£50,000. While discu-sion was going on, Mr. Macandrew at ten minutes to twelve pro n-ted against business proceeding. The Hoc. Major ATKINSON was surprised .-it the obj'-ctlon. Dr. WA Li.IS then gave his views on the Sabbath, which, he maintained, only commenced at sunrise on Sunday morning. 'The Hon. JOHN HALL pressed the passage of the item. Mr. MACANDREW again protested against business being proceeded with at that hour, and said if the Premier refused to aljourn he and others would leave tile House. Mr. M: >SS moved, -That the Chairman report re elutions to the House. The Hon. JOHN HALL denied that the Government wished to carry on business on Sunday (ft was now ten minutes past midnight.) They, however, wanted that night to get through the Estimates, and bring the bnsi ness to a close on Monday. This had been prevented, and he therefore moved that progress be reported, and leave given to sit again. Some members having spoken, Air. TAWHAI rose and insisted on addressing the House, and proceeded to rebuke Dr. Wallis on his ideas of Sunday. The Maoris had been taught to respect the Sabbath from its very commencement at twelve o’cock, midnight, on Saturday, and they were not now getting a very good example from the action of the pakehas. The hon. gentleman proceeded to show how easy it was for some pakehas to accommodate their consciences to circumstances. The remarks ef the hen. gentleman elicited loud lau.-hter and approval. Mr. MO-sS wished to bring up a report, hut the Speaker ruled against its reception. BILLS FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Registration of Electors Bill was received from the Council with amendments, and a new clause added. On the motion of the Premier the Bill as amended was agreed to. The Resident Magistrates Act Amendment Bill with amendments from the Legislative Council was also agreed to. The Hon. J()HN HALL then moved that the House adjourn until 11 o’clock on Monday (to-day), which was agreed to. The irons-.- then adjourned, it being close upon half-past twelve on Sunday morning.