PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5843, 20 December 1879, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, December 19. The Council met at 10 a in., and forthwith adjourned till 11. I'UBLIC WORKS BILL, f. 1 ] o’clock the Council again met. The Hon. Air. WHITAKER explained the situation, which was one of difficulty to the Council, and also to the Government. He could quite understand the Council being aghast at the large public works and the large expenditure which had come before them on the previous evening, aud he could sympathise ivith them. The misfortune was, that most of these lines had been authorised by iln- Council by the Railways Construction Act of last year. Aloney had been voted for lines and contracts entered into, and it would he difficult to strike out these lines. Last night'.- proceedings were a surprise and made some difficulty, which it was impossible to allow to stand. Ho asked the Council to pufthe matter in such a position as would create no difficulty, and enable government to be carried on. He then explained the course he proposed to take with regard to the items struck out. The Government would meet the views of the Council to this extent that they would consent in the case of these lines to limit the application of the schedule to work in progress or contracted for ; aud the Assembly next session could decide further. He would consent to the striking out of the Waikato-Tara-naki, and East and 0 West Coast lines. On the Canterbury interior main line, Oxford to Temuka, he proposed to limit the expenditure to works in progress. Borne of these sections were being proceeded with, to find work for the unemployed, and it was necessary that this should not bo stopped. If the Council would not agree to the course he had proposed he saw no alternative hut to form a Provisional .Government, with the Hon. Mr. Holmes at its head. (Laughter). The Hon. Colonel WHITMORE said the difficulty had been to some extent caused by the late Government. In further remarks, he saw no reason to enter into competition with private employers at harvest time. The Hon. Mr. HOLMES had not intended to create difficulty, but had considered that the lines proposed in the schedule were utterly beyond the means of the colony, and that he was quite open to raise his voice against committing the colony to so great expenditure. The Hon. Dr. GRACE congratulated himself upon having been one who had raised his voice against the Railways Construction Act, aud if possible he would now prevent the construction of these railways. He was opposed to this extravagant expenditure, which would result in the near ruin of the country. Looking to the discrepancy between imports and exports, aud to other facts of the situation, it was impossible for him to ignore the fact that they were pressing on the road to ruiu. Every year they were getting more demoralised, and would not exercise that self-restraint which was so necessary. He was certain, if they proceeded in this course, and had not the common sense and foresight to stop this startling expenditure, they must either repudiate—(he believed they would have to) —or else consent to submit to such an amount of taxation as would render the introduction of foreign capital impossible, and prevent the introduction of further people. He was disgusted at the profligacy of our public business, at the want of common foresight. If they had a population of two millions they could not support the taxation which had been contemplated under this Bill. The hon. gentleman concluded by repeating that he considered the colony was rushing to ruin. After some further discussion, the schedules were passed, the Bill reported, and immediately recommitted. In committee, the 21st clause—exchange of laud in Oamaru—was struck out. On the Ist schedule, Colonel Whitmore would apply the same rule to the lines in the North Island as had been applied to the Middle Island lines, —only contracts undertaken should be proceeded with.

After some discussion, the schedules were dealt with as follows :—First schedule, railways authorised to be constructed : WaikatoTarauaki. From Te Awamutu to New Plymouth, being a line from Te Awamutu to a junction with the line from Napier to New Plymouth. This item was struck out.—Nel-son-Greymouth. Schedule made to read “ From Nelson to Greymouth. Section from Nelson to Roundell, and section from Greymouth to Nelson Creek, with harbor works at Greymouth.”—Picton to Hununui. To read “ From Picton to Awatero.”—Hurunui-Wai-taki. To read “From Amberley to Waikari.” The item Bast and West Coast (from main line to a junction with the line from Nelson to Greymouth or Hokitika) was struck out. The fourth and fifth schedules, connected with the 21st clause, were struck out, and the sixth verbally amended and agreed to. The Bill was then finally reported, read a third time, and passed. APPROPRIATION ACTS. The two Appropriation Acts having been passed through all stages, The Council adjourned till 3 p.m., wheu, it was announced, the prorogation would take place. At that hour some formal business was done, aud the members of the other Chamber having been summoned, the Clerk read the Commission authorising the prorogation of Parliament. The Commissioners were Sir William Fitzherbert, the Hon. Mr, Whitaker, and the Hon. John Johnston. Sir WM. FITZHERBERT then declared Parliament prorogued till Thursday, the sth of February. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Friday, December 19. The Speaker took the chair at 12.45 p.m. The Public AVorks Bill was brought down with amendments from the Upper House. It was moved by the Hon. Air. Oliver that the several clauses of the Bill which had been amended by the Council should be agreed to. An amendment was moved that the amendments be taken seriatim. This was agreed to. All the amendments were then agreed to until the schedules were brought cn. Air. KELLY rose and protested against the amendments which had been introduced to strike out the Taranaki-Waikato line. Mr. AIOSS entered into figures to prove that the Auckland province had not received its full share of votes for new works. He declared that there had only been £133,000 granted to Auckland province. Air. GISBORNE appealed to the ActingSpeaker to decide whether Jthe Council had power to alter these schedules. The ACTING-SPEAKER 'declared that, speaking off-hand, without reference to standard authorities, he was of opinion that the Council had power to moke the amendments. Air. GISBORNE proceeded to censure the Government for Repealing Acts which had formerly been agreed to by the House. He declared that the G-overnment had, so to say, invited the Council to reconsider the railways authorised by the Railways Construction Act. He referred to the effect this line would have in removing the native difficulty. He declared that Reu'i had withdrawn his countenance from the present Government, and there was a danger of the native difficulty being increased. He would move that the House disagree with tbe amendments proposed by the Council Air. BRYCE protested against certain allusions made by the previous speaker to supposed difficulties which, he averred, had arisen with Rewi. The allegations in respect to Rewi’s defection were absolutely without foundation, and be (Air. Bryce) thought the

hon. member for Totara bad made a grave mistake in referring to tbe matter in the terms which be had used. The Hon. ATKINA OX thought there were no real practical (.lifheulUo'*' in the way of agreeing to theae arnen lmeotH, an<l he therefore, while deprec - ling the hurffey action of the Council, thought it wm-.M lie wise to agree to the amendment*. He assured tbe House that the Government at a-dod great importance to the opening up of Auckland province. It wa.* well known rha* - , there no real danger of .shutting off Auckland from the rest of the colony. Mr. MOSS distrusted the promises of the Government ; their actions were a far more reliable indication of their intention than their words. This amendment was equivalent to destroying the hopes of the Auckland pcopie, %vho looked upon this as ono of the tv. > most important railways affecting the district. Mr, LUX DON thought tbe Council had done a great deal of good by their action 0:1 the previous night. He would henceforth respect them far more than he had previously done. He would certainly divide tbe Hou-so on the question, in order to record bis vote. Mr. MAC ANDREW disagreed with the amendments made by the Council in the Bill. He urged arguments similar to those used by previous speakers against the amendment. Mr. SHRIMHKI thought that the House ought to be obliged to the Council for the stand which they had taken. The railways dow authorised would not yield sufficient to grease the wheels of the carriages. Colonel TRIMBLE hoped that no division would be taken, but a protest .-should be lodged against the ill-timed action of the Council. Mr. McLEA.N thought that an attempt was being made to make political capital out of the action ot the ' Vmncil. There was not a single member of that House who was not prepared to vote for this line, aad he hoped the Government would insist upon it being replaced in the Bill. It was true that nothing could be done before next session with this Taranaki-Waikato line, but political capital was being made out of its excision, and therefore he hoped it would be reinstated. As for Kewi, if he wanted to go and raise an insurrection, let him go he would never have troubled them if he had been let alone ; a meddling and muddling policy had pursued with the Maoris by the late Ministry. Mr. DE LAUTOUR thought that the action of the Council was highly creditable to them. The amendment had only been made because the Council looked upon it simply as a bogus vote of no practical importance*. Mr. MONTGOMERY spoke against the amendments.

The Hon, Air. OLIVER asked Air. Gisborne to withdraw his amendment. It was quite likely that even the small sum of £SOOO could not be spent by the Government on survey during the year, and he considered the amendment of little practical significance. Ou a divisioa being called for the ayes were 22, and the uoes 15. The amendment of Air. Gisborne was consequently negatived. The following is the division list : Ayes, 22 ; Alessrs. Andrews, Barron, Beetham, Bunny, Driver, Gibbs, Hall, Ireland, Levin, Alasou, Alontgomery, Pyke, Richmond (teller), Richardson, Bolleston, Saunders, Shephard, Shrimski (teller), Tainui, Turnbull, Willis, Wright. Noes, 15 : Atkinson, Bryce, De Lautour, J. T. Fisher, Gisborne, Hursthouae, Kelly, Luudon, Macandrew, AlcLean, Aloss, Oliver, Reid, Sheehan, Trimble. The Hon. Mr. HALL declared that this was a simple miserable attempt to make political capital out of the action ot the Council. He only voted tor the excision of the clause because he recognised that at this period ot the session it was useless to attempt to oppose the amendment, which was after all of no real importance, as tbe Government had ample authority to do all that the Bill proposed to give them power to do, It was well known that this railway had been agreed to by the House. After some discussion the original question was put, and the amendment of the Council was agreed to. The amendments striking out certain sections of the Greymouth-Nelson line, and the PictonHurunui line, were agreed to. On the question that the amendment striking out the East and West Coast line be agreed to, a discussion arose. The Hon. J. HALL regretted very much that this line had ever been admitted to the schedules of former Railway Construction Acts. To secure this vote the Government would be obliged to sacrifice this Bill. He recognised that this line could not now be pushed on, but was quite prepared to explain his action in this matter to his constituents, who would no doubt be greatly disappointed when they knew that the vote had been struck out. Mr. RICHARDSON was glad the Railways Construction Act had been repealed. That Act had proved practically unworkable. Air. REID asked whether this line would be shelved if this amendment of the Council were agreed to ? The Hon. Alajor ATKINSON assured the House that the surveys on this and on the other lines would be gone on with. Air, SAUNDERS protested against the difference of treatment dealt out to Canterbury as compared with Nelson province. He would never again vote for another penny of borrowed money being raised. The policy ot the colony should now be to complete useful paying lines, not to enter upon works like part of those now voted on the Hurunui line, which would never return a single penny on the outlay. A division was called for on the question that the amendment of the Council should be agreed to, which was carried on the voices. The verbal amendments made in the other schedules of the Bill were agreed to. Messages were received from the Council to the effect that the Appropriation Act and the Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Act had been passed. A Hst of the business done daring the session was also laid on the table. Notice was given that the Assembly would be prorogued at 3 p.m. At three o’clock the House was summoned to attend tbe Commissioners in the Legislative Council, for the purpose of prorogation, which took place as reported in our Council proceedings.