PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 459, 18 October 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

(by TELECJUAPU.) AVj-LLIXGT )N, Oct. IS. In the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr. Shrimski introduced the Kakanui Harbour Board Endowment Bill. On the motion of Mr. Morris, it was agreed to cause enquiries to be made relating to improvements made by settlers on IStewaro's block at Katikati, with a view to allowing Crown grants to be issued to those Settlers who have got under cultivation the proportion of their land specified in their agreement with the Government before the lengthened resi-dv-oce required by that agreement. Mr. Wood moved —" That the House will to-morrow resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House to consider an address to tlio Governor, praying that waste lands of the Croivn to the value of L 60,000 be separated in. suitable blocks for the construction of a branch railway from Edendale to Fort Hose, on the eastern bank of the Matatira, such lands to be those likely to be most enhanced in value by the; construction of such railway, and that lie will cause a survey to. be made and plans and specifications to be prepared during the recess." Mr. JSheeiuui said several such motions were on the Order Paper, and the Government could not assent to them. To do so would be to encourage another scramble for railways, which would be destructive of all hi pas of retrenchment. Tiie Government wuii.d carefully consider the whole question of branch railways during the recess, and would simply look on these resolutions as recommendations for making particular lines, if any general i

system was decided on, not as pledging the Government to any immediate-action.' Mr. Macaudrew added that the Government wuuld reserve the necessary land along the line indicated, which he knew well, and believed to be a necessary one. Mr. Reid did not see how settlement was t.j proceed ill Otago. Such large reservations wera to be made that be did not see how the land revenue could be appropriated for railways. After a brief discussion the motion was agreed to. Mr. Fox, as Chairman of the Privilege Committee, moved—"That t;ie conduct of Mr. Lnsk, a member of this House, in receiving fees for drafting a Bill, and promoting business in Parliament, is contrary to Parliament, try usages, and derogatory to the dignity of t.iis House, and that Mr. Lu-k be required to pay the sum of LSO so received by him to Mr. Speaker, in order that it may be refunded by him to the City Council of Auckland." He commented at some length on the evidence taken by the Committee, and also quoted a number of precedents. Mr. liollestoii proposed to alter the latter part of the motion so as to inflict a tine on Mr. Luslc. After a considerable amount of discussion, Mr. Fox's motion, as amended, was earned by 33 to 20. The following is the division list : Ayes. Messrs. Atkinson, Bowen, Bryce, Burns, Cox, Curtis, Fitzroy, Fox, Gibbs, Gisborne, Harper, Hunter, Jonnstoii, Lunisdei), M'lijan, Moorliouse, Murray - Aynsley, Orinond, lleynolds, PLeid, ILiohardson, Richmond (teller), RolleStou (teller), tiowe, Stafford, Stevens, button, T\schcmaki.r, Wallis, Wason, Wmtaker, and Woolooek. JSoes. Messrs. Baigent, Ballanco, Barff, Bastings, Brown (J. C), Bunny, Camngtoti, DoLautour (teller), Dignan, Fisher, Hamlin, Hislop, Hodgkinsoii, Larnach, Macaudrew, Montgomery, Nahe, O'itorke, li.es, Seaton, Sheehan, Stout (teller), Suiinski, Swanson, Takamoaua, Tawluti, Thomson, Tole, and Wood (W.).