PARLIAMENT

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 497, 1 December 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENT

Wellington, December 1. In the House of Representatives, yesterday afternoon, The Native Affairs Committee reported that they thought the Native Marriages Validation Bill entirely unnecessary, and that it had better be withdrawn. Tiie Public Accounts Committee reported that Ministers retiring from office during the session should be allowed to retain Ministerial residences for thirty days after leaving office, but that for the present session, the late Ministers should be allowed to retain them till the prorogation.

Mr. Sheehan said the late Ministers should pay a reasonable fee for the time they occupied them. • Sir George Grey thought fourteen days quite enough to be allowed for removing. Mr. Rolleston thought the matter one as between outgoing and incoming Ministers—not one for the public. Mr. M'Lean pointed out he had left his official residence soon after leaving office, but none of the present Ministry had called to occupy it. Long after he had received a circular from the UnderSecretary demanding rent, and .asking him to appoint an arbitrator to fix the amount. He thought such conduct anything but creditable to the Government. Mr. Bo wen said he and his late colleagues would be very glad to pay rent from the day they vacated office, rather than have any discussion on such a matter. Mr. Swanson urged to sell the Ministerial residences.

MY. Reynolds thought this would he very unwise. Ministers could not bo required to leave their residence during the session, and it was contemptible to try find screw rent out of them. • After considerable further discussion, the report was ordered to be printed, and the matter dropped. Replying to Mr. Barff, Mr. Macandrew said the survey of railway from Dmitroon to Ivurow would be made during the recess.