PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 773, 3 October 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

October -_i

The Hon. Mr. Robinson repeated his 'efnnce of his absence, as paused y urgent: private business only, and said. that no slight was intended.. The Hon. Colonel Whitmore defended Mr Robinson. The FTorf.""Colonel "Brett receive/!-the permission of the Council.-.ti» bring forward a motion d<-daring Mr. Robinson •4'iilty of contempt.

The H< hi. Mr. Waterhonae supportVd the motion.

The H»n. Mr. Hall asked the Speaker to > xpress an opinion as to whether Mr. 'obinaon's excuses were satisfactory or not.

A division was taken on tha motion •'That the previous question be now ■'■>*• " and the motion was lost by 13 to 22. t'.m Hon. Mr. Robinson was then adjudged L'Uilty of contempt on the voices. The Hon. Colonel Whitmore would rather pay LSO fine than that the Council should lose time in discussion on the subject. The H >n. Mr. Scotland moved that Mr. Robinson be censured by the Council. A a discussion, a fiue of LSO was inflicted, by 18 *o 13. The Rating Act Amendment Bill, *'nunc Reserves Act Amendment Bill, ly.ie (V nc nt County) Athemsum and Public Library Bill. Oamarn Waterworks \ot. 1875, Amendment. Bill, and the WnitaK High School Bill, were read a third time.

The Patumab. Hall Site Bill, and Otago School Commissioners Empowering Bill were read a second time.

In the House yest'U'day, Mr Bunny hronjjht up the report from the House Committee, showing that the boys in Bellamy's are not employed mere than seven and a half hours per day. In reply to Mr Murray, Mr Fisher said the reason the flood was not telegraphed lowi-r down the Clntha River, when it was known at Clyde, was that both No. 1 and No. 2 wires were cani-d away, and on-vented >h" news being sent. The Home Mien went into Committee on the Laud Tax Bill on the postponed clauses, which were passed with only verbal alterations. Several new clauses were introduced, and considerable discussion ensued on a new clause dealing «-i h the pastoral tenants.

Mr. Wakefield very strongly opposed tlie clause, saying it would mean equivalent, tu a tas of twopence a head on sheep, and practically ruin to the poor squatters in C mterhury, and all men of limited c ipitil The ruuholders who were large capitalists had all bought their runs, and therefore wo"ld not he in the samp position as the poor and ne- dy pastoral tenants, who were asked to pay as much as if their land was freehold, Mr Wakefield furtlier maintained that the Attor-nr3'-Geniral, when it was lost, in Committee, promised to re-consider the whole qu-sHon.

The Attorney General and Colonial Treasurer both denied that there had b- en any such promise made.

Mr. Bowen and Mr. Ttolleston also argn-d agonst the cbiuse.

Af f er further 'b'scu-sion *nd an nttemp' bv Mr. Murray t • introduce a iii'\v claus" with the obj c*' "f (retting all the money

•aised under the Act, to be devoted ro repaying the Consolidated Fund and deficiency between the interest of the cost >f railways constructed in the Provincial District, the Bill was read as amended. Mr. Wak 'field 2a"" not'ee to move fo<a recommittal qf the BjU when it come« on for the third reading. The debate on the Jidicid Commissi ms Bill was resumed by Mr Fox. who mpos d it. while M"s=>rs. Maeandr«w. Horlgkieson, and M'Farlane. and Sir Oenrg* Grey snpportod the Bill. After Mr. De Lautour had replied, the Hoiis u divided, the second readmcc of the Bill being negatived by 39 to 27. Mr. "Ballanca then moved the second reading of the Customs Tariff B ; ll in a v-ry brief speech, in which he explained a few alterations made sinoe the Bill was first introduced. The Bill was read a second time on th» voic. s, and the House immediately went into Committee on the Bill. In the Houbo of Representatives on Tuesday night, after 10 oVlock, th« consideration of the Customs Tariff Bill was continued. Considerable discussion ensued on clause 4. Mr. Won!cook endeavoring to ohtain the omission of dn'y snyar, tr-acl'. and moasses, while Mr Bowen moved tl at the c'anse be struck out altogether. Mr. Woolcoek's amendment was lost by 38 to 31. and the clause was then passed without amendment. The remaining clauses of the Bill were also passed without amendment. In the I first schedule Mr. Saunders moved that the 23 61. duty on flour sacks be struck out, but it was retained by 23 to 21. In »c ! iedule 2. after some discussion, Mr. Billance agreed to include timber in the list of artie'es on which all duty was to be removed. Mr. Whitaker thought such a course undesirable. Mr. J. C Brown honed the grain-growers of the South and the timber cutters of the North Island would not be laid at the feet of T ismanian timber sellers on the one hand and the Californian grain -growers on the other. After considerable discussion item "strain" was retained by 25 aga : nst 19. Mr. Turnbull moved that the nest item, ''grain ground," be struck ont, but the amendment was lost by 24 to 15. On the motion of Mr. Btillance the words " timber (sawn), palings, shingles, and

laths" were inserted on the voices. The question was then put that the schedule as amended be passed. Mr. Macfarlane called for a division, and the schedule was passed by 27 to 11. The Bill vraa reported, and ordered to be read a third time on Thursday. The House adjourned at 1.30. Wellington, October 23. In the House of Representatives today, Mr. Driver gave notice to move for placing a sum on the Sim lemeutary Estimates, not exceeding L4OOO. for providing a chain cable teS'ing apparatus for every hnrhor in the colony.

Mr. Waken-11 gave notice to move for the re-committal of the Land Tax Bill. Mr. Wbitak-r save nonce to move thatordinary and territorial revenue be kep l separately in the public accounts of tincolony, with a vi"\v to the proper regulation of immigration and public works charges. Mr. Fox moved for committees to inquire into the circumstances attending the rfewral from'office of Major Mair. Mr. &. Mair, and Mr. S"arancke.

.Mr. Kelly said any Government v/i-Ui self-respect must- resist such a motion. and the hon. member for Wauganui acted very similarly when he was in office, and was supported it! it by the. House. Mr. Sutton protested against the extraordinary degre-' of personal governing observed in regard to the Natives, and demanded as a right, that that the mvsteries- surrounding Native matters should he dissipated. Officers in one department, should be treated in the same \v*>y as officers in another, and when they were removed from office some reason should ho given. Mr. Fox deprecated this constantly treating everything as a vote of want of confidence. He expressed surprise at the Government refusing to take the sense of the H-iiiae on the matter. At this rare filings looked as if they were going to drift into the secret tribunal system, ticdenied there was any necessity for ail tie secrecv ; that- idea had be-n long ago exploded, but the hon. ni.-mh.-r ridienl .1 all mystery about nes/oi-iac-ions. wie'e'i so far as known liad resulted in nil. Therwas a telegram th -n on the table wide showed that the Waimata pi dns wr-ul • have been surveyed months ago had thev not been stopped by the present Native Minis on his accession to office, The House divided, and the motion was nesrativ-'d by ij to i<2.

Mr. Saunders, mov j d that in the opinion of this House no sy-tem of pnh-ic works can be satisfactory that proposes to exclude tax pay ins? a>'oas from all pnticipation in its benefits, ami common justice demands that those !artr>' district" ithe colony which can be c'early defined as do not present such physic il and polities features as would justify rhe construction of railways that would enhance thei: value, and take the heavy traffic off t-heii common roads,'and to a areat ixten' ohviate the a-eessitv for common bridges. should be exempted fmm all contributions to public works by which they are not benefited, and should be assisted from the Colonial revenue in the cnns'ruc'ioii of their ordinary roads, bridtji-s, <>■■ wharves The hon. gentl- men '(iUS'-i "r-d that for the past i-i^ 1 years the colo-iy had been inh>xie t'd wi'h borrowin ;. w'dch had cnlmi'iat'd in an attack of delirium tremens at the late banquet at Dunedin.

Mr. Hurstlmuse, who seconded the motion, argued at considerable length against the selfish and unwise e mrsj of compelling districts isolated from the benefits of the public works sc'i-m,- to pay in the same, proportion as those favored districts in the south, whic'were abundan'ly provid-d wi'-h means of conveying their produce, to iiTirket. Mr. Wanders opposed the morion. Mr. Stoat denied that there was anv large tax-paying area in the Colony which was not benefited by the public works. The meaning of the motion was that all parts of the Colony should progress with equal pace, but th.it, «ai an impossibility. [t was impossible for the Government to carry out all the necessary public works at once, and besides the Public Works Schema was not yet finished. During the greater portion of last night's sitting jhe House w,-i3 in Committee on the various private bills, ami continii"d so till oiv o'clock, when a;-; adjournment took place. e, e - tiijiidintlie Pi'ls was of mue'i gen v; ,-;;l 'nterest.