PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 785, 17 October 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, October 16.

Colonel Brett moved for the issue of free passes to enable the Volunteers in the South Island to attend a g-nerai revk w at Dunedin on the Pi ince of Walcß' Birthday. Motion agTeed to.

Thf' House met at 2.30 p m. In re ly to a question by Mr. Thomson, asked without notice, Mr. Macundrew said the Government fully recognised the difficulties the local bodies in the South would be placed in through the recent floods, and the Public Works Department was making- enquiries with a view of asctrtalning the amount of damage. No the House would autbo-ise considerable advances to these local bodies on loan. Something must be done to provide for their immediate necessities. In the Goldfielda Committee, on the petition of Daniel Jame.- Moore, of Otago, Messrs. De Lautour and Joyce said if this vote were passed, there would be hundreds of applications from miners who had equal clft.mi in discovering gold in some gully.

* -Jfir "B«rH de£&fed£4' the giving ioc the discovery of goldflelds ; it wouldgire na impetus to prcspecting. Mr.-Mae*Barew-said ; lhfe-motion really affected a body o£ men, and he thought It would be weiliz the-evidence taken before the Committee were printed. He would move the adjournment of the debate." r After some discussion, Mr. Macandresv's amendment was carried.

Mr. Stout moved that the report of the Joint Committee on Private Bills on the Otago University .Ordinance Amendment Bill be disagreed with. He intended 'to go no further at this late period of the session, and would not move that the Bill I e crmmitte- i to-morrow. He con ended that the Bill is in no sense a private ohp, as it'is not brought in the interests of a private party or a company, nor did it affect private property in any way. If the House ruled that trust properties were private prop rties, and could not be touched except by a private Bill it would lead to gross abuses. A discussion fohowcd, but the debate was ultimately adjourned tili Wednesday next. Mr. Taiaroa moved that the petition of Honare Matua and other Hawke's Bay natives Le printed. After some debate, the petition was ordered to be on the motion of Major Atkinson, when it turned out that they prayed that Mr. Justice Eic •- mond might not be allowed to try native land cases, on the ground that he (Judge Richmond) had caused the Waitara war, and they thought that his mind as already made up and his opinion expressed o;i many of these suits.

Mr. Bowen, M:ijor Atkinson, and others strongly objected to a petition o nmfning such a serious slur upon the imi artinlitv : of the Supreme Court being pr' • 5 . " A '•>. T\i;iroa ultimately withdrew his motion.

The interhipted debate on Mr.' Sannders* motion relative to taxation and publi<? works, was resumed by Mr, Bowen, "who argued in support.of the motion., * Bjjtrr Sheehan\'said that no' doubt some- of. the outlying districts, had been unfairly treated. In his opinion there 'must be some general sch'eme for relieving- the local bodies in these districts. Major Atkinson said Mr. Sheehan appeared to have slightly misunderstood the effect of the motion; nut he, in common with others in the House; would hare listened, to Uie-Native Minister's speech with much Pleasure, had it but expressed the Government policy, fwas, .howevfer, directly -/pposed to the policy con-, taiiied in the Public Works Statement. He thought Mr. Saunders deserved the thanks of the Colony for bringing the question forward, Mr. Macandrew failed, to see what practical bearing the motion had, unless the position taken up by the House, that roads' and bridges must be -provided -for .by local bodies, were abandoned.