PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 18 August 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, August 17.

In the Legislative Council to-day, A report of the Committee on Mr. Taiaroa's disqualification was read, affirming ""hp sanso ; it v.vs <'-rehired to be considered on Thursday.

Captain Fraser gave notice for a return of the total number, cost, and work of the Otago Goidrields Wardens and Resident Magistrates.

Mr. Peacock gave notice to move that Education Boards having balances in hand at the end of the year should refund it to the Government.

Mr. Chamberlain gave notice to move, " That in the opinion of the Council the Government should state whether it is going in for a policy of free trade or protection. He also asked whether Government intended to brin.: in a Local Industries Bill. Was the Local Industries Commission to continue its work, or another of less free trade tendencies to be appointed 1 Mr. Whitaker said the report of the Commission was now under consideration. Whatever decision was come to, no new Commission would be appointed. Mr. Waterhouse moved that the New Plymouth Harbor Board should refund its illegal expenditure from the Land Fund ; failing refund, the members should be proceeded against individually. He thought this course was necessary to stop the growing habit of nearly all local bodies to spend money contrary to law. Mr. Whitaker said if all local bodies who acted illegally were to be proceeded against Government would want half-a-dozen Attorney-Generals. The remedy at law lay with the ratepayers who suffered by the illegality. Mr. Wilson said the Government would not prosecute the Board because it was in the favored district of New Plymouth. After a short debate, the motion was carried.

The Otago Road Board Rates Validity Bill and the Debtors and Creditors Bill were read a third time and passed. The Joint Stock Companies Act Amendment and Counties Act Amendment Bills were read a second time.

In the House of Representatives today, Replying to Mr. Reeves as to whether or not it was true that some brewers in the Colony refused to pay the beer-duty, and that Government could not compel them to do so, Major Atkinson said theve was no power to recover at law simply on a resolution passed in Committee of Supply, and as this tax still rested 011 such a resolution, at present it could not be enforced. So soon as the Bill pp.ssed, however, it became retrospective, covering the date from the time the resolution was passed in Committee of Supply. So soon as the BilL. passed the tax would be enforced, and brewers refusing to pay just now would have the penalties enforced against them, so that by refusing they did so at their own peril. Replying to Mi'. Bowen, Mr. Dick said Government would place on the Supplementary Estimates one-third of the amount last year voted for the maintenance of public domains. Replying to Mr. Baprpn, Mr. Oliver said an opportunity had been afforded Mr. Armstrong, Locomotive Engineer of the Southern Railways, to resent the charges brought against him by the Civil Service Commissioners. He (Mr. Armstrong) had got notice that his s§ryices would be dispensed with. The principal reason was that he had not been a trained engineer, but a carpenter. It was on that account he had got notice of dismissal.

Replying to Mr. Lundon, Mr. Rolleston said that those boroughs unendowed under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, that have declined to take the endowments offered to them, but for which they did not apply, are considered by Govern? ment to have no other claim under the Act.

Major Atkinson said, in reply to question put by Mr. Johnston, under what authority the liabilities were contracted on the Foxton to New Plymouth railway to the amount of L 333,000 in excess of the amount appropriated by Parliament, that in reality only LBOOO had been expended in Taranaki, and the balance in Wellington Provincial District. Government had been careful not to expend a single sixpence which had not been uutho? rised, unless in such cases as when the work already done would suffer in consequence of further labor not being expended. Mr. Reid asked if in reducing the vote for education, allowance had been made for the four months of the year which have already expired ; also, if apy provisions have been made for notice being given by the Boards to the teachers before reductions in salaries are made.

Mr. Rolleston replied that, it was understood the reduction of the Education De? partment would take effect from the Ist of this month, as in other branches of the public service, and the Boards have been asked and consented to co-operate with Government accordingly. Provision will have to be made on the Supplementary Estimates to cover the amount already paid the Boards for four months. No special provision has been made by Government for keeping up teachers' salaries at the old rats until notice has been given of reductions. It is presumed this will take effect as in the case of the Civil Service.

Replying to Mr, Stewart, Mr, B v olJeston said the latest advices from the AgentGeneral reported that an Inspector of Prisons for the Colony had not then been appointed. Mr. Barron asked whether they have taken, or proposed to take, stops to give effect to the recommendation of the Civil Service Commissioners in the direction of reducing the present engineering staff of the Colony. Mr. Oliver replied that the staff had been already reduced, and that still further reductions would be made.

On the njotion of Mr. Oliver, the Public Works Bill was introduced and read a first time, and the second reading was ordered for Friday. On the motion for reporting the resolutions from the Committee of Supply, Sir George Grey moved that they be postponed until after "the Revenue Bills had been disposed of. Eis reason was this : The depressed state of the country had been, in his opinion, overrated, and the consequence of that was to create an unnecessary panic, suspending commercial enterprise, and otherwise operating seriously against the labor market. When the Revenue Bills had bepn dispussed, he believed it would be shown that this fjlarm was altogether unnecessary, and that much more money than was supposed would be available for public works purposes. Mr. Hall said that the motion had taken him by surprise. They had ascertained correctly the amount available fpr public works. They had the statement of the Treasurer an'd'the statement of the Public Works Minister, and if those hon. gentlemen did not know the state of the public works fund, it could never be ascertained. The course was unusual and unconstitutional, and would bacalculated to obstruct public business. He thought there was not the smallest possibility of the hon. gentleman being right. Therefore he could not give way. Mr. Moss denied that the state of the public works fund was made clearly known. For himself he could. not say whether the balance available was one or three millions of money. . His own impression was that one million was to be made available, and that two millions were being kept back, with the view of giving them a surprise on some future occasion.

, Jhe motion for reporting the resolutions of tfie Committee was' then put 'and carried.

On the motion for agreeing to the reso* lution, Mr. Masters drew attention to the vote of the Greymouth-Nelson section with the Greymouth harbor works, of L 70.500, from which in Committee the previous evening a sum of L 20,000 had Ven struck 'off. The vote came on at a very late hour, and during his absence. Had he been present he could have shown that it was absolutely necessary that the vote as printed should have been passed. He wished to know what facilities the Government would be prepared to give him for getting the vote reconsidered.

Mr. Hall said the Government would consider the point, and if they came to the conclusion that an alteration in the vote would endanger the prosecution of the work, they would take some steps for having the question reconsidered.

Other members also drew attention to the votes passed during their absence, which they desired should be reconsidered. The motion for agreeing to the resolutions of the Committee of Supply was then put and carried. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr. Speight drew attention to an item on the Estimates—arrears of pension, L 1433. He was led to understand that this was a claim made by the Hon. Dr. Pollen. He understood that this claim had been under the consideration of the late Government, that the Attorney-General of that Government had decided against its legality. The SolicitorGeneral, who had in the first instance given an opinion in favor of the olaim, afterwards concurred with the AttorneyGeneral in dealing against the claim. Now, after an interval of nearly three years, it made its appearance on the Estimates without a single word of explanation. This gentleman had served the Colony in so many capacities that it was hard to get any information as to the particular service to which the pension | attached. The Colony was paying an enormous amount for pensions, and he felt called upon to challenge the item. He would move that the matter of the arrear of pension olaimed by Dr. PoLen be referred to the Public Accounts Committee to report upon the circumstances under which the claim is made. So far as he could ascertain, there is no reason why the claim should be made, and a pension in perpetuity granted to this gentleman. Mr. Dick seconded the motion. The Solicitor-General, the Comptroller, and all the authorities were in favor of the pension. They stated, that Dr. Pollen should have drawn his pension from 1573 instead of for the last four years. Government had no objection whatever to the facts being fully investigated by the Public Accounts Committee.

The motion was put and carried. On the motion for going in to Committee of Supply being again put, Mr. Montgomery said that the other day the Premier mentioned that it was intended to add the Chatham Islands to his electoral district. There was no mention of it in the Redistribution of Seats Bill, so that it must have been an afterthought. It would be very inconvenient for any constituency to have these islands added to it. He would like to know why his constituency was to have it thrown in their way. There was no community of interest between Akaroaand these islands. Mr. Hall said that Government considered there was some community of interest between the pursuits of the inhabitants of Banks Peninsula and the Chatham Islands, Then the representative would have to be a good sailor to visit his constituents. This was another fitness on the part of the member for Akaroa.

Mr. George said the Great Barrier Island in his district was situated like the Chatham Islands.

Mr. Pvke moved, as an amendment on the original question, that in the opinion of the House the reduction of ten per cent, should not apply to salaries of L2OO per annum and under. On being put, this amendment was negatived on a division of 41 to 32. The House then went into Committee of Supply. Vote—Waitaki to Bluff witl} branches — L356,0Q0. Mr. Shrimski moved that the item compensation to Qtago Harbor Board, L25.50Q, be struok out, The vote as printed was passed. The Otago Central Railway, LBB,OOO. Mr. Bowen moved that L 20,000 be struck off.

Mr. M'Caughan moved that the vote be reduced by L 36,700. Mr. Wright moved as a further' amendment that the vote be reduced L 30,000. Some discussion took place. The motion for reducing the vote L 20,000 was then put and carried, Invercargill to Kingston, 141,500. Mr. de Lautour moved that it be reduced L 7500. The motion was lost on a division of 17 to 33.

Mr, Finn moved that the item, Lumsden to Marari, be reduced L 7500. Lost on the voices, and the vote as printed passed. Western Railways, L 64,000. Mr. de Lautour proposed a reduction of LSOO on the item, Construction of Line from Makarewa to lyiverton. The motion was lost on a division of 13 to 35. '

Mr. Pyke moved that progress be reported. He charged Government with keeping members there until they were exhausted, and thereby attempt to carry their votes, The motion was opposed, and negatived, Mr. Pyke moved the reduction of the item Otautau to Nightcaps, L 12,000 ; by L4OOO. Lost on a division by 31 to 11. Mr. de Lautour moved that the vote Riverton to Orepuki, be reduced LISOO. Mr. Pyke said he had had a good opinion of some members of the Government, but now he had lost it on every one of them, He would table before long a direct vote of want of confidence in them. They were false to the House and the constituents wlio returned them. With a large question they could not grapple, but with two pence halfpenny matters like this they lured their object followers into the lobby to vote with them. The motion was lost on a division 9 to 35, and the vote was passed as printed. Surveys of new lines, North Island, L3OOO, was passed. Surveys of new lines, Middle Island, LGSSO, was also passed. Progress was reported and the House adjourned at 2 a.m.