PARLIAMENTARY.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 163, 1 November 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

[per press agency. J HOUSE OF REPKBSENTATIYES. October 28. The House resumed at 7.30 o’clock lafff night, and immediately arocceded to coir sider the amendments made in the Countie 8 Bill by the Legislative Council. Some of the amendments were agreed to, and others were not, and managers were appointed to confer with the other House. The debate on the San Francisco service was resinned. Mr Sheehan moved to add the following to Mr Steven’s motion: —“And in the event of die contractors electing to call at Auckland, and desiring.to discontinue the local service, that they be permitted to do so on making a further reduction of £6,000 subsidy payable to them, the two colonies in such case undertaking to provide for that service at their joint expense.” A sharp discussion took place on this amendment. Mr llejmolds insisted that the company sh mid be bound to distribute Die mails. Mr Staiford argued that tbc resolution as amended was in elfect the same as the telegram proposed by the Hon. Mr. Whitaker.

The Hon. G. McLean pointed out that the convenience of passengers should bo considered, and that the New Zealand Government were entitled to say to the New South Wales Government—“ You must come to Auckland.” The lion. Mr Whitaker spoke at considerable length, defending the amendment, and denying that the amended resolution was the same as his telegram. Mr Burns said the Hon. Mr Whitaker was treating the question like a special pleader, not like a Postmaster-General. Tim question was then put —That the words proposed to be added (Mr Sheehan’s amendment) be so added. A division was then taken, resulting as follows ; —Ayes, 42 ; Noes, 23. The amendment was carried, and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to. Tiie Disqualification Act, No. 3, was brought down from the Council, with the Gth section amended so that no members of either House or of the Provincial Executive could he able to take au office under the Government. After a good deal of objection, a division was taken, and the amendment wns agreed to by 31 against 2G. The amendments made in the Eating Bill by the Legislative Council were agreed to. A motion to strike it out was negatived. Mr Montgomeay wanted it reduced L2 to show the sense of the House, which was also negatived. The House rose at 5.30, The House met at 11 o’clock this ingIn reply to Mr Murray, the Premier said regarding the Ministerial changes during the recess, the Native Minister and Minister

for Public Works would retire, and one of those portfolios would be taken by Mr Ormond. The other gentleman was not yet decided. Before going into Supply, Mr Montgomery moved that L 50,000 should be appropriated for the erection of schools throughout the Colony. The Premier opposed the movement. Messrs Sheehan and Grey supported the motion, which was agreed to on the voices. Sir George Grey raised a question of privilege, based on the fact that the Governor’s Private Secretary informed him by letter that the Governor would not forward any more correspondence communications unless furnished in triplicate. At the earliest possible period next sessiou he would bring the matter before the House formally. The House adjourned for an hour at 1.15. The House met at 2.15 o’clock this afternoon. All the remaining votes on the Supplementary Estimates were passed unaltered. The Immigration and Public Works Acts Appropriations were also passed without alteration. In Committee of ways and means, a resolution was passed, voting L 2,320,286, for the purpose of Public Works and Immigration. The resolution was agreed to.

Owing to the Legislative Council insisting upon other amendments in the Rating Bill, it was argeed that a conference be held between both Houses. The Immigration and Public Works Bill was passod through all its stages. In Committee, an item of L 2,500 for the Taranaki Great South Road was passed. The House then adjourned till half-past 7 o’clock. The House resumed at half-past 7 o’clock. The Conference of both Houses on the Counties Bill were unable to agree, and a new Conference was appointed, and the result of the new Conference wUs that the Premier announced that they had agreed on this basis—The County Chairman to be elected by the Council, and not to be disqualified from sitting in the House of Representatives. The ordinary loan clauses were struck out, and special loans limited to four times the amount of rateable property in the county, leaving an increase of overdraft, as provided by the Council. The other amendments Were only trivial. The House adjourned at midnight, till half-past 2 o’clock on Monday. October 31. Upon the House resuming, it wa3 announced that the Legislative Council agreed with the report of the Conference on Waste Lands Administration Bill. The Premier then said there had been a great deal of discussion on Sartoris. Donnes, and other claims, and on account of the late period of session, he moved the adjournment of the debate for a week. This was agreed to, and the House adjourned till 5.30 p.m. On resuming there was nothing done but reading, by the clerk, of notice that members were wanted in the Legislative Council, and upon going there, the clerk read the commission proroging Parliament until the I6th January next. This closed proceedings. The Legislative Council business was a reflex of the House of Representatives.

A ballast train ran into a'mob of horses which were trespassing on the railway at Eangiora, Canterbury, the other day, when one horse was killed, and anather nearly so. The owner was afterwards fined £5 aud costs for allowing the animals to trespass on the line. It is not often says tbc “ Budget” Maori wives prove such fruitful vines to their husbands, as was the case during the recent meeting at Maungatautari. Whilst the meeting was proceeding a Maori woman, gave birth to two girls and a boy. A correspondent writes asfollows : —“An old swiper went into one of the pubs in Blenheim a few days ago, and noticing one of the local doctors having a drink, took advantage of the doctor’s abscncefhc having gone outside for a moment) to drink what was left in the glass on the table, no doubt thinking doctors would drink only what was uncommonly good, The swiper drank and cleared off. When the doctor came back some one in the room told him that Mr Blank had drunk the contents of his glass which ho had left on the table. “Good God,” exclaimed the doctor, “ he must be dead before this if lie lias, it is aqua forth," A search was at once made, the river was dragged, and everything done to see where ho had got to, but of no avail,. About two days afterwards as ho was travelling homo m the evening, the doctor met the man an 1 said, “ Why, Mr Blank, I thought yob. would be dead long before tins. That drink you polished off of mine was aqua forth." “I thought,” said the man, “it was something darned hot, because whenever I blew my nose after it burnt a hole in it.” The doctor passed on.” A criminal information lias been sworn against Mr Kemvorthv, the proprietor and publisher of the Budget, by Mr C, D, Whitcombe, for a false and malicious libel alleged to be contained in a leading article in the Budget, on the 18th October last. The case will bo beard in the Police Court, at Taranaki to-day. The Wellington Aryussays—“ Mr Biggs, cutler, has just turned out a pair of scissors from the Taranaki steel. The work, considering that it Was done without the necessary appliances, is really excellent, and proves what can be done with the Mod. The scissors in appearance will compare favourably with those imported from homo, while the of the metal is superior to the English production. Mr Biggs, who has been many years in the cutlery trade in Sheffield, said he never worked up better material.