PARLIAMENTARY.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 448, 30 July 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (Per Press Agency.) WELLINGTON. July 29. Amongst the preliminary business today, were petitions for having the Lord’s Piaycr and (lie Bible read in schools. Mr Hamlin gave notice to move for appointment of analytical chemists throughout colony. The No Confidence division was ta’ en to-day as follows : —Ayes, 47 ; N< e , 33. Majority against Government 14. Ayra—Adams, Atkinson, B.iigcnt, Birff, Beetham, Bowen, Brandon, Bryce,-Curtis, Cuttcn, Douglas, Fitzßoy, Fox (teller), Gibbs, Green, Hart, Horny, Hobbs, Hunter, II nrsf house, Johnston, Kdly, Kenny, Macfariano, Moorhouse, Morris, Murray-Aynsley, Oliver, Ormond, Pylce. Richardson, Richmond, Rolleston, Rowe, Russell, Saunders, Seymour, Stevens, Stewart, Stndholmo, Sutton, Tawiti, Toimi • ana, Wakefield (teller), Whitaker, Williams, and Woolcock.

Noes —Bal’ance, Barton. Brown, Tuapeka, Bunny, Carrington, Do Lautour, Fel Jwick, Fisher, George,. Gisborne, Goldie,. Grey, Hamlin, Hislop, Hodgkinson, Jackson, Joyce, Macandrew, Slanders, Moss, Naho, Roes (teller), Reeves. Seaton, Shanks, Sheehan (teller), Shrimiski, Swanson, Tainui, Thomson, Tole, Turnbull, Mollis. Pair .Ag-a/nst Grov'ern merit, for Government Montgomery. McMinn and Murray walked out of the House.

Absent—J. E. Brown, Bastings, D.-iver, and O’Rorko (in the chair.) After tiie No Confidence division, Mr Hislop spoke at some length to show the House had no information before it to warrant passing the resolution it did, and moved the following amendment, “ This House also thinks it right to add that the foregoing opinion had been arrived at in the absence of official papers or information on the several subjects in regard to which we believe your advisers have been guilty of maladministration or neglect.,’ Debate is going on.

Premier is expected to speak at 7.30. Report of Committee as to railway map tampering, states that no alteration was mads in the map subsequent to its being laid on the table at request of Mr Richardson in September last, and that, as map was originally prepared, it showed no portion of railway between Grahamstown and* Te Aroha. Further, that the alterations made in the map were made b3 - draughtsman, under orders from the Minister of Public Works, and also that the map was not the document asked for by Mr Richardson. The Committee recommend that in future the heads of departments should certify to the accuracy of returns presented to the House.

NEW BILLS. (From She Post.) This Representation' Bill, introduced by Sir George Grey, embodies the provisions for the redistribution of Parliamentary Representation, which we indicated some months ago as likely to form this part of the Government programme. It provides first, that the ■House of Representatives shall consist of a certain number of members (to be decided in Committee), and that future Parliaments shall be triennial, The distribution of Representation is to bo allocated by a Board, consisting of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Colonial Secretary, the Chairman of 'Committees, the ■ Comptroller and Auditor-General, and the RegisterGeneral, to be called “ the Representation Board.’ 4 Within three months after the end of the present session of Parliament, and within three months after the taking of every census, the Board is to divide the colony into the same number of electorial districts as members to be elected, exclusive of members. The districts, as far as practicable to be so arranged that •only one member shall be elected for each district. Electorial districts to bo •of two classes, country districts and town districts.* Every borough having a population of over 6600 souls either to form one town district or to bo divided into two or more town districts. Where the population of a ’borough is less than 6500 souls it is to be included in a country district or with one or more contiguous boroughs. The total number •of members to be elected for country ■districts is to bear to the aggregate population of such districts a proportion exceeding by, as nearly as possible, 25

per cent, the proportion borne by the

total number of members to be elected for town districts. The Board is to

■divide the aggregate population of the

•country districts by the total number of members to be elected for such districts, the result so obtained to be called “ the normal number” for country districts, the town districts being treated in like manner. The division of the colony into electoral districts is to be effected in such manner that each country district, shall contain a population as nearly as possible equal to the “ normal number” for country districts, and that each town district shall contain a population as nearly as possible equal'to the “normal number” lor town districts. The Board may carry out the division of the colony into districts in such manner as it thinks fit, having regard to the provisions of this Act, and the division into districts made by it is to be final. The census lust taken before the Board makes such division is to bo sufficient cvidciico as to the population of the colony or district, but reliable evidence may bo taken, Having performed its functions, the Board is to report to the Governor, and the result is to be gazetted, the district boundaries and the date on which the division, is to.take effect being fixed by proclamation. These are the chief operative provisions of this important Bill, the remainder consisting of the necessary arrangements as to the formation of electoral rolls, appointment of officers, &c. There is a special provision that, if necessary, the Governor may issue writs for a new Parliament without reference to this Act. A Bill has been printed, bearing the frame of the Hou Mr Gisborne, entitled “ An Act to Regulate and Restrict the Immigration of Chinese.” It provides that if a vessel shall arrive in any port in New Zealand, having on baord a greater number of Chinese passengers than in the proportion ot one to every ten tons of the tonnage of such vessel, the owner, charterer, oT master of such vessel shall be liable, on conviction, to a penalty not exceeding £lO for each Chinese passenger so carried in excess. The master, on arrival, is to give a list of the Chinese .passengers on board, and in default he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £2OO. . For each Chinese arriving, £lO is to be paid to the Customs officer ;, this iS not, however, to apply to any Chinese who is one of the crew of the vessel, unless he lands with the intention of remaining in the colony. The penalty for not paying for the Chinese on arrival is a sum not exceed-

ng £2O for each Chinese so landed, ybnd in addition the vessel shall be for- %>■ .feited. If any Chinese shall enter or attempt 'to enter the colony without paying, or having bad-paid, the fee, he shall, beside such sum, be liable to a penalty of £lO. Every Chinese in the colony is, before the Ist January next, to obtain from the Resident Magistrate’s Court nearest to his place of abode-a certificate of exemption from payments under the Act.