PARLIAMENT.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1064, 25 July 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

—•—♦ HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES • WEDNESDAY, JULY 21. . ? The House met at 2.30 p.m. . ■■■■■.! NEW ZEALAND LAND COMPANY’S BILL, Mr Bryce presented a petition from the inhabitants of Poverty Bay against the New Zealand Land Company’s Bill.—Mr Sheehan presented a petition from a number of natives also against the Bill. Major Atkinson said that the Government had carefully considered the whole subject, and were of opinion that, under all the circumstances, it was hot* desirable that the Bill should proceed in any form. He hoped, therefore, that Mr De Lautour would, as he had said he would if Government desired it, withdraw the Bill, . Mr De Lautour said he always, kept his word, and asked leave to withdraw the Bill. Leave was granted, and the Bill discharged from the paper. NEW'BILLS. Several new Bills were introduced, one being the General Assembly Members’ Expenses Bill (Atkinson). The .Native Committees Bill (Bryce), was. also read a first time. , T PACIFIC ANNEXATION, The this was interrupted by the dinner adjournment. ; EVENING SITTING. The House went into* Committee of Supply. Class 4, Minister for Justice, £118,184, passed. A long discussion to reduce the salary of the Timaru Magistrate took place. Ultimately a sum of £SO war struck oft the travelling allowances of the R.M. for Timaru, on the motion of Mr Whyte, and at Mr Connelly’s request the salary df the R. M. at Ashburton was reduced from £SOO to £4OO. The whole vote, then passed. Vote £12,200. for criminal prosecution —A motion to reduce the . item, Crown solicitors and prosecutors, from £7OOO to £SOOO, was rejected on a division and the vote passed as printed. The votes for the coroner’s Act and contingencies passed, and a long discussion arose on the vote of £38,888 for prisons. , Mr Macandrew took exception to the first two items, the raising of the inspector’s salary from £6OO to. £7OO and an allowance to him of £IOO., in lieu of quarters. > The Hon T Connolly explained that Captain Hume was engaged in' England for three years, terminating in September next, Avhen if dispensed with or he elected to return to England Government had pay his and his family’s passage. He intended to do thisunless his salary were raised, and Government felt him a valuable officer whom it. was most undesirable to lose. f A long discussion ensued, Messrs Macandrew, Bracken and others objecting to an English inspector at all, and Messrs Hurst, O’Gallaghan and others to the increase as too large. Mr Seddon warmly ' defended the vote and Mr G’Callaghan moved that the allowance of £IOO bo struck out, which was carried on a division by. 24 to 23. Mr Sheehan moved to strike out all the items for Mount Cook prison, considering that Government were trying to establish a

central prison for the colony there, in defiance of the oft repeated decision of the House against having a central gaol. The Hons Connolly and Eolleston said that no such attempt was being made ; only a new prison was wanted in Wellington, and Government were trying to build it on the most approved principle by prison labour. They were also building one in Auckland, and would soon be doing so in Dunedin. Mr Bracken and others protested against prisoners being removed from other gaols to Wellington. Mr Hutchison said Wellington certainly did not want them or a central prison. Mr Sheehan’s amendment was lost by 22 to 13. and the total vote for prisoners, less the -£IOO house allowance,, was passed. The total class of justice also passed, and at 2.20 a.m; progress was reported and the House rose.