Legislative Council

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1097, 8 July 1882, Page 2

Legislative Council

Tn the Legislative Council, Fishers Bill was amended to make tho license for the whole colony 425, or for a single provincial district 21s. In the House yesterday a number of questions wore asked and replied to by the "Ministers, who stated that they were considering the propriety of making all sailing vessels subject, io Government inspection, and also had the introduction of the American system of checking luggngo under consideration. The ('lovornment hud r.o desire to escape their liability as common carriers, but on all railways certain classes of goods were always carried at the owner’s risk. The Electric Light Bill ("Kelly), Thorndcu Reclamation Bill (Johnston), ATtinicipal Corporations Bill (Moss), Native Land Division Dill (Bryce), and Crown and Native Lands Bill, and Bating Bill (Atkinson), were r. ad a first time. The Auckland College and Grammar School Bi’.l. was read a third time and passed. The .Dunedin South Market Deserve Di!!, the Bluff Harbor Eoreshore Ke ‘Lunation Bill, the Tiiraru Harbor Board Bill, the Tiinaru Higii Schoo! Dill, the Nelson College Act Amendment Bill, and the Lyttelton Harbor Board Bill,(’were all read a second time. A number of unopposed motions for returns were also carried, and the House went into committee on the Otago Harbor Board Empowering Bill. Mr Fish agreed to limit the amount to £200,000, and that half this should be specially devoted to improving the bar and lower harbor. Tho discussion was interrupted hr dinner adiournment.

On tho House resuming ?Jr Shrmski moved the of the Pensions Bill. Mr Bolloston moved that it bo recommitted in order to exempt the Supremo Court Judgos from its operation. After a long discussion tho amendment was r-‘j?c!e<l by 35 to 33. -ttkinson then opposed the third reading, stating the Bill was a slur on tho Government as being unfit to be trusted wiHi tho administration of the lav. It was also a blow at tho independence of the Judical Bench. Hurtblmuse moved ( hat- the Bi 1! be rea l that day six moiHiis. Vv'<‘-»r.o:i and Del I c-,ton spoke against the Bill, mi l Montgomery in i!s f '.w. Slirimiki denied all intention to interfere with

the Judges and denied that the Bill did so. Turnbull, jrii. W. Green, Fish, Kelly ami Moss, supported the Bill. Atkinson said if the Executive Government could not be trusted to carry out contracts made with public servants the sooner they changed their form of Government the better. After some farther discussion the third reading was carried by 33 to 25 and the Bill was passed. Lcvnstam's Public Offenders’ Disqualification Bill was read a second time. After brief debate Sir Geo. Grey moved the second reading of the Deferred Payments Settlers’ Belief Bill. Bolleston expressed his disapproval of the proposals of the Bill, and pointed out that, the Government Lad dealt with the subject in the Land Bill. Montgomery could uot support the Bill at present. It should go to the Waste Lands Committee. A long debate followed, members generally condemning the system of selling deferred payment land by auction. Grey, in his reply, said he had not been spoken to by a single Deferred Payment Settler on the subj-'ct, but he knew there were many of them in very distressed circumstances. We were producing in this Colony an Ireland on a small scale; he objected to New Zealand being filled from end to end with ti race of tenants subjected to a landlordism which would not be tolerated in E.iropn. Tue second reading was agreed to, and tho Dill referred to Waste Lands Committee. The House rose at 1:10.