House of Representatives.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1140, 6 September 1882, Page 2

House of Representatives.

The House reassembled at 2.15. Replying to Mr Steward, Mr Dick said with respect to the case of Mark Bishop, the Government saw no reason to interfere with the jury. Replying to Mr Turnbull, Mr Johnston said the land to be granted to tlie Taura )ga Railway Company had not yet been valued, the line had been surveyed and the estimated cost of the construction was £5,000 per mile. Replying to Mr Allwright, Mr J ohnston said in weighing trucks of coal and other articles to the order of consignees, and for which a charge was made, the Railway Department had all along made a rule of charging for information as to such weights, aud the Government saw no reason for changing the system. Replying to Mr Turnbull, Mr Dick said with respect to th© case of Frank Burns, recently discharged from the Lyttelton Gaol, steps would be taken in future to prevent impecunious sick men being sent to prison as vagrants. Replying to Mr Allv right, Mr Johnston said the covenants in the lease granted by the Government to Mr Talbot and Mr M’Clatchie of the store site at Lyttelton would be ignored. Replying to Mr J. W. Thomson, Mr Dick said the allocation of licenses and dog tax iu the Town District Boards’ Act was quite explicit, no matter what interpretation any lawyer may profess to make on the clause. Replying to Mr Samuel, Mr Dick said that inquiries would be made into the allegation that settlers’ cattie had been destroyed, in consequence of the culpable use of phosphorised oats for destroying rabbits. Replying to Mr Ivess, Mr Rolleston said the Government had no statutory power to create commonage rights. Replying to Mr Sheehan, Mr Bryce said the Government would not restore Detective Farrell to the police force, nor would he give any prospect of Farrell being employed by the Government in any other department, as suggested in the report of the Public Petitions Committee. In the Committee on the Roads and Bridges Construction Bill, on the motion of Mi’ De Lautour, Clause 7 was altered, aud read that main roads may be dec’ared by M’u’sters at the request of any County Council made prior to the month of March. He argued that by that means they would have an opportunity for discussing the proposal at the then approaching meeting of the Assembly. Agreed to. Interrupted by 5.30 adjournment. After the usual adjournment the House went into committee on the Crown aud Native Lands Rating Bill. On C’ause 2 Te Wheoro moved to limit the rate on Native laud to lands which had passed the Native Lands Court. All the Native members supported this, but, after a long discussion, it was lost on a division by 46 to 21. A further proposal to strike out the words “ all Native lands ” was lost by 37 to 14. The Clause was amended so as to render all Crown lands ■within five miles of a road, or bridle track, liable to rates, and give exemption to Native lauds more than five miles away from a coach road or highway. A long discussion ensued on Clause 4. At the evening sitting the consideration of Roads and Bridges Construction Bill was continued in committee, Mr Turnbull moving a proviso to Clause 60 that the 20 per cent. Land Fund should be spent in the Provincial in which itoccujwh

A long discussion ensued. Messrs Macandrew and Hall supported, and Mr Levestam opposed the amendment, which, on divis’on, was negatived by 33 to 32. Ayes : Allwright, Barron, Blacken, J. C. Brown, J. Buchanan, DeLautor, Daniel, Duncan, Feldwick, Fergus, Fulton, M. W. Green, Hall, Ivess, Joyce, Macandrew, F. Mackenzie, J. Mackenzie, McMillan, Montgomery, Pearson, Pyke, Seaton, Steward, Sutter, J. W. Thompson, H. Thomson, Tomoaua, Turnbull, Weston, W. White, Wright. Noes : Atkinson, Beetham, Bryce, W. C. Buchanan, Cadman, Connolly, Dick, Dodson, Driver, Fitzgerald, Harris, Hobbs, Hurst, Hursthouse, M. Johnston, Kelly, Levin, Mason, Mitchelson, Morris, Moss, Munro, Petrie, Rolleston, Rutherford, Shepherd, Smith, Sutton, Swanson, Tawliai, Trimble, Watt, J. B. Whyte. The Clause, as printed, was passed by 35 to 33. The remainder of the bill was passed. After 1.30, the remaining clauses of the Bill were passed without any material alteration, and the Bill was reported to the House as amended. The House rose at 2.40 till 2 p.m. to-day.