PARLIAMENTARY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 160, 18 June 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Legislative Council. Tuesday, June 13. Address-in-Reply. In the Legislative Council to-day, Mr, Oliver made a similar announcement to that of the Premier in the House. The Criminal Code Bill and Land Transfer Bill were discharged, and all other business postponed. Sir G. Whitmore withdrew his amendment to make the Address only formal. The debate on it was then continued, and finally the Address was passed.

House of Representatives. Tuesday, June 12, The House met at 2.30. , Notices of Motion, Mr. Whitaker gave notice of motion to the effect “ That the general control of railways in the Colony be vested in a non-political board.” Dissolution, Major Atkinson explained that in view of the adverse vote of Thursday, he had waited on the Governor, and had advised that a dissolution of Parliament should be given. To this advice his Excellency had been pleased to accede. He would ask the House to adjourn till Thursday evening, when he would ask for the necessary supplies and make a brief Financial Statement. He did not think the session need be prolonged beyond Tuesday, and he saw no reason to suppose they would not be ready to prorogue on that day. The writs would be issued as soon thereafter as possible, and every endeavor used to forward the elections, so that a new session of Parliament might be ready to meet about the 22nd of August. - Mr. Fish condemned the cmfee taken by the Government in asking for a dissolution. The vote taken on Thursday was so decided that there could be no doubt of the ability of the Opposition to form a Government. Moreover, it would be a dangerous precedent to allow a Government which did not possess the confidence of the country to retain office a moment longer than was absolutely necessary. He charged the Government with having acted in this matter as a political portion of the present Government. Mr. Dargaville suggested that they should adjourn till 7.30 that night, so as to afford the Opposition an opportunity for considering what course they ought to pursue in the circumstance.

Mr. Macandrew spoke in favor of adopting the course proposed by Mr. Atkinson, In reply to Mr. J. W. Thomson, Mr. Atkinson said that no correspondence had passed between the Governor and the Government re the application for dissolution. Sir George Grey said that if he had occupied the position of a leader on this occasion he would have felt it his duty to move a resolution to the effect that Parliament earnestly solicits the Governor to call his councillors together, his present advisers not possessing the confidence of the House. He would ask the leader of the adverse vote to follow this course, as it would be downright dangerous to leave the administration in the hands of the present Government. Mr. Turnbull concurred in the proposal that the Government had all along taunted the Opposition that it could not form a Government, and now that it was prepared to do so, they unconstitutionally deprived them of the opportunity. Mr. Seddon strongly objected to adjourn till Thursday. Mr. Montgomery objected to the length of time asked by Government to make the writs returnable. Sir George Grey in 1879, under similar circumstances, made the writs returnable in thirty days. Major Atkinson said the condition of affairs was different from what it was in 1879. Now they had to ram the elections all in the one day, and it would not be safe to make the writ returnable at so short a date.

The adjournment till Thursday was then put and carried on the voices. The House adjourned at 4.50 p.m.