PARLIAMENTARY

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2284, 13 July 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY

■—— ■ ' HOUSE OF HE PHESEN TATI VE S. Monday, July 12. PETITION. The Hon T. Dick presented a petition from Otago, praying that the Hottlc Licensing system be not continued. HOUR OF RISING. The Hon J. Hall moved —“That the Sessional Order, requiring the House to rise at 12.30 p.m., be rescinded.’’ After Considerable dcscussion the mo tion was carried. CIVIL SERVICE REPORT. Several members expressed their opinion that the discussion on the Civil Service Commissioners’ report should not be gone on with, as the papers had not been distributed amongst members. Mr Saunders moved—“ That a copy of the report of Mr AY. N. Blair, the Engineer-in-Chief for the Middle Island which was read in the House on the third of last month by the Minister for Public Works, denying the accuracy of the statements made in the report of the Civil Service Commission as to the condition of certain railway waggons built in Dunedin, and asserting that there is not the slightest ground for thinking them defective, and that they have, in every instance, been well made with proper materials, he laid before this House ; also copies of all correspondence that lias passed during the last two years between the Commissioner of the South Island, and Mr A. D. Smith, Locomotive Engineer at Christchurch rc condition of rolling stock built at Dunedin ; also letters of February 27 and May 1, 1879, from Locomotive Engineer to Acting-Com-missioner of Hailways, Christchurch, forwarding sample of tenoning taken from waggon, No. 1402, recently built in Dunedin, and complaining that this and other waggons had to be taken off the road, as they were literally tumbling to pieces and no alternative was left hut to re-build them ; stating also that the majority of Otago waggons thathave come north since the opening of the through lino have been in a simply disgraceful condition ; also cop}' of report from Foreman Anderson, dated June 30, 1879, stating that on taking the waggons built at Dunedin and Invercargill to pieces, he found that several of the timbers wore without tenons, and the different parts so badly framed as to necessitate rebuilding, and that stringy bark bad been used instead of iron bark.” Mr Saunders in supporting his motion defended the report of the Civil Service Commission and stigmatised Mr Conyers and Mr Blair, and the Civil Service generally as a band of untruthful conspirators. After an animated discussion the motion having been slightly amended was agreed to. The House rose at 1 a.m.