PARLIAMENTARY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2950, 8 September 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, Sept. 7. The Council-met at 2.30 p.m. , BEFLV TO QUESTION. In answer to Mr Buckley, the Hon. Mr Oliver said the Government know nothing about a contagious disease known as the leprosy existing in New Zealand. BSTBA SITTING HOUBS. The Horn Mr Whitmore moved that for the remainder of the session the Connoil commences sitting at noon. The motion was lost on a division by 21 to 12.

: BILLS ADVANCED. The Natives Reserves Bill was read a third time and passed; 4 i <

The Land Act 1877 Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee.

Various amendments were brought forward and the. Bill was then reported with amendments, and ordered to be recommitted to-morrow'. BATING- BILL. This Bill was read a third time on the motion of the Hon. Mr Whitaker. .... .ADJOURNMENT.- - The Council rose at 12.25 a.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The House met at 2 o'clock. BILL REPORTED. The Wellington 1 Harbdr Board and Corporation Land Bill was reported with amendments by the legislative Council, which were agreed to. ; PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS. Mr, George brought up a,report from the House Committee, t recommending that a sum of £3OOO be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the improvement and ventilation of Parliament buildings. Mr Morris suggested that a sain of, say £15,000 or £20.000 should be brought down for the rebuilding of these buildings altogether, or building; elsewhere. ,

Mr Pyke agreed in the opinion that the edifice required rebuilding; Mr J. C. Brown concurred.-- 1

Mr Kelly that the ,; whole responsibility of renewing the buildings, should be cast on the Government. ’ Mf Madandrew thought they, should allow things to remain as they were, and next session' they should make some arrangements for doing their work duripgtheday, v; Mr Barron thought it was a proper thing in connection with this qpestion, :to consider vvhetheP Wellington was a suitable place to be the capital of the jcolony* In * other places the seat of iLegjalature. was removed from .the sea coast, which was always exposed to an ■attack by an enemy. Again, if they •removed to a place like Christchurch, the ■appliances of the Press were so complete that they might dispense with f‘ Hansard,” and that of itself would be a very great saying, ; : Mr Montgomery suggested that at least £IO,OOO be appropriated for the purpose. ; The Hon. Major’Atkinson concurred in the opinion of the last speaker, and said that ajt. least the 'amount he' suggested should bo proposed to the House.

i Mr Wynn JW’iHiaaia suggested,,that > Government House should be so altered as to appropriate it: JorihoLegialature. In : thal :"case the present Parliament Buildings Cbfildbe done- up : ¥ufficiehtly for the accommodation of the Governor whenin Wellington. ; : ■ ’ ", Mr Sheehan thought the building they had with tbe addition of a suitable fire proof building for'libraryipurposeS was quite sufficient for all <tbe requirements of the case. ~ s : Mr J. : W. Thomsdn thought they might very well do ‘ away with Bellamy’s. . ~ .y . ...- v. Mr Moss thought they had rather an exaggerated idea of the value of the library. ,„The . fact,., was 1, that ..they could get the most of it replaced on a very short nbtice.f .There were' volumes that could not be replaced, but a very small fire-proof apartment would do; for them. The motion for allowing the .report to lie on the Table was p.ut and carried. AMNESTY BILL. ■ ? ~ The Hon. Mr Bryce moved the second reading of the Amnesty' Bill. Mr Sheehan heartily supported the Billj and after further discussion, the motion for the second reading was put and carried. INBOBIBED STOCK BILL. In Committee on the New Zealand Colonial Inscribed Stock Loan Bill, the Hon Major Atkinson moved in blause 8 that the rate of interest named'there be 5 per cent instead of 4. The Committee divided—Ayes, 45; Noes, 18. ~w The amendment was carried. With the view of getting a clause framed providing that debenture holders wiJI be subject - to’ the property, tax, progress was reported, and leave granted to sit again. BOADS AND BBIDGES CON9TBUCTION BILL. The adjourned debate on the third reading.of the Roads and Bridges Construction Bill was resumed by Mr Hutchison, who protested against the passing of the Bill, and moved it be read that .day three , months. , , Mr Maoandrew oonourred in that" Opinion. Mr Hutchison agreed’,,to, this,,,and. the amendment was withdrawn. The Hon, Major Atkinson said the matter bad been before the country for three years, and therefore it must have bad time to be fully considered. Last Parliament it would have been carried by a large majority had it nqt.been made a parly ( question. ’ .He denied that it would make the Local Boards ‘dependent on the central Government. It would really make them independent. It wSS tho duty'JOf that*'House to open up, the country ,byr roads, and if ‘ they delegated that duty.to local bodies, they must provide those bodies with adequate funds, even although at some future date they were called upon - to pay for the roads they were bound to make, The ;; House ■ divided AyeSJ 48 V Noe's, 14. The Bill was then passed, and the House gdjournod at 5.30 p.m., and re*Burned at 7.30 p.m. ,y;;BILLS;'PASSBD.''; " The Counties 5 Act Amendment Bill and the North Island Main Trunk Loan Bill were read a third time and passed. f ' NEW ZEALAND . LOAN BILL. The Hon Major Atkinson moved the recommittal of the New Zealand Loan Bill,' for the purpose of substituting “ Seaward; Bush,‘Kelso and' Mararoa,’ £3s,oooforMararoa, £l.’’ The motion for going-ihte Committee was put and carried. The Hon Major Atkinson then moved that the “Seaward Bush, Lumsden, Mararoa, Gore,' Kelso, Riversdaje, and Switzera line, £35,000,’,’ be substituted in place Of “ Mararoa, £l.” ' The motion was carried, and the Bill reported as amended. ; , On the motion for the third reading Mr Maoandrew said tbatalthongh most anxious to see the. public works of the colony progress, he felt, in view of the public burdens, that the time bad come when they should stay their hand. This loan meant an additional annual outlay of £200,000, a sum that would go a great way towards prosecuting all accessary works. He would vote against the third reading. The Hon Major Atkinson said the last speaker had altogether failed in showing how this great problem of his was to bo solved. What he seemed to argue was that they should create capital out Of nothing. He denied absolutely that what was called a drain upon the colony existed at all. , The money borrowed was used for reproductive works, and consequently they made a profit on that which was called a drain Upon the ooloayi If they were going to realise more than £300,000. per annum upon the expenditure, then they worn

justified in incurring that expenditure, and that was what he : contended they were doing. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. . . ' ' CUSTOMS DUTIES , BILL. The Customs Duties Consolidation Bill was recommitted, and a farther clause was added, after which the Bill was reported ag amended, read' a" *thiird time and passed. BABBIT NUISANCE BILL.’ ..... The Rabbit Nuisance Bill was recommitted and reported with amendments. property tax. The Hon. Major. Atkinson said he had ascertained that the': holders Qf debentures under the Inscribed Loan Bill resident outside of New Zealand could not be made amenable to the Property Tax Bill. PASSED THBOUGH COMMITTEE, 1 ‘ The District Railways Act Amendment Bill was passeAthrough Committee and ordered to be 1 reported, as were also the Sheep' Act Amendment, Bill, and the Education Reserves Act. . LICENSING BILL. As there were a number of new clauses in this Bill, the Hon. Major At. kinabn moved that progress be reported, which was agreed to. adjournment. The House rose at 1,16 a.m.