HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Southland Times, Issue 1005, 17 August 1868, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The Speaker took the chair- at three o'clock. He announced the receipt of a message from the Governor, signifying his assent to the Mete JCingi Bill in the name of Her Majesty. Mr T. Gallagher, representing the district of "Westland North, Mr Edmund Barff, representing "Westland South, and Mete Kingi Paetahi, representing the Western Maori Electoral District, were introduced, and took the oaths, and their seats. Mete Elingi Paetahi was sworn in through an interpreter. In answer to Mr Mervyn, ' Mr Stafford said that the Government had not prepared a Bill for the readjust- ' ment of the representation of the colony, but there was no doubt it was desirable that there should be a readjustment of ' the representation to accord with the ! condition of the colony — which had : altered much since the present representation was fixed — before the next general election ; and it was impossible to say how soon such an event might occur. Mr Parker asked the Native Minister, whether the recommendations of the Select Committee on Educational and other Trusts, brought up on the 17th September last, wherein they recommend the: appointment of a Commission, to be charged with the duty of making a searching inquiry into the general position of such Trusts, have been carried out, and if so, when will their report be laid on the table. Mr Bichmond said that the Government were much obliged to honorable member for bringing up the subject at so early a period in the session. The committee on the subject had pointed out the desirability of appointing a Commission to inquire into the whole matter, and a Commission was appointed by the Government for the purpose of carrying the • recommendation into execution. It had, however, fallen through on account of two out of three servants of the Government who had been appointed to the Commission having since resigned. Mr Parker inquired farther, whether the Government intended to carry out the recommendation of the committee, and was informed that they did. Mr Eeynolds called the attention of the Post-master-General to some mismanagement in connection with the telegraphic notice board of the House. The Post Master-General replied that the communicationliad~been interrupted" " for the purpose of repairing the line. Mr Travers asked the Defence Minister, without notice, whether a report which had got abroad as to the espape of prisoners from the Chatham Islands had any foundation. In fact, it had been stated that several had escaped, and that they had carried witb them a considerable quantity of ammunition. Colone.l Haultain said that the Government had received a telegraphic message stating that several of the prisoners on the Chatham Islands had made their escape, and landed on the coast of the mainland at Poverty Bay. Mr Stafford moved for leave to bring in a bill intitutled "an Act for the better security of the Crown and Government, and for the better suppres- ] sion and punishment of seditious practices and attempts." He said the Bill had been submitted to Parliament in accordance with a suggestion of the Secretary of State for the Colonies made some months ago. In a despatch upon the subject he pointed out to the Governments of the various Colonies, the advisability of assimilating the law of the colonies relating to the punishment of treason to that of the United Kingdom, as it - was desirable that there should be no inequality or difference in laws -■ affecting the Crown and

dignity of the Sovereign of the Empire. The present law of the colony is founded on the old law of the United Kingdom, which puuishes with death certain acts construed to be treason, while more recent legislation in the United Kingdom alters the punishment to penal servitude for life. There was a slight alteration in the lost cl;iuse with reference to search for papers in private houses, but the other provisions of the Bill are, he was advised, identical with those of the Treason Felony Act of the United Kingdom. Leave was granted. Mr Stafford and Colonel Haultain were ordered to prepare the Bill, which was brought in, and read a first time. Mr Graham moved for a return shewing the expenditure on military expeditions on the East and "West Coasts since the Ist of July, 1867, to the end of June, 1868. Colonel Haultain said that the Government would be happy to furnish the informa- ] tion up to the last period to which the ] accounts were made up j and the motion | was accordingly agreed to. The name of ! Mr G. Macfarlan was added to the House Committee. Mr Hall moved the second reading of the Police Offences Bill. He said the Bill was divided into five parts. The first part supplied police provisions for special localities, such as towns and. centres of population. The provisions in the Bill were such as would meet the requirements of those districts. The second part contained the general police provisions, and applied to the country generally. Part three in its provisions was founded on the Act of Victoria, which prohibited the sale of obscene books and pictures. Part four contained clauses for the suppression of gambling. The Bill related generally to those subjects upon which there should be a uniformity of legislation throughout the whole colony, and that was the reason why the Government had taken the matter up. The Bill would not be applied to the provinces unless the various Executives in those provinces wished it to be brought into operation. The Bill would create a more efficient state of the law than at present existed. Mr Hall moved the second reading of the Provincial Audit Amendment Bill. He said it merely concontained a few amendments on the Audit Act of 1866. It provided that Superintendents should have authority to issue special orders to the Provincial Auditors to certify for warrants in excess of the annual appropraition, provided that the whole amount of these special orders did not exceed one-twentieth part of the ordinary revenue of the province for the preceeding year, exclusive of loans received during that period. This was the point in which the Act of 1866 was to be amended. The Bill was read a second time and ordered to bo committed. The House having gone into Committee of Supply, Mr Hall moved that the sum of £100,000 be granted to Her Majesty for the public service, on account. The motion was agreed to, reported, read a second time, agreed to, and the House resolved itself forthwith into Committee of "Ways and Means. Mr Hall moved tnat to make good the supply granted to Her Majesty,** there be issued and paid out of the Consolidated Bevenue the sum of £100,000. The motion was agreed to. Mr Hall presented the Bill, which was read a first time and ordered to be printed. Mr Hall moved the second reading, a, lengthy discussion ensued, in which Messrs Beynolds, Hall and Bichmond took part. The motion was carried. The Bill was then committed, reported to the House, read a third time and passed. The Distillation Bill, and the Pencarrow Lighthouse Land Bill were considered in Committee, and reported. The House then adjourned.