NOTES OF THE SESSION.

Southland Times, Issue 1620, 16 August 1872, Page 3

NOTES OF THE SESSION.

* ! Tbe Assembly met on Tuesday, 16th July, and has consequently now been in session for four weeks, but the amount of actual work done up to the present time is by no meana large. The address said absolutely nothing, and tbe reply, adopted in both Houses after a short discussion, very little more. Tbe most important event discoverable by an examination of Hansard is that the Council found out that tbe roof of their Chamber is so rotten that it will certainly fall on tbe heads of the members the next time an earthquake shakes the sacred precincts. About the same time it was discovered that there was no representative of the Government in the Upper House. It is not thought that there was any connection i between the two circumstances ; but both were speedily remedied, the first by the erection of protective scaffolding, the second by the appointment of Mr John Hall, M.H.E. for Heathcote, and the Hon. H. J. Miller of Otago, to seats in j the Council. At the same time it was announced that the legislative wisdom of tbe Upper House was to be enhanced by the appointment of two Maori members, at an early date. With these events, and the appointment of the usual sessional committees, closes the record of the first week of the session. On Tuesday, 23rd July, the Public Health Bill was read a second time id the House of .Representatives. It proposes the establishment of a Central Board of Health in each Province, consisting of the Superintendent and Executive Council, and three members appointed by the Governor ; also the appointment of District Boards, consisting: of: the Municipal Councils and Eoad Boards. Extensive powers are conferred upon the Boards ; vaccination is rendered compulsory ; and Public Vaccinators are appointed to perform the operation free of charge. On Wednesday, the 24th, Mr Gillies moved that the Government be requested to bring down the Bill they promised last Bession for defining the powers of Provincial Councils, and dealing with the whole subject of Provincialism generally. Mr Yogel said that the subject had not been forgotten, but that the Government had come to the conclusion that for the present at least they had better leave the matter alone. He went out of his way to say further, that the time might be approaching when two Provinces, one for each island, might be a better plan than the present. A debate on the motion, which followed, was adjourned for a week ', Next day, Thursday 25th July, a* Committee was appointed to look into the question of a telegraphic cable to Australia. Mr Yogel thought that it would be well worth spending a little of the public money upon, and promised a Bill on the subject, if the House approved. Then Mr Collins moved the reduction of the Gold Duty to 2s per ounce. The debate was adjourned, but we may state here that the motion was carried when the debate was resumed on the 7th of August, by 34 to 11. The Life Assurance Companies Bill was read a second time. It proposes that Assurance Companies carrying on business in the Colony shall deposit securities to the value of £20,000 with the Public Trustee, and confers upon all life policies immunity from seizure in bankruptcy, and other privileges pertaining at present only to policies under the Government scheme. In the Legislative Council, the same day, Mr Waterhouse startled the "Lords" J out of their propriety by giving notice of ! a motion to make the Upper House elective, and to make provision for the avoidance of deadlocks between the two Houses. On the 26fch, Mr Fox, in reply to a question, said that the Government would not introduce an Education Bill this session. There was no unanimity of feeling amongst the members as to the leading principles of such a measure, and the Provinces which had hitherto neglected this important matter, were now showing more interest in it, and thus for the present obviating any urgent necessity for making it a Colonial question. The Tramways Bill was read a second time. The main object of the measure is to facilitate and regulate the working of tramways. The Bill at present consists of three parts, which contain 65 clauses. Part I. deals with the preliminaries necessary to be observed before sanction can be obtained for construction ; Part 11. refers to the manner of construction ; and Part 111. provides for the description of carriages, security for maintenance of traffic, license, discontinuance of tramways, the insolvency of promoters, the purchase of tramways, the tolls, bye-laws, offences, and other miscellaneous provisions dependent on those already enumerated. At some convenient opportunity we shall publish in detail the provisions of the Bill. On Monday, the 29fch, being a non sitting day, the Superintendents and other Provincial officials holding seats in the Assembly, held a meeting, at which it was reßolved to endeavor to carry out the following programme: — That the Superintendents be appointed the Government agents to carry out the Public Works and Immigration Act under the

f powers of delegation provided by ths t Act ; and that the office of Eesider 3 Minister for the Middle Island b i abolished. On Tuesday the Drawbacks Bil ' which has for its object tbe facilitatio J of the export of goods on which dut 3 has been paid, was considered an amended in Committee. It is proposed J amongst other provisions, to allow draw > back on goods manufactured in th i Colony from materials on which duty ha > been paid. Mr O'Rorke moved several resolution in favor of locating the New Zealam University at Auckland, and endowing it with Government House, the Alber Barracks Reserve, and the adjoining waste land. He declared that the Ne^ Zealand University, in its present positior — without a local habitation, professors or lectures — was a mere sham. Tht , removal of the seat of Government had I been a great blow to Auckland, and the j House might now well endow a seat oi learning there. A long debate ensued, and was ultimately adjourned for a week. Mr Creightbn moved the second read, ing of the Licensing, or " Permissive," Bill. After debate, the second reading was carried by 28 to 26. On Thursday, August Ist, Mi Sheehan's nr^--- 2 " »'"*" •*- -~ Attorney- General a political one, was considered. Mr Fox, on behalf of the Government, stated that they could not support the proposal, although his own opinion was favorable to it. He would therefore abstain from voting. The motion was negatived on the voices. On Friday, August 2nd, Mr Steward moved the second reading of the Marriage with a Deceased "Wife's Sister Bill, which was opposed by Messrs O'Neill, Thomson, M'Gillivray, and Stafford. Mr O'Neill moved that it be read that day six months. The second reading was carried on a division by 25 to 21. The voting being : — Ayes : Messrs Andrew, J. E. Brown, Brandon, Bathgate, J. C. Brown, Bryce, Buckland, Carrington, Creighton, Fox, Fitzherbert, Jackson, Kenny, Luckie, M'Glashan, Murray, Peacock, E. Richardson, K. Richardson, Reid, Seymour, Swanson, Steward, Shephard, "Wood. Noes : Messrs Bunny, Bradsbaw, Bluett, Calder, Collins, Curtis, Clark, Katane, Kelly, Macandrew, M'Gillivray, O'Neill, O'fiorke, Parker, Pearce, Sheehac, Stafford, Thomson, Williamson, White, and Sir David Monro. 3n Tuesday, August 6th, in Committee or the Licensing Bill a motion for the postponement of the consideration of the frst 31 clauses was carried by 32 votes to 31. Clause 32, the first of the prohibitory clauses, was then considered, and rejected, on a division, by 38 votes to 24. Mr Voge] then suggested that the Bill should be withdrawn, but Mr Fox refused to accept the suggestion, as the other provisions of the Bill were valuable. The following ia the division list on Clause 32 :— Ayes, 24: — Messrs Fox, Steward, M'Lean, Gillies, Murray, Peacock, Williamson, E. Richardson, J. E. Brown, J. C. Brown, Thomson, White, Bathgate, Taiaroa, Luckie, Clark, Bryce, O'Conor, Tribe, Hunter, M'Gillivray, Calder, M'Leod, and Creighton. Noes, 38: — Sir D. Monro, Messrs Swanson, Andrew, Studholme, Kenny, Bunny, Keeves, Ormond, R. Richardson, Seymour, Stafford, Rolleston, Wood, Or. B. Parker, Bell, "Yogel, Parata, Sheehan, Bluett, Carrington, J. Shepherd, Collins, Webster, Jackson, Buckland, Gisborne, Bradshaw, Harrison, Rhodes, Wakefield, Johnston, Macandrew, Brandon, Pearce, Fitzherbert, Kelly, Katene,and Reynolds. On the debate being resumed, the details of the Bill were severely condemned by Mr Yogel and several other members, and progress was ultimately reported without any other clauses having been passed. On Wednesday, August 7th, Mr Gillies'B motion that the Government be requested to bring in a Bill defining the powers of Provincial Councils, was, after debate, withdrawn, and Mr Curtis moved his resolution, deprecating all hasty changes in the boundaries of the Provinces, and affirming that all alterations should be on a system of general application, having more particular reference to the proposal to place tbe West Coast Goldfields under one Government. An attempt was made to shelve the discussion by moving the previous question, which was supported both by Mr Fox and Mr Stafford, but was lost on a division by 37 to 29, and the motion was adopted. Mr Reynolds then moved — " That in order to provide for the Colonial Legislature dealing only with subjects of Colonial importance, and to secure the efficient and economical administration of the Q-uveinmon,; o f the Colony, the existing Provinces should De abousnea, and two Provinces be established, one for the North Island and one for the South Island, with a Central Government dealing with matters to be agreed on, of purely Colonial concern; and that an equitable adjustment of the annual charges arising out of the burden of the Colony be made. Further, that a Bill giving effect to this resolution be introduced during the present session." Mr Reynolds also gave notice of a series of further resolutions defining the character of the proposed Bill to give effect to his motion. A discussion ensued, and the debate was ultimately adjourned. The motion for going into Committee on the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill gave rise to a warm debate, but waß carried by 35 to 23. In Committee tbe Bill was energetically opposed by Mr Stafford, and progress was reported. On Thursday the business was of little interest. _ ___.