THURSDAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 116, 22 August 1885, Page 3

THURSDAY.

Thames Haruour Bill. Amongst the orders of the day (local bills) there were several measures relating to Auckland province. ; Col. 3f rasbr, in moving the second reading of the Thames Harbout Board Em j powering BUI, said some difficulty had arisen respecting the schedule which might j prevent the measure proceeding this session, i Col. Trimble, in moving that the bill be ; read a second time that day three months, j raised a strong objection to the raising powers proposed, and said that in time the ! House would be called on to pay interest, Captain Setter also opposed the bill, on I the ground that its merits were not fully before the House. Sinoe the bill was before the Local Bills Committee, several ! petitions against it had been received. I Mr Wiiyte also opposed the second reading. Col. Fkasbr said he wished the second reading passed now, so that should the! difficulties re schedule be overcome in the meantime, the bill might be passed this session. i Mr Lake objected to a portion of the Piako county being added to the rateable area without representation. Mr Peacock said he had received several objections to the bill, and moved the adjournment of tho debate to give Col. Fraser the opportunity of more fully explaining it, The debate was adjourned for a fortnight.

Newmarket Reserve Bill. Mr Moss asked postponement of the further conaiderati on in Committee of the Newmarket Reserve Bill, on the ground that he had not yet come to an understanding with the Minister of Works regarding the protection of interests of the raUw&y, The postponement was agreed to.

Interesting Debate on Secondary Education. Mr lockk moved the committal of the Gisborne High School Bill, but Mr Peacock speaking on the motion "That the Speaker do leave the chair/ re&i a telegram froia the Auckland Board of Education objecting to the schedule of the bill. He said that the total revenue of the Auckland reserves for the purposes of secondary education was £536, and if tho first schedule of the bill was carried, Gisborne High School would receive £255 of that amount. Mr Whvte spoke in the sain© strain. Mr Stout reviewed what he had Baid when the bill was last before the House, and eaid that if provision of special reserves were to be allocated to Giaborne, provision would require to be made to conserve the interests of other districts in Auckland that would require the provision of secondary education. Tho Auckland and Thames High Schools had special reserves, but the Auckland Girls' High School was in an unfortunate position, aa it had no special reserve> and was dependent oil the vote- of Parliament. He thought it only fair that it should have a special endowment. Mr Locke eaid it was the old story of Naboth's vineyard over again. These Cook County reserves had not been regarded as reserves for secondary education for Au ckland, but fora school in Cook County. In Committee, Sir G. M. O'Rokke said he was sorry that any objection should come from Auckland members to the establishment of a school in Auckland province. Ho supported the schedulo aa it stood, and did not think objection should be made to the granting of the revenue asked for the Gisborne School. He believed that the protest made by the Board of Education was made under a misapprehension. Messrs Wuyte and Peacock took exception to Sir G. M. O^Rorke's remarks. Mr Samuel made a general protest against the large expenditure on secondary education, which was a luxury that the colony could not afford just now. Mr DAKGAVitLE agreed with Sir G. M. O'Rorke that the bill was a reasonable one, and should be passed without delay. He thanked the Premier for the expressions he had made regarding the Girls' High School, which was one of the best institutions of the kind in the colony, but was now being almost starved out of existence for want of assistance. After a discussion on secondary education, in which Messrs Samuel and Fergus took part, Sir George Grey appealed to tho Uommittee that Giaborne should bo given what she required, He asserted that the action of the Government in converti ng Whangarei High School reserve into a reserve for foiestry schools would deprive the girls in largo districts of the chance of va ried education, as, of course, they could not teach girla to cut down trees or to plough. Mr Stout said that there was no High School at Wbangarei, as the place was not yet sufficiently advanced. -He hoped that in time it would have a Higi » School for girls. He accused Sir George Grey of coming in from the lobby in the rait idle of the debate, picking up the threat i and making tho most of mixing up Whai igarei and Gisborne. Sir George Grey turned the laug a on Mr Stout by mentioning that be him welt had assisted in drafting the Gisborne Bill. Mr Bdckland eaid he hod an opinion that we were paying too much for hig^ er education. It was wasting Government money on sowing seed in barren gro w~, and if a boy had any good in him y'ito application, it would come out. In tb* fiax-millf and bushes they found University men and doctors —persons with high education. They could not get settlers 1 sons to work as their fathers did. They wanted to be schoolmasters or Civil servants, and I would not do the.work of the country. He I believed that the colonial system of push- | ing children beyond a certain stage was not I in the interest oi >4he colony, but the very i reverse. ' " Mr Hursthotjse objected to higher education on the scQrejpf economy. They were told that the colony was on the high road to financial ruin/arid yet they went on year after yea* increasing the- coat of what was a luxury and what was most taken advantage of by the wealthy classes. The education system cost them £450, 000 per annum — £14,000 from the Consolidated Fund for higherandsecondary education, and £40,000 annual rents from endowments; £300,000 for primary education, and about £100,000 annually for buildings. He would live to see the day when secondary schools would stand on their merits, and the proceeds of reserves go into the consolidated revenue. After some sparring between Messrs Fergus and Huksthouse on secondary education, in the course of which the latter said that be did not believe the taxable power of the colony exhausted, the House went into committee, and the 12 clauses of the bill were disposed of without discussion. Mr Guinness moved the striking out ot clause 21 (that vesting the reserves in the Board of Governors), and stated that he intended to oppose every grant for secondary education till all education reserves were grouped, and the House should show how much could fee given to primary, and how much to secondary and university education. The business was mterropted by the 5,30 adjournment.

When the House resumed at 7.30, Mr Barbon moved that the House do now go into Committee to consider the Houra of Polling Bill. Carried. In Committee on clause 2, which provides that the hours of polling should be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m, several amendments were proposed as to the time when the poll should dose. Mr W. F. Buoklano opposed the measure, because of its -want of unanimity. If town electorates had their hours lengthened, electors would vote at country booths at the last moment, and then rush off to the cities and v.ote there at the last moment. Mr Daboaville suggested that 7 o'clock should be accepted as a compromise — that hour would be acceptable to his constituents. Mr Holmes referred to the excessive beer duty collected in Auckland Provincial District, and said the amount of "beer swilling" done there caused representatives from Auckland to oppose the extension of the hours for fear of the " sinnish " habits of their constituents. This brought Messrs Peacock, Hurst, and others to their feet, and Mr Holmes was called on to withdraw the offensive; term used. T& Ao was the only Maori member present, and strongly opposed each alteration in the system. Mr HcßsraousE, with tho object or "squashing" the bill, moved that the Chairman do now leave the chair. This was lost on division by 30 to 30. j Mr Barrok consented to the hour of closing being 7. On this he had the Governmeat support, but the motion was lost by a i ! bare majority, the voting being : Ayes, 31 ; noes, 30. , Up jumped half a dozen members with proposal that the time be G 30 p.m., but; they were intercepted by the Premier! moving to report progress with leave to sit again. It was absurd to extend the time by a bare half-hour ; and, if progress were re ported with leave to sit again, members might have an opportunity of making-up their minds. Mr Barron expressed a hope that the Premier's suggestion would be acted upon ; but his desire met with scant sympathy, the suggestion being lost on the voices. The next proposal was to make the time 0,30, which was carried on division by 40 to 25. On arriving at the schedule, there was another fight. Mr Hur>tiiouse caused a laugh by moving that all electorates in the schedule, except Caversham, be struck out. The hon. member in charge of his bantling would then get a bill all to his own glory. | After considerable discussion, into which ! a vein of humour was imported to a large i extent, Mr O'Connor moved to report progress, but this was negatived. Mr Barron himself next moved to^ report i progress, explaining that the Premier had ! kindly undertaken to (to something before | next election. | Mr Gore moved that the Chairman do leave the cbair. | Sir Gko. Grey thought this most extraordinary. "No one knows, sir," he pro- ! eeeded to say, " whether tho Government v/ill not be out in a few days. Everyone says they will." He thought Mr Barron f s usual courage had deserted him, and ad vised him to stick to the half-hour if he were sincere as the others were, and not i abandon tho bill. . i MrTuRNBULL twitted Mr Barron m tiio "< treatment he was receiving from his new- ! found friends. There was a motion before I the House, awKhis should be put without further discussion. | Mr Fergus deprecated this measure and j the next order, Mr Steward's Licensing Bill, | being introduced by private members ! instead of by tho Government. It was not itbe eort of legislation in which private | menabera should take a leading part. After j the waste of time that had taken place that, | i night, he thought it was time the Govern ; I ment stepped in and put an end to the j private members days. (Oh). He hoped that this Government or their successors would have the moral courage to move in that direction. It was a fact (he asserted) that a majority of the House feared and dreaded private members' days, because of the legislative reforms they proposed Sir Geo. Grey hoped the Premier would do his duty and force the bill through the House. " Even if this is the last charge on which ho is allowed to lead, let him lead heroically on," was the advico tendered by the great pro-Consul. Mr Gore's motion was lost on a division by 35 to 29. . , I 'Again the Chairman, on putting the question that the schedule be passed as printed, was intercepted by Mr O'Connor, who urged that the Government should state their minds on the subject Mr Seddon claimed that there was an understanding that the last division would be the best, and that factious opposition would cease. ("No."} To continue the opposition was a breach of faith. Mr W. F. Buckland complained of the attitude adopted by the last speaker in issuing private challenges. Last year he threatened to " chuck a member out of the House. * Mr Seddon said that this statement was unfounded-— in short, it was an untruth. The Committee's proceedings now resembled a bear garden, members popping up and down and speaking together, and trying to catch the Speaker's eye. Mr O'Connor said that the language ueed by the member for Kumara was an insult to the House. One member had accused another of speaking untruths, and if that sort of thing were permitted, it would lead to serious consequences outside the Parliamentary Chamber. Mr Hamhn (Chairman of Committee) 8> wd that once before that night he had to eh eck members, and he again asked them to restrain themselves. A continuance of euch conduct would not tend to raise the credit and estimation in which the Com mitte c was held. It might, moreover, as one nj 'ember had remarked, lead to consequen ces outside. Mr S bddon repeated that an untruth had been ut» v «red against him, and he claimed the right to compel the member 'for Frauklyn North to withdraw his words. Mr HA&tLi'N ' I trust both hon. members will at one c i ecall the words used, and atlow the Commi.tteo to proceed with the business. (Hea.r.) Mr Bucki>A2W> : I am perfectly willing, aB far as I am: concerned, to withdraw my words. , . ... - Mr Sebdon r If the hon. member with v draws his woi'ds, there is no reason for mine. „, „ The debate w as interrupted by the supper adjournment. The House waff continued at li p.m. Mr Gore moved that .the schedule be struck out. Thus would have the effect of ! making the extra half-hourumiorm througn- : out the colony. He objected that country members would nofc support the bill. After further wrangling, Mr Ttjrnbuli, again moved to report progress, and this time with Buccesa, the voting being . .Ayes, 37 ; noes, 26.

Lioenslng Amendment Bill Consideration of Mr Steward's Licensing Act Amendment Bill was commenced at 11.45 p.m. . There -was considerable dieoweaioq over Clause 3, providing that all adult residents should be entitled to vote.

Mr Holmes said, the whole question of female suffrage was before the Committee, ; and the quietest way to decide the matter was by going ittto division at once. He moved to strike out " all persons of either sex." The Premier said it was proposed to give women without property the same rights as those who had property. In his opinion the whole female olasses should have the same rights. Mr Bevan was the main objector to giving the privilege of voting at licensing elections to women. He thought it would be Rowing an apple of discord in family circles, and ridiouled women being carried along by fanatics wearing the blue ribbon. The discussion wae carried on till 1.20, when Mr Fitzhebbbrt moved to report progress. I This was lost by 32 to 23. ! Mr Holmes's motion was then pufc, and was also negatived. Mr Samuels proposed that the Chairman do now leave the cfaair. There was not the slightest probability of the bill passing through Committee that night, and it was therefore idle to continue eittiDg. This was negatived on the voices. Mr Holmes immediately moved that the Chairman do report progress, and ask leave to ait again. The Premier and Mr Guinness urged that Clause 3 should begot through before the House rose. The motion to report progress was carried by 28 to 23. The House rose at 1.50. a.m.