FRIDAY.

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

FRIDAY.

I Questions. Ix reply to Mr Ormond, the Premier said tho telegram re the Meiggs proposal which was laid before the Houße on August 7th was received on July 26tb.

Dr. Grabham Attacked. Some inaccuracies in a return of revenue and expenditure in connection with hospitals were brought before the House this afternoon by Mr Walker, and gave rise to an animated discussion. On the question of general manage aaeivt of hospitals and lunatic asylums, after the Minister of Justice &ad made an odmistjion that a return was incorrect, Mr Holmes expressed the opinion that extremely bad work waa being obtained for a very large salary. When Dr. Grabham came herehe got £1,000 a year and travelling expenses*, and though he was engaged for three years, he had only been here one when he got an increase of £200 a year in his salary placed on the Estimates^ The present return was so grossly defective that if there had been the slightest supervision given, it would have found it was incorrect. He ( Mr Holmes) hoped the Minister at the head of this Department would administer to the doctor^such a reproval as -would convince him that if he were to remain in the De partment ho must do his work properly, and not present such a slipshod return a^ that laid before tha House. Dr. Newman defended Dr. Grabham as an official who did his work in good style. There was aa error in tho document in question, but that was no reason ior casing against him a general charge of mismanagement. Mr Fisher followed in a similarstrain, and expressed regret that the Government had not seeu it to be their duty to defend one of their officials from disparaging and disrespectful remarks. Major Atkussox thought it exceedingly unfair that Government officials should be spoken of in the manner he had been without membere at any rate putting the House in possession of the facta He regretted that the Government had not come to his defence instead of baviug tho attack to be replied to by private members. Dr. Grabham was a most excellent officer. When he came to the colony at a salary of a thousand a year, it was as Inspector of Lunatic Asylums only, and when his salary was raised to £1,200 it was on the understanding that he would also act as Inspector of Hospitals. In the speaker's opinion the colony had ample for the services obtained. The Premier said that an explanation having in the first instance been afforded by tho Minister for Justice, the Government did not think it necessary to reply to every speech, Mr Guinness agreed with those speakers who had censured Dr. brabham. In the Christen urch and Wellington Hospital iuquirie3 glaring instances of improper treatment and maladministration had been disclosed. Mr Macandrew pointed out that already the House had been 10 weeks in session without doing any work. It was time members attended to business, and he hoped the discussion would be allowed to drop. This suggestion was acted on.

Kumara Sludge Channel. The debate on this subject; (which is reported elsewhere) occupied till the 5.30 adjournment.

District Railways Bill. At the evening sitting, Sir Julius VoGEfc, in introducing the District Railways Purchasing Bill, explained the course the Government intended to pursue with respect to this bill. Correspondence entered into in purauance of a resolution on tbe House laefc session, directing the Government to purchase certain railways, had been on the table of the House for some weoks. The (Government proposed that when the bill giving approval to contracts made was read a second time, the Public Accounts Committee should be asked to examine into the report on the various contracts. The question of making the purchases would be a question of policy, and therefore it was not proposed to refer the bill to the Committee, as the question was not a political one, but a question whether the terms made were such as the House should sanction. . The purchase of railways was one that might well be referred to the Public Accounts Committee,, and; the second reading of the bill be fixed for Monday.

Administration of Intestate Estates. The amendments by the Legislative] Council in the Administration Acfc Amendment Bill were considered. The Paemier moved that the amendment be agreed tO| with the exception of that providing that the whole property of a married woman; without children dying intestate should go to the husband, and that the whole property of a married man without children dying ■ intestate should go to his widow. 'Shut 1 amendment (he urged) should be disagreed j to. i Majov Atkinson and Mr Gabrick hoped i this amendment would be can ied. j Messrs fcTEW art and Holmes hoped the j House would not affirm the decision of the , other Chamber. The former urged thatj when a married man died intestate, half his : property should go to his wife, and the other half to his parents or some other j relative. Mr Holmes thought that the suggestion of a member for Dunedin Weat -was a good j one, and recommended a conference with the Legislative Council. He objected" to tnia Chamber being subordinated to' the Council,

~Tfre"~PBKMiER likewise supported tner,<. augg&tioef df t j£. f r Stewart, and said that if his motion were agreed to, a conference with- the' Council doiu'd be arranged. The motion was carrto'i on the voices, and on the Premier's motion', ■Mteeie Holmes, Stewart,' and himself Were. , appointed a committee to draw up\ the reason for disagreementwiththeamendmentepv-oposed by the Council. r >>,

Gold Mining District! Act Amendment. This Act wag committed, but' 'progress < wa=» immediately after reported on -Mr Labnach's suggestions be naving a net*;, •, clause to introduce. , , •

(charging for Admission to Roorentlon Reserves. The Public Reserve Act Amendment was then committed. On the clause which pro* vided that admission to the reserves might be charged for 10 days only in each year, Mr Peacock movea in the direction that admission should also be free on public , holidays. This was objected to by the Southern members, who pointed out that the Caledonian games took place on public holidays, and Caledonian Societies did good work in the matter of education. ! Mr Thompson asked, if it was the deßfre of the hon. members that the bill should be passed, that Auckland Domain be omitted from its operation. Mr Buckland, as one who knew the views of the sport-loving public, said that the holidays should be fixed, such as Christmas Day, New Year s Day, etc. . He asked , ( that only jm declared public holidays a [- charge fhould made. Mr Peacock eventually withdrew his amendment, it being decided to append a schedule to the bill stating the publio . ( holidays on which a charge should not be made, viz., Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday. An attempt was made by Mr Connolly to add New Year's Day, Que9n's Birthday, the Prince of Wales's Birthday, aDd Anniversary Days of provincial districts to the schedule. New Year's Day waa lost on division called for by Mr Peacock by 40 to 17 ; the Queen's Birthday, on division called for by Mr Thompson, by 42 to 15. The Auckland men then gave up the battle, the Prince of Wales's Birthday and anniversary days of the colony being struck out on the voices. The schedule, as amended, was passed, and the bill reported with amendments, read a third time and passed.

Middle Island Half caste Bill passer], with slight amendments, was read a third time and passed.

The School Committees Election Bill being reported from the Legislative Council, Major Steward said the amendments made by that body were three in number. Firstly, they had struck out, the clause abolishing the cumulative vote at elections. Secondly, they had added a new clause, altoring the minimum school age from five to seven ; and finally, they had fixed January Ist as the day on. which the Act came into operation. With regard to the first point, it was a matter for regret to him and other members that the Council had not seen their way to discontinue the cumulative vote, but after the division which had taken place it would be idle to pursue the matter further. He proposed, therefore, to accept the amendments with the exception of the new clause regarding the limitation of the school age. The effect of that proposal would be to strike a very serious blow at the administration of the education system. Something like 22 per cent, of the Bchool children weTe under seven years of age. The amendment would make a very serious difference to the revenue of the Education Department, and would not affect what, he presumed, was the object of its introduction, reducing the expenditure because, many country schools would be closed, and the salaries of teachers there would have to be largely increased. He, therefore, moved that the amendments made by the Council, with the exception of the new clause 4, be struck out. Mr Tursbtjll strongly supported the suggestion of limiting the minimum age of school children to five. Were that done, a saving of £6,500 in the education vote alone would be effected. Several members objected to the new clause, as it would prejudicially affect attendances at country schools. On the motion being put, it was agreed to on the voices. Major Steward, Colonel Trimble, and the Minister for Education were appointed a committee to draw up reasons for disagreeing from the new clause, and shortly afterwards they reported as follows : " Because the clause will not effect the end apparently aimed at by the Council, viz., the reduction of the cost of State education without (1) causing the closing of a large number of schools in country districts, and necessitating a general reduction of teachers' salaries, (2) or necessitating a compensation increase in the capitation allowance.

Second Readings. The second readings of the New Flymouth Exchanges Completion Act Amendment Bill (Tole), the Property Law Con* salutation Amendment (Tole), and Bankruptcy Act Amendment (Tole) were agreed In Committee on the Coroners* Act Amendment Bill, Mr Goinness tried to get the words "not more than six jurors" withdrawn with a view of substituting " not more than four," but this was lost by a large majority. The bill was negatived, and the third reading delayed till Monday.

Divorce Amendment. In Committee on the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment Bill, the Minister of Justice moved the omission of clause dealing with incestuous adultery, which was agreed to, and it was provided that a wife could obtain divorce on the ground of t adultery simply. This was moved by Major Steward, and carried on the voices. Mr Samuei* moved a new clause permitting husband or wife to obtain a divorce aitev they had been continuously separated for a period of four years, or it either had been convicted of felony and sentenced to a term of imprisonment j also, if either became insane and continued so for four i years. ! MrMfiNTEiTH moved as an amendment, " That ail clauses except that portion dealing witb the insanity of either person be I eliminated." He objected to it being laid down that either husband or wife could obtain a divorce on the ground of mere incompatibility of temper. The Minister of Justices pointed out that the Act had been reserved for fler j Majesty's assent. Measures must be jeopardised by the addition of the new , clause proposed by Mr Samuel, i Mr Seddon entered his protest against I this clause. He objected to marriage being | regarded as a mere question of contract. i Mr Moss pointed out that if the clause ! were carried, a woman who became insane for four years might recover her senses to ! find that she was divorced and thrown i helpless on the world. . .1 , Mr Downik Stewart sought to get incompatibility of temper declared a ground for divorce, but this was nnmistakeably negatived on the voices. . '> 1 i Mb Mentbath's amendment waslosfe on division. ' ! ■> :,>;.."■ . On the question that the new clause, as amended, stand part of : the' bill;, the, ,<te-

vision resulted thus : Ayes, 19 ; noes, 23. The clause was thus loafs. The bill was re.ported with amendment, but third readipg delayed till Monday. Mr Samuel expressed the opinion that the bill as passed would tend to delay necessary reforms in the divorce law, and that in its present shape it was a miserable half-and-half measure. Tho Eating Act Amendment was reported, and leave asked to sit again.

Breach of Privilege. Captain SurrEßrose, and having prefaced his remarks by condemning the enormous expenditure on the goldfields of the colony, went on to quote from telegrams, &c., between Mr Seddon and the Minister of Mines regarding the Kumaru sludge channel too. 2. It appeal's from the documents quoted that Mr Seddon had frequently urged the construction of this work, and the Government were as anxious for the prosecution of the work as was the manager of the sludge channel No. 1. A great work had given more water rights than the channel could deal with, and might thus have rendered themselves liable to action for breach of contract. Last session the House voted £2,000 as a subsidy towards the work, the cost of which was estimated at £10,000. It wag not alleged or sought to be proved that Mr Seddon had any financial interest in the work ; but it transpired that in the interests of the district of Kumara he had, in conjunction with other leading residents of Kumara, entered into a contract or bond indemnifying the Government against any damage that might be caused to miners whose interests might be affected by the new channel. This, the speaker contended, brought Mr Seddon under the provisions of the Disqualification Act, and he concluded by moving for the production of all correspondence, and that a copy of the contract in connection with the sludge channel be laid before the House, intimating subsequently that he proposed to move for a Committee of Inquiry. The Premier proposed, as his name had been mentioned in connection with that of Minister of Mines, to enter into the history of the matter. He oxplained that there was in Kumara goldfields district a sludge channel constructed by the Government, into which certain miners had the right to deposit their tailings. Owing to a mistake by* Mr Low, he allowed too many people to discharge their tailings into the channel, with a result that it got blocked The question then arose, what were the Government to do for those miners to whom they had originally granted the right to discharge? Were they to construct another channel or widen the existing one ? The construction of a new channel was decided on, and when the matter came before the House last session, Government proposed a subsidy of £2,000, which was voted without question. It appeared, however, from an estimate made by Mr Gordon, Government Engineer, that it might cost £10,000 to construct another sludge channel, and the Government were unwilling to undertake the work. There was also this further complication, that people indemnified by the work might wish to get compensation from the Government. The member for Kumara denied that people would be injured, and he and others entered into a bond with the miners whose claims might be injured to indemnify these miners against loss. This bond was not to be Government at all, nor had the Government any contract with him. Their contract was with John W. Martin. The Government told the miners that they would only give a subsidy of £2,000 on condition that some persons were appointed to enter into a guarantee that the Government should not be responsible to the miners, and that explained the reason for the bond being given to cover any contingent risk, It was at his (the Premier's) suggestion that the member for Kumara had entered into the bond, and if he had acted wrongly, it was on a suggestion made to him. The Government would place on the table of the House all the correspondence. Mr Seddon then made an explanation similar to that made by the Premier. He said that he valued his good name too highly to be guilty of the wrong imputed to him. He had never yet been guilty of anything mean or paltry, and expressed the hope that after the matter had been fully investigated, the member for Gladstone would tender a full and ample apology for the wrong he had done to one who was doing hia duty to the colony. The Minister or Mines expressed the opinion that sufiicient explanation had been given in connection with the matter, and he hoped the House would decide that the appointment of the Committee was unnecessary. Mr Huest hoped the House would not decide anything of the sort. The member for Kumara appeared to have placed himself in a false position by an error of judgment. Mr W. F. Buckland thought the matter ought to be entered into carefully and quietly,andtheGovernmentwouldhaveacted wisely by at once suggesting a committee. There was no doubt that from the statements made by the Premier and the member for Kumara, sufiicient had been made out for ex parte case for investigation. It was a mistake for the Minister of Mines to try and slur the matter over. Mr Larnach denied that he had attempted to slur it over. Mr Rolleston thought that the action taken by the member for Gladstone in the circumstances that had come to his knowledge was perfectly justified. The speaker deprecated the new departure in the public works system, of which they had heard for the first time, giving personal bonds to secure public works. After further discussion, the motion for production of all papers was agreed to, and on the motion of Mr Stout, a committee was appointed, consisting of Mr Bruce, Mr J. C. Buckland, Mr Connolly, Colonel Fraser, Mr Hislop, Mr Hursthouse, Mr Moss, Capt. Russell, Mr Sutter, and the mover, to consider the matter, and to report in ten days.