WEDNESDAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 118, 5 September 1885, Page 4

WEDNESDAY.

In the Houso yesterday afternoon, Major Atkinson intimated that he should ' tomorrow move a series of resolutions traversing the financial proposals of the Government. During this afternoon |he would place them on the Order Paper. He Asked the Government to give him ito- -. morrow night for the purpose. (Cheers.) If the Government were not prepared toido so, then of course he must simply give notice that on going into Committee < of Supply, he would move. Under the circumstances, however, he did not think he should be asking too much in requesting the Government to allow him on the following night to move his resolutions as a substantive motion. The Premier said that of course it would be difficult to say what course the Government would take unless they knew in what terms the hon. gentleman was prepared to move. (Hear). Major Atkinson said : The resolutions he was going to propose were very reasonable, and judging by what the Government had already accepted, he hoped they would accept them. Not only should the Government accept these last resolutions, but he trusted that they would see their way to taking immediate steps towards giving effect to them. (Laughter ) The Premier, said he hoped the House would see its way to adjourn, and accordingly moved its adjournment till 7.30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday). Major Atkinson: I might suggest before the Premier so moves that he should wait till he receives resolutions. Perhaps he would prefer to wait till he has seen the notice of motion. To be frank, there is no doubt that the motion will be of that nature that an ordinary government would take it as a vote of no-confidence. (Cheers and laughter.) The Treasurer asked the member for Egmont whether he proposed to allow Ministers to see the resolutions before bringing them down. (Cries of " Oh.") Major Atkinson : I said I proposed to place them en the Order Paper during the afternoon. Certainly I shall not submit them to the hon. gentleman. (Cheers.) Mr Macandrew thought the discussion should not be prolonged. The member for Egmont had given notice of a no-confidence motion. That could not be gainsaid. (Hear.) Mr Barron felt concerned at any unnecessary -wasting of time. The session Lad already lasted a long time, and hon. members wished to get home. He was quite sure that any motion the hon. member for Egmont moved would be in such terms that members had made up their mind 3 as to what they were going to do. (Cries of "No.") Many years' experience in Parliament snowed that long debates rarely altered a vote. He therefore submitted that if the Premier and the hon. . member for Egmont agreed to adjourn till 7.30 that night, and then went on with the motion and disposed of it, members would be enabled to get back their businesses or their constituents. Mr Dargaville : I think the country ex- . pecta the wholo question to be thoroughly debated. (Hear.) It is easy to say now that we object to twenty-four hours' delay, but I * look upon that as a pure pretence. Ido not know yet what the resolutions are. I should like very much to see them and to consider them, because the direction in which I vote r depends upon the terms of those resolutions. I have some faith in the hon. member for . Egmont still, notwithstanding all I have done and said in tha past. (Cries of "Oh!" and laughter.) Yet, although I have some faith in him, I have not blind faith, and do not believe altogether in his infallibility. I want to see these resolutions and to consider them, and I dare say other hon. merabers are in the same position. - I hope that the House will be adjourned till to-morrow. ( Hear. ) Mr Samuels said that virtually a noconfidence motion was to be proposed, and urged that the debate should be proceeded with that afternoon or evening. Major Atkinson : Will the Premier make it clear that ho will permit me to move these resolutions ? The Premier : Certainly, (Cheers.) I think it is to be regretted that a notice of want of confidence cannot be given without throwing out taunts against the Government. are an ordinary Government, but I must say we have met with an extraordinary Opposition, because we never knew who was leader of the Opposition. (Laughter.) We have been late in finding that out, and I can only congratulate the hon member for Egmont that at last he has screwed up his courage to take the lead, and not let it pass into other hands. (Hear.) I think we ought not to force on the motion if the hon. member has not yet had time to consult his supporters and to word the resolutions so as to get their votes. The motion for adjournment till 730 to morrow night was then put and carried on the voices. The following ane the resolutions prepared by Major Atkinson, and circulated in members' pigeon holes at 6 last evening : — • ' That having in view the financial position of the colony, this House is of opinion— l. That the expenditure from the Public Works Fund for the year 1885-86 should not exceed one million. 2. That in the present condition of the finances of the colony, it is not desirable that the Government should undertake the construction of the East, West Coast, and Nelson Railways." 3rd. That no new line should be sanctioned this session. 4th. That one of the principal ob j ects of the construction of the North Island trunk railway being to open up the interior of the North Island for settlement, and seeing that the Government have neglected to make arrangements for securing the land necessary for this purpose, no further expenditure should be incurred beyond the present contracts, and for the completion of working surveys until satisfactory arrangements have been made for the acquisition of not less than five hundred thousand acres of land for settlement. sfch, That a reduction of not less than thirty thousand pounds upon the estimates of the Consolidated Fund as, brought down should be made for the ,year 1885-6, and a reduction of hot less than £80,000 for the year 1886 87, without tansferring any of the amount now charged : ( against Consolidated Fund to loan. 6. That, the Government be requested,, to take immediate steps to give effect to the above resolutions." ,

,>, , Reform of Legslative Council. - In the Legislative Council the Horn SirF; t-Whitaker moved the second reading of r his Legislative' Council Bill.' In doing so he reviewed the evidence taken' by the, Select Committee, and urged the 1 import-, «ance ; of a change in the constitution 6f the, Councils 'Mr Bathgate opposed and Dr.! Grace supported the second reading; ' The 1 debate was ftdjourned on the motion of Mr r '■']' ;• ' •' ""I

Prosbytorion Church Property Billi. - Thiß bill came Up, for third' reading 1 in the Legislative Council, when Mir Shrim^ki moved that it be read' that day Mx tnoftths; The Voting was equal, fchd the " Breaker gave his vote so that the m'otion' will" come oh 1 again next week. . '' , ;

Contagious Diseases -Act. , i - In the House of Representatives, Mr Rol^ leston a9^od wbether,the Government have obtained a report as to the, working of the Contagious Diseases Act in the colony during the past year, whether in view of the statements made by the Resident Magistrate in Chi'istcaurch as ,to the evils which have , ensued upon the ' cessation of , ihe operation of the Act in Christqhurch, asi to the spread of, the .class of diseases dealt wjith, under the Act, the Governuaeaij will tijke steps to bring the Act into, operation throughput the colony by the introduction of clauses into the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill, or otherwise. Mr Tole replied that he hai received a report on the subject, which he wonld lay on the table. As for the second part of the question, the local bodies were fully empowered to carry out the provisions of the Act, and it was not a question for Parliament.

Measures Dropped. Mr Stout stated that at this late stage of the session the Government did not propose to proceed with the Municipal Corporations Bill, the Friendly Societies Bill, or the Representation Bill.