PARLIAMENTARY. [BY TELEGRAPH— "STAR" CORRESPONDENT.]

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 163, 31 July 1886, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY. [BY TELEGRAPH— " STAR " CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, July 27. Private Members' Day. A good deal of private legislation wm transacted yesterday afternoon. The following bills were further considered in committee, read ft third time, and passed : — Otago Harbour Bridge, Waimate Racecourse Trustees Empowering, Oamaru Harbour Board, City of Christchurch Municipal Offices, and Auckland flatbour Board Loan. The Fort Chalmers Fire Brigade Site and Nelson Foreshore- Reserve Bills were read a second time. Waimate Railway Debentures. We have probably heard the last this Beseion of the District Railway debentures scandal. Replying to Sir George Grey yesterday, the Premier said the Government did not intend taking any measures for having an inquiry into the purchase of the Waimate Railway debentures carried further, and that to do so* would be a reflection on 'the Committee for failing to do their duty. Poisonous Matches., The Government stated yesterday, in reply to a question, that they are of opinion that sufficient publicity has been given of the dangerous nature of phosphorous matches. They have declined to entertain the suggestion of the member for Auckland City .East that they should introduce a bill requiring that the word "poison" should be attached to boxes of such matches. - Petitions. Reports on petitions have been presented as follows :— Rev. W. Campbell and others, re Bible-reading in schools : The Committee has no recommendation to make. Re Ann Robertson : The Committee see no reason to justify the expenses incurred by the petitioner being paid by the Government, Re Baptist Union, relative to better protection of women and young girls : Referred to Government for consideration. Re Warnock, Miller, and others, relative to the Penrose loop line : Referred to the Government for consideration. Fees to Grand Jurors, At the last sitting of the Supreme Court at Hokitika, the Graud Jury made a presentment representing that it was very hard that Grand Jurors had to travel trom 15 to 20 miles without being granted any allowance. The matter was forwarded to the Minister of Justice for hia favourable consideration, but as this was an isolated case, and there is no lawful authority for the payment of such expenses, no action is to be taken on it. Blind Children. It appears there are seven blind children from the colony maintained at the expense of the Government in the Victorian Aeylum and School for the Blind at Melbourne. Two of these are expected to return shortly. Two of the children are from Wellington, and one each from the Thames, Ivew Plymouth, Marlborough, .Nelson, and Southland. Educational Franchise. There was the usual sessional fight in Committee last evening over the Educational Franchise Act. Major Steward said that with a view to meeting the opposition to the measure, he had agreed that the term "householder" should include every adult person with a six months residental qualification. The proposal to abolish cumulative voting gave rise to a considerable discussion. The Minister for Education insisted that every householder should haveat least three votes. The ' bill was condemned in unmeasured terms by Mr Rolleston, who concluded by moving that the Chairman do leave tho chair. Mr W. F. Buckland said that agitators in favour of the bill wished to see Bible reading in schools introduced, and the education system destroyed, Major Steward urged that, with a view to clearly defining the householder 8 qualifications, the matter should now be finally determined. — The Minister for Education said that if the member in charge of the bill would agree to allowing three votes under the cumulative system clauses, he would support it ; otherwise he would vote for the amendment of the member for bydenham. — Mr Bruce, replying to Mr Buckland, eaid that there was a large majority of the House against Bible • reading in 3choole, and yet a large majority alwajs supported this bill. After CDnsultation with Mr Fergus Messrs Downie Stewart, Turnbull, and Fulton. Major Steward said he was prepared ! to accept the Premier's suggestion. Mr Rolleston's amendment was then put and negatived on the voices. On it being put that clause 3 definition), as amended, stand part of the question, there voted: Ayes, 23; noes, 27. The clause wa?, therefore, etruck out. The Minister for Educationsaid that as theHousehad refused to extend the franchise under the bill, he looked on the bill as useless, and therefore moved that the Chairman do leave tho chair. — Mr Downie Stewart hoped this would not be listened to. As Sir Robert could not get his own way, he wanted to prevent an improvement being effected, in the method of conducting school elections. The Premier's amendment was canied by 30 to 26, and the bill was thus shelved. Dog Registration. Mr Hakuene, in opposing the Dog Registration Amendment Bill, said that the old Maoris valued their dogs as much as they did human beings. There was some reason for that, as an old Maori tradition said that one of their ancestors was a dog. He did not start as a dog. (Laughter). His brother had fallen out with him, and had worried him until he became a dog. For his own part, Mr Hakeune said, he would not pay the twenty shillings which the bill proposed, even if it became law. Dr. Newman reminded the hon. member that it was not proposed to make the Act retrospective,therefore his ancestor would escape taxation. The Act gives local bodies discretionary power to raise the dog tax to 20a. The bill was successfully resisted by the native members, an adjournment of debate being eventually made, in order that the hon. member in charge {Mr McMillan) might come to a compromise with the Maoris. This was done, and when the bill came up at night Mr Seddon moved that an exemption be made in favour of sheep, cattle, and rabbitdogs, and native-owned dogs, which was carried after considerable wrangling by :-> 2 to 24. Messrs O'Connor, W. F. Buckland, and'Levestam then proceeded to stonewall the measure in ( real earnest. Motions that the chairman do leave thechair and to report progress were successively put and negatived by substantial majorities. The Premier eventually said he hoped the bill would be pushed through, and added that if the opposition of two or three honourable members was to be permitted to stop legislation the majority would be surrendering their right as members of Parliament. Amongst the exceptions Bought to be obtained by the opponents of the bill were house-dogs and ladies' pet-dogs, and interesting descriptions were given of the various specimens of thase animals. On the question that the bill, as amended, be reported, Mr Duncan moved that it do apply only to Canterbury,

as the rest of the colony did not appear to want it, but on ft division, thiß was lost by 25 to 7. Mr Hobbs then moved that the operations of this Act do apply only to the Middle Island, which was negatived on the voices. The bill was reported with amendmente, and the House rose at 12.40, upwards of four hours having been occupied with this measure. Repurohnae of Largo Xattttva. Respecting the petition from N.Z. Land League who ask that one thousand acres of land be purchased from one of the large land-owners near Oamaru and be subdivided, the Waste Land Committee report recommending the matter to the favourable consideration of the Government. Bills In Progress. . The Mines Bill has been read a third time and finally passed in the Lower House, while the Mortgage Debentures Act Amendment Bill has passed through Com- , mittee.