HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 318, 6 November 1860, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

We have received Auckland papers from October 6th to the 23rd: Copious extracts,will be found elsewhere. . ' Considerable opposition was madfc to the Land for Compensation (Nelson and Marlborough) Bill, brought in by Mr. Domett, on the 21st September, by' Messrs. Weld, Stafford, Momo, and others. The amendments of Mr. Dometty which caused some strictures from .us a. short time since, were introduced in opposition to amendments proposed by Mr. Stafford, by which much de|ay would have been caused. We copy the following from the debate. • • : Mr. Domett said the new Commission (advocated by' Messrs. Stafford and Monro) wduid have to do over again the work of the old.. He had already answered the objections to the' former Commissions made by the member for Wairaea, and was convinced that no more satisfactory result could'be attained by j new Commissions than there already had been attained by the old. He saw, however, Clearly that the sense of the House was against him, 'and that the Bill as it stood had no chance of success, .Rather than the matter should be indefinitely deferred,* he would undertake to draw some additional' clauses carrying out the views of the House, and authorizing the appointment of a Commission to report again upon the claioys in question before the free grants proposed by the Bui should be issued. /-"'* Mr. Stafford proposed that the motion should I postponed till, Thursday, and the amendments printeu Jl They had proposed to rest the passing of the Bill on™ other considerations, theVweight of. which, on the whole, was such as to makeuit advisable not to proceed with this particular Bill this sessionytfcut to pass a general Act to empower the.lppointment ot a Commission.' He did not propose Ihis from any wish to create unnecessary delay, and he was confident that this course would not cause delay. Mr. Sewell would add a few words to his resolution, after the word Nelson in the 12thline, viz. s such Bill contains proper provisions for receiving their consents." • . Mr. Domett would move that the motion should be postponed till Tuesday next. He did trust the House would not adopt the proposal of the hon. the Colonial Secretary to refuse this Bill in order, to bring in one only appointing a Commission. v The hon. member's views wduld be met by the addition of the new clauses to the present Bill, which would then set the matter at rest, and,require no further legislation from this House on the subject. ... Motion agreed to. : The Native Offenders' Bill was brought up on September !25th. Mr. Sewell moved that it be read that day six months, for he was satisfied that the ' withdrawal of the bill was indispensable to the peace find safety of the colony.' Mr. "Williamson seconded the motion. Along debate en* sued. The division was equal: For the Amendment:—Messrs. Renall, Carleton, Henderson, Fox, Carter, Forsaith, Daldy, Brandon, Featherston, Graham, Williamson, Bell, Symonds, Rhodes, Gillies, Sewell, Fitzherbert, Ward.—lß. Against:—Messrs. Fitzgerald, Monro, Brown, Weld, Curtis, Clark, Kelling, Jollie, Cookson, Heale, King, J. C. Richmond, Farmer, Moorhouse, C. W. Richmond, Stafford, Campbell, Domett.—lß. Mr. Stafford then withdrew the Bill. On September 26th, the adoption of the Report of the Select Committee oil Distillation was moved by Mr. Kelling. Onthe recommendation of several nienibers, Mr., felling postponed his motion till the report was printed. Dr. Featherston moved the second reading of the Bill to repeal certain clauses of Land Revenue Appropriation Act of 1858. This was carried against the Staffordwfpuistry, aided by the ' Nelson contingent.' The following i 3 the divi- ; sion:— ' • > For the Motion:—-Messrs. Graham, Henderson, > Renall, Garter, Brandon, Rhodes, Sewell, Clark, , Williamson, Fox, Featherston, Brown, Jolly, ,• Daldy, Moorhouse, Forsaith, Cookson^ Ward, p Gillies, Fitzgerald, Fitzherbert.—2l. , Against :-^Messrs. J. C. liichraond, Kelling, 1 Curtis, Heale, King, Domett,1 Farmer, Haultain, Bell, Weld, Stafford, Campbell, Richmond.—l 3. The New Zealander thus comments on this bill being thrown out .by the Legislative Council. The Land Revenue Appropriation Act Amendment Bill, initiated in the House, of Representatives by the Member for Wellington City, has been thrown out r by the Legislative Council.*'.On the motion for its - second reading being called, an amendment, " that it be* read that day six months;" moved by Dr. Menzies, t and seconded by Major Richmond, was carried. The 3 division lists were as follows.:— r Ayes:—The Attorney-General, - the PostmasterGeneral, Messrs. Blaldston,- Menzies, Curling, Outfield, I Richmond, Salmon. • y Noes:—Mesirs. SwainsotySHarris, Crawford.

This being a 'Mnoney bU|" carried in. the House by a very large majority, itsiiejection by the Council may lead to some complexity^, aud it may be interesting to specify the object wl|ch was proposed, to be effected by it. -. >> Dr. Featheraton's Bill proposed to. repeal the following clauses of "The Land Revenue Appropriation Act, 2858":—" 6. • There shall be paid by the Receivers of Land Revenue to the Colonial Treasurer, out of the gross Revenue and Receipts arising as aforesaid within the several Provinces of Auckland, Wellington, and New Plymouth, brie-sixth part of the said Revenue and Roceipts lo be expended as hereinafter provided. 6. ' The one-sixth part of the gross Land Revenue so to be paid out of the Land Revenue of the several Provinces of Auckland, New Plymouth, and Wellington, shall be expended in the extinguishment of the native title over lands Situate1 in each of. the said Provinces respectively, and for no other purpose whatever ; and the said one-sixth shall be payable so long as there shall be lands in the said Provinces respectively, over which it shall be deemed desirable that the native title should be extinguished: Provided always, that until any such money shall be required, it shall be^lawful for the Governor to invest the same, or any part thereof, ia such, manner and upon such security as he shall think fit for the benefit of the Province in rc«pect of which the same shall be received.' - . ■ The effect of the Bill would have been •toiuspend for the future the payment of the sixths into the / Colonial chest, and to give to thi3 Provinces named fa aud to Hawke's Bay the whole proceeds .of their r fi spective land revenue. The payments already r /: on account of Wellington and Hawke's tßiy am f to a considerable'sum (some ten or twelve thoov jf pounds, we believe)— on account of Auckland, to more than three thousand—and their refund would have been a great relief, at the present moment, to the exhausted treasuries of those Provinces,

On the motion of Mr. H. Brown, a select committee was appointed to.' inquire and report as to the circumstances under which an attempt was made in the year 1857, to introduce institutions of civil government amongst the natives of the Waikato district, and the practical effects and causes which led to a discontinuance of tJte same. The committee to consist of the Minisier for Natire Affairs, Messrs. Forsaith, D. Bell, Fox, Heale, Sewell, and Williamson, with power to call for persons, papers, and records.'

The Dun Mountain Railway Bill was withdrawn by Dr. Monro. Mr. Domett stated that 'all the difficulty had been caused by the promoter himself (Monro) in his haste to withdraw the bill. He believed that if the committee had gone on, the objections would most likely have been got over.'

On October 9th, leave was given for a neff Arms Bill after a vvarm debate.

The second reading, of the Nelson and Marlborough Debt Apportionment Bill was moved by Mr. Richmond. Mr. Gillies, after some remarks on the difficulty of settling the dispute between Hawke's Bay and Wellington, although no sucU cause for dispute existed in the case of Nelson ana Marlborough, moved that the bill be read that day six months. .. ■ . , For the amendment -.—Messrs. Carte?, fcrranara, Renall, Sewell, Fox, Featherston, Forsaith, Gillies* Williamson, Ward, Fitzherbert, .Brando u> Moor* house—-13. For second reading: — Messrs. Curtis, Welji Kelling, Bell, Domett/Heale, J..G.Bichmond, C.-W, Richmond Fanner, Fitzgerald, St«fora l

Brown, fGlarki Mohtb; Cookloilj Jollify Jftbgj Carletoa, Syihonds.— ■19.

.The Wellington and flawke's Bay Debt Apportionment Bill was settled by Dr. Featherston moving that it it be read that day six months, which was carried by 19 to 14;' one of'the members having said i Aye' and voted 'No,' was put down as Aye. Mr. Richmond then moved that it be referred to a select committee. The division on this was as follows :—

■ Ayes r-^-Messrs. Fitzgerald, Haultaih, Weld, Richmond, Clark, Curtis, Stafford, J. C. Richmond, Heale, Monro, Campbell, Kerr, Farmer. ■—IS.

Noes:—Messrs. Cookson, Forsaith, Featherston, Fitzherbert,, Fox, Daldy, Rhodes, Moorhouse, Graham,. Carter, Gillies, Renall, D. Bell, Brandon, H. Brown, Williamson, Sevvell, Ward.—lß.

On October 10th Mr. Kelling withdrew his Distillation Bill after a very humorous speech from Mr. Fox, who remarked that perhaps the Ministry could say nothing.in support of the measure, and were afraid to say anything against it lest they should offend the ' Nelson Contingent.' In referring to the Northern Island, Mr. Fox said : * The honorable member for Dunedin suggested the trial of the experiment in his province, where the inhabitants were chiefly from a country remarkable for sobriety, although statistical returns told this—that every man, woman, and child consumed six gallons of spirits per week, (Oh, oh, from Mr. Gillies.) Well,' if it was not per week it was for some other period.' In alluBionto the army of excisemen which would be required, Mr. Jb'ox thus spoke of our patronageloving (not profligate) Government:—'The General Government already employed 520 officials at salaries amounting to £72,000'

The Militia Amendment Bill has been given up or strangled by its author, Mr. Stafford.

On Thursday, October 18th, the debate on the New Provinces Amendment Act terminated after several adjournments. Mr. Gillies moved the second reading; Mr. Carter seconded it. Mr. Weld (ministerial) moved that it be read that day six months.

For Mr. Weld's amendment:—Messrs. Stafford, Fitzgerald, Heale, J. C. Richmond, Weld, D. Bell, Clark, King, Synionds, Kelling, Curtis, Haultain, Monro, Jollie, Richmond, Domett, Campbell.—l7. Against:—Messrs. Daldy, Brandon, Rhodes, Carter, Henderson, Williamson, Fitzherbert, Cookson, Graham, Ward, Moorhouse, Sewell, Forsaith, Fox, H. Brown, Gillies.—l 6.

Majority for ministers—One.