GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1239, 16 September 1884, Page 1

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 on f liday, On the motion of the Hon. Mr Waterhouse, it was resolved to instruct the Standing Orders Committee to take into consideration the present mcde of distributing the honorarium payable to members in connection with their attendance at Parliament, with a view to recommending to the Council a more cquiiable mode of distribution than under the existing arrangements. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. In tho House on Friday, Mr Turnbull gave notice that he would ask the names of the contractors who supplied and the inspectors who passed the defective railway plant npon rectifying which the Addington workshops employed had been engaged. Replying to Mr Steward, the Hon. Mr Stout said a Bill had been prepared to amend the Municipal Corporations Act, but it was doubtful if time would permit of its passing this session. Replying to Mr Roileston, Sir Julius Vogel said the Government did not propose to amend the Roads and Bridge* Construction Act so as to enable County Councils to undertake irrigation works.

Replying to Mr O'Callaghan, the Hod. Mr Stout said a favorable consideration would be given to the question of the proposed appointment of an Agricultural Department in connection with the Government,

Replying to Mr Hurst, Sir Julius Vogel said notice had been given to pay the outstanding balance of the .Five per Cent. 5.33 Debentures, but not the Four and aHalf per Cent. Debentures. Judging from the correspondence that had come under his notice, the- Atkinson-Rolleston Government intended, as opportunity offered, to make further inscription of the unsubscribed public debt. The annual saving to the colony if Ihe consolidated loan of 1867 and the £3,500,000 of 10-40, were inscribed at 4 per cent., would be very large, but they had not had time and data to fix the exact sum.

Replying to Mr Holmes, the Hon. Mr Richardson said said it was quite true that half the work done in the Aldington worshops was in alteris g and re->making bad imported machines, implements, carriages, and materials, and than : a large number of the imported wheels and axles were condemned, the axles boing cf rotten iron, The attention of both himself and bis predecessors bad been a good deal occupied in the matter. The AgentGeneral had been communicated with on the subject, but time had not been permitted for a reply. Steps had been taken to prevent the colony being a loser by the transaction.

Sir Julius Vogel moved that a Select Committee of thirteen be appointed to examine into and report upon the questions relatirjg to public accounts, the Committee to consist of Messrs Atkinson, Ballan.'e, Barron, Bradshaw, Coster, Cowan, Dargaville, Montgomery, Moss, Newman, Peacock, Wilson, and the mover. The motion was carried. Sir Julius Vogel moved for a. Select Committee to consider and report on the best mode to encourage and promote trade between N.Z. and the South Sea Islands, to have power lo confer or eit together with any similar Committee which may be appointed by tho Legislative Council, tne Committee to consist of Sir George Grey, Messrs Harper, Larnach, Moss, Kussell, and the mover. The motion was agreed to. The Bon. Mr Richardson moved—- " That a Select Committee, to consist of. eleven members, be appointed to consider >md repori on the best route for the North Island Trunk Eailway. The Committee to consist of Messrs Atkinson, Bryce, Kitzherbert, Grey, Gore, Johnston, Mitchelson, Morns, Ormond, White, and the mover."

Mr Lake moved, as an amendment — "That the Committee should consist of seven members, and bo wholly selected from the Middle Island." The amendment, was carried. The Hon. Mr Richardson moved that the following be the Committee on the North Island Railway route :—Messrs Fergus, Fulton, Gore, Larnach, Montgomery, White and the mover. Agreed to. The Married Women's Property Bill was re-committed for the purpose of altering clause 2, so as to provide that no married woman of the Native race shall be allowed to dispose of her lands without the consent of her husband.—Mr Bryce pointed out that Maori women living with men would have the right to dispose of their lands, whereas if they contracted a legal marriage they would b« deprived of that privilege.—The proposed amendment was rejected on the voices.— The Bill was reported, the amendments agreed to, and read a third time and passed. The Bankruptcy Amendment Bill was r«:id a first time. The Plurality of Votes Bill/was rejected, and the House rose at 12.40.