GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1545, 21 August 1886, Page 1

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL;

In the Legislative Council on Wednesday, . The Acting-Speaker, tl.e Hon. Major B»illie, occupied th? chair. At 4 30 p.mi the Vice-R«gil assent to h number of Bills assented to by the Governor was received.. The Coutcil adjourned to 4.55 p.nh On the Council resuming, the Commissioners appointed by His Excellency the Governor, consisting cf Sir Frederick Whitaker, Ilr Buckle) and Mr Reynolds, prorogued Parliiiment in the presence of members of the Council, the Speaker and twenty-six aumibsrs if the House. The Commission set foith that Parliament was prorogued to December 16th. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. j The House met at 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mr Macandrew asked whether the provisions of the Property Assessment, Act applied to inunses and parsonHges.rThe Premier said it was not so iotende<l, Mr Moss moved—" That there be laid before the House, within a month after the beginning of next session, a statement of expenditure and liabilities,, for the financial year under the following votes : —Harbor defences; purchase of native lands ; Thermal springs--- the statement to show the several amounts paid or due, the persons to whom paid or due, and the services rendered respectively."—Agreed tO. ' ■'.'.< Mr Micandrew regretted that he had been unable to move the resolutions he liad gi\en notice for some weeks past re-specting-the grafting of blocks of land for the relief of the anemployed. He thought that if they spent a whole session in enrieiiTdring to solve this question it would be time wall spent, as it was one of the most important questions that could he "brought forward. He asked what was the value of all their legislation compnred with nipping in the bud the napliug of pauperism, which was now getting co gen*ml in the colony. Speaking, for the Otago district, he asserted that if the homestead regulations bad been put in force some time ago they noulri not have had half the number unemployed they had at present. It was utterly impossible for-one man to administer the whole of; the land in the colony, and without at all reflecting on the present Minister, he felt convinced that they nqjiired a Minister of Lands in each Island. He again regretted that this important question had not been brought forward before the eve of prorogation, but he should move the resolutions in order to get them into Hansard. He then moved the resolutions.

The Premier entirely demurred to the statement that this colony was exceptionally situated in respect to the unemployed. He also denied that the unemployed were more numerous than they were some years ago. No settlement of peoph on the land would, even for one moment, stop pauperism in the country. , A message was here received, desiring the attendance of members in the Legislative Council Chamber to hear the commission of prorogation read. Members then adjourned tothe Legislative Council Chamber, where Parliament was formally, prorogued by Commission.