GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1659, 12 November 1887, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tluirsrlay,. :-v JSir Frederick Whitaker, referring to (ho r death of the Hon. Wi Toko, to whose memory he paid a high tribute, moved, ns I r. mark of respect, the adjournment of the , Council to next day.—Agreed to. HOUSE OF KKPB.ESENTATIYES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Replying to questions, it was stated that I Government had no intention of making reductions in the wages of fk'lled and unskilled- workmen emp'oyed in the public service; that arrangements are h-iiig made to tost the copper lately discovered at the Twenty-Mile Rush ; that a sum would be placed on the estimates thru year for fire brigades in the colony ; (hit Go- i vcrnment could not make any further provision for the prosecution of (lie Hokiika harbor woiks ; that extension < f the penny postal system would be taken into consideration. .. Mr Peacock moved that the House rcsolva itself into'Committee on Wednesday, the 16th November, to consider an -d tress to the Governor, recommending that a sum of £SOOO he granted for the discovery of goldfields in the North Island, and a similar amount for the Louth Island, on the following conditions : —(I) That the discovery must not he less tli-iii 40 ni'les from any ixistiiig golufields, or any’ exi.-ting workings; (2) The regard not to b" paid unless 50,000 outlets of jmld have teen produced fiom the new goldO-ld w’lhin three years from the date of its being announced; (3) Any discovery made upon Native land without consent of the Native owners ami 'permission of the Native Minister, sha! give n i claim to a reward.”

j Mr Beeves moved—“ That, in the ; opinion of thin House, it' i.< desirable and ii'Ce-s>iry ihat nn import duty of not less rh->n 2s 6 1 per on bs imposed on all coal imported into the co’ony from other coumries.”—Mr Fddwick support'd the motion. —After a short. debit" the niothn was adjourned for a fortnight. Mr IJntchikon 'moved —“ That in the ■pinion of this House it; is d'-sirab’e th•• t, fo ty-eight hours be the weekly task of line men on the Government, rai'wijs, to b 8 i arranged as t ) termn ile at non ■ on Saturday, snhVct to sudi comlit ons as nny ha m-cesaary for the public B=fnty. Mr Mitohebon oppo el the motion on the eronnd of its being inconvenient to grant ir. • Hr hoped th it the motion would be wrtt'driwn. —After somo ' debate I -Mi Huidiison s-id lie had gained his obj ot, 1 „nd asked leiVH to withdraw the. motion,' which was grmted., Mr Turnbull (in Mr BallanccN »b ence) moved the second re iding of the Municipal Corporations Act Amendm-otM I, providing that a Brr'ttgh Council may pass a by.-' ! «wto .pre'epl Chinese from 1 grading in Miy borough u less hcou.se l . The deb hie was atij nirn.yd. } Tlie debate on tho Financial Stilem-nt W;iß ,ii Bullied by Ur Ne«nian, who: generally supported T.e proposal-, hut ditfned /mm sumo of Ui» ditai , Ho,

supported abolition of the Native Depaitmeot. Mr Reeves (St. Albans) condemned the Government proposals, and said there was an absence of anything in them that would relieve the present depression. Mr McKenzie approved of the budget as calculated to meet the requirements of the country. He objected to borrowing unless the necessity existed for it. T>r Hodgkinson spoke to a similar effect. Mr Taylor thought the proposals would largely increase the deficit. Mr Fish moved the adjournment of the debate till next day. Agreed to, and the House rose. The House met at 2 30 p.m. on Thursday. Replying to questions, it was staled that Crow n Prosecutors were appointed by the Governor, and were paid by foes under certain regulations ; that there was no intention of converting a Ministerial residence into a house for the Governor in order that the present Government house may be converged into a museum ; Uni Government would stale their intention with respect to the Bun Francisco Mail Service before the end of th» session ; that there were fixed holidays for New Year’s Day and Good Friday, that p»y was not slopped on those days, and that guards and others, who worked at all hour a, received a week’s holiday extra. The Akaroa Borough Council Reserves Vesting and Reclamation Bill, The Gishourao High School Act Amendment Bill, and the Onehuugc Cemetery Reserve Bill were committed, reported, and pa-sed through their remaining stages. The Wanganui Harbor Board Loan Bill waa committed, and ordered to stand oyer for a week. Mr Steward moved the second reading of the Education Reserves Settlement Bill. He mentioned that there w a over a million acres ('fluid locked up iu these reserves, which greatly retarded tho sett'ement of tho country,—Tho Hon, Mr Richardson suggested that the Bill should be referred to the Waste Land Committee. Tho Government Bill would protxibly bo found to contain very similar provisions.—On this understanding tire Bdl was road a second tim". Sir Geo-ge Grey moved th* second reading of tire Contagious Diseases Repeal Bid. After a brief debate the Bill w-s thrown out hy 62 to 26, Mr Seddon moved the second reading of the Gold Duly Reduction Bi 1, tho object of which was to reduce tho duty io 6d an ounce.—Carried by 39 to 34. Mr Joyce moved the second reading of the Election of Governor Bill.—Sir Julius Vogel a’-k'ui if the Government did no: intend to give an indicotion of opinion on the subjec'. The way iu which tLey were le ting important Bills go to thoir second reading unnoticed almost amounted io an abnegation of their positions. 'Phe 811 was a st( p in tho direction of making Zealand a Republic, and he d d trot think it was likely to be assented to at Home. Haring again adverted to the ind'ff-rence of the Government on tire subj.-ot, ho moved that it be read that day six months. --Tho Hon. Mr Fisher said h : s loyalty lo flic Queen foibtde him to support such a mcasuie.—A brisk debate followed, in the course of which the Premier, after apologising for his absence when the motion was moved, said if the> Bib wore not withdrawn be must supposi the amendment.— Sir George Grey supported the 13.11.—The motion was hst by 55 to 29. Io leply lo a question, it was stated that it was proposed to take ooa of tin. private members’ days next week. The House adjourned at 1 «.m.