GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1737, 15 May 1888, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. On Friday the Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. Mr ivl.intell brought up the Recess Hours Uominttee'a Ueport, which su<»jiesled rrforms fhut would reduce the fixpi-ndinire in connection with BcPainy's by £66 10a per month. The (JommiUe-, inter alia, suggested that an entrance to Bellamy's should be charged to new members, similar to the course adopted by othiT co'ouws. Several notices of motion were given, and tha Council adjourned at 3 40 p.m. HOUSE OF RE PRESENT ATI VEB. On Friday the House met at 2.30 p.m. S-veral notices of mutton were (,'iven. In rep'y to questions, Minis'er.s said ;Bi !« would bs introduced setting the .claims of old t-ebbrs and volunteers to iJanrl .iii<t rnuking provision for halfeasies iin the Middle Island whose c'a'ms to laud have not been dealt with; that Com-mii-sioneia would be appointed tinder the 'Government Railways Act, 1887, when snitab'e persons for the position wne foiiur'.

Mr Reeves (St. A'tbuis), asked tho Pie.unio'" what siep;<, if any, Government propose to take to prevent a large number of Chiueso now in New Zealand waters from landing in the colony.—Tho Premier said it was not proposed to take any such steps. He did not think, in fact, th-t there were any Chinese on tho water. He then explained the Bill to be introduced dealing with tho Chinese, and said as ic was a question of foreign po icy, the subject could only be dealt with with the approval of the Imperial' Parliament. Government considered it would have been a breach of faith to have prevented the Chinese then on the water from landing, and might have caused complications which would be worse than ilie addition of 100 Chinese to the popu'a'-ion. Tint following Bills were introduced : .Ho»|.'i:a!B and Charitable InatituMouß Act. 18S5, Further Amendment Bill ; Opawa Education Kesorvo Bill ; Educational Lauds 811 ; Chinee Immigrants Act Ams'idment Bill; Electoral Bill; Otflgo Central ltd way Bill ; Kimo and Ka»akawa Connedion Railway Bill ; Invert:;n«ill Corpomt on Einpoweiing Bill; Bi I to Extend and Amend the Luv Relating to divorce ; New Plymouth Hospital Bill; Hospi'als and Charitable Institutions \ct 1885, Amendment Bill (No. 2). '1 he Houbo adjourned at 3p.m. umil 7.30 p.m., when Mr Vincent Pyke moved the Address in Reply. He said the depiession had bren brought about by the people themselves, and it rested with ihem to fieo , themselves from it. He strongly opposed p»ipoitnal leasing, and regretted that the Government had not had backbone and r.ised the school ago. Referring to the Chinese question he said great Britain watcoquetting with the matter. They talker' of sustaining friend y relaiions with China, but they must not f. rgrt that th»y had also to sustain tricdly rations with the colonms>. Personally, i e obj«cte'i Mtronjjly to tho Chinese, but '-e eouli no'- uph-i d a deliberate breaking'of iho law, Ho wafnot so sure as Govurnmenf seemed io be that the means take" to suppress the

rabbit pest were effectual. Alluding to ' FroloiitioD he said his recent visit to Australia had shown him that neither Protection nor Freetrade was pssential to the well-being of a courjtiy. All thecolo-| dies were either already Protectionist or rapidly becoming so, old everything rendtnl to point in the noar future to a iteiierni system of Protection, with intercolonial Freetrader as now existed in the United {States. He would not, though neither Freetr*de nor Protectionist, he «orry to see such an issue of the cooflct of the t»r ff. He was sorry to see an indication of the intention on the part of the GovirHment to introduce the •• Haru nystem." Mr Oarroll, while seconding the address, gave Government to understand that he did not pledge himself thereby to support everything it contained. Speaking of the Native question, he said he did not like co see such reference as that to Tanhaio, who got praise, while chiefs who had done a great deal for colonists were ignored. And aven worse—he had heard Tawhaio intended to refuse the Government offer, and if so they should deal with him with a, very firm hand. The auti-Ohinese agitation seemed to him opposed to the English idea of fair play. If further revenue was wanted £70,000 a year could bo r.iised by putting a 3d tax on totalisator tickets.

Tho motion was then put and carried on the voices without debate, and the Qoush adjourned at 8.50.