GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1741, 24 May 1888, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

, LEGISLATIVE COUNCJIL. The Speaker took his neat p.m. on Tuesday. ~ . ' Mr Hart presented a petition from the General ' Assembly' of the : Preebytery, calling the attention of Government to the increase of juvenile gambling; also to the loose condition of the'licensing laws, and requesting that ! tjbe' legislature should consider the subject. ; m*' The Attorney-General moda'ati'.iizptana* lion in regard to his' remarks' rrme Loan Bill, which'ho said hadbeenmisroproeented. He never Oaid j tbah ( r tM colony woiild bO involveht if the Bill was not passed, neither had his remarks any reference Whatever to tbo: Bank’ .bf Near Zealand, as alleged in sbme 1 quarters. ■ The Chinese Amendmenr Immigration Act Amendment Bill was read a first time, and the following billswerereada second time:~Peualtießßecpyeryand.Remißsioo Bill, Interpretation 'Bill,, Remise of the Crown Rill, Westland 1 ami tion Board Bills! Public Be serves Sale B'H. . The, Naval and Military, ; forces Discipline Bill was passed tlirb/islh all lit

9QUSB. Off ißffjPßßSffNli^BS^ On Tuesday, Mr Lance asked the Premier withonfc nolice whether the financial condition of the colony was so serious as to warrant the statement attributed to the AttorneyGeneral, that if the loan wna not raised it once the cblotiy would hare to file it# schedule of insolvency,'and if the statement were. correct)■whuthb) would instruct bis colleague to withdraw 'ftj'ibc explain why It vfas made; Ji‘l The Premier-said the form in which the question was fmt mad&Aife’very difficult to reply; to. The Attorney-General had informed bimObei had never madei, the state* mont at''all; ,v<'Vi u -tx'\ Mr Reeves (3t. Albans) : I heard it. The Piemier; What did Jisinr I stated the Qkrtorqfty-Oeqqral saidahatlif A itmn w»« Dot : ra|jwd at one* t e colon\ won d hjive ecbwjdate. Thu premier raid his colleigiie' had informed him that what he laid was that if

Parlhment did cot authorise the raising of the loan we (the Government, not the colony) would he compelled to file our schedule. The Hansard report of . Sit f Frederick Whitaker’s speech contained no each statement, and the House was, therefore, bound »o accept Sir Frederick Whitaker’s denial. Had the colony been in guoh a state he..(the Premier) would have called the House together months •co. The whole of the statements which h*d recently been made in certain quarter. «■ to the serious financial condition of th® colony were a tieeue of misrepresentations, fact was that Government had been tETth. loao «l r ld bs pni ontho market in May, if possible, to take advanSge oHhe advance in colonial secuni.es. but they h»d no intention of hurrying on Turnbull felt compelled to move the adjournment of the Honse> had heard the statement made by Sir Frederick Whitaker, and so had seven other members of the House, and he fully corroborated Mr Reeves version. The fclbbei course to remove the {baft imprestflW produced by his speech, which no doubt had been telegraphed Home, was to Immediately bring down the Fl “ anc ' a Statement, and no business should be transacted till,this was done. Several other memfcera took the same Lance thanked the Premier for h b statement, but agreed witlr the members who urged-an immediate delivery of the Financial Statement. * Sir John Hall said that .the statement, CMjr& Jr»a,. strictly ■ .GoycrnmSt bad; by the authority of the House, anticipated the loan, as their engagement* had to bo met; if not, Government womd be responsible in the same way individuals were who repudiated their Premier regretted the altitude taken «p by some of the members. He conld „5t entertain the idea of adjourning the House in order to bring down the Financial Statement al once. He read Sir Frederick Whitaker’* explanation of what he had stated, which was similar to that I ureadf except that .it repudiated iny idea of alluding to, the Bank of hew Zealand, and finished by saying that, when making hie original statement, Sir Frederick Whitaker, bad remarked . ! hat * his language was the language of exsggerac tlon.’ The Premier proceeded to, say that s the cfdlbny was in a, better financial poai- •: tion than last session, and in a fair., way vs to meet its liabilities.: s ' f Mr'Reeves (3t. Albans) said it was true ‘that Sir Frederick Whitaker had used the words "Wb shall have to file, etc., »which were now explained to mean the Govsimheiit, but it was impossible to f understand him m any sense but that of the colony. In any case' it was a most indiscreet expression to use. 1 After a J further' , remarks * from members,; the ! ; motion; for:; the r.’ wae negatived ;. : , . ... Replying to questions,, it ,waa < that Government were organising a:Pplice • Superannuation Fond; that provision . would be made for paying common jurors ■ a iurr'iee'ipp:Ojich* day when a civil case .««eiwa'OVerlniora;' days than one; that - Geiermhont would tike steps to extend , itfwiVZealand the same advantages in liyeapect to the foreign parcels post a* are • /possessed by other portions of the British 2&inlopC ; that number of *• '/applications for the office of Rail way Commtesioner bad .been received irons Home, but- the Government bid; been advised . .thet none of theni were fit for the post - 4io» f further^enquiries were now iidering the question of giving effect to a 1 resolution passed by the House relating ,t tptalisator, alia :« Wohld give a definite reply in I fe.|f)days.• t Figber moved the seoqnd reading of <« the Codlin Moth Bill, which'provided for of an insect known as the| eodlio.roolb.— Agreed to. j Mr Fergus moved the second.rending or, llior%aval aqd Military Settlers and| ®pnteera Land Bill, which was agreed j a debate. . ■ J Hlslop moved the second readipg of, Y the District Railways Purchasing Bril. ' The debate was adjourned .fiintil F^aay ( j **Mr Hislop said that I hough the Electoral; Billiwai on the Order Paper, he thought! he expressed the feeling of the House; that!- there bid scarcely been time to; matter the provisions of so bulky a measure, and be would postpone it.—; some debate, in which member* Complained slrougly that the Government business ready to. go on, with, the for the postponement of the prae carried, and the House adjourned atj r *JNL . ■■ ■ • ~ j