GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1783, 30 August 1888, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, On Monday, Mr Mantel moved for leave O lay upon the table the draft of a Bill to amend the Pailiamentary Honorarium and Privilege Act, 1887, which was precluded by the ruling of ihe Sp.-akor on July 26 h.—The motion was negatived on the casting vote of Captain Baillie, the Acting-Speaker. The Local Bills Committee reported on Mount Eden Recreation and Gravel Pit Reserves Bill, and recommended that the Bib proceed no further. The amendments made by the House of Representatives in the Land Transfer Act Amendment Bill were agreed to with the exception of those in clauses 2 and 3, and the new danse 13. On the motion of the Attorney-Genera l it was agreed to meet the members of the House of Representatives on Monday morning re the Chinese Immigration Act Amendment Bill, the Council to be represented hy the Attorney-General, Mr Waterhouse, Mr Shrimsk', and Mi Ph • nzyn. The Council rose at 7.45 p.m. On Tuesday, A message was received from the House of Representatives agreeing to the amendment made by the Council in the Native Land Bill and the Maori Real Estate Management Bill. Mr Waterhouse brought up the report of the Conference of Managers on the Chinese immigration Bill «s Wows “ That clause 2, as inserted by the Legislative Council, be struck out, and th«t the following words be inserted: 4T’htterm Chinese in the said Act and in this Act does not include Chinese naturalised in New Zealand and, further, that Ihe original clauses 10, 11, 12, preventing the Chinese voting, and the schedule be struck out, as proposed by the Legislative Council.” —Ttie teport was agreed to. A message was received from the House of Representatives disagreeing with the amendments made by the Council in Ihe Na*ive Land Court Act Amendment Bill and the Native Lands Fraud Prevention Bill.

Tire Epsom and Mount Eden Recreation Grounds and Gravel Pit Reserve Bill tvas thrown out on a division by 17 to 5.

The following Bills were committed, read a third time, and passed The Wh-.ngarei Drillshed Bill, the Wellington Corporation and College Land Exchange Bill, and the Nelson Hospital and Asylum Reserve Bi 1,

HOUJE OP REPRESENTATIVES. On Monday, Toe Premier moved that a Committee be appointed to inspect the journals of the Leg alative Council with respect to the laying aside of the District llailw..yt Purchasing Bill and the Nave' and Military Settlors Bill.—The motion vr as agreed to, MrHislop moved the second reading of the Road Beards Act Amendment Bid. He said that the object of the Bill was to enable Road Boards to m ike by lans, and levy rates for waterworks. —The second reading was cirried by 29 to 2G. Mr iVlilclrelsou moved that the Public Works Amendment Bill be discharged from the Order Paper,—The mo ion was agreed to. The Local Bodies Amendment Bill was read a third lime and passe The Premier moved the second reading of the Property Tax Bill. Tire motion was agreed to and the Bill committed.— Cltuse 2—Rale of properly tax one penny in the £. Replying to Mr Monk, the Premier said that he had u.tendod bringing in a Property Assessment Bill this session exempting certain cDsses of machinery from taxation, but time had not permitted. There was no doubt, the whole question of taxation, would have to be liiscussedj »ext session. The clause passed, and the Bill was reported. —Liter on the Bill was read a third time and passed. ,

On the. motion for reconsideration of the vote of £IO,OOO for the promotion : of agricultural labor settlements, a long debate ensued. Messrs Fish, Samuel, Peacock, Menteath, Kerr, Scobie Mackenzie, Dr Fitchett, Sir Geo. Grey, and Sir John Hall opposed,-while Messrs Verrall, Buxton, and others supported it.-i-The Premier said that the reason the vote appeared on tie Estimut'-s was because a huge deputation of practical men from both sides of the House had . represented to Government that Ibis'went of land for labor settlement vyas a crying evil, and lie adquitted that he had been convinced by their arguments. He hoped the House would pass the vote. If not, the Government would feel that they had done their duly.—The motion was then put and hist by 32 to 31,-and therein was struck out. The Premier moved that tlm House agree with the Council's amendmcn.s in the Native Land Bill.—After soma debate the amendments wete agreed to without a division. Ti e amendments made by the Council in the: Native Land Court,Bill worn ihen considered seriatim. It was resolved! to disagree with those in section 12, making a partition of the land iu parcels representing 20 Natives discretionary with the Com I, and several oilier amendments were also disagreed with. The Piemier moved that the second reading of the Government Life Assurance Bill, which was'to enable the Association to h<dd, landed property, and In enahh inanied women to apportion their policies. —Agreed to. The Thorndon Reclamation Amendment Bill was read a second time. Upon.-che rnoiion for the second reading of the Public Works Appropihition Bill, Mr Mohs drew attention to the fact that it appropriated some £250,(W0 more than had b"en voted. —.The Premier said this would be so.—The Bill w s ror.d a second ■’ime. The Premier moved the second reading of the Approptia'ion Bill.—Agreed to. Toe Government L'fe AHnimnce and the two Appropriation Bil's were passed through Committee, and the former was passed. Do Tuesday, The Gisborne Harbor Bill passed through Committee with some additional clauses, was read a , third time, and passed. The Wellington School of Design Bill was committed, and on clause 3, that the Board may borrow money, be'ng negat.v d, Mr Fisher withdrew B e B'U, intimating that ii, tynuld he again introduced next session,

The report of tha Conference on the Chinese BTI whs agreed to. The Auckland Girls’ High School Bill was discharged from the Order Paper. '1 he Road Boards Amendment B:T was committed. Clause 8, power (o levy additional general rate, was amended, limiting the rate to in the £ instead of 11 in districts where the Counties Act has been suspended. Clause 9 was amended making it discretionary with a Judge ot the Supreme Court to appoint receiver instead of mandatory. A new clause was added making it cempulsory for every receiver to publish a balancesheet of Raad Boards.—The Bill was reported and read a third time by 23 to 4. The Nav.il and , Military Settlers and Volunteers L «nd Bill was read a second tim-, committed, reported, read a third time, and passed. In answer to a question, the Premier said that Government intended to abandon the District Railways Bid, but they won d introduce a similar Bill next session, and in the meantime would hold the 18‘epeytrs responsible for arrears. The amendments made in the Land Transfer Act Amendment Bill, to which ihe Council objected, were not insisted on, with one exception. 'lhe Premier said that Mr Joshua Jones had submitted a Bill lo Government dealing with his case, which Government could not accept, but they had drawn up a BiH which the House could deal with, and a’ler it if it thought tit.—The Bill was introduced by special leave, and read a first time. On the motion for Ihe third reading of the Appropriation Bill, Sir George Grey moved, as an amendment, that the Property Tax Bill should be amended early next session, with a view to estab ishing a land and income tax, exempting improvements.—The amendment was lost by 35 to 14, and Ihe Bill read a third time.

Mr Uis'op moved the second reading of the Mokau Mohakatino Bill, dealing with Mr Joshua Junes’ iliims. It provide;) that the Native Land Court shall issue a title o the block known as above, and partition the land as soon as possible ; and that Air Jone.-d lease shou'd be registered without further stamp duly. The rights conferred on Mr Jones by tlie (Special Powers and Contracts Act, 1835, were re-established an I made good for two joirg, and restrictions were imposed on the power of nyooe else to deal with the 'and. —The dehite was ad] mrued. I llv IVmicr moved the third reading of the- ?uhl c Works Appropriation Bil 1 . —Mr Walker made a few remarks on belt-If of the Oppo ilioo. He would esp'-ci dly hk- to know what the real tiua iciai po-ition of the co'ony was at the present momen'. The Premier hid anticipated a sii'plus of £27,003, but sinethen the Supplementary Esimutes, amounting to £IOB,OOO, had been passed, and in other respects the revenue had been trei died on.—After several of the other members had spoken, the Premier «gid that, providing the Estimates were correct, there would ati'l be a surplus of £9oooifterarowii.gfor 'he Supplementary Estim ■ ten. The revenue might not come up to expectation, but there was good reason to believe that the expenditure would ho let-s than was auiicipated, H»» denied ihat.Guvorumeuthad any intention ot hire.king up the education system, but those who would not listen to any altentiou at nil were not true friends to it. To ret up a sysrem as a sort of'fetish which munt not bo touched was a mistake, Speikug generally, lie contended Him :the tariff itself was-sufficient'to redeem the sts-uou from barrenness, and lie was proud of the altitude of independence tire Government tud assumed with regard to it. But besides that there were 'he Native Bdis, which Were,a great work in themselves. Government would not a’lo.v the session to finish until they became Uw.—The Bill was read a third 'time, and passed. Tire Ho use Urea adjourned.