GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1911, 2 July 1889, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATI VE COUNCIL. On Friday two Bills to invalidate marriages where registers had been lost were referred to a Select Committee. ' The Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Bill was read a second time. HOUdE OE HE PE. E3ENT A TIYE 3. In the House on Friday last, Sir Harry Atkinson gave notice of the Otago Central Railway Bill and the Property Assessment Bill. In reply to Mr Joyce the Premier said the A gent-General had been in in communication with the High Commissioner of Canada in reference to reciprocal duties for the past 12 mouths, and the Government were advised they could do nothing further in, the matter at present. The AgentGeneral was still inquiring into it. The Government might possibly be able to make some proposal to the House before the prorogation. He should give every facility, however, for the question being discussed if the hon. gentleman brought down a motion. In reply to farther questions, the Gsvernment promised to give facilities to other denominations as well as Anglican and Catholic clergymen for holding services in gaols; no alterations would be made in the Customs duties; that New Zealand winegrowers would be placed on a level with winegrowers of other colonies; that the Government had been in communication with the Agent-General respecting machinery used in dressing fibre, and whether it is suitable for the dressing of Now Zealand flax; also of scutching machinery and process. He thought the question a most important one, and would endeavor to obtain all possible information on it. Mr Barron gave notice to move “ That in the opinion of this House it is desirable that the property tax, unless it can be abolished at an earlier date, should be annually decreased, so that it shall not exceed £d in the £ for the present yea", £d for 1890, id for the year 1891, after which date it shall entirely cease ; that the deficiency in revenue occurring thereby should be made good by further retrenchment in the public seryice.” The House then considered the estimates, and several large items were passed. Several motions moved to reduce items were lost. One was to reduce the salary of the SolicitorGeneral from £IOOO to £800; another to debar Official Assignees from employing counsel at the expense of the colony. The only item struck out was £l5O, granted as a subsidy for publishing law reports. The item of £19,600 for the San Francisco mail excited d : scussion.— The Mon. J. Ballaoce suggested that this vote be postponed.—The Hon. Sir H. A. Atkinson said the New South Wales Government having renewed the contract, the item of £19,600 for the. San Francisco service was part payment for letters which would go by that route at the same rate as we were now paying by the direct service. If the hon. gentlemen desired to cut off such a convenience as that, he thought they would make a great mistake. He had received from the Sydney Government within the last few days a telegram asking his Government to agree to certain terms upon which to join them. He proposed to bring down a resolution on the subject in a few days, and would then state what the Government proposed. If, however, the House did not care to commit themselves to this item, £19,600, which was principally to carry the service on to November, he would withdraw it and bring it down in the supplementary estimates.—Mr Ward said the San Faancisco service was simply eating the vitals of the people of the South, and that through it the farmers lost 300,000 sacks of wheat last year. —The Hon. Sir H. A. Atkinson moved to reduce the item by £SOOO, so that the committee might vote the amount necessary to carry on' the contract. —Mr Ward urged that progress be reported, which the Premier refused, remarking that Mr Ward was evidently suspicious of him. Mr Ward denied that he had any such feeling against the hon. gentleman.— The total vote was then reduced by £sloo.—Conveyance of inland mails, £24,476. Carried.—Carriage of mails by railway, £IOO. Carried.—Miscellaneous, £45,000. Carried. Progress was reported at 10.20, and the House adjourned till Tuesday.