GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1945, 19 September 1889, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, On Monday, A message was road from the Governor containing Bills passed by the Legislature. The Requisitions Validation. Bill was read a third time and passed. Amendments made by the House of Representatives in tho Native Land Court Bill were considered and agreed to. The report of the free conference on the Land Transfer Act was agreed to.' The Attorney General moved that the Council does not insist on tho amendment made by the Council to the Native Land Court Acta Amendment Bill.—Agreed to. Tho Public Works Appropriation Bill 1889 was read a first and second time, committed, road a third time, and passed. The Appropriation Bill 1889 was read a first and second time, committed, read a third time and passed. The Attorney General, Mr Buckley, Mr Stevens, and Mr Swanson were appointed managers to confer with the other House on the Land Transfer Act Amendment Bill. At midnight a report was received agreeing to the amendment, and the Council adjourned during pleasure. At 12.30 a message was received from the Governor assenting to to the passing of the remainder of the Bills. Tho Council adjourned at 12.55. ROUTE OF REPRESENTATIVES. On Monday, On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr Parata moved an amendment (o the effect that it is desirable there should be a redaction of the stamp duty on native lands from £lO per cent. This was lost.

The remainder of the Supplementary Estimates were passed without redaction.

Replying to Mr Hutchison Mr Mitchelson said as far as he kn«w the Railway Commistion'fcrs had no present intention of reducing the wages of railway surfacemen, but after the debate that had "just taken place he should feel it his duty to direct the attention of the Commissioners to the expression of opinion by the House against any such reduction. His opinion was that if the Railway Commissioners were favorable to the Government Railway Insurance Bill being passed by House it would not be possible to reduce the wages of these men. The resolutions were reported from the Oom'mittee of Supply and agreed to, and referred to -the Committee of Ways and Means. In Committee of Ways and Means the amount voted by the Committee of Supply for services for the year ending March 31st, 1890, were reported to the Mouse, and agreed to. Leave was granted to, the Premier and Minister of Public Works to bring in bills to give effect to these resolutions. The Public Works Appropriation Bill w.as read a second time without discussion. On the motion for the second reading of the Appropriation Bill Mr Fisher spoke at considerable length, severely censuring the Government fot not proceeding with the policy Bills that had been promised in the Governor’s Speech, and condemning their general administration. He strongly attacked the Premier, and was called to order by the Speaker for reading a quotation which the Speaker declared was unparliamentary. The Speaker proceeded to stato that he should not permit such language as had just been used against the Premier in any assembly over which he presided. Mr Fisher explained that he was merely quoting from' a speech made in the chamber by Sir Robert Stout, The Speaker refused to allow him to proceed with the quotation. Mr Fisher continued, stating that the Government was so incapable of leading the House that the only remedy for the present state of things was a dissolution. It was a lamentable thing in his opinion that on the four different occasions when the position of the Government had been challenged this session, they remained in office by their own individnal votes. The Premier said that he was quite prepared to expect speeches of this character from Mr Fisher, after that hoc. gentleman was compelled to retire from the Cabinet. He only wished to say that what bo (the Premier) was now he had been twenty-five years ago. The speech which Mr Fisher had quoted from, and which he was prevented by the Speaker from finishing, was made before he (the Premier) had asked him to join his Cabinet, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that Mr Fisher was compelled to leave the Cabinet. The motion for the second reading was agreed to. Both the Appropriation Bills were committed and reported without amendment.

The Public Works Appropriation Bill vras read a third time and passed. On the motion for the third reading of the Appropriation Bill, Mr Ballance referred to the debate that afternoon about the rumored reduction of surfacemen’s wages. Although he had never supported the appointment of the Railway Commissioners, he still thought they should have a fair trial, and he deprecated any political interference with their functions. If, However, the Commissioners determined to make a reduction in the wages of men, he thought they would be entering on a political line of action that would more than anything else lead to their appointment being cancelled. He Censured the Government for not having taken steps to have the boundaries of the new electoral districts arranged, and he hoped that immediate steps would be taken to effect that object. It was a source of great regrnt to him that ponntion was Raying our shores, and lie also regretted that; Government looked at this mat ter with light hearts, and had never tb’&ranglaly* grappled with the question. This could bo easily prevented by a liberal Administration of the land laws of the colony, and this w«s the time when the Government should have adopted such a policy, which did not exist at, present. The land Jaws bad bean made and administered for the capitalists of the country,' and it was admitted on all aides that dnmmvism was prevalent. He condemned the manner in which the village settlements had been prsjnaiced, and said they had not had fair treatment. The Native land legislation this session had not been creditable to the Government, What had become of the large number of Bills promised by the Government this evasion 1 Surely there was a want of responsibility in not passing such Bids as the Civil Service Bill, the Bankruptcy Bill, auu others, which they wore lo‘l were urgently reqnirod by the country. He failed to'eoe what the Government

had to show for the session. He defended the action of Ihe Opposition, especially in their effor’s to maintain the purity and ad mini., nation of justice, but ha thought the Minister of Justice was much more open to blame than Mr Hislop in the Ward'Hiaiop , controversy. The Opposition, he thought, had on the whole acted in the best interests of the country.

The Premier said Mr Balia nee’s refere!:,:3 to the reduction of wages showed that the Opposition considered a general election was coming on, but the workmen of the country would not be deceived by tactics of that kind. His friend the Minister for Public Works, had already promised that so far as the influence of Government could go there would be no reduction in che railway emyloyees’ wages, Mr Ballanco had also found f ult with the Government for not having Iho boundaries of the districts prepared, 1 bin he would remind the House that he had proposed to do so, but was prevented by Mr Ballanoe and his party. He would nsk the leader of the Opposition whether on all possible occasions this session he had not joined every attempt to oust the Govornmeut, no matter wlnt quarter it came from. He defended the action of the Government with respect to (ho Property Tax Assessment Bill as being brought in to afford relief where it was urgently required, but how did the Opposition meet those proposals 1 They met tiu-m by proposing a no confidence motion which they know would have a most disastrous effect if carried, by disarranging the finances of the country ; and then by flooding the Order Paper with motions of a similar character. In conclusion tho Premier ventured (o assert that notwithstanding the repealed attacks of the Opposition the Government had in his opinion carried ont in a fairly satisfactory manner the p’olicy they had initiated ot reducing the public expenditure and restoring the confidence and credit of the colony. ‘ The motion for the third reading of the Appropriation Bill was then carried on the voices

Tho Speaker announced that the Govenor had assented to the various Bills passed during the session. An adjournment was then taken till Friday, the Premier announcing that it was proposed to prorogue by proclomation, so that the House would not meet again. The House rose at 12.35 a.m.