GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2259, 26 September 1891, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wellington, September 23. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. THE CROWN LAND RESTRICTION BILL It was stated that the Conference on the Crown Land Restriction Bill had failed to arrive at a compromise* SIR FRANCES DILLION BELL, Mr Buckley moved that on the occasion of the retirement of Sir F. D. Bell from the position ot Agent-General for the colony the thanks of the Council be given for the important and valuable services rendered by him in that capacity. Agi-eed to. BILLS PASSED. The Coal Mines Bill and Naval and Military Settlers Land Bill were put through their final stages. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. 1 BILLS PASSED. The Hamerton Pension Bill, Educational Endowments and Beserves Bill Hospital Trustees Sill, andPublio Woifa Appropriation Bill were put through their final stages. The Council at 11 p.m, adjourned tili 10.30 a.m. next day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Audit Ofiice, £6175, carried. The Supplementary Estimates were next taken. An item of £4OO, for the PostmasterGeneral’s salary for six months provoked considerable discussion. It was generally conceded that Mr Ward ought to be paic for his services, but objection was takei by some members to the amount being placed on the Estimates instead of being provided for in a bill. The vote wai agreed to by 29 to 11. All other items on the Estimates were passed without alteration, progres waf reported and the House rose at 6.30 a.m The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION. Replying to Mr Buckland the Premiei said that it was not proposed to pay Mi Macdonald, ,one of the Public Ttusl Commissioners, anything for his service! on that Commission, as the amount placed by the Government on the Bsti mates for that purpose had been struct off last night at the request of Mi Macdonald himself. Mr Buchanan asked whether it wai intended to allow Mr Macdonald any sum for his sendees out of unauthorised expenditure. The Premier replied in the negative. Mr Macdonald claimed the protectioi of the Speaker against such questions an< said that they were an insult to himself the Government, and the House. Mr Buchanan disclaimed any intentioi of saying anything offensive to th member for Wellington. Mr Beeves (Inangahua) and M Buckland expressed, the hope that M Macdonald’s services would be recognise in the same way as the other Commit sumeris. On the question being put that vote from Committee of Supply be reported t the House. Mr Rolleaton said that he had done hi best to criticise the Estimates, and ha sat there till 5 o’clock.' one morning, 1 o’clock another morning, and 8 o’loc] anothet morning. The Government ha in many cases refused to afford informs tion to the House -on the Estimates, an what information they had given ha been of a most imperfect kind. He spok from a lengthly experience, and he mua say that he never saw estimates showinj such »;n utter disregard of economy a those brought down by the presen Government. THE LIBRARY. The Premier said that the Join Library Committee had recommenda that the Sergeant-at-Arms he also ap pointed librarian with an additions salary of £IOO a year. The Govemmen did not concur in that recommendation nor did they agree with the proposal tha the assistant librarian be paid £SO ad ditional. The report was discusse d by the Housi and was agreed to without materia amendment, the increase - of £SO to th( assistant librarian being carried. BILL PASS! :d. The Slaughterhouses .Act Amendmeni Bill, which had already passed th« Legislative Council, was put through all its stages. THE EDWARDS CASE. The Premier referred to the question raised by Mr Fisher yesterday, when he stated that the Attorney-General promised in the Court of Appeal to defray the costa L of the Edwards case before the Privy Council. He read a letter from Mr Gully, Crown Solicitor, to the effect that no application was made for Mr Edwards ■ for costs, and no promise was given. The Premier added that the Government had i carefully considered the case, but, looking at all the circumstances, they had come to the conclusion that they could not interfere in the matter at present. Mr Bolleston said that he had heard the Premier’s statement with unbounded regret, and he felt sure that it would be received by the country with universal disapproval. THE AGENT-GENERAL. In proposing a resolution similar to that passed by the Legislative Council with reference to the retirement of Sir Dillon Bell Bell, the Premier pointed! out that Sir F. D. Bell had been associated with the stock agents in raising no less than £8,000,000 on behalf of the* colony, and no single hitch had occurred in all these transactions.—The motion was carried. THE COALMINES BILL. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Coalmines Bill were agreed to. EDUCATIONAL BILL, The Educational Endowment and Reserves Management and Exchange Bill was committed and shorn of all its clauses except that providing for an endowment or reserve to he exchanged for land of equal value to be appropriated to like purposes. The Bill in its amended form was reported, read a third.time, and passed. NATIVE LAND COURT BILL. Mr Cadman moved the second reading of the Native Land Court Act Amendnient Bill, to enable enquiry to be made into certain native titles by the ordinary Native Land Courts instead of by Royal Commission. ■ The motion was agreed to ou the voices after a short debate.

The House rose at 11.30 p.m. The House met at 11 a.m. on Thursday. BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE. Several members called attention to the urgent necessity that existed for the establishment of a Bureau of Agriculture in the colony, and impressed upon the Minister of Lands the desirableness of taking some steps in that direction during the recess. , NOXIOUS WEEDS AND SHRUBS. Mr T. McKenzie brought up the report of the Weeds Committee. They find that the statements made by the landholders all over the colony that lands are being rapidly overrun by noxious weeds and shrubs are amply borne out by facts. The matter is one that requires urgent and carefnl attention, and the Committee aecommena that the Government should next session introduce the necessary legislation to deal with the question. As to phylloxera they suggest (1) That blight proof stock vines of the most reliable varieties should be introduced into the colony ; (2) That before the vines are generally distributed they should be subjected to strict quarantine in order to insure that the germs of disease dp not exist. PUBLIC WORKS BILL. The Public Works Appropriation Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. THE APPROPRIATION BILL. The Appropriation Bill passed through Committee with verbal amendments, the third reading being set down for the afternoon. NAVAL AND MILITARY SETTLERS BILL. Mr Seddon brought up the report of the'Conference onJthe.Naval and Military Settlers Bill!. He said that there was no chance of an agreement being arrived at with the Legislative Council on the amendments which they had made in the Bill. He therefore was reluctantly compelled to move that the House no longer insists on its amendments in the Bill. The principal amendment made by the Council was that they refused power to the holders of the scrip to transfer their certificates. Mr Reeves protested against the action of the Council all through the session, and expressed a hope that before next session such a weight of public opinion would be brought to bear on the Council that they would have more respect for the will of the people. Mr Thompson (Marsden) hoped that during the recess the Government would not be induced by a section of their supporters to make reckless appointments to the Council. Mr Seddon said whatever action the Government took in that direction they ■ would accept the responsibility of it. He denied that he had slaughtered the Bill, and pointed out that as it had left the House it provoked that the scrip could be transferred. In striking out those words the Council had been guilty or re-, pudiation. There would have to be another Bill next session to deal with claims which had come in since the present Bill was prepared. The motion was agreed to. APPROPRIATION BILL. Gjj the motion that the Appropriation Bill be' read a third time, Mr Rolleston, said that the Ministry had commenced the session w?th a large majority at their backs, but he ventured to say that they had maintained that majority only in the lobbies. The result _ of the session, however, was a great disappointment to r the House and the country. The Got vemor’s Speech had begun with congratulations on the financial position of the colony, and it would hay® occurred to reasonable men to exercise mature judgement before changing the policy of taxation. As to the Land Bill, it had been brought in as .a great Liberal measure, but there Was no liberal tendency in the Bill at all, nor did it go in the direction of promoting settlement. He did not think the Council had done wrong in killing the Bill. Touching the Civil Service he said that the Estimated showed that the present Government had played havoc with the salaries of the Civil Servants, and that the reductions had only been put back this year, but that in many cases the salaries were largely increased. The Government seemed to he utterly incapable of recognising that the Civil Servants were the servants of the public, not of the Ministery of the day. The speech from the Throne had indicated that a bold reform would be made in taxation. It was bold indeed and also rash, and there would .be intense disappointment on the part of those who had looked for the .single tax’ as advocated by Ministers on the election platform, .He believed that the Government taxation proposals had already done an injury to the colony. The Postmaster-General had posed as a second Rowland Hill, and he had' sacrificed a large amount of revenue which the colony Would require before very long. The bold policy of the Government WDuld shortly work its own evil way with the working men who wonld soon experience the misery of it. He condemned Hie work of the Public Trust Commission had carried o \if. its labours. The promise had been given tha* the Bankruptcy Bdl and the Libel Bill worn* be gone on with this session, but neither of had _. b ® en allowed to come to the top of the Craer Paper. As' to the Labour Bills ! troduced tiffs session, they were really the Labour Bills of the previous Govemand no credit attacked to the present House or Minister for them. The whole efforts of the Government had been to introduce class legislation, and to climb on the ' shoulders of the working men, but the working men of the colony, he was convinced, would have the sense to see the empty nature of the professions of the Government. Alter referring to the covert attacks which had been made on the Railway Commissioners by the Minister for Public Works. Mr Rolleston went on to remark on the utter incapacity shown by Ministers to lead the the House during the session. Take for example their action on the Female V Suffrage Bill. They had led their up to the crucial point on that Bill, which they called a great Liberal measure, and then dropped them. He commended the action of the Government over the Payment of Members Bill, and spoke disapprovingly of the proceedings which had characterised the election of vfcho Chairman of Committees a few days •ago. It seemed to him that the course staken every day in- the House was such as to.make the very ffaine of Liberalism be revived with J a sort of sneer, and stink i in the nostrils of the people.

What was the Government's idea of justice 1 Why, to starve a judge of the Supreme Court into submission, and to trample the warrant of the Crown under their feet; and they called that Siberalism. Mr G. Hutchison, and several others having spoken, Mr W. P. Reeves said that the peculiar bitterness with which Mr Hutchison had attacked the Government this session did him little credit. He (Mr Beeves) resented the imputation made that the Government were striving to promote class legislation, and said that on the contrary they wanted to abolish the classes. The Government had gained strength during the session, and their party was more compact than at the beginning. At this stage, 3.50 a.m., the Speaker read a note he had received from the chief of the Hansard staff, stating that the members of the staff, were so completely knocked up that he could not guarantee that reports would be reliable if the House sat any longer. Mr Buchanan, Sir J. Hall, and Mr T. McKenzie also spoke. Mr Ballance referred to the attack which had been made on him by Mr Rolleston, and said he did not think it at all warranted. He regretted very much the affair with Mr Richardson, but he (Mr Ballance) could not be blamed in the matter. He would like to seethe resolution on Mr Bryce rescinded, but the suggestion that he (Mr Ballance) had concocted the whole thing was altogether erroneous. As regards Mr Fish's attitude, what he regretted more than anything was the tendency on the part of that honourable gentleman to rule and stab labour representatives in the House. Touching on the work of the session he said the passing of the Land and Income Tax Bill would have been a great enough feat for one session. The Government had not abandoned the measures which the Council had mutilated and they were now strongly determined to bring in a more comprehensive Land Bill next session. From the way in which revenue was coming in, he was satisfied there would be a snrplus at the end of the year, and not a deficit, as had been prophesied by the Opposition. He exhaustively replied to the criticisms of Opposition members, and said the Government were determined to go on, sooner or later, with every measure which had been killed or dropped this session. As to the Railway Commissioners, he said he believed there were many abuses of administration which never came fo light simply because criticism of the Commissioners was shut out of the House. At 5.30 the House adjourned till 10.30 a.m. On the House meeting at 10.30 a.m. Mr Ballance said, in reply to Mr Rolleston, that the Government intended to prorogue Parliament by Proclamation as has been the practics for the last few years. The House then, took an adjournment till 12.30, and on resuming The Bpeaker announced that the Governor had assented to the Appropriation Bill. Mr Ballance then moved that the House at its rising adjourn till Tuesday next. This was carried by 20 to 14, and the House rose at 12.45 p.m. PROROGATION. A Gazette was published in the afternoon proroguing Parliament until the 24th December.