GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2381, 12 July 1892, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. ELECTION OF SPEAKER. The " call over" showed 29 present, and 6 absent. The galleries having been cleared, the Council proceed to the election of a Speaker. On the doors being unlocked shortly after 4 p.m. the Hon. H. J. Miller assumed the chair as Speaker, and received the congratulations of Captain Baillie, as senior member of the Council. The Speaker thanked the Council for the honor conferred on him. He said that he would do his best to maintain the dignity of the high office and to worthily follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, so that when his time arrived to lay aside the office it would be said that he had striven to justify the position that day conferred on him. The Council rose at 4.15 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. BONUS ON EXPORT OF FISH. Replying to Mr Houston the Premier said that it was proposed to continue for another term the bonus on export of fish. THE COLORED LABOR QUESTION. The Premier moved—" That this House desires to express the opinion th.it the proposed introduction of colored labor into Australia by the resumption of recruiting among the islands of the Pacific, is a retrograde step, calculated to do serious injury to the people of Australia as well as to the colored races concerned, and that the House authorises Sir George Grey to represent this colony in Australia in reference to the question." He said that there was no desire on the part of the Government to unduly interfere with other colonies, but this was a question of intercolonial importance. After some debate Mr Fish moved as an amendment—" That the information at the disposal of the House on the subject is so limited that it would be unwise to express any deciae<'. opinion on the matter." Mr Bolleston considered it an insult te Queensland to distate to her in the manner proposed in the motion. The Premier said that he thought that the great majority of the people in Queensland would rejoice to see. a resolution of this kind carried. He felt perfectly certain that the Governrneni had done the right thing in proposing this motion, and that they were not without precedent in so doing. The motion was agreed to by 34 to 18, and the amendment lost. THE OYSTER FISHERIES BILL. Mr Seddon moved the second reading of the Oyster Fisheries Bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to oyster fisheries. He said that the passing of this measure was necessary owing to the fact that the oystcrbeds of the colony were being denuded and jiO care was taken of them. The Bill provided that a portion of any harbor might be enclosed for oyster-bods.—The motion was agreed to. WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RES'ERVES BILL, The Premier moved the second reading of the West Coast Settlement Reserves Bill to validate leases on the West Coast; to put an end to the litigation that had been going on for for some years and to establish friendly relations between the lessees and owners. ,' The SBQond reading was agreed to after a long debate. The House rose at 12.40. . .. ;