GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2394, 3 September 1892, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Labor Bills Committee recommended that the Employers' Liability Bill be allowed to proceed with amendments.

An Imprest Supply Bill for £258,500 passed through all its stages. The Bankruptcy Bill passed through Committee without material amendment.

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday.

The Workmen's Liens Bill was reported from the Labour Bills Committee, who recommended that the Bill be allowed to proceed with amendments. The West Coast Settlement lieserves Billjjwas read a second time. The Employers Liability Bill was committed and reported with immaterial amendments.

The Tahoraiti Titles Amendment Bill passed its final stages. The Council rose at 4.15 p.m. HOUSE OF KEPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. In reply to a question put yesterday by the member for Waitotara, the Premier said that the Government had not communicated by telegraph or in any way with the Agent-General respecting the division in the House last week on the subject of the correspondence between the Governor and the Ministry. Replying to Mr Rolleston, as to whether any correspondence had passed between the Government and the Agent-General on the subject of the Government being consulted with reference to the appointment of a successor to_ Lord Glasgow, the Premier said that no~correspondence had taken place on the matter. The AgentGeneral had been informed by the Home Office that the name of the new Governor would be submitted to the Government before an appointment was finally made, but that promise had not been kept, and the first intimation the Government had of Lord Glasgow's appointment was by a telegram. He (the Premier) demurred altogether to the statement that the Government had no right to communicate with the Agent-General on confidential matters.

Mr Itolleston moved the adjournment of th? House, and strongly protested against the action of the Government in their communicating with the AgentGeneral. He said that such conduct was calculated to have a most injurious effect on the relations between the Mother Country and the colony. Mr Hutchison, Mr Fisher, Sir John Hall, Sir George Grey (in the course of his remarks Sir George Grey said that the clear course for Ministers to pursue with respect to the difference with the Governor, was to tender their resignation), Mr Fergus, the Premier, Mr Seddon, and Mr Itolleston having spoken, the motion for the adjournment was put and lost. (Mr Seddon compared the present position with the position occupied by Sir George Grey himself over a similar difference with Lord Normanby at a time, too, when no less than three no-confidence motions were on the Order Paper. He also compared the present position with the one in 1879 when Sir George Grey was in a minority and did not resign, and yet the member for Newton now said that the present Government should resign, although they possessed a large majority). THE ELECTORAL BILL. After a short debate the Electoral Bill was read a third time and passed. INTERCEPTING SUPPLY. On the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Estimates, Mr Shera moved an amendment that a Select Committee be appointed to whom shall be referred the question of the best method of connecting Auckland and Wellington by railway.

Mr Reeves said that the Government would not interpose any obstacle to the House expressing its opinion on the question.

The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment, and the House resumed at 7.30.

The motion that the House go into Committee of Supply was lost on the voices.

Mr Shera's amendment was then put and carried by 39 to 12. On the motion being again put that the House go into Committee of Supply, Mr Fisher moved an amendment to the effect that a committee be appointed to enquire into the question of Ministerial travelling expenses and allowances. He complained that this information had been kept back by Ministers all the session.

After considerable discussion Mr Fisher said he would not press his amendment. Mr Seddon said that the reason why the Government refused the return asked for by Mr Fisher was because he wanted the return for 18 months. If he had moved for a year's return, the Government would have had no hesitation in furnishing it. THE ESTIMATES. The House then went into Committee of Supply for consideration of the Estimates. Colonial Secretary's Department Minister's salary, £4OO. Mr Rolleston asked that this vote should be withdrawn from the estimates and put with the other Ministers' salaries. Mr Seddon said the Premier had promised to postpone this vote, and in his absence it was not fair to press the objection to it.

After a discussion Mr Fish moved that £4OO be struck out. Mr Rees ruled this out of order.

Several members objected to the course proposed by the Government with respect to this vote, but Mr Roes ruled that £4OO must bo taken off the Estimates and brought down again by message from the Crown.

Mr Rolleston said he was glad to hear it, and that if the vote did come down again he should take care it did not pass in a hurry.

Mr Fish asked how it was that £5400 appeared cm the Estimates for Ministerial salaries, when Government were only legally entitled to pay £SOOO. Mr Seddon said that the Audit Department would see that no amount was paid that was not according to law.

After a discussion the vote Clerk of Executivp Council, £SO, was carried. Colonial Spcrc.t;yry's Office, £l7lO Carried.

Ministers' Secretaries, £700,--Carried, Messengers and Officer-keepers, £4344, —Carried.

Electoral Department, £IOOO. Carried.

Audit Office, £62so.—Carried. Registrar-General's Department, £0902. Dr JSewinan asketj for some, information covering the vote of £325 for Handbooks. This was also passed after a debate.

Agent-General's Department, £4410. A lengthy discussion ensued over this vote, but it was passed without alteratiqn. Printing and Stationery, £24,245. Agreed fco,

Miscellaneous Services, £15,416. General Contingencies, £BOOO. —Several attempts were made to reduce this vote, but it was passed without reduction. World's Columbian Exposition,Chicago, £SOO. —Mr Tanner moved that the item be reduced £1 as an intimation to the Government that no further expense be incurred in connection with the exhibition. —Mr Seddon made an explanation and said that as the interest displayed in the colony was very lukewarm on the subject, he had reluctantly come to the conclusion that the colony could not be represented at the Exhibition. He would accept Mr Tanner's motion, which was agreed to on the voices. The total vote of £65,426 for the whole class was then agreed to, and progress reported. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Thurs-

day. LOCAL BILLS. The whole afternoon was devoted to the consideration of local Bills, several of which were advanced past the Committee stage. The Otago Harbor Board Empowering Bill, the Dempsey Trust Bill, and the Petone Corporation Loan Empowering Bill, passed their final stages. The House rose at at 5.30. p.m. and resumed at 7.30. LAND BILL. Mr McKenzie moved that the Land Bill be committed. He said that one important alteration made by the Waste Lands Committee was that the perpetual lease was changed into a lease in perpetuity, and another was that power was given to lessees in perpetuity to borrow money after the lapse of twelve months. As to special settlers he had never made any promise that they would be able to obtain the freehold. He had always said that it would be necessary for the Government to keep a certain amount of control over those settlers, and the only way to do that would be by preventing them from obtaining the Crown Igrant, so that t'.iey could not sell their and.

Dr Newman, Sir George Grey, Mr Fish, Mr Hogg, Mr Richardson, Mr Duthie, Mr Valentine. Mr McGuire, Mr Rhodes, and Mr Bruce having spoken, Mr McKenzie replied. In doing so he referred to Sir George Grey's remarks, and pointed out that Sir George Grey purposed last year to lease in perpetuity—(Mr Hutchison : At a fair rent.) No, but at a valuation. Sir George Grey had also spoken strongly against large estates, but there was no one more instrumental in erecting those estates than Sir George Grey himself. He denied that the present Government were repsonsible for the Midland Railway contract. He himself had always voted against it. The motion for the committal of the Bill was agreed to on the voices, progress being immediately reported. The House rose at 1.30 a.m.