GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2707, 4 September 1894, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 1 The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. GAMING BILL., A Committee, consisting of Messrs Ormond, McLean, and McGregor, were, appointed to draw up reasons for insisting on the Couno'Vs amendments in the Gaining Bill. liOOAli BILLS. Several Local Bills were advanced a stage. TIMARU HARBOR DISTRICT RATING BILL. The Timaru Harbor District Bating Bill was referred back to tho Local Bills Committee for consideration of the following new clauses proposed by Mr Mo «regor :—(a) Nothing contained in “ The Rating Act, 1894,” shall prejudice or affect the power of the said harbor board to allocate and recover contributions, in the manner provided by “ The Timaru Harbor Board Empowering Act, 1890,” as amended by this Act; (b) Whereas iu “ The Timaru Harbor Board Empowering Act, 1890, ” or iu this Act reference is made to the rateable value, such reference shall, in respect of all boroughs, counties, road districts, and town districts, and parts thereof respectively, comprised within tho Timaru Harbor District, wherein “ The Rating on Unimproved Value Act, 1894,” is adopted or is in force, be construed as referring to the gross value under that Act. The Council then adjourned.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. .• In reply to questions it was stated that when work was resumed at full time all the railway workshops would be treated alike;. that the Government did not think it advisable to ask the House to grant a subsidy for a direct steamer service between ;Queensland and New Zealand; that the House would be afforded an opportunity of considering the question of “ one electorate, one representative,” the Premier remarking that the “ one-man-one-vote” principle would not be complete until single electorates were universally insisted upon ; that a Fencing Bill would not be introduced this session; that a Bill was in preparation in the direction of placing leaseholders of educational reserves on the same footing as leaseholders of Crown lands. Captain Russell asked the Minister of Public Works if ha would obtain a report from the actuary whether the £618,260 proposed to be given to the New Zealand Midland Railway Company, in terms of sub section (o) of paragraph 2 of the zeport of tho New Zealand Midland Bailway Committee will be sufficient to provide interest at 4 per cent, per annum for fourteen years on thesum 0f£1,250,000, the estimated cost of completing the railway from Patterson’s Creek to Jackson’s, and if more than sufficient, by how much; also to report what tho total cost to the colony will amount to at the end of the fourteen years next ensuing after the payment of tho first sum of £2.8,000 of 3J per cent, debentures. The Premier said that before the House was asked to decide on this question they should"know if the company accepted the recommendation of the Committee. If so he would be iu a position to state what this sum would realise. ~ In reply to Mr Mashn Mr Ward said that a money order office would be opened at Orari if tne business warranted it. He would lot the hon. member know the result of his enquiries as soon as possible, INTERCEPTING SUPPLY. Oa the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply, Mr E, M. Smith moved as an amendment — u That the time has arrived when the House should take up the financial position of the New Plymouth Harbor Board, aud grant it After a short discussion the amendment was lost on the voices, aud the House went into Committee of Supply for further eonsideratiou of the estimates. COMMITTEE OP SUPPLY. On the Education Department votes Mr Reaves said that he thought it would be a good thing if the Education Department took over all the examinations of the colony, not at the cost of the taxpayers but of the schools. He asserted that not 2 per cant, of the children received secondary education, and he thought that that was a very terrrible •tate of things in a democratic country like New Zealand. A lengthy discussion took placo on the question of secondary education, and luted until the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. Tho House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Reeves said that it was a matter for tho boards whether cookery should bo taught in tho schools. He agreed that, school books should be uniform. School books and the salaries of teachers would have to be put on a more uniform scale and the inspection department centralised bafore they could properly be said to have • national system. Mr Thompson moved that tho vote be reduced by £1 as an expression of opinion that the whole of the educational endowments should be nationalised. Mr Reeves said that the debate on this question would come better when he introduced his Endowed Schools Bill. The question of nationalisation of our endowments was one that he thought every member in the House had made up his mind on, for aud against, and he hoped that some progress would now be made with the estimates. The amendment was lost by 43 to 16. On the vote for Native Schools, Mr Hone Heke said that if the Government established industrial schools and agricultural schools for natives it would be of great advantage to lh?m. Several members objected to au increase in the vote for private industrial school* from £2700 to £3200. Mr Beeves explained that the increase was due to the increased number of children in the schools. Mr Meredith moved to reduce tho vote by £1 as an indication of disapprobation of the management of private industrial schools. The motion was lost by 33 to 19, and the vote passed. The total education vote amounting tt> £444,635 then passed wilhout alteration. Mines Department,£l9,37s; Agricultural Department, £34,0C9; Stamp-* and Deeds Department, £20,285; Working Railways Department, £726,000; Government Insurance Account, £54,493; Public Trust Office Account, £8484; Public and fephool Buildings, Domains, and Inspection of Machinery Department, £54,000; ail passed with mi t much discussion. This finished tho estimates, and progress was reported. NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr G. W. Russell gave notice to ask the Colonial Treasurer, are tho Government aware whether negotiations are pending or contemplated for the amalgamation of the Colonial Bank with the Bank of New Zealand ; if so, considering the fact that tho colony has guaranteed tho Bank of Now Zealand op to £2,000,000, wi'l they provide the House with au opportunity of expressing its

opinion regarding the necessity or desirability of amalgamation which may increase the contingent liability of the colony. At 1.55 a.m. the House adjourned till 2.30 on Tuesday.