IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 14, 3 November 1852, Page 3

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF COMMONS.— Junb 9. Ou i he arcond reading of the New Zealand Government Bill, Sir W. Molesworth opposed it on the ground of its being too cumbersome and expensive ; but it was supported by Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Adderley, and others, and carried through a stage. June 12. When the bill was moved into committee on a subsequent evening, the following im- ' portent admissions by Sir J. Pakincton were received with general cheering :— I He mentioned the changes which he had resolved to introduce into the details, after consultation with several gentlemen of great influence in New Zealand, and now in this country ; and after anxious consideration on the suggestions which had proceeded from influential members of the house. These suggestions referred mainly to two points— the mode in which the superintendents should be appointed, and the course to be taken with the New Zealand Land Company. In reference to the first point, his proposal now was to make the superintendents elective by the same constituency which would elect the members of the Provincial Legislatures, instead <>£ being appointed by the Governor-in-Chief. It wa3 also proposed to strike out the provision relative to ihe £500 salary to be allowed to each of the superintendents, and to leave to the Provincial Legislatures the option of paying them salaries or not. With regard to the New Zealand Land Company* Sir John Pakington deemed hinmli" bound to abide by the adjustment which, waft ratified by the Act ot L 84- Should it be the opinion of the house,, however, that the stipulation of ss. per acre was not a judicious arrangement, he was quite willing to stipulate that the company should have a

fouith of the sum derived from the land sales. There was another point to which he was anxious to advert. As there was no determining where gold might not ba found, he proposed to insert a clause, pro* viding that, in the event of gold or other precious mineral being found in New Zealand, the profits should go the Provincial Legislatures. He had already acted upon that rule, in the case of the Australian Colonies, having intimated by Thursday's mail that all the ret euues derived from tha gold fields should be unrestrictedly placed at the disposal of the Australian- Legislatures. [The different New Zealand settlement! are therefore in future to elect their own Superintendents or Senatorial Governors.] June 16. The Committee, proceeded with tlit remaining clauses of the New Zealand Bill* and on the 74th clause, which sanctions the new arrangement with the New Zealand Company, guaranteeing them one-fourth of the price of the land sales, Sir W. Moleswortu moved an amendment, limiting the claims of the company to the strict legal rights they were entitled to under the Act of 1847. Sir J. Pakington could not undertake) to act judicially between the company and those who accused them. All he had to do was to look to ihe equitable rights they had under the Act of 1847. The Government proposition was ulti« mately carried, a* was another amendment limiting the payment to one-tenth instead of one-fourih. Mr. Gladstone moved to limit the payment to the company to a maximum of sf. per acre, but the motion was lost on a division. The general election mania wai growing more intense as the period of the dissolution of parliament approached. The Militia Bill had passe.l ils third reading in the House of Commons by a majority of 72.