PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2970, 22 August 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Pee Pbess Agency.)

HOUSE OF EEPEESENTATIVES

WELLINGTON,

Wednesday The House mot at 2.30 to-day.

auctioneers' licenses

Mr Slirimslci pave notice to ask the GovrriinK'nt whether they intend to introduce a bill this' session dealing with auctioneers' licenses.

SEPARATIC N

jMr Barton asked, without notice, whether the Government hnd any int ntion of forming two provinces, with a Government at Auckland and another at (Jhristchurch, in accordance with a statement made in a leading Wellington print.

The Premier said. that the rumour was a mere political canard, without the slightest foundation Government had always taken the House into its confidence

O'CONNOR'S C iNYICTION

Mr Barton moved for all"papers connected with O'Connor's case.

The Hen. Mr Sheehan said they would be laid on tbelkble. ; i 'yl : DIiAiNAGE BIE& ': ; T In reply to Mr Hodgkinson, tlie Hon. it. Slout said Government contemplated introducing a Drainage Bili this session, but-a measure so-large they, feared they would not hare-time to deal with this session ; q;t7fenstown and cbomwell line;

The Hon. J, Macandrew, in replying to Mr Hodgkinson, said there was po immediate livelihood of a survey.being made for a line of railway between Queenstown and Cromwell.

POE (UGES S SETTLEMINT.

, The Hod. J. Sbeehan, in reply to Sir H. Douglas, sr'cl he would lay on the table any papers relating to the scheme for settling Portugese and natives of Madeira on portions of the northern districts of Auckland. ; -

; THE JAPS. IN AUSTBAiIA. \ Mr Fox asked if Government had secured the information desired respecting the Japanese Commissioners. ; The .Hon. J. XJallance said a telegram had beeu sent to Australia with that object, but no reply had been received. \ UNivorM licensing- kee:.-----i In reply to Mr Jijchmond, the Hon. J. Sheehan said a provisionVwould; 'be vitroduced into the Licensing Bill to equalise the licensing fees throughout the colony. i NEW ZEALAND riFLE ASSOCIATION.

i Mr; Hamlin asked (1) If a Bifir Association were formed on the basis of the Rational Rifle, Association of England, Wi/uldfthey consider a proposal, to hand oyer to such assbcialion the equipments hitherto usrd at colonial meetings; (2) whether they would place a sumofmoney on the supp'smentary estimates in aid of the Association ; (3) whether they will be prejuied to consider a proposal to aid such asso?ialion by allowing them the use of a Government reserve in some central part of the colcny for a few days in each year?

' The Hon. Mr Shrehan 'said the Government were prepared favorably to consider the firsthand thirrl. When they saw that th« Association really meant business it would be time enough to talk about subsidies.

BILLS BEAD. Several bill* .were read a first time. MEMBEBS* HOLIDAY EXCLUSION.

M> Bastings moved that the House at its rising on Thursday, the sth of September, at 5 30, adjourn until Tuesday, 9ih, at 7.30, to enable members to visit the opening of the Dunectin and Chrisfchurch Railway. ,

Agreed to without discussion

SUBSIDY TO AN IM.PECUXJOUB COUNTY.

c Mr Hodgkinsun moved that the County! of being ■ unable" to fulfil 7 ilie duties cast upon it by abolition and the Counties Acts, that three thousand pounds be put on..' the supplementary estimates, to erable the (Juiinty to carry out certain necessary public works. It was; a degrading po^iiion in which to be plafeed,;and such a thing ought not to, be allowed to continue, jhe hori. gentleman quoted from a liiverton paper "to show that the County openly admitled its inability to carry out its proper functions.

The Hon. Mr Macandrew said there was no objection to opening up the whole 'question, when the House went into Commi'iee, on the 28th.

WITHDBAWAIi OF COUNTIES ACT EEPEATi MOTION. Mr Saunders withdrew bis motion for repealing the Counties Act. EBWIAND FOX.. In reply to Mr Fox, the Hon. J. Slieehan laid upon the table a further communication from Kowi to himself regarding Mr Fox's remarks on native matters, in which Mr Fox was called an unbelieving man, and recommended to follow the example of Mr Shcehan and Sir George Grey. , Mr Sutton said it was quite clear that Eewi waa under the tutorage of some Government officer. Sir George Grey explained that the Maoris were entirely uninstructed with regard to the proceedings in that House by the Government. The fact was they took different newspapers, and had them translated by their own interpreters. CUBRESPONDENCB WITH THE HOME GOVERNMENT. Mr Fox moved that His Excellency be addressed to lay before the House all correspondence between, himself and the Secret, ry of Stutc for the Colonies which had taken place since last session. The Km. It. Stout said they had no objection to ask His Excellency to lay on the table all such correspondence and papers as IViinistcrs might advise • His •Excellency might be so laid on the table.

The Premier pointed out that it was not always proper to asl( for all these despatches.-'^' ij-Mr Fox differed from bim ns light from darkness. The House had a perfect right to be acquainted with the whole of it. This had been the practice for many years. Motio.i agreed to.

EAILWAY EMPLOTEES' HOLIDAYS^

Mr Manders moved it was expedient that railway employees- obtain a week or a fortnight's.holiday during the year, the conditions to be arranged by the managers of railway depots. The"Hon. It. Stout.hoped the Hou3© ■would negative the motion. It was absurd to expect the' House to interfeie in a matter of that kind.

Mr Felclwick supported the motion, and' inslauced 1 :.rdsiiips of (ho kind occurring in Southland. The lion. J. Macandrcw denied fiat

there was any foundation for the caie of hardship referred tu. ■• Motion negalired. CONSOLIDATED EE,V£NoE SETirBNS. I' was agreed to, on the motion of Mr Green, that a return should be prepared showing the total amount of consolidated revenue receive! in each provincial district for 1877-78; also the expenditure within the same distiicts for the same period. EMPLOYMENT GJ? FEMALE TELEGRAPHISTS. Mr DeLautour askci if the employment of women i» the telegraph offices of the Colony has proved satisfactory, and if .the Government will place any atatiaiies before the House on the question. ; The Hou. J. T. Fisher said that, as a whole, the system hid not been satil- " factory, women seldom reaching, to be -sefficient operators, though being very i well adapted for certain kinds of clerical work, fctatistics on the matter would be laid on the table. COLONIAL SUKVEiTS. - - ' !Mr Becthaui moved for a select Com* mittceto inquire inLo the mcieof conducting the surveys of the coloi% What he wanted was that prior to a survey aa engineer should lay off the roads. The Hon. K. Stout opposed the motion as one which, no Government ought to submit to. It was almost equivalent to a motion of no confidence.

; Messrs Murray, McM?nn, and Gibbg considered the question ought to ,ts inquired into, being exceedingly" impdrtant. Motion negatived on the voices. GOLDFIELFS LEGISLATION. ; /••.-:.- On the motion of Mr Manders, Go- - verument agreed to instruct the Gold* fields Committee to ascertain, in so far as they see fit, whether it was not practicable to amend the Appendices and ■Regulations of Mines Aci, 1877. Messrs Barff, j?yke and BeeveS stronglj opposed the motion, and talked till 5.3}.