PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2971, 23 August 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Per Peess Agency.)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WELLINGTON,

Thursday. .

The House met at 2.30 to-day. MODIFIED PROVINCIALISM,

Mr Fox pave notice to ask if Mr Macandrew used certain words attributed to him as having been used at a banquet at Dunedin regarding a probable return to a modified form of provincialism, and if so, what he meant by them.

IRISH EMIGRATION AGENCY,

Mr McMinn asked whether the Government would re-establish an emigration agency in Ireland.

The Hon. E. Stout said it was under consideration, but Ireland had a far greater share in proportion to population than any other country.

CIVIIr SERVICE AMENDMENT BILL.

Mr O'Borke asked if the Government would lay before the House the return showing the operation of existing. Civil Service Acte before passing the Amendment Bill now under consideration.

The Hon. J. Ballance said the return would be ready by Tuesday next.

THE LICENSING BILL,

Mr Wakefield asked the Government when the Licensing Bill would be brought down, and whether they would make it a Government question. The Hon. J. Sheehan said the Bill would be made the first or second order of the day for Tuesday next, but they did not consider the measure one on which a Government ought to go in or out.

MUNICIPAL OFFICERS

The Government, in reply to Mr v harp, promised a return of the number of officers employed by the various Municipalities, with the salaries, travelling allowances, &c.

NORTH AND SOUTH PROVINCIAL CENTRES.

Mr Barton asked the Premier whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce a measure for the creation of two • large Provincial Governments, one in each island, with a seat of Government for the South at Christchurch, and for the North at Auckland, the jurisdiction of these Governments to be so large that little or nothing will be left for the General Government to do; the Post-master-General, perhaps the Commissioner of Customs, and half-a-dozen clerks a-piece to constitute the General Government, and once in three years the General Assembly to meet P Whether the published statement in the Wellington press, that Sir George Grey, Mr Macandrew, Mr Fisher, Mr Sheehan and Mr Stout are all in favor of the scheme, has been authorised by the Government?

The Premier said the Government had not considered the matter. He could not give any further information than he afforded yesterday, and could only add that the statements were not authorised. BILLS BEAD. The Native Lands Bill and the Hokitika Harbour Board Amendment Bill were read a, first time. THE CHECK AND AUDIT DEPARTMENT. Mr Bowen moved that all papers connected with the abolition of the Store Department be laid before the House. The hon. gentleman, in referring to the work of the late Store Department, said that thousands of pounds a yflar had been saved the colony by the system of check upon the departments of the Government. He feared there was no check now, although now, as before, large quantities of stores, representing large sums of money, were under control of officers who had no check upon them. He could not believo thai any satisfaction would result from the departments doing their own check and audit. It was only recently at home that it was found a system of wholesale plunder of iron, coal, &c, was going on, solely through a want of system of check. In one instance special trains were being run to take away the company's own goods. Mr Barff animadverted oh the destructive propensities of Colonel Gorton, the officer referred to, by saying that so indefatigable was that officei' that he destroyed any quantity of furniture all over the colony. The Government did well to abolish a department so utterly destructive and useless. ;

Mr Gisborne would be glad if they could save the cost of the department, and secure the property of the Government (about two hundred thousand pounds' worth) from loss. He was certain Colonel Gorton saved the. Colony many thousands of pounds. Major Atkinson said that for years he bad an intimate knowledge of the services rendered by Col. Gorton,' and he was able to say he saved the colony tens of thousands of pounds. The late Government had intended to make a change and place the check upon stores in the hands of the Audit Department. Mr J. C. Brown and Mr Shrimski ridiculed the idea of a Store DeparLmeut, which did more harm than gocd.

The Hon. B; Stout said there were no papers on the questio-i. After Colonel Gorton's resignation .the Government considered the office unnecessary. Mr Stout considered Major Atkinson's remarks regarding the saving by Colonel Gorton as a slur upon the departmental officers.

Mr Richardson said that in 1873 a large quantity, of furniture was taken away from the buildings they were then in, and it had been found- absolutely impossible to trace it. His own experience was that such an officer coursing round and taking stock prevented such occurrences as that referred to. It was notorious that in Canterbury and Otago no check was kept upon the stores, very much to the loss of those provinces.

Mr McLean, speaking from experience, would not advocate dispensing with an Inspector of Stores. He believed the chief fault of the late officer was overzealousness. Mr Bowen could scarcely believe there were no papers or reports regarding the sweeping away of such an important office. If it wag so, then it was a more reckless proceeding than he at first thought. Motion agreed to. THE CHINESE QUESTION. Mr Beeves moved that, in the opinion of the House, immediate steps should be taken to prevent an influx of Chinese. He urged that it would be wiser to take time by the forelock. So great had been the influx of Chinese in California that on the Pacific Slope there were 16,000 and 40,000 in San Francisco, where they were as thick as bees round a hive, and they had completely crushed out white labour, and were such a curse to the country that no one could be surprised any day to hear of great bloodshed. In Haweii, again,

{the Chinese became a curse. heahsiog the danger of an influx of Chinese, lie hoped the Attorney-General would not wait till the evil was upon the colony. If the Government did not bring in some measure imposing a poll-tax he would do so himself. Mr Joyce said the Chinese should not be allowed in any British colony, and if any Imperial law stood in the way, then. they had better cut the painter at once. We had no right to degrade and deteriorate our race by allowing Chinese to come amongst us in large numbers. Mr Bowe regard'd the motion as a chip in the porridge—it would neither do much good nor harm. The evils referred to did not exist, nor were they likely to. Altogether the motion was premature. Mr Manders, while bearing testimony to the industry and general good conduct of the Chinese in his district, thought some restriction to the introduction of Chinese should be imposed. One feature of the problem was this, that the experience and knowledge gained by the Chines©' while here might be turned to advantage^ against us, after they returned to their own country. The Hon. 11. Stout could not ice how the same state of things could arise here as in California; still, he was prepared to go the leagth of saying that if the colony saw signs of being over-run by Chinese, probably it would be right to impose a restriction upon them coming here. There were fewer Chinamen coming here now than two or three ysars ago. If the House thought it necessary to legislate upon the question, any measure that would be introduced should be some such measure as that in force m Queensland.; Mr Pyke said there were only 3,200 Chinese in the Colony, and it was rathar derogatory to Europeans to be afraid c? them. They were an industrious and law-abiding people, and in many parts of the colony they were not regarded with any aversion. Indeed, their absence would be regarded as a loss. Mr Barff, while agreeing that what the Attorney-General said would meet the case, pointed out what danger would arise from the introduction of leprosy—a case of which was reported in Otago— while numerous instances (the details of which would be unfit to relate) occurred in Victoria. Mr Gisborne could only sanction exceptional legislation when exceptional circumstances arose. Attention having been drawn to the matter, he would move the previous question. Mr Beeves then withdrew his motion. THE BEGULATION OF MINES ACT. The interrupted debate on the question that it be an instruction to the Goldfieldi Committee to ascertain the practicability of amending the Regulations of Mines Act was then introduced. Mr Beeves, who had been interrupted in the previous debate by 5.30, after a few words, moved the previous question. The motion was agaia talked out at 5.30. r