HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3387, 30 October 1879, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30. COBR^TPT PARLIAMENTARY PBACTICBB. Sir George Grey gave notice that he would ask leave to introduce a Bill to prevent corrupt practices in Parliament. THE HONOBABIUM. Mr Moss gave notice that he would more—That in the opinion of the House the honorarium payable to members should be fixed by Statute. COUBT PBOCEDUBE. Replying to Mr Hislop, the Hon. Mr Hall said Government will take into consideration the recommendations of the Law Society of Dunedin, adopted on the 17th day of October current, with a view of introducing a simpler and less expensive procedure into the higher Courts of the colony. " NATIVE OFFICE. Replying to Mr Ormond, Mr Bryco said ho would lay before the House a return (1) of expenditure by Native Department from the 13th October, 1877, to the Bth of October, 1879, under the following heads—Native officers, food and clothing, gratuities and contingencies; (2) a similar return of expenditure for the same purposes from Ist September, 1876, to 13th October, 1879; (3) return of expenditure under Civil list lor native purposes, from 13th October, 1877, to Bth October, 1879; (4) a return of expenditure under Civil list for native purposes, from Ist September, 1876, to 13th October, 1879;. (5) a schedule of claims rendered on account on native expenditure to date, which remain unpaid. EDUCATIONAL. ' Replying to Mr Hamlin, Mr Rolleiton said it was-improbable that Government would be able to introduce this session any measure to supply the want of University education in the North Island of New Zealand. THE POLICE. Replying to Mr Reid, Mr Hall said Government did not intend taking steps to place the members of the police force in thu various provincial districts on equal footing in respect to long service pay* Replying to Mr George, the lion. Mr Hall said Government did not intend this year to bring a Bill to provide for the payment of members by statute. HELENSVILLE BAILWAY. Replying to Mr George, Mr Oliver said Government intended going on with the construction of the railway from Helensville to Kaukapakapa, money haviug been voted by the Assembly for the purpose. nelson's claims. Mr Shepherd asked when the account stated by the member for Waitemata to be promised to Auckland members is made up shewing the expenditure upon public works in every provincial district of New Zealand, if the account shows

tliut Nelson has not received as fair a j share as the other districts have receive! will the Government adopt some way by which the balance shall ba made good. Hon. Mr Hall replied that Government would as far as . practicable do justice to | all parts of the colony. ' THE AGENT-GENERAL. j Replying to Mr Shrimski Mr Hall said the Government intend to retain the services of Sir Julius Vogel as A gent General for the colony. COST OI? THE GENERAL ELECTION. j !Replyiug to Mr Bain, Hon. Mr Hall said Government will lay beforo" the House a return showing the cost to the Public Exchequer of last general election. THE UNEMPLOYED. Mr Barron asked Government whether they will give instruction for each police station in the colony to keep lists of names and addresses of those who desire to employ labor, the nature of the work and remuneration offered, together with lists of those who want employment, and the remuneration required, and to facilitate the interchange of information, telegrams between police stations, in connection with such lists, to be free. Hob. Mr Rolleston said the suggestion was one deserving of every consideration, and the Government would take steps to give effect to the proposal in some way or other. EDUCATION BEBERVES. Mr llolleston, in reply to Mr Ireland, said he did not think the Government would introduce a bill empowering the Educational Eeserves Commissioners to deal with the lands under their control, either by sale on deferred payments or otherwise, through the Waste Lands Boards of the colony. HOKITIKA HABBOB BOABD. Replying to Mr Eeid tho Hon. W. Oliver said the Government was now in communication on the subject of an an advance of money to the Hokitika Harbor Board to enable the Board to proceed with the present contracts or harbor works, j

NEW BILLB. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time:—To enable the County Council of Southland and the County Council of Wallace to construct light district railways or tramways (MeCaughan); To amend the " Municipal Corporations Act, 1876," (Hutchison); To remove any doubts as to the validity of the election of Maori members of the present Parliament (Sheehan); To amend 11 The Protection of Animate Act, 1873," (Whitaber). ! MINERAL LEASKS. Mr Glbbs moved that the Minister of Lands be requested to have inserted in any bill that may be introduced for amending the Mines Act, 1877, clauses to the effect that all leases hereafter granted for working minerals (other than gold) shall contain provisions for ensuring the efficient working of such minerals, and also reserving to the Crown the right within proclaimed fields to grant persons other than the lessees the right to mine for gold. The motion was put and carried. GOVEBNMENT BANKING AEBANGEMEICT. Mr Ballance moved the number of Government Banking Arrangements Committee increased by four, and that the following members be added to the committee Messrs Bane. Eeid, and Bunny. The motion was put and carried. THE AUCKLAND COMPACT. The interrupted debate on question that a paper presented, being a return to an order of the House for a copy of the correspondeuce relative to the alleged compact between the Government and certain Auckland members do lie on the table was resumed by Mr Lundon who spoke in favor of the proposal to produce correspondence. Mr Macandrew said if there was nothing in the correspondence ss the Government would have them to believe, he could see no reason why it should not be produced. He said that there could be no doubt but that some pecuniary arrangement was* undertaken on behalf of Auckland. His province had been deprived of a sum of two millions of money, not one farthing of which had been provided for. If they were going to provide for all such claims it would require an ocean of money, certainly the £5,Q00,C90 loan would go a very little way towards making good such claims.

Mr Turnbull contended that they were entitled to have the correspondence produced; if there was nothing in it that would compromise any one, then the objection to produce it was not tenable ; if, on the other hand, it did contain something that was objectionable, then it was right they should know it. ' The motion was then put, but the words proposed to be left out, stand part i of the motion when there voted, for the ayes 38 and, for noe3 25. The list was as follows :—Ayes : Andrews, Atkinson, Brandonyßain, Bryce, Beetham, Colbeck, Dick, Fulton, Gibbs, Hall, Hirst, Hurstliouse, Hurst, Kelly, Kenny, Mason, Masters, McL?an, Murray, Oliver, Ormond, Pitt, Rolleaton, Russell, Saunders, Stevens, Seymour, Studholm, Sutton, Swanson, Trimble, Whitaker, Whyte, Willis, Wood, Wright, Richardson. Ness : AHwright, Ballance, Barren, Brown, Bunny, DeLuatour, Fisher, S. T., George, Grey, Hamliri, Harris, Ireland, Lundon, Macandrow, McDonald, Montgomery, Moss, Reid, Seddon, Speight, j Tawhai, Thomson, Tole, Turnbull, Wallis. The original motion was then put for the adoption, and ou the voices Sir George Grey claimed that the noes had it. A division not being called for, the motion as put was declared carried. A GAG ON THE MEMBKBS. The following motion in the name of Mr Reeves was allowed to lapse :—" That in the opinion of this House it is desirable in order to facilitate public business that hon. members speaking in each debate be allowed one column of Hansard free for the report of th«r speeches, and that all space occupied over one column be paid for by such member at the rate of one shilling per hundred words, money so charged to go to the library fund, the above not to apply to the Ministers of the Crown, or members of the late Ministry." Mr Saunders moved that the petition of settlers and others interested in the Waiu, Hurunui, and Awatere districts in favor of the Huranui Plains route for the railway line between east and west coasts of Middle Island be printed. On being put to the vote, the motion was carried, the ayes being 35, Aid the noes 26. AN INSULT TO SIB OEOBGE OBEY. The following motion, in the name of Mr McLean was called, " That on account of the hardening effect: the exemption from all taxation has on the human mind, the island of Kawau be included within the boundaries of the County of Rodney.

Mr McLean was not preitnt, Sir* G. Grey complained of the unfairness of such a motion bffjng tabled and the member by whom it was tabled not appeariug to support it. It was_ a studied insult to himself, and one which he hnd a right to resent. Kawau was exempted just the same as other islands were exempted from the County system. The fact was that he (Sir G. Grey) had been instrumental in defeating an uttempt made by the member for Waikouaiti in obtaining a Tery large tract of native country on most unfair terms*, and ever since that he had pursued him with unrelenting hostility. The motion was put down in pure malice, and it had no foundation in fact. The island had been occupied for the last 20 years, and not a single farthing of public money had been spent on it. The member for Waikouaiti had told them on a previous occasion that great scandals would be brought against the late Government. The fact was| that he (Sir George Grey) had lett copies of all correspondence and other documents which passed through his hands when he was Premier, yet they had not been able to bring forward one single scandal. Such conduct was most reprehensible, and members should be protected from it. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.