Essence of Parliament.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3429, 18 December 1879, Page 2

Essence of Parliament.

The House met at 11 o'clock yesterday, and went into Committee on the Supplementary Estimates, when a great many items were passed through. At thret o'clock a message was received from the Governor, recommending the House to make provision for the purchase of the district railways. Sir George Grey moved the following in reply to the message-—" Th« House of Representatives of INenr Zealand, in Parliament assembled, respectfully represent as follows :—• They are unwilling to proceed to the consideration of the subject named in your Excellency's message during this session of Parliament, and humbly pray that they may not be required so to do till next session for the following amongst othtr reasons :—-lst. The Bill making provision for the matter was not brought before the House for consideration by the Govern, meut till the very last days of the session, and when members had tither retired or were preparing to retire to their homes. 2nd. It was brought down in a wholly different form from that set forth in your Excellency's message. 3rd. It proposed, in fact, to authorise Government to parchase four district railways which were private property in a manner which woild entail a charge of considerably more than £100,000 on the colony. 4ti. #oi« of

these railways had previously or subsequently to the conanieficeinent of,their construction been submitted to or approved of by Parliament, oih. Throughout the session the Government hns steadily declined to entertain proposals, or to give assistance to railways, or lines of communication which many members considered of great importance on the grounds that there no funds available for additional public works,-* and members have therefore refrained from making proposals for several railways or public works for fear of uselessly delaying public business. 6th. That the expenditure of any monies on those district railways, until the claims of other parts of the colony have been fully considered, would; be an act of great injustice. 7th. That various other plans for the expenditure ofi any surplus funds—such as settling families of settlers (many of whom are how out of employment) on public lands— should be considered before large sums of public money are disposed of without due notice to the House or country.* Bth. That to the present moment no information of a definite kind has been afforded to this House by the Government of the asms which have been expended on these several railways, how far they will be completed, or what sums will be necessary for their Completion, what Crown lands they open up, whether they run through public lands or private property ; though there is reason to believe that some of them run almost wholly through private property» nor ia there any infor matioo before the House to show this House the number of inhabitant* of the districts through which they run, or are proposed to be carried, for we do not know that they have ail been commenced. 9. That some members of this House are largely personally interested in these district railways. 10. That the Minister for Fubiic Woih, the Hon. Mr Oliver* who is promoting the measure in the House, is personally intereited in one of them. 11. That the sudden manner in which the Government had varied its proposals for dealing with this question shows how imperfectly itr has been considered; 12: That, therefore, on the grounds of the tanexpected manner in which this question has been brought before us, the insufficiency of the information afforded, the injustice it would inflict on other parts of the colony, and on the people of New at large; the magnitude of sums involved in it, the fact of members of the House who are supporters of the Government being so largely, personally or indirectly interested in it, and for various other goodand sufficient reasons we respectfully pray that the consideration of this question may be delayed until next session, that is, for a period of little more than four months, that this House, and the people of all parts of New Zealand may, 3 in the meantime, have an -opportunity of considering a question in which so many and such large interests are involved."' Mr Hall said that the address; implied censure on the Government and as such it would be accepted by them as a noconfidence motion. ,

After seme diacussion Sir George Grey's amendment was lost by 39 to 14, Sheehan, Mactndrew and Hislop rotihg against it. The House, then adjourned till 11a.m. today.