PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3581, 18 June 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wbllinotok, Thursday. The House met at 2.30. PBHTIONB.

Mr Bu9sel) presented a petition from the members of the Working Men's C!ubs as to bardsl fps imposed on these hst'tuHops by the proposed Licensing Bill.

QUESTIONS.

Replying to questions it was stated that a ne itio 1 from tie Nativt Prnidfit at Xi i;kibi, Wrika o, about bringing into operation the. Native Licensing Ace, 1878, was received last June, but was found to be informal, as it d'd not comply wi h section 30 of the Act. Gove.jiment was 'i favour of bringing the Act into operation, but lied to abide by the law on the subject. It would cost £8000 per rmu« to' confer on the Notch Island a system of University education of the same standard as that employed by Otago and Canterbury, besides £25,0 30 for buildings, and they cord not sanction this in the present financial state of the colony.—lt would have cost £50,003 last yer? if'or the conveyance of mails by Suez if the San Francisco had not been ia operation. The Sen Francisco service cost £7000. The net cost of the Sues se.fice would have been £20,000. -

THE TABABU TBAMWAY AH» THE BOBOUGH OF THAMES.

Iq reply to a question by Sir George Grey, Government sird they recognised the request of the Thames Borough Council to hend over th 9 Grshamstown end Tprai v .ramway in accordance with the arrangements entered into by the late Superintendent of Auckland, and steps would be taken this session to do so.

ACCOUNTS OF LOCAL BODIES.

Government proposed this session to make. provision for xhe more effective audit of accounts for local bodies; DEFEA.XTDIKG THE NATIVE DEPARTMENT.

Proof had orly been obtrjied a few days before Parliament met of the conduct of a person who improperly obtained £I,COO by meant of fraudulent vouohcrs, purf :rting to be signed by three natives interested in lenJ at Waimate, for the purchase of which. Government was negotiating, such natives having no interest H the 4and as alleged, and not having received any money, as reported by the Native Minister to the House on the 16th inst. Information was elicited tl rough the West Coast Commission, pud the matter was under the consideration of the Government, with the view of punishing the offender; who was sHI in toe service of the Government. TELEGBAPH VXTJBSSIOS. In the present s fife of finance, Government cou d not undertake to extend the telegraphic system from Chrstchurch to Suuraer. CIVIL SEBVICX BBPOBT. The C\rl Serv.'ce Commission's report wi! 1. be ready in the c >urse of a week. BLINK VOUCHEES. The system of obtaVjig blank vouchers from natives presumed to be into .'ested in land for sale fi lst came to the knowledge of the Government last Christmas. Previous to that they hid no idea such a thing tould have existed. babbit suv. Government wrs not aware that a run of 60,000 acres Lid been let for the purpose of breed:3g rabbits. The law on the subject however, would be strictly enforced, COUNTY BATirO. f^ In Counf'es where Road Boards^Kd been merged they would be empowered f. levy a rate up to ten pc? ceat..O4 the a» <tv ! value of waste lanus. LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Mr Sutton moved tbat to assure the most effective syste \ < f local Government at least cost of management, it is desirous t'jat the relative pbsii'ors of Cot nties a d Bo: I Boards should be put upon a more satijfactory ftotla?:—(I) That the Counties Act be sftencied, tnd aP Bo*d Boards or Highway and Provincial Acts be repea'ed and Highway Districts abolished. (2) That each County shoti'd be sub-divided into ild ings, and eac'a ildin* re-constituted ioto a Road Board. (3) Tiiat the Rotd Board r alt be the only ratiug body, and that its duties shall be the construction and repair of all roads and drains within its borders, the construction of a I sm*ll bridges and all other works of a local nature (4) Tbat the Cociiv Council she I consist of the cha'.'flian w each Rot.i Board by v; iue o" his position; 5. luaj the revenue of tbe County sh: I be the rents, licenses, fees, &c, at present payable, and the right to levy pro rata upon aU Road Boards for such further amounts as nny be required; 6. That the duties of the Council shall be the construction of large bridges assisting Road Beards, by providing engineering assistance when required, to provide for local contribution ti hospitals and charitable institutions, with power to alter the

boundaries of ridings and exercise a general supervision over Kv>ad Boards; 7. That the Government be requested to bring in a bill duiing the session., to give effect to these resolution.". Hon. HaH said that pending the discussion which would take place on the local financial proposals, it would bo unwise to press the motion at present, At; the same time the Government rocogaisecl the importance of the question raised. The debate was adjourned for a week. WASTE IANDS SETTLEMENT. The adjourned debate was resumed on the, motion that a select committee be appointed to consider the best means of encouraging the settlement of *\\e industrial classes on waste lands. In replying to Mr BaUaice, the Hon. Mr Rolleston said his efforts m the direction of settlement on the lands bed been grossly misrepresented. He deried having been gail./ of evasion in the applications by the Wangepni and Wellington Small Farm Association. Thase be dies being incorporated it was impossible for the Government fo deal ft Ith them. Wanganui applied for a block of 20,000 acres, which was not in tho hands of the Government at t>V, but every effoi t had been made, as the correspondence produced would show, to pro\ido for their requirements so far as the Government could, having due regard to the importance of the policy of settlement as a whofo famibly. \ " ■' <Deb«t» interrupted by 5.30 adjournment. „r .