PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3935, 9 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Pee Pbbss Association.)

Wellington, Last night, The House met at 7.30.

Mr Pyke gave notice of motion that there should be a separate legislature for each island.

Mr Hall moved that for the remainder of the session Government business take precedence on Wednesdays. In doing so he said be hoped to make the Public Works Statement to-morrow evening. The .Representation Bill would be circulated on Wednesday or Thursday, and he hoped to take the second reading of it on Friday. Sir G. Grey suggested that the motion should not take effect till next week.

Mr Hall accepted the suggestion, and the motion, as amended, passed. On the motion to go into Supply, Mr Thompson said that while not approving of the uuiform reduction of ten per cent, on all salaries, as carried last year, he did not think the circumstances of the colony justified that of restoring salaries to the old scale. He, therefore, moved as an amendment, " That in the opinion of this House there should be a reduction made of ten per cent, on the aggregate or total amount of all salaries on the estimates above £200, such reduction to be apportioned by Government."

Mr Kolleston thought the amendment had not been well considered. The .Government had, during the recess, acted in the spirit of the resolution of last session, by reorganising the whole service, so as to reduce the whole cost. This had to be carefully done, and' the process was not yet complete. The Government must be trusted to make what reductions they thought just and right. They did not pretend to say the estimates or the service were yet in a thoroughly satisfactory condition, but Government were trying hard to make them so.

Mr Pyke strongly condemned the manner in which the Government bad carried out the ten per cent reduction of last year. Their treatment of the police and railway departments showed them to be clumsy administrators.

Mr Montgomery objected to receding from the position the House took up last session. There was nothing to justify restoring salaries generally to the old scale. He thought the amendment left ample discretion to Ministers in making the reduction.

Mr Stewart thought the Government had carried out their retrenchment in a clumsy and unjust manner. At the same time he could not support the amendment.

Mr Bunny opposed the amendment. The real question was simply one of confidence in the Government.

Mr Bryce contended that no Government could carry out retrenchment satisfactorily uuless it possessed the confidence of the House. He thought the Government deserved every confidence in its policy ©f retrenchment. Mr Shrimski thought the fen per cent, should be deducted now as well as last year, as the colony was still in a depressed condition. He instanced the case of Inspector Thomson, as an instance of unfair reduction. . .

Mr Kichardson. thought Government had done as much in the way of retrenchment in the past that the House might fairly trust them to make every possible saving in the future,