PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3937, 11 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Pee Press Association.)

Wellington, Last night,

In the House, Mr Saunders moved— "That no financial proposals be acceptable to this House that are not based on the strict adaptation of the annual expenditure of the solony to its annual revenue without any assistance from borrowed money, and that do not aim at the complete separation of colonial and local finances, and the entire emancipation of the latter from the*controi or interference of this House." He condemned the reckless system of borrowing which had been going on, and argued that if they had confined themselves to their legitimate income the extravaganoe noticeable in the mode of conducting the operations of the various departments would never have sprung up. He adduced strong complaints against the Audit Department, which he insisted should be swept away, and the whole work of the department left in the hands of one moderately paid officer, whose honesty could be depended upon.

Major Atkinson said that the motion, even if carried, would effect no good purpose, inasmuch as it aimed at no practical result. He denied that the public works scheme had been a failure, or that the principle of borrowing money for construction of several works was open to the censure attempted to be passed upon it. Reforms were necessary in the Audit Department, but it was neither fair, nor yet was it a fact, that the work of that department had shown any disposition or leaning towards any one to the prejudice of public interest. Mr DeLautour expressed sympathy with the motion, but did not concur in the extreme views entertained by the previous speaker, as to the impolicy of borrowing money for necessary public works.

The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. On the House meeting, Sir George Grey moved the postponement of the other orders of the day to allow the Law Practitionars Bill to come on. Carried by 43 to 13.

A long discussion then ensued on the motion to go into committee on the bill.

LATEE

Wellington, This day. The Law Practitioners Bill, when iv Committ' c, was strongly opposed by Messrs Whitaker, Stewart, Oliver, Trimble, and others, and supported by Messrs McDonald, *iShrimski, Kelly, Sheehan, Wallis, and others. Several amendments were proposed, but lost on a division, and the bill was reported with unimportant alterations, and read a third time, and passed on a division of 26 to 27. The Parliamentary Oaths Bill (Grey), and Kakanui Harbour Board Borrowing Bill (Shrimski) were read a second .time, and the Timaru Harbour Board Bill was read a third time and passed, an amendment by Mr Eolleston to re commit it, in order to strike out the endowment schedule, being lost by 23 to 9. The House rose at 1 o'clock.