HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4265, 1 September 1882, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Yesterday. The Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment Bill was considered in Committee.— After a considerable amount of discussion, M r Steward, who was in charge of the bill, agreed to report progress. He said he was quite convinced that there was a large majority in favor of the measure, but in .the face of the obstruction shown by the minority, it would be impossible to make any progress. If he got another opportunity he would again bring the bill forward ; if not, he would re-iatroduce it next session. —-The motion for reporting progress was agreed to. On the motion for the committal of the Libel (No. 2) Bill, Sir John Hall objected ! to the bill, as it dealt with subjects altogether foreign to the title. He quoted authorities in support of his contention. In further explanation he stated that his objection to the\bill rested not so much npon the divergence referred to, as to the; proviso that newspapers should be exempt from responsibility for publishing a defamatory statement uttered at a public meeting. Ifc was not the uttering of these statements which caused the wwong. As a rule such statements were made amongst persons who knew the party referred to, and little or no importance was attached to it; its publication in a newspaper was the cause of the real harm, and that waa what he objected to. He was told that he should prosecute the slanderer; bnt he would ask who was the slanderer ? In 99 cases out of a hundred he was a mere man of stra w.

HEMOTAL OF LANDS COTJBT. On the item Native Land Court, £12,425, in reply to a question, Mr Bryce intimated that the headquarters of the department would be shifted to Welling ton. In respect to administrative functions, the judge of the Native Lands Court would have to reside in Wellington. Mr Hurst contended thai shifting the residence of the Chief Judge would have a prejudical effect on the native mind. Mr Bryce said it would considerably facilitate the work on native matters if the head office were established in Wellington. Sir George Grey said the predecessors of the Government had spoken of the change, but on full consideration they had [ decided not to do it; he hoped the GoI vernment would, on reflection, follow a similar course. Mr Peacock moved that the item "expenses, removal of native office; to Wellington. £500," be struck out. .. Mr Sheehan objected to any removal to Wellington, as it would cause general confusion and operate against the settle* ment of the lands. ] On a division the vote was retained; by 36 to 31—The total vote, £12,425, then passed. The Native Land Fraud Prevention, £484, passed. Natives' Reserves, £1273, passed. On the vote, £18,339, for the Volunteer Department, Mr. Bryce said he had not had time to fully consider the report of the Volunteer Board so as to say how far the Government were prepared to give effect to its recommendation. —After some discussion the vote passed. This day. On the vote for militia and volunteers, £18,339, Mr Bryce stated he was not yet able to say how far Government was prepared to carry out the report of the recent Volunteer Board. The vote passed, as also a vote of £195,533 for Armed Constabulary, but Mr Macandrew strongly protested against this expenditure. The Education vote, £282,970, was reduced by striking out the £3000 for the Auckland University College. The whole of the items under the head of Post and Telegraph Department were passed. On the vote for the Minister of Public Words Department, Mr Fergus movrd to reduce the salary of Locomotive Superintendent from £700 to £600. Lost by 26 to 10.

The votes for Public Domains, Archi tects Department, acd Public Buildings, and Miscellaneous all passed as printed, and these finishing the Estimates, The House resumed, and rose at 3.30 until noon to day.