PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 192, 12 October 1871, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

(From the "Daily Times" Telegrams), "Wellington, Ontober 4th..

The debate on tli3 Education Bill was resumed last night, in committee, on Mr. Swanson's amendment on clause 5, to disqualify clergymen and ex-cler-gymen from holding the office of Inspector. Ultimately tho portion of the proposal relating to the ex-clergymen was carried by 30 to 25. A provision was also added disqualifying members of Provincial Councils. Progress was then reported.

The Crown Redress Bill passed th rough Committee.

The Contractors, Debts Bill was read a second time.

The Highway Boards Bill was further considered in Committee. The clause giving the Superintendents power to annual the Boards' bye-laws was negatived.

In moving the House into Committee of Ways and Means, Mr. Yogel said the iacreased Stamp Duties were expected to realise £17,000 Tlie Government did not intend to proceed with the proposed new duties on Colonial p itents. If the Committee-; rejected" any other of the proposed new duties, the Government would propose to supply the' deficiency by making the maximum license for a joint stock company £100, instead of 50, and the duty on Bank cheques 2d, instead of Id.

Mr. Stafford thought the conduct of the Government was not fair to the House, in bringing down their policy piece l>y pU-c% without affording any opportunity for the discussion of their financial policy as a whole. Even yet the House was not possessed of all the Government proposal, to Mr. Gillies and other members spoke the same effects.

Mr. Gishorne brought in a Bill to extend the franchise to all persons in receipt of a salary of XI OO a year for six months prior to registration ; all persons paying £40 a year for lodging, and resident for six months prior to registration ; and to all persons rated for Municipal or Highway purposea, and not otherwise qualified.

Mr. Creighton introduced a Permissive Bill.

The debate on Mr. Reader "Wood's motion to abolish the Civil Service Pension system was resumed. Mr. Creighton moved as an amendment that the Civil Service Acts, so far as they relate to pensions, should be repealed, and duo provinsion be made for the interests .jtlreidy accureel thereunder. After debate, this amend msnt was accepted by the Government, and agreed to.

October sth. Nearly the whole of last night's sitting "was occupied by the adjourned debate on Mr. Farnall's motion for the expenditure of £100,000 in the district to the north of the city of Auckland. Ultimately the debate was adjourned.

Mr. Steward's Newspaper Libel Bill was thrown out on the second reading on the voices.

The afternoon sitting was occupied by the discussion of a motion by Mr. Shepheid, in favour of the introduction oi' a Bill to form ■ load districts on the G-oldfields, with the endowment of the gold duty for the road works. The motion was negatived by a very large majority, as also was an amendment by Mr. Mervyn to give such districts an endowment of 32per cent, of t^eir own special revenue.

Mr. Steward moved a" resolution in favour of the reduction of the news : paper postage to a halfpenny. The G-overnment stated that they could .not afford to -make the/ reduction this year. Mr. Bathorate and Mr«- Jieayes thought the revenue~would not suffer by the redaction, of the' rate ;' and Mr;

Reynolds" opposed it -on the grouh<% that the colony could not afford it. It was already, he said t paying more than J a penny each for the conveyance of newspapers to inlmd districts. •

The Legislative Council Has passed the tollouringr resolution: —* that, in the opinion of this Council, Provincial Councils should not be permitted to' borrow on . the security of territorial or ordinary revenue, or otherwise directiy or indirectly charge the revenue of the province beyond tW amount permitted by law." October Gth. Mr. Yogel to-day gave his promised out line of the policy of the Government Bills, saying fchat he was merely speaking from notes from which the Bills were being prepared, and he could not therefore pledge the Bills to be in exactly the same form. The Government of Provinces Bill would enable the Superintendents to- sit ia the Provincial Councils ; also, on the expiration of the present Councils,, the new ones would consist of the same number of members as each Province returned to the Assembly, and the Provincial Electoral Districts, would be co-tenninous with those tor the Assembly. This reduction of" members would not apply to Hawke'sBay, M.irlborouifh, and Taranaki. The dissolution of the Provincial Council would not necessitate a fresh election of Superintendent, nor would the resignation of the Superintendent - Involve the dissolution of the Council. Special provision would be made with reference to the Grey district, -by .extending the boundary of the province of Nelson to the Teretnakau River, iaeluding that district m the Selsoa province. At the same time it was proposed to establish the "Road Board» over the whole of the Nelson Goldlields, with power of local aduiinistr^ tion of the land revenue, .as in Westland at the present time. Another Bill would transfer to the G.ovemor the administration of the affairs of any Province, on the request - of ; the Superintendent and Council ' thereof. The Payments to Provinces Repeal Bill would carry out the. arra'Qgeniftnt detailed in the Financial Statement. The Public- Trustees, Bill would be similar to the rejected Bill ©f last session. Another Bill would establish, a Public Works and Immigratioh Fund, into which all revenue for' those purposes would go, and from which all payments' would be made. . Thp Board of Works would be. composed as stated by Mr. Gisborne, but the three nominated members would retire -annually, being eligible for re-notnin:i-tion. Neither the President nor the nominated members would be' subject to the provisions of the Disqualim-a- | fi.m Act. The Board would have .tho management of all works) subject to the direction of the Minister, and -would, as proposed, report annually to the Assembly •on what had been done, and especially as to all cases m which its decisions had been overruled by the Minister. It was intended to establish another Board, under the direction of the chief one, to have the management of GoldSelds works. The Government, on the recommendation of the Board, - would have the power to take the land of any province for the purpose of settlement, on paying the province in cash the upset price of the -land, less' the compensation to the pastoral tenants. With the land, the colony would' relieve the province of a proportionate share of the Consolidated Revenue. When land was required for railway construction, and the owners failed to agree with the Board regarding compensation, the Government would appoint a person to hold a Court" to determine, with the assistance of a Commissioner appointed by a Judge of the Supreme Court, what was a fair compensation. No appeal would be possible from this decision, and the Court might refuse compensation altogether, if it thought the construe- " tion of the railway would improve rather than deteriorate the value off the property. The claimant would" have to pay the costs if he previously refused to accept a fair amount of compensation offered by the Boards With regard to the main lines of railway, the Government would have the power to decide whether they would charge the cost on the land fund, or take land as security, or partially both. On the completion of the line, the Government would capitalise the amount, and fix an annual charge, de^ ducting a share of the stamp duties and any balance over working expenses in cases where the annual charge is not recoverable from the province. The Assembly, if it think fit, may recover the amount by a local rate on the property benefited' by the line. If the land taken is insufficient^ the Board may from time to time take more. The cost of the coal mine lines will be- charged .against the lines, .bufc four years will be allowed" for tho development of branch feeder lines. If a district petitions the Board for the construction of a line, the Board, on being satisfied as to its utility, may construct the line, imposing a local rate to cover*half the annual cost.

Mr. Stafford said that Mr. Yogel ousjht to have given these explanations when asking; leave to introduce thq Bills sojhe days ago. He would bo prepared to discuss the financial policy ota Tupsday next. The Opposition would ako be prepared to oppose the San Francisco tnnfl service^ when th<* proposed -rt eolation. ou t fche^ egburat was brought dowo.' ~