PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1412, 23 June 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

(Pkbss Association,) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL In the Legislative Council yesterday the Married Woman's Property-Bill and.Bills of Exchange Bill ; were.road a second lime) and the Council adjourned at 3.10;

HOUSE'OF REPRESENTATIVES. Immediately on the 'House' meeting yesterday. Mr Montgomery intimated his intention of moving a vote of censure on-the Government in connection; with' .the Controller-General's memorandum 011 tho 90,000; Imprestj'and askedlMajpr'Ati^^6hv^\trih t Ulie; Committee of Supply at once in order to enable this ,to.; te ; done.;. Major the other business,,and on the motion to,go into Committee of. Supply, Mr Montgomery moved"the ; following:; amendment if- " That this 'House' disapproves of the .conduct of .the Ministry, in .obtaining an imprest for the sum of £192,000 by ' a grave evasion of tlio law,' and contrary to the clear intention of Parliament, and that it considers tho Treasurer deserving of censure in not laying the ,memorandum ;of the Controller and ' Auditor-General: before Parliament as soon as it met,-as requested by that officer, and promised by the Hon. T. Dick for the iTreiisurer."

Mr MoNTaoMERY contended, tliafc: ; a great - wrong had been done, and , a most dangerous precedent set, ; The law provided that for two months after the expiry of the financial year*the payments voted, but not branded, might still be made; the 1 clefei&n!- ■ tion being to force a. meeting of Parliament within that period. The Government; however, had not so called "Parliament, but on the last day of tho period had by way of Imprest drawn « this money to euable them to carry oh without Parliament for another mouth. They also allowed the Address in •Reply to be debated without saying ono word about the memorandum they had in. their hands,! and which they had promised to lay before Parliament when it met. He did not make this motion in a Party spirit, but'from a sense of duty in trying to maintain the proper control of Parliament over the'; public purse, The Hon Maior Atkinson replied at' length defending the course pursued'as* strictly legal and absolutely necessary s in order to carry on-the public service!'. He contended that' the issue to the;' paymaster was a payment under thet Public Revenues Act. As to not laying' tho memo before the House earlier, it ! should not have been sent through the; Government at all) for the, controlled was a parliamentary officer and should' have sent it direct. Had Mr !

Montgomery not been in such a hurry ' he would that day have explained and jiißtified:the action of the Government, Nothing illegal and nothing wrong had been done, every, .penny was spent as . voted by the House, and the House

would be asked to sanction all that bad been .done, ho that there ,was s n'iST attempt to ignore the control of' thr' House over the public purse. ' • Mr Holmes considered the conduct of the, Government in the matter wholly illegal and unconstitutional. Mr Evans Brown considered the., action in accordance with the law, arid justified by the circumstances.. ;" Mr Fish argued that the law had been evaded, and a precedent set which >1 might hereafter be used for corrupt * purposes. > Mr Shepherd defended tho Government, and pointed out that even the ') Controller did not contend that any breach of the law had been committed, but merely expressed an opinion that there had been an evasion ot the iuten-tioN-of the Act. V Mr M. W. Green condemned the.--1 action of the Government in the strongest terms, and said that had he-acted , , in such a way two hundred years ago, ; the Hon Major Atkinson would havo ' been impeached. He he feared: the Government liaWkry U little respect for law, as lastljssioii they had connived at the escape of a criminal awaiting trial, and had never estreated the bail bonds. The Hon. Mr Bryce called on Mr Green to prove liis charge or be under i.H. the imputation of making shameful and gross accusations without any founda-, ; tion. Had the Government connived at the escape he would not remain an hour on those tenches. Mr Green declined to give the name in public. 1 ' Mr Shaw said Mr Green evidently I referred to the Rattray case, but was f altogether wrong in his facts, Rattray ; did escape but the Government had nothing to do with it, and Sir George Whitmore and Mr Sheehan, who were suieties, had paid their bail.. An ex-: tradition,warrant had also been issued. , against- Rattray. As to the Imprest question he : held the action of the Government to have been strictly with- ,2 in the law, the issue being really a payment,' Sir Georqe Grey declined to accept ' such a reading of the Act, as the Government had acted wrongly and illeg-i ally, and if circumstances had, in the - ;■ public interest, compelled them; to , s , violate the law the facts should.have']. : " been stated, in the Governor's speech! and the House -asked to' Cbridorie ' the 4 offence by an Act of Indemnity, A great breach of constitutional law had taken place—and he believed without precedent. ; : The House divided on tlie motion to go,, into flujipfy jwhich was cairriedlby/ ,U!•.' 43 to 29, Mr Montgomery's amendment. being -thuß lost. Ayes, 43Allwright, Atkinson, Connolly, Dick, 1;:} .Dodson.-Fergus. Fitzgei'ald, Fulton, J. ; Green, Hamlin/Hnret, C. Johnston, , W. Johnston,, Kelly, Lee,, Levaslam, 7 Capt..McKehzie, Mclllwraith, McMillan, and, O'Callagan,.,) - v Rolleston, Shaw, Shepherd, Stevens, Sutter,-Sutton, Swanson, . !H, - Thompson, •Trimble, Watt/J. B,' ' .White, J.'iWilson/and Williams Noes Barrow,.Bathgate, Bracken, J, Buchanan. Cadman; ; Daiuel/ Duncan, Feld- ,j; .wick, Fish, 1 ,George] M, W. 'Greerf,' 1 - Grey, Harris,- Holmes, Hursthouse, Hutchinson, Ivess,-Joyce, Macdndrew, J, McKenzie, Montgomery, Fyke,

. Smith, j Steward;'' Te ! "Wheoi-o, Ji W, Thompson, Tale, mW, White. In committee of supply .Major ... Atkinson moved, a resolution' approv,ing of pHyiiients 1 duiirig iho, previous ';•? twd ninth's, which was agreed to after '" 1 "aome desultory,discussioh. , " ;^ ,u h.aOn the House resuming, Major Atkinson said that had it not been for ihe>debate day 1 hW' have made his fuitindal ij statettieiit jnext I.Tuesday, now hii colilil.'.niake, it on Wednesday, : and tlw! imi'lio wirks . :;statement should .linny d's on' the 'Tuesday, after, the 'estimates in call case coming .dotijp im i|i edint^ly;nltfi-. ■, GBvcV-nmen t proposed "to ask mom-' ' hers to givo up Thursdays for; Govern- '. business' after local bills were j (..disposed of, if this wero done he hoped the Government', business might bo ■ ( concluded by the end/.of. Aiigust. t()f • late' years there had been too jgreat a • tendency to allow private members to • attempt ..to legislate ;! ori' great publicquestions, The Govcnuneijt thought ithiß should'be checked and that large i f-questions of general policy, -should be ■ dealt with by the ,Government when , The principal measures brought down or to be brought' down by the.Government thissMsionwere as follows: — ' : 1 '' ■f;' The. Consolidation Bills, Criminal • Code, Municipal Corporations, Counties, . Property Law, Trusts and Trustees, ..Patents, .Savings Banks; 'Town Dis;,triiits, General Government; Bills, Local Courts, Bankruptcy, .Married Women's Property, Bills of Exchange, Fisheries, Tenant's Fixtures, Impounding, Alienation,of Land, Public Trustee, Leaseholders Qualification, Mining Companies Act Amendment, General » Assembly expenses of mombers, Legislative Officer's Salaries, Privileges, |and Law Amendment, Native Land Court Amendment, Government Life Insurance, Life Assurance Policies. There were a few other small Bills in both classes. On the House resuming after the usual adjournment, the Tenants' Fixtures Bill was read a second time on the motion of Mr Connolly. . Mr Connolly also moved the second ' reading of the Prisons Bill. It took atyay from visiting Justices the power of prolonging'the original sentence, on account of prison offences, and required all serious prison 'offences to be dealt iu the nearest R.M. Court. In minor offences also, the whole proceedings must be in the prisoner's'presence. It also; provides for the inspection by . visitors of a lower grade than Justice?, Respectable working mon and women could be appointed with full power of enquiry, Colonel Trimble thought these visitors would clash with the visiting He complained that'the ii'ew prison regulations..were too cast iron and severe, especially in regard to forbidding prisoners seeing their friends ; • aijil: depriving them of tobacco, »Mr Holmes concurred, inithe :latter objections,' and both- lie and Mi' Fulton gay,e an instance of groat hardship in regard to visits from friends. •' Mr Watt also concurred, and thought visiting Justices should have power to permit such visits, • iConsiderable discussion took place in which Messrs Feldwick, Joyce, DodSon, Setldon, Hir G, Grey, Shaw, Shepherd, Swansbn, Daniel, Hutchison, and others took part, all objecting, to the severity of the punishments provided, and especially,- those of flogging, and the dark cell.' In replying Mr.Connolly intimated be quite prepared to accept amendments to modify the punishments . j .or do, .away altogether with those specially objected to, The Bill was read a second time, and the house rose at 12.40,