PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1421, 4 July 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

(Bv Telegraph.)

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL;

In the Council yesterday the, motion by the Hon. Mr Holmes in favor of terminating the 'Frisco mail contract at the end of the year, and subsidising a direct mail service was withdrawn after some discussion, The Hon, Mr Whitaker pointing out that the_.cojK tract could not be so terminatetijpifod that the direct service should stand on its own merits, Sir U, WnmijoftS,. the Hon, Mr Robinson, and others ex A pressed their opinion in favor of the motion,

The Gisborno Courts Proceedings Validation Bill was passed through all its stages,

The Married Woman's Property Bill and Bills of Exchange Bill were considered in committee. The council rose at 5 o'clock,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES In tho House the Examiner reported that the Standing Orders had not been complied with in regard to the N.Z. Native Lands Company's Bill, as the published notices only st.ttwl that the Company wished to obtain land on trust, while the Bill gave absolute power of purchase, Referred to Committee on Standing Orders, Replying to questions Ministers said they hoped the time was near when the Arms Act could be totally repealed/V They were not prepared, however, as yet to do this in the Middle Island "ovon, but a»i order in Council would shortly be issued greatly relaxing its stringency, The Government did not see their way to alter the law so as to provide compensation for persons whose property was destroyed by fires caused by passing engines. The Government was in communication with other colonies as to prohibiting tlio importation of live stock. They would be glad of any information as to the possibility of checking blight on fruit trees by Legislation, They would not extend telegraphic communication from Duntroon to Kurow, Te Kapua and Opiti to Wairaa or Tologa Bay, East Coast to Gisborne, as it would not pay. The following new Bills wero introduced and read a first time:—Distiess (Holmes), Roads Through Private Lands (Ivess), Drainage of Mines (J. 0. Brown), Auctioneers (Dick), Land Acts Amendment (Rolleston),.;Nowi River Endowment (Feldwick), On the Hon. Major; Atkinson's motioD-a select committee was appointed to consider the question of the Pacific Annexation. ,---., The Bankruptcy Bill, 1 Impounding Bill, Mining Companies' Act Amend-

ment Bill,'-and 1 Affirmation Bill were read a second time without 'debate. The Tenants' Fixture Bill was considered in Committee,' ' '' At the evening .sitting, after the delivery of the Public Works Statement, Mr Seddon moved the adjournment of [ tho House to enable him to express great dissatisfaction with tho proposals made, especially as to the way the East and West Coast railway .was dealt with., Justice was. not done :to. Canterbury or We;;;Li<i'i. A minister of mines was also mure nuie.;,ary than a minister of railways. As to the proposed resumption of private lands or ~ their taxation, it would novcrbe ci'irriod into effect. , Sir G. Grey said he could not find x 'words strong enough to express his J scorn of the monstrous proposals just * made,' 'For years men had been ac--1 [ quiring vast estates by unfair means, and now it was proposed not only to ; allow them to retain what they had ' robbed the people of, but to givo them

.twenty-five per cent, more, He ,' strongly urged the preparation of a Doomsday Book, mid the imposition of a Laud Tax, He condemned the proposal to impose increased taxation to provide for harbor defences, which were quite imneces>ary, and called on the Houso to insist on a dissolution, and tin appeal to the people before any fresh burthens were imposed in the "present depressed state of tho colony. The motion foi adjournment was negatived, and the Committee resumed on the Tenants' Fixtures Bill, which was reported with amendments.' ; The New .Zealand University Bill was read a third time and passed, The Prisons Bill was passed through committee with amendments, amongst •which the striking out of the dark cell as a punishment, striking out the power of visiting justices to inllict sentences of Hogging, and the excision of. not attending divine service from the . list of minor prison offences. The Bill was renorted as amended. TjMPublic Works estimates were recerol by message from the Governor. The House rose at 12,45.