PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1465, 24 August 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

UNITED PRESS 4.BBOOIATION. , .LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. In the Legislative Council, the Law Practitioners' Bill was read a second i time, and several other Bills considered in committee. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. In the House, Mr Shepherd brought up a report from'the Roads and. Bridges Construction Act'Committeo,: and moved that it and the accompanying report from the Surveyor-General be printed. ■'. , The Hon Major Atkinson Baid the Government would carefully consider the committee's report, and so far, as they, approved of them would embody the recommendation in a Bill, i . Considerable discussion then ensued, '•Messrs Steward, Pyke, and others blaming the Committee for only-hav-ing taken/the Surveyor-General'B. evidence, in place of using the local knowledge .qf members. . Messrs Captain MoKenzie,. Sutton, and Shepherd, ; defended the action takon.

Mr Shrihski said the' scramble for * money was demoralising'the country, B and urged the repeal of tho Act alto-. ° gether. The matter,then dropped. a Major Atkinson announced that as a soon as the session was over the Gov- \ ernment proposed to send a delegate to ' tho Intercolonial Conference on the'' annexation question. ' ■>.■■■. > a Sir G. Grey read a letter he had \ addressed to Major Atkinson askjng c him to fulfil his promise to give him an i opportunity to move the following 1 resolution-*'That a committee be 1 appointed to inquire into and report J upon the action of the Government in , administering sinc,e the end of March, i 1882, the laws relating to Native < Lands, in such* a way as to benefit i their friends." He also read Major, ' Atkinson's reply intimating that is the/ -, resolution was not at all of the nature- ■] indicated by him, he declined to give j any facilities for meeting it. Keplyincf to questions, the Hon J, i Johnston said the Government had ' given orders to enlarge tho platelayers' cottages at the Summit, the men's ; families having outgrown the accorn- j niodation. An interim report as to ' the survey of the main trunk railway through Hawke's Bay shewed the discovery of a fairly practicable line te Taupo, Would consider tho propriety of removing the Supreme Court Judges occasionally from placo to place. Could not promise a harbor endowment for Waiaroa, but the Foreshoro and Pilot Reserve might be vested in the Harbor Board. Would consider the revision of the scale of Civil Service travelling expenses. Would during the recess consider the whole subject of mining on private lands, with a view to legislation, ' Could not proclaim Torawhiti or Ninety Mile Beach mining districts, as they were private lands; Would introduce a-Bill next session to further encourage planting of.; trees, ' Could hot promise to ; put footways on the Mangarangiora and Makatoku railway bridges. Did not consider a steam mail service between the Bluff and Steward's Island necessary. Some Australian timber had been imported by the railway department for special purposes. On the House resuming at 7.30 Mr Daroaville drew attention to a paragraph in the Evening Post, which, he said, was a garbled account of the proceedings of the Dargaville-Atkinson committees, he moved it was a breach of privilege. The Hon Major Atkinson, although loth to take part in the discussion was 1 prepared as leader of the House to make any motion the speaker deemed necessary to protect privileges. ■ Mo3srs Whitaker and Montgomery argued that if the report was' iiofc a true ono there was no breach, of privilege, • but the Speaker said the publication of anything whioh purported to be a report of proceedings of a committee which had not reported was a dear breach of privilege. . Mr DeLaotour thought it was high I time the press was made understand this.

After further disonssion the motion was carried. .Mr Dargayille said he did. not think it necessary to go any further. Mr Fish said they should to find out who gave thefinformation, a member or an official. .■• The Hon; Major Atkinson feared it would be jnecesaary to do this. He therefore fjjnri"nlly moved that John, Henry, and Louis Bluudell, the proprietors of the Post, bo summoned to to the bar of the House on Monday, at the same time he suggested that the debate should be adjourned .to next day, to give him time to consultjhe Speaker on the wholt* matter. The debate adjourned, The Hon Major Atkinson theu moved to postpone Government business to allow the local Bills talked out in the afternoon to come on. A long discussion then arose, Messrs j Sheehan, J. 0. Brown, Fish, Seddon, and others speaking at length, and blaming the Government management of business, etc., etc. The Hon Major Atkinson at last denounced the proceeding as stonewalling to prevent the Otago Harbor Loan Consolidation Bill being brought on, the reason being; that it was in, charge of MrM. W, Green, and certain members who dare not oppose' the Bill openly wished to prevent him carrying it, because he had left the Opposition, Messrs Montgomery and Bracken indignantly denied the" statements made byjthe Treasurer. At 10.20 it was agreed to postpone the local Bills tiil-Monday. The House, went into committee'on the Native land Laws Bill. The Hon Mr Bryob moved a new' clause in lieu of clause six, to regulate the negotiations for land after the title had been ascertained!, ' • ■■"■". 7 Mt-KBLLY moved the omission of neatly the whole of Mr Br joe's clause to make room for other words restoring Ithe right of pre-emption. . On division Mr Kelly's amendment was lost by 36 to 11. Mr Kelly then-moved the preemptive clause he had given notice of,

bufthis was rejected"by3Btoßand Mrßryce'snew clause was added to the Bill. v The Hon. Mr Bryce, thenmoved &■' series of twelve'new clauses having for their* object to remove from the Government the power of dispensing with' restrictions on alienation of lands, and vesting that power in the hands'of the Chief Judge of • Kative Land Court. • This the charges, of corrupt practice being made against the" Government; ;' ; ' .. '„ '■ Mr Stevens strongly abjected to the Government shirking its ", duty' and abrogating its proper functions. ■The} clauses proposed would cause Serious., injustice in certain existing cases. ■. ■--.■■■■. Progress wasi then reported,- and the House rose at. 1.35.. \ ~,'■