PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2902, 18 May 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

(United Press Association,)

:OUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Thursday.

The House met at 2.30. , The Minister of Defence, in answer to Mr Valentine, said the Government had under consideration the restoration of the uuattachod list for volunteer officers. The Commissioner of Customs, in answer to Mr Valentine, said the Government had no intention of introducing a measure to encourage distillation. On a previous occasion the Government had had to pay

£27,000 for compensation to owners of distilleries, and as the circumstances might occur again they could not propose any encouragement to distilleries. ... - Evening Sitting. The motion for the second reading of the Loans Act, 1887, Repeal Act, was agreed to on the voices. .The Premier moved the second reading of the New Zealand Loan Bill, without remark. A division on the question that the words "the Bill he read a second I time" stand. Ayes 65; noes 7.

The Premier asked the House to suspend tho Standing Order preventing new business being taken after 12.20 in order that the Loan Bills might be passed through all their stages. This was agreed to, and the House went into committee 011 the Loan Act Repeal Bill, which was agreed to without amendment.

The New Zealand Loan Bill was then committed.—Mr Samuel moved a new clause similar to that of clause 19 in the Loan Bill of last session, providing that no money other than that provided for in the Bill should be borrowed during the next three years. The Premier could not accept the clause. He considered the pledge given at last session was quite effectual. —Mr Mills asked when an opportunity would be given for a proposal to reduce North Island Trunk Railway loan to say £500,000. The Premier said it might become necessary to stop work both on this and Otago Central Railway. Opportunity would be given for discussion qf these matters when the Government's proposals were before the House. In answer to a question from Mr W. P. Reeves,- the Premier said persons who had , to deal with money were, inclined to be very conservative, and it was 011 that account that lie thought it best not to put tho clause into the Bill, After further discussion Mr Samuel withdrew his clause, stating that he did not wish to press it after what the Premier had said.

The Bill was eventually agreed to witlpt piendnipiit, j\|v Hutchison moved to strike out the words (t for immigration" in the title when the Bill to roported, but withdrew tho motion.

Both Bills were read a third time and passed, and the House rose at 1 o'clock.

Fire in Queen-Street, Masterton, The firehell sounded an alarm this morning a few minutes after two o'clock, the occasion being a fire at a two-storied house in Queen-street. Tho fire had obtained a good hold of the building before the first tones qf the bell pealec] fqjtJi, The hp] engine, panned by tl]e numbers of the Volunteer Fire Brigade, was quickly at the scene of the conflagration. They found it useless attempting to save the burning building, and turned their Uttentjiqn t,Q the adjoining property. They succeeded in saving an outbuilding some 10 feet from the burning mass, and by this means preserved the dwelling some three qr four feet to the UQfti} of it. About three minutes after the manual was at work, the Jubilee had got steam up, and a deluge of water was thrown into the burning building which speedily turned the light into darkness, mid fears for the safety Qf the. adjoining properties soon vanished There was. a fair breeze irom the South West at tho tiwa, and showers of sparks were carried to a considerable distance, and but for the recent rains must have ignited some of the shingled roofs upon which they lodged. The origin of the fire is" unknown. The property destroyed belonged to Mr W. Greathead, and was insured in th? National office for £l5O. The building contained six rqomg. Tl|e main portiqn pliably thirty yepsold and was built of heart of totara, .which was plentiful in the early days. The roof was of shingles, but the lean-to—a recent addition to. the main building—was covered with iron. There had been no one occupying the promises for the past fqur or five weeks, * *