PARLIAMENTARY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3589, 16 August 1890, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

BousoofltapresuMm

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15. • Tho Speaker tool; the chair at 2.80, _ Tho Committee appointed to. consider and report on petitions lor a trial of Mr Vaile's railway rates system and the repeal of the Govern* ment Railways Aot, .1887 (which appointed tbo Railway Commissioners) reported-First, that in.thoir opinion

tho repeal of tho Act nauiecl.was a question for the House to consider; and, second, that the petition for a trial of Mr Yaile's system involved such large questions of policy, and so seriously affected vested- interests, that the committoe colild only recommend their reference to the Commissioners.

Mr T. Thompson expressed an opinion 'that this report would bo considered very unsatisfactory by the thousands ■ of people who had petitioned the House on thß subjeoti Ho moved that it bo referred back to tho Committee, with an instruction to the Committee to oall Mr Yaile as. a witness...

After some discussion Mr Thomp-

son's motionwiß lost, 1 Ministers said, in answer to quea tions:— There was no intention of bring ing in legislation this, session dealing xyith the codlin inoth

•/ There was at prassnt in the service an'officer competent to instruct and examine artillery officers. ■ The Minister for Public Works Would be quite willing to. represent to the Railway Commissioners anything that might be brought up in the House, but would feel a groat deal of diffidence in indicating a pohov to them: nor was awara that

tho Commissioners themselves bad asked that tho Government. should lay down a policy. He agreed .that every information about the railways should be laid before the House by the Commissioners. The advisableness of supplying detailed information. about " Con-

tingence" votes would be considered. The Minister, of Education thought Mr Fish need not asu iu the House questions such as • those relating to the visit of Mr Stevens and Mr Fergus to the route of the Otago Central, seeing that similar questions had already been answered. One of

the Ministers was accompanied by his wife, and a former Commissioner of Crown Lands in Canterbury was the only other person who accompanied the parly. Mr Slovens drew i£lo'travelling' allowanco, and MiFergus £45, which was not tho full amount ho was entitlod to. • An Imprest Supply Bill (£150,000)

was passed through all its stages. . Dr Hodprkinson moved as _an amendment to the motion to go into supply " That tlio working of party Government iaau impediment to the despatch of public business in the House, and has involved, and is involving, a ruinous sacrifice for its preservation." Several members supported the

amendment, wLioh was,' however, negatived by 27 to 25. l'be Post and Telegraph Department estimates were considered in committoe, with the following result: Chief Offices and sub-offices, £l3o,939,—Agreed to. • . Telegraph cable subsidies, £BO9. Agreed to. Telegraph cable repairs,, £Booo. Agreed to. .Conveyance of mails by- sea, £4s,4B7.—Agreed to.. ; Conveyance of inland ' mails, £2s,o7o.—Agreed to, Carriago of mails by railway, £looo.—Agreed to. Miscellaneous,- £46;sl2Agreed to.