PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 683, 12 July 1870, Page 2

PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE

From the proceedings in the House of Representatives on Thursday, June 30th, we abridge a few points of interest from the Wellnigton Independent:—' WEST COAST MARINE SURVEY. Mr W. H. Harrison asked the Hon the Postmaster-General when it is intended to complete the marine survey on the West Coast of the Middle Island ? In asking this question, he would remind the House that a survey had been undertaken some two years ago; and that the positions laid down in the chart were very incorrect. The surveyor had been removed before the completion of the survey to the province of Auckland. The Hon. Mr Vogel said it was not the intention of the Government to carry out the survey further than it ' had been done, and read a report from Captain Johnson to the effect that the surveys of the West Coast were per- ' fectly sufficient to enable vesseh to ; ascertain their position. I ST. Z. FLAX INDUSTRY. ; The Hon. Mr Hall asked the Hon. the Premier, whether it is the intention of the Government to take any steps 1 for ascertaining by actual experiment "' the best method for dressing New Zealand flax ? Last year the House ' had appointed a commission to enquire ' into the subject, but, so far as he had ' heard, the commission had not tried any experiment. 1 The Hon. Mr Pox said that the commission had already issued an ! interim report on the subject, and he believed there would be a final report ": laid on the table of the House. i 3 RETURN OP IMPORTATION OP COAXB. r The Hon. Mr Stafford moved for a] I return of the quantity and value of] 1 coal imported into New Zealand from! i any place since the Ist January, 1840,1 - giving the name of the place from) , whence any such coals were imported.] , In moving for this return it was his] 1 object to show what the country was] 7 losing by sending out for what they] already possessed. It was a wellJ known fact that the coal of New Zealand . was equal to any south of the linel and besides this, the large consumption of coal in domestic families, and its] high price, was becoming a serious tan 1 on the families of New Zealand. 1 Mr Gillies supported the motion J 1 and suggested that the motion shoulJ ? be amended by the addition of tha words " from whence and where to, j so as to show the provinces into whiclf it was imported. " The Hon. Mr Vogel said it wouh • be almost impossible to give the re turns quite as fully as he might wish' " from the fact that the returns had no 3 been kept in the manner facilitatin| " the information being given as fully a he could desire. Mr W. H. Harrison hoped that th return moved for would be agreed t< He might state that the Coalfields o - the West Coast could supply the whol of New Zealand, and the Australia > colonies as well. He thought the tim ; had come when the development ( r the coalfields ought to bo made ' colonial question, i Mr Macffarlane thought that th t real thing was that the New Zealai > coal wa.s inferior to theNewcastlecot ; for various purposes. ) Mr Fox said he might mention thi > some Grey River coal had been fo i warded to Auckland and tested again , Newcastle coal, when it was foul i that the Grey River coal was some i per cent, better than the Newcast > coal. i The Hon Mr Hall said he cou I not allow the statement of the ho . member for the Northern division I pass without contradicting it. I t might state that Grey River coal coi s manded a high price in Melbourne i i steam purposes, but the very hi| i cost of transit prevented it competii . against Australian coal. He mig i also state that he had personally I F opportunity of testing the quality i the coal in the Malvern Hills, wlii , had been tested against Newcastle c( i and had been found to genera 1 steam much quicker than Newcasl I coals j but the very high price

transit operated against the coal being produced at a price which would enable it to compete in the market with other coal. Mr Stafford said that he was very much pleased to see the interest which had been elicited by this question. If the hon. member for the Northern Division (Mr MarfFarlane) had been in hiß place he would have found that he had spoken without due consideration, when he said that the New Zealand ! coal was inferior to Newcastle coal. He might, however, mention that a trial of Kawa Kawa coal in the Go. Ternment p.s. Sturt was in favor of I New Zealand coal. Mr Macfiarlane: I beg the hon. member's pardon. I referred to the Auckland coal, and not to New Zealand coal. The resolution, as amended, wan carried on the voices. BEIATIONS WITH THE IMPEBIAL GOVEBNMENT. Mr M'Gillivray moved that the House is of opinion that the Imperial Government has failed in its duty to the Colony. He never could have believed that a policy, such as he was now going briefly to criticise, would have ever emanated from a British Cabinet. Lord Granville had stated that the policy was framed on the traditions of Downing-street. Ear] Granville spoke in his despatch of one by the Duke of Newcastle, advising the Colonists to abandon the land, if they could not protect themselves, but his Grace did not tell them where to go. He held that it was the duty of the British troops to put down rebellion in any part of the Empire. Mr Creighton seconded the motion. Mr Tancred was of opinion that with the exception of the withdrawal of the one regiment, the conduct of the Imperial Government had been all that could be desired. Mr Beynolds said that the removal of the last regiment from the Colony when the Colony was prepared to pay any sum for it was a harsh proceeding. Mr Gillies said that he had expected to see the Government benches and the House better filled, and that the Hon. the Premier would have risen after the very clear, convincing, and excellent speech delivered by the hon. member for Riverton, to have led the House in this matter. He agreed with the hon. member for Ashley, that the withdrawal of the troops had been a great boon to them, but it was one thing to be discarded and another to voluntarily do so. When in dificulties their mother country did cast them off, but he might say that he did not believe the great heart of Britain was against them. He asserted that the advice of Lord Granville to the ' colony was given in utter ignorance of the circumstances of the case. — (Hear, hear.) He accepted the view of the policy of England as laid down by Lord Granville was, that England was prepared to accept the independence of the colony; but as they had chose to desert the colony they would take their own time to desert the mother country. Mr Borlase would suggest the ad- , journment of the debate, in order to allow hon. members to whom the House were in the habit of looking up to to express their views on this question—one which affected so vitally the future of the Colony of New Zealand.

Mr Eox did not intend to speak upon the main question, but would express his , satisfaction at the very lucid and able manner in which the hon. member for Riverton had put the motion forward. The Government had expressed, as it supposed, the opinion of the colony, and it was to a certain extent on its trial, and that was the reason why the Government had not spoken on the question. The hen. the Colonial Treasurer and the hon. Native Minister were not present on the benches because of the approaching departure of the English mail necessitating a large amount of departmental work. He had thought his explanation necessary, but he might say that they would express their opinions on the question, should the debate be adjourned, which appeared likely. The motion for the adjournment of the debate to Wednesday the 6th inst. was carried.