THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 873, 12 October 1871, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

THE CIVIL SERVICE. On Wednesday, the 4th inst., the debate was resumed on the question, that, in the opinion of the House, the existing acts so far as they conferred pensions and retiring allowances npon officers in the Civil Service of the colony should be repealed, and that provision should be made for the vested interests that have accrued under those, acts by an abatement of 2\ per cent from the salaries of all officers who are in a position to become entitled to a pension or retiring allowance under those acts, provided that every officer who voluntarily give* up all claim to pension or retiring allowance shall be paid his salary without abatement.

Mr Creighton said he could not agree with the latter part of the motion, which he thought should be omitted. He thought with such an omission the motion would he acceptable to the Government. He would move as an amendment, "That in the opinion of the House existing acts, so far as they .conferred pensions and retiring allowances upon officers of the civil service of the colony should be repealed and that provisions should be made for the vested interests which have accrued under those acts, and that the Government be requested to bring in a bill this session to give effect to the resolution."

Mr Bolleston, as an old member of the Civil Service, was sorry to hear the feeling that |had been evinced by ,the House, and was also surprised that the Government had not made a strong resentment to such a motion. He looked upon such a procedure as the worst species of economy. Mr Fox repudiated the charge against the Government. Two of his colleagues had spoken strongly in defence of the service. While he disagreed with the hon-member in that respect, he wholly agreed with him in deprecating the tone adopted by some members of the House, who, by an attempt to make the civil servants appear a mean and coutemptible lot, thought to pass the resolution. Mr Stafford pointed out that while in office he had taken care to institute a systematic method of appointments, which he found had not been observed by the present Government. In lact, he found that the offices at the disposal of the Government were being given to the near relatives of members of the House who were being put into positions, as political rewards, while there was a very considei\able number of young men who had passed competitive examinations, and who were justly in expectation of recei zing appointments, whose claims were entirely disregarded. A great deal of dissatisfaction had been expressed to him by persons whose sons had passed these examinations and had certificates of competency and yet were not called upon to All those offices to which theyjustly claimed to have some degree of right. Those members who objected to growing expense complained with some reason. They saw that the bill in existence was not being used; that its provisions were not being observed ; that there was no system of classification ; and that the appointments made'recentiy were|made not under any system or order, or under any of the rules required by the act, but merely caprice, Mr Fitzherberf, Mr Gisborne, and Mr M'Leau spoke in defence of the civil service and its officers, while Mr Shephard made a really good speech against the system of pensions. Mr Gisborne having made a statement of the intentions of the Government and their willingness to accept the amendment, Mr Wood replied. The amendment of Mr Creighton was then put and agreed to. GOLD DUTY IN HIGHWAY DISTRICTS. Mr Shepherd moved that a Bill be introduced during the present session of Parliament to provide that where road districts are established on the goldfields under The Highways Act, 1871, or under Provincial Ordinances in operation in the various provinces and county of Westland, the gold duty accruing therein shall be granted to the road boards of such districts as a subsidy towards the construction and maintenance of roads, tracks, and bridges within the same, such bill not to apply to native lands. The question was being debated when the dinner hour arrived. The I discussion was postponed.