PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1200, 7 August 1874, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[Bx Electric Telegram^ WELLINGTON. August 5. The committee has reported upon excise duties and recommended the Government to make arrangements to give compensation to brewers in the colony. Mr Webster has obtained leave of absence for the remainder of the session. The adjourned debate upon Forests Bill occupied the principal portion >f the sitting. Majority of members opposed the Bill as premature, though agreeing with the principle. In reply the Premier made an eloquent speech in defence of the Bill, lie was very severe on. the Wellington Provincial Executive, and particularly on the Superintendent, who, he said practised " ways that were dark and tricks that were vain," and who was like a ferocious gum tree which allo.ved nothing -to exist alongside of it, and whose sole object seemed to be to get into debt as much as possible aod then to come to the colony to extricate it. Within the last few years the Colonial Government had spent nearly three and a half millions in the North Island, where the whole money raised by the provinces of that island for the same time only amounting to less than half a million. The only answer to this was to abolish these provinces altogether. lie proposed to cut out clauses for appropriation of forest land for reserve, and insert a clause inviting the provinces voluntarily to make over to the colony certain lands for state forest purposes. The Bill was read a second time without division. I Naval Training School Establishment Bill was read a second time. j House adjourned at 11 30 p.m. In the Legislative Council, the Borrugh of Westport Validation Bill has been read a first time. August 6. ! The Bankruptcy Act Amendment Bill has been read a second time. On committal of Wellington Lands Payment Bill, a severe interchange took place between the Premier and the Superintendent of Wellington. The latter accused the Premier of making fish of one flesh of another, and alleged that the Financial Statement regarding Wellington was utterly repugnant to fact. That they, the Government, refused to allow Wellington to pay for its roads and bridges out of land, though a few hours ago they allowed Taranaki to set apart absolutely one-fourth of. the, whole land in the province, for harbor purposes. •He said when the Government persecuted and sat upon Wellington, it was because Taranaki votes were safe and those of Wellington were not. The Premier repelled the imputation. If they wanted votes, he said, they had not far to go for them. They were notoriously available here at very low terms. He certainly would not go to the smallest provinces of New Zealand for them. He adhered to every statement made regarding Wellington. Tho Premier referred the House to the correspondence on the Audit Act to form an opinion between himself and Superintendent. TheSuperintcndeutsaid the Premier was hurrying the colony to speedy failure, and that ho know ho was doing co. Mr Luckie was about to quote the words of the judge on the Audit Act, but cries of " question " cut the altercation short and progress was reported. The llouso adjourned at midnight.