YESTERDAY'S SITTING. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 2.30.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1412, 21 July 1881, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S SITTING. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 2.30.

Direct Steam Communication with England. Mr Macandrow gave notice that ho would move the appointment of a committee to consider the best measures for establishing direct communication with England.

Questions. In replying to questions, it was stated that the power of inflicting a penaltyequal to 100 per cent, on the rent due, im event of a tenant of Crown lands in the Nelson district not paying his rent was conferred upon Government by law. Government would, however, look into the matter, with the view of providing some .relief in the circumBtauces: ---The l law as it atood was insufficient' 1 to prevent the public health from being endangered by impure milk being supplied to customers. The Boards of Health had the power to inspect and cleanse dairies, and to take wbafe action 1 whuih might otherwise seem necessary to protect the public. —Government had undertaken to subscribe £200 towards the erecti6n of a flour mill for the Ngatipukeo tribe at Whakatane, and the money would be paid upon the work going on. —lt was' not proposed l to bring iv a bill to legalise marriage with a deceased husband's brother.—Government make, enquiries to. the necessity of introducing a bill for the extension mil operation of the laws relating togoldfielda over the various water-raob rfc&erves. —That iof the future all European and American miners who were residents of Waimea. and Staffordmining districts prior to theconstruotion of the Waynea waiter-race .shall have afirst righttothe water from said race. At present, their^impressions were tjiatr. one had as wueh right as another' to ther wafer. *> Hong as they were ready to pay

for it. —lt would depend on circumstances yhem thp despatch from the. Governqr on the native affjliip cqu|d tbe s safejy made public. _, ,

; No-Confidence Motion. The. debate' on the no confidence motion was resumed. Mr Levestam spoke against the Government^ proposals ; they ' were of a nature* winch could not possibly recommend them to the country. To his. ( miud they ( suggested . the, worst form of legislation that could'possibly be conceived. They appeared to have been fffrSefd oriHßie Go^»wmen%4tt pretty much |te Bamg^^way^fii^enchment had been W^qmjSi^{Jt|ißfc;B^sion, and, like ref^tmTnlnTproc &F gov*fi^ent ? appeared to have been rao| clumsily devised. The secret of gocd localgovernment was to set aside a fund for the use ot the localities, the same to be distributed in accordance with some well digested Scheme, leaving these bodies to expend the money to best advantage. He objected to the constitution of the proposed Board. He concurred to a great extent in the scheme sketched by Mr Saundera, believing that provincialism might be so modified to suit their requirements. He also objected to the proposed reduction of the property tax. For these and other reasons he announced his intention of voting against Government. Mr Collins spoke in favor of the Government. The colony had under its administration regained its social and political strength, and if the no-confidence vote was successful il would mean a return to many of the cribs from which they had just escaped. It would be inadvisable to disturb the present position of affairs. He was • fi'ee so far as his constituency was concerned to act as he pleased, not having been pledged in any way, and when he announced he was going to vote for the Government he did so in the exercise of his own judgment. On this point their proposals were not revolutionary ; they were simply an endeavour to make the institution they had more efficient. Te ask them to return to provincialism was simply to ask them to,disinter a fossilised animal and feast on its carcase. After reviewing Mr Saunders 1 proposals, he said the Roads Construction Bill would prove a great boon, inasmuch as it would enable outlying districts to &ecure a fair and equitable share of the expenditure. Mr Murray spoke in favor of the Government, stating that any objection which might exist against the bill was of a nature which could easity be remedied in committee. Mr Turnbull spoke in opposition, contending that the improved state of the colony was not due to Ministers, but to its own elastic resources, The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.