HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1734, 16 August 1883, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

YESTERDAY, The House met at 7.30. The Council's amendments on the Confederation and Annexation Bill were agreed to. The House went into committee to consider Mr Smith's motion for an address to the Governor to place £6000 on the estimates for public libraries. Major Atkinson regretted that he must oppose the motion, as such expenditure would be unwise in the present financial state of the colony. He moved that the do leave the chair. Messrs Montgomery, Fish, Duncan, George, Shepherd and Shechau supported the motion, and Messrs O'Callaghau and Hursthouse opposed it. Mr Wynn-Williams said he would move to reduce the amount, and confine the grant to country districts. Major Atkinson asked leave to withdraw the amendment to allow Air WynnWilliams to do this. Sir G. Grey objected, and strongly supported the original proposal. The motion for leaving the chair was negatived on the voices. Mr Wynn-Williams moved that the amount be reduced to £4000, and that the grant be confined to country districts only. Messrs Macandrew, Shepherd and FitzGerald opposed the amendment, and Mr Wynn-Wilhams asked leave to withdraw it. The amendment was withdrawn. Ms Fergus objected to large towns getting the major portions of the grant as they did last year. Mr Barron would exclude all towns of over 3000 population. Mr Dick admitted the method of distributing last year's vote was unsatisfactory. He pointed out that Oaniaru last year had received a very large share. Mr Shrimiski strongly supported the vote, and while willing to 'exclude Wellington, Dunedin, Auekland^ujd .Christchurch, would strongly objaf^toiQataarii being excluded. Wj^wF*-' w Mr O'Callaghan moved thi^wP libr» ries having an income of Mo«year W GXCiUCIGCIt * f£*» r-^.-'r Mr Moss would oppose ttfifcu':;.;^;* v Mr White thought Government should fix a maximum sum, beyond which no libraries should receive assistance. Mr Hutchison opposed excluding towns. Mr Seddon supported the vote. Mr Pearson objected to the vote, and moved to report progress. Ayes, 7 ; noes, 58. [Left sitting.]

We direct the attention of farmers and others to Messrs Clark and Ganc's new advertisement concerning their new shipments of seeds, &c. Some of the gold and silver mines in Mexico have been worked uninterruptedly since the Spanish conquest. During the time that Mexico ,was a Spanish Colony, that is from 1537 to 1821, the mines produced silver 'to ''the value of £407,000,000, and,. gold to the value of £13,753,000. Since the Mexican independence was established in 1821 down to the ,'year ]880, the mines' produced silver to the'valne' of £180,000,000, and gold _tp* the, value of £9^8,100. This yields'a grand totalior the, production of silver' afid gold inCM'e^ico between 1537? ,