HAMILTON LEGISLATIVE ASSOCIATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1929, 15 November 1884, Page 2

HAMILTON LEGISLATIVE ASSOCIATION.

The usual meeting of the association was held in the Public Hall on Thursday evening. There was a largo attendance of mem bers and visitors, and the Spe.ikoi's elm.ii was occupied by Mr Whyte, M.H.R. The late Premier, Mr Smith, announced that in consequence of the adver.se vote at the previous sitting, he had laid the resignations of himself and colleagues befoio the Governor, who had been pleabed to accept the same. At the request of his Excellency, he had recommended that the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Edgecumbe) be " sent for," and he believed that that gentleman had been successful m forming a Ministry. Before sitting down he desned to thank the members for the courtesy and consideration which they had uniformly extended to the outgoing Ministers. Mr Edgecumbe then announced that in compliance with the request of the Governor he had formed a Cabinet, in which he took the offices of Pieimer and Treasurer. The other poitf olios were distiibuted as follows: — Minister for Public Works, Education, Agriculture and Mines, Mr A. Swarbrick ; Colonial Secretary and Attorney-General, Mr F. H. _ Templer ; Minister for Lands, Native Affairs and Defence, Mr A. Campbell. He regietted that the new Government was not in a position to bring down their policy bills at once, but as Ministers had only been sworn in that afternoon, it was not possible to do so. He would state, however, that their policy would be contained in four principal measures, namely, a bill to abolish plural voting at elections for the House of Representatives ; a bill to deal with the question of education, in the diiection of reducing the number of standards, and making better piovision for the granting of scholarships ; a bill to provide for a decimal system of coinage, weights and measure ; and a bill to legalise marriage with a deceased wife's sister. The Leader of the Opposition congratulated the Government, and promised that, though he could not commit the Opposition to an approval of the measures enumerated, they should receive the fullest consideration by the members on his side of the House. The member for Hantapu (Mr Smith) presented a petition from Robert Stout, E. Richardson, Julius Vogel and 100,000 other settlers in Otago and Canterbury, complaining that these districts are now plunged into a state of gloomy depression (vide the New Zealand Piemier's lecent manifesto), and praying that the extiemelj' prosperous settleis in Waikato may assent to be taxed for the purpose of constructing the East and West Coast Railway, the Otago Central Railway, and of purchasing the district railways in the South Island, in order that, not withstand ing the unprofitable nature of these works, this state of depression may bo lessened, if even for a little time. He moved that the petition be considered in committee of the whole House at the next sitting. — Agieed to. Replying to questions, it was stated that Government intended to procure a copy of May's Parliamentary Practice ; that the Government could not fix a date for bringing down a Financial Statement for the whole colony ; that it was not the intention of Government to make provision for lending money at a low rate of interest for the purpose of developing the agricultural resources of the colony ; that Government had no intention of altering the House with the object of preventing the Leader of the Opposition from addressing the ladies' gallery. The member for Kirikiriroa (Mr Bindon) moved, " That the teaching of drawing be enforced in all public schools," and spoke at length in support of the motion. At the suggestion of the Minister for Education, who said the Government intended to bring down a comprehensive measure dealing with the whole subject, the motion was withdrawn. On the motion of the Minister for Public Works, a committee, consisting of Messrs S. E. G. Smith, W. M. Hay, the Premier, and the mover, was appointed to draw up standing orders for the conduct of the business of the House. The member for Lichfield (Mr Hay) moved (1) "That this House desires to urge on the Government tiie immediate construction of protective works at all harbours of importance in New Zealand ; (2) That in the opinion of this House it is only fair that the Imperial Government should supply all materiel free for the defence of coaling ports, or such as command trade routes. ' The Government opposed the motions, but after a protracted debate they were car. ried on the voioe«. A motion by the member for Kirikiriroa in the direction of exsmpting married men from taxation in proportion to the number of their children, was, after a rather sharp debate, lost, as was also a motion by the same gentlemen in favour of consulting the Canadian Government on the question of the management of native races. On the first order of the day, "The Early Closing Bill," being called, The Premier moved the adjournment of the House, as it was then past 10 o'clock. The motion was carried, and the House adjourned until next Tuesday evening at the same place.

The usual Sunday services at LeQuesne's Hall, Hamilton, and Tiinity Wesleyau Church are advertised in another column. Thb Tidy Housewife.— Th« careful, tidy housewife, when giving 1 her house its spring cleaning', should bear in mind that the dear inmates are more precious than houses, their systems need cleaning,- by purifying the blood, regulating the stomach and bowels, and she should know that there is nothing that will do it so surely as Hop Bitten, the purest and best of all medici«ci, Look for