HOUSE OF REPRESENTATINES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2965, 16 July 1891, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATINES.

TUK.SDAV. The House met at half-past two p.m. Mr JSryce called attention to the return furnished tn tho House lately relating to locomotive boilers, and the fact that the Railway Commissioners complained that certain letters were omitted from that return. Mr. Seddon had stated that the reason the letters had been omitted from the correspondence was because they were not pertinent to the subject. Ho (Mr Bryce) contended that, when tho House ordered a return to be prepared and laid before the House, it was not open to a Mim-l.er or any other person to tamper with it. The Minister of Public Works should not have abstracted the letter ; and that being so, ho desired to move that a breach of privilege had been committed. Mr Roes moved an amendment, " That Mr Seddon's action was in accordance with tho usual constitutional practice." This was sccondud by Mr Kinishaw.

The dobulo was interrupted by tlio r>..'So adjournment.

Tho House resumed at half-past seven. A long discussion ensued a large number of members speaking mi the amendment. KventU'illy Mr llryee's motion was lost 011 the voices, and Air llces' amendment was carried by 30 to 21.

Mr Seddon, in moving the second reading of the Coal Mines I! 111, said that 110 exception had been taken to a single clause in it either by the coalminers themselves or bv mine owners, and he thought that tho moasuro was net an objectionable one.

Sir Ceorge Ciey said he should endeavour to get a provision m committee that coal mines should bo woiked 011 co-opera-tive principles, and if possible to got the Covernment to commence working the mines immediately.

Mr Fergus hoped to see I he Bill amended considerably in committee.

Mr O'Conor objected to tho proposal to ve,st the power of granting loues in the hands of the Minister of Mines, who was abcut the last Minister in the country thai should possess that power.

Sir John Hall said there were two serious objections to the liill. One was that it proposed to nationalise our coal in inos, and gave the t.overnnient power, of their motion, to do this, which he thought was such a tar-reaching step that the Covernment should be called 011 to give some reason for it. There was another seiior.s proposal in the Hill —viz., that owners anil lessees of coal mines should supply coal to railways, sailing ships, and steamships at reasonable terms, This, he thought, would lead to endless litigation,

Mi "11 .11 in i•'j>lyinslid Ii" lii'l in -,I,| T-1 ion to ihe e,,,p" 11, iv 0 lilineiplo b- III.; lull l-i£—l :n li," f 1 11'- ' ■ ..I!111infill n-- uiii'ic |1 -K. ■- i-in "f I li" lien''-. Til,' lii'.li-.|| I' r t!i" - ,a 1 I-" elm;,' v.'sm -ell I". Mr S"i|,|i'ii ii,'ivi>i] I li" -i' miii I re i,|i n:: nl tin-. I I'llilnni'.iiHT I'ill, whi'-h w.i-, i! -i a cu-.n'i-l.it in.; ;iml 111)i-11 lillin 1 e-nu'. Sir I;i)ii. (1ley th -ii.'III-1 he < i'm: Ii "I en ■n wll'-ll 111" (i ililli'-M - 1 /'inllllil !ee ~ 11' 111' 11 111--I-I-! .'i clan-". in ill,' 1111 l lll','. I'lill;,' tll-lt .ifler lII,' I-it, .rlli Vin tile |||"-.|-IH yenr ll,em li,,uM be i i-<--. rval1■ in nl all irtit:«:i.> 1-i from tin' public, .Mr l','i!'ii- sni|iii-eil lo li-ir Sir (rle.v'i ioi i, li'O.ewe if it were eifi e' In ii u'onM lie ;i cirse to tlin minim: iMumiunily and v.-o i!:l i;H■ (II lily destroy .'ill enteipi'i<" ill 'Mmmin^. Tin* sk'Mii.l re idim* iv;ii a 1 In. Tin: House rii".! at, "iii 1 a,in. WKDXKSI >A\. Tim House met at, hiif-pesi. U-n, .Mr Kanisha'.y Hum: I: " 'J'ii.it tin'. <i'iicrnfneiit t.-ilce into non-ddi ration the ailvis.lblt'lH'SS llf IH'ivillillK sell,ml lii n ,l\ s ,-l 11(1 reipiisiti;s tu scholars :it first cost. anil also the nece-sity of producing a nation il school bunk, dealing Wil li the airricuil.ure, minerals, natural history, continuation, etc., of Xc\v /"aland." Mr liunvns did net agroe with tlie propMS.ll f.n ibnli-ll Ili h 'll Sell'l'd H, mill 110 advised the, Labour up'tubers nut to b-i led away by claptrap auiin-l. I!)'! Ilitfh Sc: 11<>i> 1 , as sniiner or I iter these schools would bu free. lie acioed that cieater uniformity in the 11111.1■ • r of inspection nf schools hmiiM be, iif L'lvit. ;eh' be-c,ei-e dill'",i'"nt syileai-" nf in*|>ecli"ii ueie nnf;iir to the tenche!s, chililren. :iu<l in-,-|i"{-tor-i .Mi- Ivirii-li.i'.v's million h,el bis w.o .inil if it were c iri ie ! I he (Jevei nmeat U'e'il ! assist it to the ntiivist; at the sum; time, Mr Karnshaw h.el left out .-in iiii;n,riant u-nril, " nnifo! mity," for it would be utterly impossible to do anything.' ni the 111:111 or withont pi-.n'iiluif,' til it the s::hoo! b i il<s .shoiilil bu iinifnim. Xu doubt 1111 iimenil--1 nnnt of Hie Iv 1 uciiti lel Art yould bo 11'.-fpiiri-,1 t<> ,ll"et llus, as (lie (,!, one'llt .should lie in a p >sii.ion to force the 10-liiea-ti oil Board- t 1 accept llllifoi 111 li-mki, as if not the (! m i on!, 1111 lTht be left with a liii-ee stock o[ books on their hands.

Tli>! mullein WHS arrived tu <111 the vice The House ruse at half-past 5.

Tin l , House resumed at 7-.> Up.in. Mr Joyce moved Iho second ii'.idina of the l)i voices Extension and Amendment Act, 1S!JI. After considerable the motion was agreed to on I,lie vnicos.

Mr Jackson Palmer in 'ved tho second l-e.idincjof the (lovei nnienl. li nlways Act, INIS7, llepeal Hill. Hesiid 111" aware that tiy'.lei Act of ISSftlio control of the railways of tho colony wa-i v.ssturj in llailway Commissioners aril the present Bill simply proposed lo rp.p"al tint prine;plo ami to place tlio railways under the control of tin; Xew Zealand (iovernmcnt. Ho asserted the Railway (JommisMoners hid not carried out their duties with Ri3iii.-r.il sal isfaetion, ami looking at their appoiiitine.it, from a commercial point of view he contended that tho whole tiling was a failure. Tlio Act appointing them was essentially Tory in principle, and cotitraiy to tlio ilemocratic spirit of tlio a(;e. It was also a reflection on tin! Pai liameut of New Zealand that tlmv could not trust, tho Minister for Pnlilie Works to ,'elmiiiister Ins own Department without llm intervention of those (.'onnir'-siuiii'is, but lie thought they now pos-essed a Minister for "Public. Works who was fully competent, lo take charge of the railways of the colony.

.Mr lt"i!s looked upon this as one of the most important, questions that could lie brought hefoie the House or country. Not a siiitrlo one of the pi .-anises inaflo when tho Commi.-siomas wore appointed had l.i" en kept, and in addition to the disalisfaclion oxpivs-nd l;y the people of the colony with the niap.aßumenl, of the (!"ininis-ioners, there was a widespread feeling of discontent amongst the railway einp'oveos, wno felt th"y cnld not obtain justice on any quest ions that I'oneciiied theni. There was no expeitof any kind amongst the Commissioners, and not, one, of them posseted any praclieal knowledco whatever, lie should certainly support the. Hill.

Air McKenzie (Olutha) would not support a Hill of this kind, as his opinion was that the Auckland people were ically the only people who wanted a change in the railway management. He iiereed, however. with Mr Palmer that the intention when the Hill was passed was to an expert from Home, and he asserted that it tho House had known who the Commissioners we.-e to be, the Hill would not havo become law ; but they mint take limit's as they were at present. The extraordinary statements made by Mr Kecs as to thn management of tho Commissioners were not warranted by facts.

Mr Smith (New Plymouth) remarked that if tho House passed this Hill they Would becomo tho lanolin.? stock of tlio colony.

Mr Seddon said the (!oveminent would oppose tin: Hill. Jlu deprecated any sudden change being made now in the management of the railways, and smi<i such a change Would lead to disaster. Up to tlm present the Commissioners li id not had n fair ttial, and Cb-»x-» wln« n.nv advocated handing tho railways oier to I lovernment would rijjfrnt Urn *taud !hoy had [,jlccri if it resulted ill injury In the c dony. As the (Jummissionets ir»r« appointed for a teim "f years ho thmiplit it would ho unjust now In invoist; that action. The P.ill was one of policy which si],mli| have, breu <'oa't willi l>y the Government, mid not by a piivate member.

Mr 151yco did not Ihmlc for a moment that (li". Commissioners were right in their administration of the, railway, but tlio discontent that was felt with their management existed before the Cemniispioneis came into powor, and would exis*, after they went out of pouer (if tliey did retire). Kveryone admitted that the Oi mmissioners were sti ivine to do their duty, and it would therefore be unjust to endeavour to remove them till their tenure of otiice expired.

Mr Macintosh had no confidence whatever in the Commissioners but as the leaders of the (lovernment and Opposition were against the Bill ho Imped .Mr Palmer would withdraw it, because if the motion lor the second readme; was lost the impression might ro forlh that the administration the Commissioners was approved of by the majority of the House.

Mr J'Y-li aigued that when t lie Governmeiit decided to volo apoinst this measure they sho ild have informed Mr Palmer and asked him to withdraw the Dill on the ground of its being inopportune. At present, he (Fish) was em; of the strongest supporters of the Government, but ho warned them they must not play fast and loosn with their supporters in this manner, as he felt sure their party would not submit to such treatment. The Commissioners had been a failure all along thu line, and their appointment was a disgrace to the late (lovernment. 1 Its should support the Bill. [Left sitting].