GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3165, 6 October 1892, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGIS LA.TIVK no UNCI L. wkdnt.^DVY. TIIK Council 11 ><■ tat Hit;l.111. Mr Oliver bronchi 11 jI the report of the managers of the Council 011 Urn Kloctor.il Hill. The managers reported tl 1:11 tho Conterenco had been unable to agree. Mr Oliver said tho Council's managers hid done nil in their power c.)come to an understanding' The Lmd and Income Assessment Act Amendment Hill, and several local Hills were put through the final stupes. Committees were appointed to confer with the House on the amendments in the, Lft'id ];dl and the Shops and Shop Assistants Bill. Tho Animal TVntcction Amendment Bill was discharged from the Order l'aper. At 1..T) tho Council adjourned till next day. HOUSEOF "REPRESENT AT IVES. TUESDAY. Tlie House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Seddon moved the second reading of the Payment of Members Bill, to provide for the annual payment, to members of tho Legislative Council of CloO, and ti members of tho House of Representatives of t'2-10. lie said ho thought it desirable tint members should receive payment for their services month by month, and in taking the present course tho Government were only following tho example of other colonies. A Bill of this kind was necessary, and lie contended it would he much more economical to pa-s a measure which provide 1 for the annual payment of £210 than to leave tho law as it stood at present— namely, the payment of i' 1.50 for each session in the case of a double session. Mr Rolleston opposed the Uiil, and urged it was not necessary to atlirm the principle of payment of members as that principle was already affirmed. It ivt the business of the State to provide people with means to net as agitators during the recess, and it was not likely that any handicraftsman could earn more in four months than was proposed by this Bill. Farther, he did not consider the present wa- a proper timo to pass tha Bill, as he believed very hard times were coming in the colony during tho recess. The wheat harvest would be reduced by neaily ;; quarter of a million, tho price of wool was lower, and he believed workingmen would not be able to obtain employment in consequence. Mr Roes did not agree with Mr Rolleston at all in this matter, and ho would support the Bill heartily without any reservation whatever. Messrs Moore, R. Thompson, Allen, Wilson, Geo. Hutchison, McGuire, Lake, and Buchanan spoke against the Bill, and Messrs C. H. Mills, K. Ax Smith, Carncross, and Sir (100. Grey in favour of it. Mr Sandford would vote for tho socond reading to affirm the principle of payment of members, but would move in committee that the Bill shonld not come into operation till after the next general election. Mr McLean would vote for tho second raading, but would .support Mr Satidford's pre posal. Mr Seddon having replied, the socond reading was carried by 32 to 2t>. The Payment of Members Bill was then committed. An amendment to the interpretation clause, providing that the Bill shall not corns into operation until January, IS'J-l, was negatived by 29 to 15. The clause passed. Clause J. Mr Hutchison (Waitotara) moved, as amendment, that the amount to be paid to members of the House bo reduced to £150. MrS'ddon objooted to a reduction of the payment of members of either branch cf the Legislature. Sir G. Grey characterised the measure as a Conservative one, and said it was an absolute prohibition against labour members sitting in the Council on account of the low rate of payment. He moved an amendment that members of the Legislative Conned receive the same amount as members of tho House.

Mr Rees ruled the amendment nut of order, as it proposed an iricren.se of tlio appropriation.

Mr McKenzie (Clntlia) moved ti reduce Legislative Cunncillors' honorarium from £U,O to £100.

Sir Oeorge Grey moved the postponement of the clause. The motion was lost by 37 to 10. Mr Mackenzie'* motion was Inst by 32 to 13, and Mr Hutchison's amendment was lost by 34 to 18. Clauses 3 and 4, which provide for £150 to he paid to Legislative councillors and £240 to members of the House, passed as printed.

Several members took exception to Clause (i, which provided that the native member of the Executive was to receive £240 in addition to £400.

Ultimately the Acting-Premier gave an assurance that Mr Carroll would not draw the double salary. The clause passed. Mr Dawson moved a new clause protecting members' honorarium during the session except for expenses incuned during such session. On a division, the numbers were 24 for and 24 against. The Chairman gave his castiug vote with the ayes. The Bill passed through committee. The Payment of Members Bill was read a third time and passed. The House adjourned at forty-five minutes to one a.m. WEONESDAY.

The House met at 2.30 p. id. It was decided to disagree with the amendments made by the Council in the Industrial Conciliation Bill, and Capt. Russell and Messrs Earnsh.aw and Pinkert>n were appointed a committee to draw up the reasons.

Messrs J. McKenzie, Seddon and Duncan were appointed a committee to confei with the Council on the amendments in the Land Bill. It was decided tint the House meet tomorrow, at 11 a.m., for the purpose of rereplying to questions and transacting other general business. Replying to Mr Rolleston, Mr Seddon said he hoped to be able to finish business this week. Mr Seddon brought up the report of the managers appointed to confer with the Council on the Electoral Bill. He explained that as to the question of electoral right for women the managers from the Council had agreed that electoral right? should not apply to the four large cities which thellouse managers considered wnsan aggravation anil would not do justice to women in the towns ; they therefore could not aeree to that. With regard to the subdivision of the City Electorates the Council managers agreed not to insist on that if the majority of the House desired the electorates to remain as at present, but the managers from the House objected to put the House in

that position. He therefore moved that Sir John Hall and Messrs \V. Hutchison, Pinkerton, and the mover be appointed a committee to draw up the reasms for disagreeing with the Council's amendments. Mr Rolleston thought there was a fair chance of a compromise with the Council on this matter and he hoped some agreement would b? come to on it. If the House prorogued without passing this Bill the country would not think much of its diplomacy. He spoke as an opponent of Female Franchise, but still he thought every effort should be used to pass the Electoral Bill. It wr.ukl bo, he considered, a graceful thing for Mr Seddon to resign his position on the conference and allow another Minister to take his place in order to effect a reasonable cou.promise. The debate was interrupted by the o.SO adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The report of the managers on the Electoral Bill was ordered to lie on the table. Mr Seddon's motion insisting on another ciuu-reuco with the Counoil was carried, Mr Ward's name being added to the coinmil tee, as sugt.estsd in the afternoon. The resolution ngreeine to meet at 11 a.m. to-oiotrow was rescinded, the conference ioi the Irind Bill having been fixed to meet at that h"ur. Ttio Native Land Validation of Titles Bill was read a third time and passed. On the motion that the House go into Committee of .Supply, Mr B. M, Smith moved an amendment to the elfect that the (ioverninenc should assist in the manufacture of iron and steel for the piii'lic W"i-ks of the colony, and for that purpose should grant a subsidy of £ for j £ up to t'.jiOOO.

Mr So i.lon said Mr Smith had not ap- ; pro.iched th.' (I'overnntert with respect to his amendment, a: d they could not accept it as intercepting supply at this period of the session. After a sh' it dcba'o the amendment was lost by L".» to 20.

Mi- Mitcholsun, in opfininer tho debate on the I'ublic Works Statement, said Mr

was (|«'.s< i"vinar «if censure for delaying the Statement till '■mch ;i. 1 ate period (if tho ML's-i'tn. Mr Si"l'.Ji»n showed by tin* Statement t hat the expendituro on putlic Works l:ist year was coiiMdrrali'v l-fss thati the previous year. I>nt lin (Mr Mitdie'son) quoted Mr S.ddott's own fi^ur. 1 * f'« .-h-«w that he w;i< mi h'-s th:»r, L*s';,ooo »mt of hi« reckoning. It was t i b*i noticd t'u,'. the railways uti which iiMiipy was to he -p-'nt. this ycir were mainly of a non-pmiim-tiv.i character, and wmild n-.t, wli"ii finished, in many casts pay ase for the wh-'els. He that Mr S<;ddon hoi not carried out the insurance recommended hy the Riilway CmnmHMonr , i''», and said the expenditure proposed for the present year wa< n« t in the interests of the colony po tnuch as that of keeping np a h»ri?o number of employees for electioneering purposes. Ho specially condemned the encouragement «>f the (Jrahauistowu-Te Aroha, (iroymouth-lJuki-tika anrl Seaward Hush linos, and expressed an opinion that more assistance should have been Riven to push on the (Hago Central the Kketahnna-Woodville lines. In conclusion he pointed out that as MrScddon proposed to spend nearly three-quarters of a million this yo»r the (iovernmont would next year have to face an empty Treasury with an alternative of further borrowiug. Mr Kiyh referred to tho gross injustice inflicted mi Otaero by Mr Seddon'a proposals with regard to theOtago Central RaiVway. (Left si ftintsr mid-night).