PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 148, 25 June 1896, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY

(BT TELEBRAPH —PARLIAMENTARY RE-

PORTER.

Weli.i f «ton, Wednesday night,

After some preliminary business in the House this afternoon, the members wait upon His Excellency tbe Governor, to pre-' sent a respectful Addreaa-in-Reply to that which he delivered at the opening of Parliament. When the Commons return, there is more formal business, amongst which the Premier, amidst some slight merriment on the part of members, gives notice to introduce tho Undesirable Hawkers Prevention Bill. The notice of the introduction of the Local Government Bill also causes some amusement. QUESTIONS. Ministers answer questions, of which there are now 99 on bhe order paper. When dinner adjournment arrives, only 65 of these are answered, and the remainder are postponed. HALF-HOLIDAY FOR DOMESTICS. Ab the evening sitting private members' Bills are discussed. The firsb is Mr J. W. Kelly's measure giving domestic servants a weekly' half-holiday. He makes a short speech in moving tbe second reading, in which he says thab the conditions under which domestic servants work necessitate a weekly half-holiday, though he admits thab there is ground for a difference of opinion a3 to the advisability of State interference in the matter. The Premier as Minister of Labour follows and slrmps the measure with the llall-mark of his approval. A short discussion ensues, most speakers being in favour of the Bill,which ultimately passes its second reading without dissent. THE CASE OF CHEMIS. Mr Mills' Bill giving the convict Chemis power to appeal for a new trial is discussed for about an hour, and on division its second reading ia agreed to by 40 votes to 14s HOME RULE FOR THE MAORIS. Hone Heke's Native Rights Bill is nexb discussed. Heke and Te Ao speak in support of it, whiiab the Ministers, -ho Premier, and Mr Stevens oppose it. Shortly after midnighb, Heke tepliea to the arguments brought against his little Bill He moves bhe second reading, which is defeated by 38 to 7, and the Bill is killed. OLD SOLDIERS' CLAIMS. The question of old soldiers' claims, the Premier then stated in reply to Mr McNab, is still receiving bhe attention of the (»o vernment, but it is not intended to do anything for those who had not taken part in actual fighting. PRIVILEGED PUBLICATIONS. Sir Robert Stoub expressed the opinion that matter appearing in Hansard which had not been apoken in bhe House was nob privileged if libellous, and action could be taken. Thin was in reference to the publication in Hansard of bhe balance-sheet of Guthrie and Co., which' Sir R. Stout alleged Mr Ward had not read in full bo the House. CUSTOMS RECIPROCITY. Replying to Mr Joyce to day, tha Premier stated that a Bill giving the colony power to reciprocate as regards Customs duties with England and British dependencies, is bo bo brought down and passed this session. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. The Hon. McKonzie informed Mr Mills to-day chat an amending Bill to the Advances to Settlers Acb would be introduced, and he Mr Mills would then have an opportunity to move the insertion therein of a provision allowing owners and leseeoa of town and suburban properties to apply and receive loans under the Act. The Minister's own opinion was that, as the security offered" by owners of town or suburban properties consists mainly of buildings, ib is nob ao good as land. TEACHERS' APPEAL COURT. The amending of the Public Schools Teachers Courb of Appeal Acb, making its provisions apply to cases where teachers received notice of dismissal, is under consideration by the Minister of Education. THE KING COUNTRY. To-nighb, in asking when the Minister of Lands intended to open up land for settlement in the King Country, Mr Lang said thab two years ago the Premier had promised to open up this parb of the colony, bub, though many purchases of land had been made, much of which was suitable for settlement, nothing had been done to open ibfor selection. Replying, tho Hon. Mr McKenzio said the land purchased by the Government from natives became Crowo land, and lands purchased, in the King Country were under the control of the Auckland Land Board, and anyone wishing to take up such lands could apply bo that Board. Parts of the King Country had already been thrown open, bub owing to bhe. distance from markets and wane of roads, intending settlers were noc attracted to thab parb of the colony. Every effort would be made to open up the lands in bhe King Country. In answer to a further question, lie could nob say if tho lands open for selection ab present were near the railway. NATIVE LANDS COURT. Replying to Mr R. Thompson to-day, the Premier stated there was no business excepting partition orders respecting certain blocks of native land necessitating a Native Land Court sitting at Whangarei at an early date. Tbe Commibbee would sib in September next, A TtfRUA GRIEVANCE. A petition, presented by Mr Cadman to-day, from a number of residents of Turua, in the county of the Thames, forme strong argument for local government reform. The petitioners allege thab bhe roads in the districb are impassable, but though they have paid upwards of £100 in rates, the County Council refuses bo form roads or footpaths, declines to give the districb ibs due reptesenbation on bhe Council, and has refused a request bo have Turua constituted a road diatricb. They pray Parliament for relief. , MOUNT EDEN FREE METHODISTS. The members of the Mounb Eden Free Methodist Church are petitioning Parliament not to consent to that church being absorbed 'by bbc Wesleyan denomination. The pobibion, which is extensively signed, was presented to-day by Mr La wry. TAIRUA MINING LICENSES. The Minister of Mines ia being asked by Mr McGowan if be is aware that a circular issued from tbe Warden's office recalling leases granted over the Tairua district implied fraud on the parb of the grantees, seeing bhab the licenses were issued after the plans had been returned from the Survey Office aa correct. ROADS AND RAILWAYS. Replying to Mr Stevens' question respecting the raising of a million pounds yearly for five years in order to complete railways and other public works, the Premier said he believed members would acquit him of having induced Mr Stevens to put this question to him. (Laughter.) No doubt it waa intended aa a feeler, but were he to anawet it fully he would be disclosing the whole financial and public works policy of the Government. Mem bers, he was sure, did not.want bim to do so then (crioa of " yea.") Suffice ib to aay bhab he believed ib was necessary for bhe colony to carry oub works which were of a j reproductive character. Respecting the settlement of tbe land, end particularly in |

providing facilities to those settlers residing in the back country to reach markets, he considered monoy spent on the construction of roads or other means of communication is monoy profitably employed. (H**r< hear.) As to raising loans, as suggested by the questioner, be emphatically said ' No to such a proposal. The money required i for roading lands and getting eettlers on land he believed Parliament would readily grant. PIGEON SHOOTING. The Hon. Hall-Jones does nob think it necessary to make n close season for native pigeons more than one year in six. lie agrees that ib ia desirable to establish a close season for all native birds every third year, VAILE RAILWAY SYSTEM. ! The Minister for Railways says he does nob bhink there is any chance of the Vaile railway system being tried thie year on the Governmenb linea. He had spent a forenoon hearing an explanation of the system by Mr Vaile, but he had nob been convinced respecting tbe probable increase to the revenue under the system. There waa a great deal in bhe system well worth considering, but recent increased rates in Hungary in connection with the Zo^o system, which was analogous to the Vaile system naturally makes the Minister pause before experimenting. SIR WALTER BULLER. ,l I don't admit thab I spoke in error," said Hon. McKenzie in answer bo Mr Duthio's question respecting Sir Walter Buller, the Justice of the Peace, and Walter Buller, whom the Minister laab session eaid ought to be in gaol. " I again maintain thab I spoke the truth, and the report of the Horowhenua Commission will prove all thab I then said." He advised Mr Duthie to prevail on Sir W, Buller to resign hia commission as a Justice of the Peace, as it would be bhe duby of the Government bo ask him to resign or atriko his name off the commission. RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. The Minister for Railways informed the House to-day that during the past financial year 108,000 men, women, and children were carried by the railway department at school excursion rates. The fares amounted to £7,200, which shewed that, bhere had been a considerable loss to revenue. THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. In bhe Legislative Council bhe Hon. Mr Stevons asked bhe Governmenb if in view of the fact that a statement has been published in London to the effect that the Governmenb of New Zealand have confiscated the railway property of the Midland Railway Company, they will inform the Council as soon as possible of the actual position of the colony in regard to the Company. In putting the question Mr Stevens said he did not wish to pub the Governmenb to any inconvenience, but the "Financial News" in London had published the statement that bhe Government bad confiscated the railway and property, and a general opinion to that effect also prevailed in the colony. The Minister of Education in reply said the position was defined under the Railways Construction and Land Act, 1881. It waa under that Act that the railway Was seized. Sums of money had been expended and notice of bhab expenditure had been given to the Company, and claims for refund had been made. It would bo for the Company to decide whether or not ib would obtain this money. If nob paid, the railway would be dealt with as provided by bhe Act mentioned. NORFOLK ISLAND. The Hon. Sir fi. Whitmore moved for all correspondence or papers bearing on the, subject of the transfer and control of the government of Norfolk Island bo New Zealand. The Minister of Education said the papers had not yeb reached bhe Secretary ot State, bub when they did so, copies would bo laid on the table. Sir G. Whitmore objected to the Governmenb caking such etepa before consulting Parliament, besides which he did'iiob think any possiblegood could arise from New Zealand having control of this Island, which would be no uae to them ab all. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES. In the Legislative Council to-day the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Acb was introduced by the Hon. MrFeldwick and read a first time ; tho Imprest Supply Act passed by the House ot Representatives was put through alt stages ; and the Contagioua Diaeaeea Act Repeal Bill and the Asiatics Restriction Bill were read a first time. DEHORNING CATTLE. In the Legislative Council to-day the Hon. Mr Shrimeki moved the second reading of the Police Offences Acb Amendment Bill to make the dehorning of cattle on offence. Tho Hon. George Jones waa prepared to admire the humane impulses which actuated Mr Shrimski, bub thought bhe Council should be careful not to hamper those engaged in agriculture. Dehorning cattle was painful, bub nob more so than many other things to which animals were subjected. Ho advocated bhe practice of preventing the horns growing by dealing with the calves when very young. He should be compelled to oppose the measure.

The Hon, Pharazyn agreed with the last speaker, and moved, " That the Bill be read a second time that day six months." The practice of dehorning waa nob seriously painful to tbo animals, in fact far less so than extracting a tooth from human beinga, 'besides which dehorned animals were far less likely to cause injury to other animals, to fences or human beinga than if left untouched. The operation could now be performed very quickly, and on the whole he thought it would be a miachievious thing to pass a measure of this sorb, and that if paased country settlers would consider they had a great grievance. The Hon. Mr Bolt supported the Bill, which he thought was a very propor one. Dehorning waa without doubt a cruel practice and the results were not compensation for that cruelty. The least thing they could do was to see that dumb animals were not made to suffer more than was necessary and he was Borry the measure did not deal with cropping the ears and tails of dogs and the tails of horsoa and altogether with the mutilation of dumb animals. The Minister of Education said all the evidence was in favour of the practice of dehorning, and the consensus Of opinion was that it was nob a cruel operation and cabbie throve bebter after it. He belived tbe opponenbs of bhe pracbice would approve of it the more bhey learnt about it. The Hon. Mr Pharazyn withdrew hia amendment. The Hon. L. Walker agreed thab ib was. barbarous to dehorn cattle say ab three years of age, and when in commibtee he should move an amendment to fix the age after, which dehorning should nob be carried oub. The Hon. Mr Stewart said that in 1889 bhe Courb of Queen'a Bench in England decided that dehorning waa an act of cruely and at the same time bhe courb in Scotland decided it was not an act of cruelty. He thought the matter should be carefully inveatigated. The Bill wan read a second time. THE DIVORCE BILL. In moving tbe second roading of the Divorce Bill bhe Hon Wm. Bolt said the measure was in all its essential features the same aa that produced in 1594 and 1895 by the Hon Mr McGregor, the only exception being a clause dealing with insanity. In Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, a similar law was in force, and Scotland also had had a similar law in force for very many years he believed. In the other colonies the Chief Justices and the Press had testified to the advantages which had accrued to society from tbe

introduction of the measure, and it was only fair bo assume ie would have a similar, reaulb in New Zealand. The Bill proposed to pub husband and wife on the same footing with regard to one reason for divorce* and so do away with the present unjust state of the law. The Hon. Sir G. VV hitmoro said Council had had this Bill ad nauseam, and he believed it would destroy the peace and harmony of society. The Hon. Mr Kerr opposed the Bill saying he was in hopes that the absence of th« Hon. J. McGregor would reeult in the absence of the measure. Tbe Bill should have been brought in by the representatives of the people in bhe other Chamber, seeing thab it atl'ected' tbe general body ol bhe people.who, be maintained, did not require ib. It people took more care in the selection of life parbners bhere would be no necessity for such a divorce law, and he moved the Bill be read a second bime bhab day six months, , The Hon. W. D. Stewart doubted whether bhe mover waa conscious of bhe responsibility he had taken on himself in introducing the measure. The more facilities were gjvep to people to obtain divorce the more divorces they would have, and the ground of lunacy seemed a very dangerous elemenb bo introduce into the measure. This Bill should have been brought in by the Government and nob by a private member. The Hon. R. Pharazyn would support the second reading; also some amendments would have to be made in Committee. The Hon. F. Arkwrigbt said the Bill seemed to be extremely mischievous, and he should vote against it. There was, he contended, no injustice in the present law, and, be asked, if bhe grounda for divorce were to be enlarged as proposed, where were they to atop ? . The Hon. Dr. Grace said the experience of hia profession was the greater number of divorcee the greater miaery, and that divorces had a moral effect on both parties, and on the children qf the union, These laws did no good to any one bub bhe lawyers. ! The Hon. C. C. Bowen said bhe constant occurrence of Bills from private members on matters of _uch importance, incited those who were opposed only to a parb of the meaaute to reject ib altogether. For thab reason he ehould vote against ib. The Hon. J. E. Jenkineon, speaking on bhe quesbion of lunacy as a ground for divorce, said there were several cases in New Zealand where the fathers of families and their eons were inoarcerated, and he thoughb ib would be a good thing thab inßaniby should be a cause for divorce as soon as ib developed itse.f, even if ib was only a very short time after marriage. He hoped bhe Bill would become law, After further discussion the amendment was carried by 16 to ,13 and the Bill waa killed. JOTTINGS. An opportunity will bo given when an amending Bill to the Electoral Act is before the House, the Premier informed Mr O'Regan, to insert a provision disallowing plumper votes. Replying to Mr Buick the Premier said there waa nothing to prevenb any woman who had been married since registration on tho electoral roll re-registering under her new name. Some amendment of Electoral Act would probably be necessary in the case of women who were married after the iasue of tbe writ for an election. The suggestion haa been made thab the Public Trust Office could profitably undertake the risk of insuring againab fire properties which must be insured in bhe name of bhe Public Trustee. In his annual re port Mr Warburton points out bhab during the past bwo years bhe losses by fire on such properties amounted to £830, while the premiums paid totalled £2,484 15a, a very eatisfaolory balance on the right side. The total amount of assurance risk last year waa £180,603. The warrant of the appointment of the Hon. VV. P. Reeves as Agenb-Genoral shows that he has been appointed for three years at a salary of £1,250 per annum. A sum of £400' was granted bo Mr Reeves to defray the coat) of the passage of himself and family bo England, and his return expenses are to be paid by the Government. The date of the warrant is December 23rd, 1895. Mr Maslin wants "the absurd practice of giving votes of confidence bo political candidates " done away with. A sum of £2,111 odd was paid aWay by the Government ob bonuses during 1894. Amongst tho Civil Servants who received extra allowances were Mr J. B, Hey wood, Under-Secretary to the Treasury, £50 for attendance at sittings of Parliament, and £25 for the preparations of regulations, etc.,.to carry out the proviaiona of tho ConspU Act ; Mr J. R. Collins, Aaaiatunt Secretary to the Treaaury, £25 for additional aervicea ; Mr F. VV. Brabant, S.M., Wanganui, £25 for-the preparation Of Magistrate's Courb rates.

During the past five years the coab of the Balarioe of bhe officers of the Public Trust Office has been increased by 26 per cent., while the ordinary business of the offico has increaaed by fully 50 per cent. The Public Trustee sayß the rate of interest on good securities has fallen since 1891 from 5 per cent, to 3j£ per cent. Mr G. Hutchison's Photographic Copyright Bill ia intended bo protect for a period, of five yeara photographers who go to considerable trouble and expense and apply talent in producing views, which, unless copyrighted under conaiderable delay under the existing law, are copied with impunity. Ib is intended to introduco a furthor Bill to make clear the right of persons paying for their photos to prevent reproduction of ■ auch photos excepb with consent of the original. During 1895, the sum of £2,794,506 was depoaited in the Savings Banks of the colony, as against £2,369,333 during the previous year. The amounts deposited at the four chief centrea during 1895 were as. foliowa:—Wellington, £510,708 ; Cbristchurch, £538,023; Dunedin, £393,158; Auckland, £434,945. Mr G. VV, Russell is to move as an amendmenb to the Premier's banking motion when it comes on thab tho scope of the enquiry be as follows:—(1) The immediate circumstances leading to the two million guarantee to the Bank of New Zealand in 1894, and especially as to the information upon which the Government urged Parliament to give thab guarantee. (2) All matters relating to the appointmenb of Mr W. Watson as President and Mr H. Mackenzie as general manager of the Bank of New Zealand. (3) All matters relating to the proposed amalgamation in 1894 of the Colonial Bank with the Bank of " New Zealand, and the purchase of the Colonial Bank in 1895, and especially aa to the correctneaa of the balance-sheets of the Colonial Bank, the amount paid to that Bank as goodwill, and the baaia on which auch alleged goodwill w» assessed. (4) To deal with all such o matters as bhe Committee deem necessary or expedient in the premises. Petitions have been presented by Messrs McGowan, on behalf of Samuel Alexander, praying for a reward for the discovery of goldfields; by R. Thompson on behalf of fourteen settlers at Hukatere, for the construction of a road to give accesa to bheir sections ; and by Mr Joyce on behalf of the Rev. Charles Coates and 539 others of Lyttelton requesting that the Irish National school book of Scripture lessons be used in the primary echoola of the colony. The Minister of Railways is being asked by Major Harris if he will, after due enquiry, and being satisfied that the claims are just, compensate settlers who had their property destroyed by fires caused by sparks from locomotives. The Premier informed the House to-day thab no distinction was made by the Government Life Insurance Departmenb botween medical men holding New Zealand

diplomas, and those with diplomas from any Eugliah or foreign university, Mr Holland, Mayor of Auckland, pt, Cairns, and the Town Clerk, Mr Philips, occupied seats on the floor of the House last night, and were also present by Bpecial invitation ab the Premier's birthday social on Monday night. ■".•_.„. . _* Owing to the presence in Wellington of the delegates to Counties and Monioipal Conferences, all the places on the floor ot the House have been reserved for them. It is intended to increase the number of commissioned officers in bhe permanent forcQS lb is undesirable to give assistance^ towards bhe formabipn of rifle clubs according to the Minister for Defence, because bhey are opposed bo the volunteer movement. As, however, there ia room for difference of opinion respecting this, the matter is to receive further consideration.