HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 110, 12 July 1866, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

'. 7-j jJ-'Fjridat, July 6. j; ;•-. x \y, ... , |Ir. Dillon, Beiisuggestedtliatjinip'roved accommodation be provided for reporters. • In reply to Mafor'R'ichardson, Mr. Stafford stated that the,vGo vernment had- no obj ectwnHtoj^xtend_the;._ period at" whicli tenders wiir'b'e "received for leasing the telegraph, from thei 3 1st July to the J 3lst August. He was not certain whether it vas best to leasethe. .. . telegraph,7and would" lay before : fhe- : -Hoa"**e all"^^ ' information he- received.. ■ "',."'.- ): :;.'-- ' In reply to Mi\'Burns," Mr. Stafford stated that the " " Postm^ster-Geher'alhad devised a.niethod of bring r ing into (.-jeratioh. the : Mariiie Bodtd Act Amend^ nient Act, 1865, without any- Additional expense to the colony. , „\. „ - ■-.. ■ ■ ■ i''• - : ,'" 'A.' MrV Stafford laid on: the table a return of Dr. Feather stone's appointment as Land -Purchase Com'-.. . missioner, and return of sales of land. in New Zealand- - in 1865. . , ..,■•■- v ■-.'• - An'adj'ourhed 5 debate' took placie oh thei late Native ,* Minister's memorandum, which ended iu' Mr. Fitzgerald witlulraWn^he-"ih6ti6ri ToV ti "return of the document,*'-'-- '*-*--'• *' <.- Ontlie-ihotionof Mr. Jollie the House, went into committee of supply, the'bbj eet ..being to obtain the authority of the House for sucli expenditure as might be necessary before the' estimates ..could be brought '• down. The discussion was- adjourned till the -10th mst. Mr. Crosbie Ward moved" for'a" return ofthe state of the "colonial forces. " .'--'•' ' '•' ". Mr.. Reynolds,- mo vM' ! That "the proposed con- " tract with the P.N.Z. & A.ILM. Comp*iriy : 'for the Panama service-be- refeffe'd.to the Postal 'Committee, "to consider and report asi:6 the. provisions: containedin the contract, and whether any provisions are necessary or desirable, andrcan be made • consistently with' ( the existing arrangement. Mr. Dillon Bell; in seconding the motion, saidthat ' his motive for wishing it to be agreed to. was, probably, different from' that .of the mover. He wished; the contract: to bV" finally settled by the House, while ' ' -the mover, no doubt; wished the port of . callto be '' * changed. It would be better to have a preliminary skirmish in the Postal' Committee robin," after which, the members would come to. the House well -biassed, and the matter would'be more quickly settled.. ' • Mr. Stafford said that "the - Government would : certainly assent to the resolution, -as the New South Wales Government- had not yet; clearly stated. what, . it : wanted. It was likely that. Victoria, would v also.:;, - -join in the Panama service, because the Government there, had, sent a mail-box to go by the Kaikoura,; requesting *to l khow wliat thej-* should* pa^. "He (Mr."" Stafford) had, of course, forwarded it as a. matter of , ■fcourtesyj'buthadnot'yet 1 writ.teir £tny reply to the ( ' ' Victorian Government. For these^and' oth'efre'asons, - -he would assent. to the resolution.-' '"'.-.- '- Major Richardson suggested," as an amendment, that the word's •' between the Government and Comnany" be omitted, and "existing arrangement" be ' put in the plural. '- • , "-' The resolution; as amended, was passed. Major" Richardson moved. That it -is expedient that the chief ports of.the colony should, at the very earliest convenient period, be surveyed by a military engineer, defensive positions indicated, reserved from sale, or obtained by purchase. *' The'site and nature of the land batteries marked out, and, suitable prdnance'be obtained' to equip 'them in whole orTn part. Major Cargill-seconded"tlie resolution. . " /'. .;" After a. discussion, Mr. Stafford confessed -himself "" unable to ; see the force of the'remarks ofthe member . for Dunedin (Mr". 'Reynolds). Moire than six years . . ago, when he ; (Mr: 'Stafford) was in office, Colonel' Mould, Military Engineer, had' 'pointed out the necessary sites in the -various' ports in the colony. Some preliminary action 'had therefore been -takei;,; , but nothing permanent had been done. It was abso-" . lutely necessary that the colony should do something to protect itsdlf and its industry, or : it 'might be pounced on by the" war ships of Russia or some other . " power;- ' .-' ' ,! ' ' '- ' . . Mr. Oliver, iri supporting the resolution, pointed out the obligation under whijh the mother country lay to assist the colony in-its defence/'" -" ! " '- " A further discussion ensued, and the resolution was agreed to. „ .-•■-.. • . Amotion of'Mr. Cracrbft Wilson's for the'production of correspondence relating to the sheep and . fowls exported from England to Lyttelton, per Hima- . laya, was agreed to. ' -' ' 7 ~ i A motion of Mrf- Wood's in favor of an inquiry into ! the affairs of Southland, was, after a discussion, with-.. j drawn. _ '"','. ','■ '