PARLIAMENT IN SESSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 14

PARLIAMENT IN SESSION.

Wednespay, September 16.

Major Atkinson has given notice of his intention to move that £2000 be placed on the Supplementary Estimates and granted to Sir William Fox in consideration of his valuable services as Royal Commissioner of the West Coast Native affairs. Your readers will, of course, remember that Sir William Fox and Sir F. D. Bell were joint commissioners until the latter accepted the position of Agentgeneral, since which time Sir- William Fox performed the work alone. His task was admittedly performed in a> most satisfactory man* ncr, and the Government offered Sir William Fox a sum of £2000 for his services, but he declined to accept it, stating that he had given his services to the Colony as ,a labour of love. Recently, however, it has rumoured that Sir William Fox had met with losses, and that the grant, to which he is unquestionably entitled, on account of service which is worth many times that amount to the Colony, would be very acceptable. It is said that the Government will give a cordial support to the motion, and ife will most likely be agreed to. > - The Government entirely dissent from Admiral Scott's views regarding Colonial defences, and are determined to adhere to the previouslyannounced plan, I have just had a conversation with the Defence Minister on the subject, and can state that the Government consider Admiral Scott's proposals very crude, impracticable, and unsatisfactory ; also, that some of his assertions are in direct contradiction to facts stated in leading scientific authorities. Moreover, the cost of the so-called standing army will be very small, and no more than would be paid if supplied regularly by the Volunteers. The Government are resolved to place all the chiet" ports in a state of thorough defence. I have reason to believe they have the hearty approval of Sir Wm. Jervois in their decision. BILLS. In the Legislative Council, The Local Bodies Contractors Bill was read a first time, as was also . the Police Offences Amendment Bill.

The Mortgages Debentures Bill was read a third time and passed. i The Council then went into committee on the Land Bill. Several unimportant amendments were made in committee. Progress was reported on the Land Bill j

1 The Local Bodies and Finance Powers Bill was read a second time. A message was received from the House of Representatives, requesting a third conference on tho Mines Bill, and this was ordered to be taken into consideration next day. The second reading of the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Bill was moved by the Hou G. M'LEAK— Agreed to. BEPLIKS TO QUESTIONS. Tll the House of Representatives, Replying to Major Steward, whether the Government will advise his Excellency to up2>oint a Royal Commission to inquire into and report /luring the recess as to the following matters, viz. :— (1) The points to which it is desirable to complete the various lines of railway already sanctioned by Parliament ; (2) any further railway works which it is desirable 'in the public interests should be nndertaken ; (3) the cost of each of such works ; (4) the order in which various works should be undertaken ; (5) the period over which the work of constructing the same should be extended ; (6) the amount required to be expended during each year until the whole scheme is completed, The Hon. E. RICHARDSON- said the matter receive earnest consideration. £ Replying to Major Steward, whether the Oovernineut will prepare during the recess, aud introduce early next session, a bill to amend the Licensing Acts, % The Hon. R. STOUT said the present Act was working well, and it was not intended to amend it. Replying to Mr Seddou, whether the Government will advise his Excellency the Governor by Order-in-Council to adopt and have gazetted as a regulation for gran ts-in- aid to prospecting and rewards for the discovery of new goldfields the recommendation of the Goldfields Committee this session on the above subjects ; if so adopted and gazetted, will the Minister forward copies of the Gazette and regulations to the various local bodies and literary institutes in the mining and gold-mining districts, The Hon. R. STOUT said the Government intended to have the regulation issued for granting rewards for the discovery of new goldfields. MAILWAY AUTHORISATIOK. The Hon. E. RICHARDSON moved the second reading of the Railways Authorisation Bill. Major ATKINSON said as the bill was a necessary one he should not oppose the second reading, but some of the clauses would require very careful consideration. The motion was agreed to. The Hon. E. RICHARDSON asked, as a matter of urgency, that the House should allow the bill to be committed at once. Major ATKINSON asked the Premier what business the Government intended going on with .this session. The Hon. R. STOUT thought they would nob be able" to proceed with the Criminal Code Bill, Railways Commissioners Bill, Prisoners' Probation Bill, and the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act Amendment Bill. The Government proposed to go on. with the District Railways Purchasing Bill, Special Powers and Contracts Bill, Waimea Plains Railway Rating Bill, Railways Authorisation Bill, Property Tax Bill, and Appropriation Bill. He thought if reasonable j^rogress was - made the prorogation would take ■ place this week. SPKCrAT, POWERS AND CONTRACTS Mil',. On the motion for going into committee on the Special Powers and Contracts Bill, Sir GEORGE GREY moved that it be committed that .day six months. He referred at great length to the new clause proposed to be inserted in the bill for granting a block of land to Mr Thomas Russell, of Auckland, in exchange for other laud on consideration that Mr Russell paid the cost price of the land. The Hon. R. STOUT hoped the amendment would be withdrawn as the new clause only dealt with one portion of the bill. He said he had gone through the whole of the papers and he had come to the conclusion that as far as the 600 acres were concerned, Mr Russell had not the shadow of a claim. He. then detailed the whole of the circumstances connected with the case, and said if the .bill went into committee he should be bound to vote against Russell's I claim as he considered he was not entitled to the land. The Hon. W. ROLLESTON thought there was no ground for using strong language in regard to this matter. He said it .was a simple question whether or not there was a claim, and nothing could be done without the sanction of Parliament. "He considered there was a just claim, but it would be -wholly for the House to determine.' • He spoke at some length on the whole questi6n, and said he should do his best in committee .to show that tho claim was an equitable one.- •',"'.'..' •Mr MACANDRE W hoped the bill would not be shelved for 'another " year merely because there were some objectionable clauses. Each . case should be decided.on its merits. Sir GEORGE GREY withdrew his amendment. . . Tho Hon. J. BALLANCE said that from the nature of the bill it must be brought down at a late period of the session. He said that no bill of this kind would ever meet with the approval of all sides of the House, as some members would naturally favour particular lines which this would reject. With respect to Mr Russell's claim, all he could say was that an agreement was certainly entered into with • Mr Russell, that if he stood aside in regard to a certain block of land he should have the opportunity of selecting, another block as an equivalent. He felt perfectly certain that if Mr Russell were not known, and if the claim were made by a person unknown to the House, that the matter would be regarded as a simple question of justice. Referring to the proposal 1 to grant 40 acres" under the bill to Te Kooti, he ! (Mr Ballance) contended that the course he was adopting in that respect was a right one. The motion for the recommittal of the bill was agreed to. MIKES BILL. Mr PYKB moved that a fresh conference be appointed to consider the Mines Act Amendment Bill. He referred at some length to the injustice suffered by the goldfields from successive Governments, and said the conference from the other Chamber had refused to come to any compromise whatever, Mr SEDDON said Government had not given the conference that assistance which might be reasonably expected. He pointed out also that the Government had altogether failed to give that justice to goldfields which they had promised to give. m The Hon. R STOUT said it was no use denying the Legislative Council the rights it possessed.. So far as the gold duty abolition was concerned he had never advocated it, and he had told the miners so. He thought some con- I cession should ba made as to reducing the fees for miners' rights. If a conference from the House wore appointed he had no doubt they would do their dilty. ." . V The motion was agreed to,, the conference appointed being • Messrs Stoat, Beroc, and 1 Gtunncss. . i

IN COjniITTKH. Tho House went into coimriittee on tho District Railways Purchasing Bill, Clause 3, Governor may purchase district railways in Jerms of provisional agreements, was cairied on a division by 31 to 11. • Clause 24, no new district railways to be authorised, elicited a lengthened discussion, but the clause was passed with an amendment, that clauses 75 to 85 of " Tho District Railways Act 1878 " shall not apply to any railway. Clause 25, guarantee for £50,000 of debentures for Kaihiku Valley railway was strongly opposed by Messrs Trimble, Kerr, Montgomerj', Fisher, and other members, and several amendments were made in clauses as to debentures to be issued. Colonel TRIMBLE moved that the interest on debentures should be £4 per cent, instead of £5. The amendment was lost on a, division by 32 to 19, and the clause us amended was then put and carried by 33 to 18. On the schedule bfing put, Mr BARRON moved that the lirst item, Rakaia and Ashburton forks railway, be struck out. The item was retained on a division by 38 toJ9. Mr BARRON moved to strike the Waimatt; railway out of the schedule. Mr BUCHANAN entered his protest against this line being included in the bill. He said only 10 trains a.week were run on tho live. and he thought the House should not sanction it. The amendment was carried by 27 to 24, and the line was struck out, Mr BARRON moved to strike out the Duntroon and Hakateramea live. The amendment was lost by 33 to 24. Mr BARRON moved to strike out Thames Valley and ,Rotorua railway from Morriusville to Lichfield. The amendment was lost by 43 to 15. The' schedule as amended was then passed. The House went into committee for further consideration of the Waimea .Plains Railway Rating Bill. The Hon. E. RICHARDSON moved to strike out clause 4, providing that the cost of railway is to be ascertained from timo to time, which was agreed to. A lengthened discussion ensued on clause 12, providing when rates already made are to be payable. The clause was finally passed, with several verbal amendments. A now clause proposed by (i. I. RICHAIIDSON for excluding an area of 24,000 acres of land from the provisions of the bill was negatived by 36 to 18. The bill passed with some new clauses and amendments. The House went into committee on the Special Powers and Contracts Bill. The Hon. W. ROLLESTON moved that clause 0 providing for a grant of 40 acres of land to Te Kooti, at Alexandra, bo struck out. The Hon. J. BALLANCE defended the clause, and hoped the committee would retain it. He explained that the question was one of administration, and the Government were anxious to keep Te Kooti where he was. The Hon. R. STOUT also hoped tho clause would be passed. Several members objected to the clause on the ground that it was elevating Te ' Kooti into a position which it was not desirable ho should occupy.