PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 668, 21 June 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, June 20. NOTICE OF MOTION. The Hon. Mr .Chamberlain gave notice to move—“ That all vessels should be compelled to carry a supply of oil to be used at sea when necessary to prevent the waves from breaking. ”

WEST COAST PEACE PRESERVATION BILL. The Hon. Mr Whitaker moved the second reading of the West Coast Peace Preservation Bill. After some discussion the Hon. Captain Fraser moved the adjournment of the debate till next day. The Council rose at 5 p m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, June 20. The House met at 2.30. PETITIONS. Mr Smith presented a petition from deferred payment settlers, praying that they might be permitted to take up additional land on the deferred payment principle. Mr Hutchison presented a petition, twenty-five feet long, with four columns of signatures on each sheet, praying that the teaching of skilled labor in prisons might he put an end to. Sir Seddon presented a petition, thirty feet long, calling the attention of Parliament to the unjustifiable manner in which the Westland Education Board administered the Act. THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. Mr Fulton gave notice that he would move that the Education Act be amended so as to enable the Bible to be read in schools, under certain restrictions as to time. QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, it was stated ; Government would consider the propriety of introducing into the railway system a method for forwarding passengers’ luggage similar to that in operation in the United States, and known as the “ check system.”—

Forest planting in New Zealand had been already largely resorted to, and encouragement would be held out to local bodies desirous of going in for it more largely.— Government had announced that it would be ready to apply on behalf of proposed exhibitors for space at the Amsterdam Exhibition, but no response had been made thereto. They would still be prepared to apply for space, but could not undertake to defray the cost of the carriage of the exhibits.—A fee of 20s under the Patents Act, 1871 and 1881, protected the invention for a period of six months. At the expiry of that , time, 40s more secured all rights and protection under the Act. The Government deemed these liberal enough terms, and did nob consider any further amendment necessary.—Government had under consideration the recommendation of the Petitions Committee that all persons entering the Government service under permanent engagement should insure their lives for an amount equal to two years’ pay at least, but they had not seen their way a give effect to the recommendation. The question was not yet finally disposed of.—Government hoped as soon as possible to make a statement in respect of their attentions regarding the suggestions in the Volunteer Committee report.— Government would be prepared to render the present method for collecting the Beer Tax less oppressive if such a method could be pointed out. SECOND BEADING. The Private Bills Costs Bill was read a second time. * TRADE MARES. The House divided on the motion that the report on the Trade Marks Act Amendment Bili be adopted. Ayes, 42 ; noes, 27- The motion was carried. Mr Fish protested against the Bill as retrospective legislation. Mr Shiehan concurred in the opinion expressed. Mr Bathgate insisted that it was retrospective legislation, and as such it was opposed to public policy. The Bill was read a third time and passed. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr Montgomery Loped that no debate would take place on the Financial Statement until the Public Works Statement and Policy Bills of the Government were before th Jin. Mr Maoandrew concurred, and asked the Government to indicate when the Statement and Bills would be brought down. The Hon. Major Atkinson said it would be impossible in one speech to cover the whole field of their policy and finance. They would bo much wiser to discuss the whole question in sections. If delayed until the whole policy was before them he apprehended that the discussion would bo very defective, whereas the Government invited the fullest discussion. He therefore hoped they would be prepared to go on with the debate on the various sections as they were brought down. He hoped that they would at an early date have a very instructive discussion on taxation—the taxation of land, at all events. The motion was carried, and the House went into Committee of Supply.

Legislative Council, L 1,735. Item—Chairman of Committees (li300) —increase Ll2O. On the motion of Mr Swanson, the increase was struck out on the voices.

Clerk to Council (L4oo)—increase, Ll5O. Reduced by LSO. Clerk, assistant (L 400). Reduced to L 337. Second clerk, assistant (L 226). Reduced by L 25. Legislative Departments. _ Item—lnterpreter Council (L 225). Reduced by L3O. House of Representatives—L3,9lo. Item—Chairman of Public Petitions (L 100). Item Chairman of Native Affairs Committee (L 100). Passed on the voices. The total class, as reduced to L 39,483, was then put and passed. Class 2—Colonial Secretary’s Department.

Premier’s office (L 450). Passed. Colonial Secretary’s office (L 1,895). Passed.

Messenger and office keeper, L 3,469. Item, 13 messengers at 6s per day. The vote was passed as printed. Electoral Department, L 2,985. After discussion the vote as printed was passed. Audit office, L 8.732. —Mr Feldwick proposed that the item audit of railway account (L 5,260) be struck out. The recent disc'osures In connection with the Invercargill office showed that this department was utterly useless. He asked for an explanation of these defalcations.—The Hou Major Atkinson explained that customers of the railway were rendered their accounts in the usual way, and a clerk calling and getting payment, who chose to misappropriate the money, it was quite impossible to discover the defalcations right off. In this case the defalcations came to light through one of these

accounts being returned the department. The Audit Department could not be expected to go round to every customer and ascertain whether he had or had not paid. —The vote as printed passed. Registrar-General and Government Statist, L 81,561 (item: Registrar-Gene-ral, L 575) —Mr J. 0. Brown proposed that the L 25 increase be struck out, complaining that the department was badly conducted, and the information delayed until it was utterly useless.—-On a division, the amendment was carried by 30 to 28, and the vote passed as reduced. A long discussion ensued as to the payments made to Registrars of Birth, Marriages, and deaths, but eventually the vote was passed as printed. Progress was then reported, and the House rose at 12.40.