Per Press Telegram Agency.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1730, 3 September 1875, Page 3

Per Press Telegram Agency.

THURSDAY.

Tbs House met at 2.30 p.m. Amendment to the Abolition Bill. Mr, CUbbs gave notice of several amendments in the Abolition Bill. Conveyance of Immigrants. Mi S ;out gave notice cnat he would ask. :: By what authority Sir Julius Vogel entered into & contract with the New Zealand Shipping Company for the conveyance of immigranfcs, r~C. whether the Government intended to i-vify the same." Bqa-i Boards Acts in ITative Districts. Mr. Shee-haii asked whether the Government would lay on the table the correspondence in reference to the Road Boards Acts in native districts. He was answered in the affirmative. Government also promised to lay on tbo table all correspondence relating to the Oyster Fisheries! Act. Disqualification Act. The following committee was appointed to enquire into the alleged breaches of the Disqualification Act:—Hon. Major Atkinson, Sir Gecrge Grey, Messrs G-. B. Parker, Johnston, Stout, Curtis, aael Rollsßton.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m,

Abolition of the Provinces Bill

The Hon. Ma^or Atkinson said : Sir, — 3cfore the Order of the day is read for considering the report of the Committee of the wnole House on the appropriation clauses of this bill, I desire, with the permission of the House, to take the first opportunity vrhich the Government have'had of stating to the House the course they intend to pursue. With reeard to the amendments which have been proposed by the hon. member for Port Chalmers, the Government have from the first invited hon. members opposite to join with them in the endeavour to render the bill not only effective, but satisfactory to the people at large ; and I desire, on behalf of the Government, to thank the hon, member for Port Chalmers for the frank and ready way in which he has met the invitation. Anyone who reads the resolutions moved by the hon. gentleman must see at a glance that he not only accepts the situation, but has determined to bring the weight of his great influence and abilities to bear with a view to rendering this bill as perfect as possible. The Government'regret that they are unable to accept the'propositions which he has made ; bat, if I understand the principles contained ia them, they are in entire accord with the bill we are now considering. We shall, therefore, be prepared to go a little further than the hon. gentleman proposes upon the same road. The principle of the Government bill, with which these resolutions are in accordance, is, that local revenue should be locally appropriated and spent; therefore if the people will be more satisfied that this is really the intention of the Government by having boards in the different districts having a community of interests, we shall be very glad to meet them ia that respect. We shall, therefore, be preJj&i'&d to introduce a bill dividing the various provinces into large and small districts, in wbicb Boards of Works, elected by the people, will be appointed, and to which tb% balance of th« land fund will be appropriated. With vegard to education also, we &3YS declared that we desire that the large reserves which iave been made in the various provinces ~;i~uld be secured for educational porposes in Shose provinces. We shall, therefore, be prepared to introduce a bill to constitute or confirm the various Boards of Education in the several provinces, and to convert to tho3e boards, or rather to vest in t&etii, all the reserves that now vest in the Superintendents for educational purposes. That is, shortly, the way in which the Government propose to meet the resolutions of tho hen. member for Port Chalmers. We shall not, of course, accept them, but we shall introduce measures to give effect to Tnat 1 iiave now Btated.