PARLIAMENTARY

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2603, 21 August 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

FROM 0 UR SPECIAL REPORTER. (BY STAR SPECIAL WIRE). WELLINGTON, this day. THE HOLIDAY TRIP. IN the House yesterday Mr Bastings gave notice that on the 4th of September the House shall rise until the 9fch to enable members to be present at the opening of the railway from Christchurch to Dunedin. Mr Ormond gave notice to move that one-third of the proceeds from the sale of land under the deferred payment system should go to the Board in each district, whether accruing before 1877 or not. Mr Sheehan gave notice to introduce a JN. ative Lands Bill. AN INDIAN JUDGE WANTS TO SEE REWL Mr Fox said that before proceeding to the business on the paper he would ask a question without notice. There was now travelling in the colony a gentleman named Thomas, who had held the position of Judge in India. He haa reached Taranaki, and was anxious to have an interview with Rewi, but telegraphed that he was unable to see him except in company of a member of the Armed Constabulary, and he asked the opininon of the Government on the subject. Mr Sheehan said he had not been aware that the gentleman referred to bad been under such snrveillance. He had hea»-d that he was anxious to interview Rewi. in order to secure a block of land, and the Government d»siied him to defer his scheme for the present. The Government would give orders that police surveillance should not be continued. The Government apprehended that the gentleman who had held the position of Jndjje in India would not attempt to go between the Government and the natives. (Loud " Hear, hears.") NATIVE MATTERS. The following papers were laid on the table by Mr Sheehan : —Report on the alleged native disturbance at Waitara ; report by the Commissioners appointed to investigate the charges against Mr James Booth, of the Native Land Purchase Department. NEW BILLS. Mr Sheehan also gave notice of the following Bills :—Whakatane Crown Grants Validation Bill, 1878 ; Cemeteries Management Act, 1877. The Amendment Act of 1878 provides means for the local bodies to arrange with Robert Graham about the Cemetery at Ellerslie. THE MEURANT CLAIM. In reply to Mr Swanson's question as to whether the Government intended to settle Mrs Meurant's claim, Mr.Sheehan said that the matter will be settled without further delay. THE GREAT SOUTH ROAD. Mr Tole yesterday gave notice that he would ask the Government whether they will take steps to have the niain^rpads in the Connty of Eden in a proper slate of repair. EDUCATON AMENDMENT BILL. Mr Curtis's Education Act Amendment Bill is to introduce the clause he moved in Committee on 18th September last, and reported in "Hansard," vol. 25, page 539, with some verbal alterations to suit the Act as passed. The intention is to enable Roman Catholics to come under tho Act. ALLEGED DISQUALIFICATION OF SIR GEGRGE GREY. Mr Whitaker said he was desirous of bringing under the consideration of the House an important question affecting the privileges and position of occupants of the Government benches. Some time ago ho saw a notification in the " Gazette" of the appointment of the Premier to the office of Commissioner of Customs, and he then formed an impression regarding it as to whether the 'Civil Service Act had been complied with. On Saturday last he looked up the question. On the 13th of October last the then Ministers' resignation were gazetted, and the appointments made of new members of the Kxecutive Council,: but no office was conferred upon them until the 15th of the same month, The Civil Service Act, 1873, contained express provisions as to the payment of salaries, and it appeared that the Premier had illegally received two days' pay for the days ■when he held no portfolio. The question arose whether he had not thus disqualified himself from sitting under the fourth clause of the Disqualification Act, 1876. • Section five contained an exemption of perrons holding certain offices mentioned in the. third schedule, which applied to the Premier, iMessrs Macandrew, Sheehan, and Larnach. \ When the Premier became Commissioner of Customs he resigned^? the office of i Colonial Secretary, which was handed \ over to Colonel Whitmore in January. ' The Premier resigned the office of i Commissioner of Customs, and since i then he had not held auy of the offices j referred to in the schedule, and he would • therefore be disqualified. Under the fourth i pjipcLpfthe. Act of 1877, Ministers would ! be liable to penalties unless it c6ultl~bT| shown that they had not acted wilfully and ! knowingly. The question of most impor- > tanee was that affecting the lawfulness of the administrative Acts clone by the Govern-

menti If any legislation should be deeiW necessary in order to legalise the Acts of the Government, ho would assist in passim, v i;Mr Stout said the hon. membKSSjL quite right m drawing attention to the matter, as it would be -wrong if office W been held in the way stated. g Hisopinff "- however, was that it was not necessa^ that the Premier should hold any DosiH^ other than that of member of the ExecuS-. He would take time and give an answer n« a futuie day. v PERSONAL EXPLANATION BY Tin? PREMIER. lttE Sir George Grey asked leave to make a T personal explanation. Mr Macandrew had' ordered a supply of salmon ova from* England, and the vessel came via M e i. bourne. The Government of Victoria asked leave to take out three thousand ova for the use of that colony, which was granted - Subsequently the Victorian • Government - wrote, asking what would be charged, and the Premier replied that no charge would be made. This morning he received a letter to the effect that the Acclimatization Society of Victoria had sent him a silver medal. He thought Mr Macandrew was really entitled to all the credit of- introducing these salmon, and therefore thought it his duty to order that the medal be deposited in the Museum, as a proof of the services rendered by him to the colony, BAD HEARING. "■ ,_-, „ Complaints as to bad hearing in the Chamber arc continual. Mr Barff, who had frequently pointed out this vexatious defect, which renders the satisfactory - performance of reporters' duties almost impossible, said members sitting at the library end of the Chamber had. V scarcely heard one word the Speaker said' It had been suggested that the network of " wires recently extended across the building should bo raised, in order to improve the T, acoustic properties, though he thought the.. '': best plan would be to remove them . ' altogether. Mr Murray suggested that professional advice be taken as to the improvement ef the acoustic properties of the Chamber. FREE PASSES FOR VOLUNTEERS. Mr Hobbs, in asking the Government whether they will make arrangements to enable volunteers proceeding on duty by train to have free passes to-and-fro, provided'" they have a certificate from the commanding.,. officer of their company that they are'proceeding on duty, said he knew many cases' of hardship occurred to young men who • gave their time to volunteering, but were__ * unable to pay the fare. If the volunteer" Force was not to be a sham, some encourage*;, ment should be given in this way. Mr Macandrew replied that the Government recognise the importance of encouraging volunteers in every possible way, and will make arrangements by which commanding officers may defray the cost of members' passages, and a sum would be placed on the estimates for the purpose. The system, of free passes has been open to great abuses. In reply to a question whether copies of t the book on indigenous grasses would-be^ I furnished to all public libraries, the: Go-' ; vcrnment said the expenses of the work were- i. considerable, and the number of copies on. hand inadequate to requirements. They,., j could not furnish copies to every public library, but a smaller octavo edition was now beinff prepared, and would be supplied; j A very long discussion occurred in the ' House to-day on Mr Stout's Civil' Service i Act Amendment Bill. A new clause was ■, • proposed by Mr Kelly as follows :—"Proi vided that no person who ceased to be a i Civil Servant before the coming into opera-. ■ tion of the Amendment Act, and who has . j been re-appointed to the Civil Service after - ! such Amendment Act came into operation, j shall thereby become entitled to any rei tiring allowance under the said Act." l- A- | Mr Pyke made a strong appeal in favour, j of goldlields' officers, whom ne saw,_ by the ; existence of General and Provincial Go-.- , ! vernments, were suspended like Mahomet's • coffin, between heaven and hell. This' | remark evoked roars of laughter. He con- , , tended that those officers had always been ) officers of the General Government, and . ;, were harshly dealt with iv being deprived" •- i of rights under the Civil Service Act, 1866. ! The Government had treated them in an I unjust manner. It treated them as Civil " I Servants or otherwise, just as it suited thep / General Government interests.. I Mr Stoist said the Wardens got a special allowance from Provincial Governments. Mr Pyke : When? Mr Stout: They got extra salary. - | : Mr Pyke : That is uot correct. Mr Stout: It is correct. The hon. niem-;: ber's memory must be failing him. ." The new clause was carried. ■ -.-, :■ Mr Kelly also moved the following new clause: "No x>erson who was a provincial officer on the coming into operation of the 1 '. "Abolition of Provinces Act, 1875," and.' transferred to the Civil Service on the said : Act coming into operation, shall be entitled to any retiring or superannuation allowance under the said Act, or any Act repealed by ! such Act." .' , ' This caused a long and heated discussion. .- I Mr Rolleston strongly opposed it, as ~; ' destroying rights which had legally ac- • crued. V- Ci:;i«ra!!j: ''.t- ---| Mr Pyke claimed that provincial officers: ! should be placed on a footing of equality 'with General Government officers in. the : Blatter of salary. They were deprived-of- ~.. their offices by a resolution—(loud cries of : No, no, and counter cries of Yes, yes)— : ! and it \v»s one of the happiest resolutions ; that ever happened in any country. ■.; (Laughter). , i^ri Several divisions took place on.this. i discussion to insert the words " nullify ■ the proposed efFect," which was negatived., : j by 37 to 24; aud to report progress, which ! was negatived on the voices, but it being within five minutes of the usual time for . the Speaker to leave the chair, Major , Atkinson's party-called for a division, the . result being that a motion to report i progress was negatived by 48 to 22. The House then ad]ourned for dinner.-: i!f;: THE ELECTORAL BILL. . '}■ The House last sight debated the second;, \ reading of the Electoral Bill until half-past ;; ; ; twelve. r •j Mr Reeves supported the bill with a few. j more amendments, principally a redaction ■ : of the leasehold qualification. \ Mr Thompson supported the bill, and ■ condemned manhood suffrage as unnecessary ."-, : and uncalled for. He instanced Tictopaand United States as a proof of the unsatisfactory work of manhood suffrage.-;, : The Bribery Bill would be the only: safe; guard. The six months continuous-resi-; dence clause would disfranchise^. many^ valuable votes, such as commercial travellers. He would vote against that portion lof the bill. ' • ' "i :' Mr Russell said the Premier was a man ' who would rule New Zealand on Napoleonic principles. He weuld be demo- : cratic, but had been overborne by. the more views of his colleagues. He was glacLto ; ; see this, and would support the Bill, lie ' did not agree with Mr Whitaker's Bill..r.Jy' r Mr Curtis was funny at the expense °r r ; the female franchise. He created roars oi . . laughter by the term "hair system. *■&: | idea of a woman opposing her husband ipr ' ! a seat, quite unnerved him. i Mr Turnbuli supported the BilL ,!« : advocated plural voting where a person naa ; property in two districts. Females snouia ;■ . exercise the suffrage, but not have Cbe right to sit in the House. '. .-, !.. Mr Sheehan said the proposal top" !; Women in the Flouse was unsoand._.r Mpl^ I-an open question with the -Cabinet,--£* . I: would take many years to prepare cue colony-for manhood suffrage,. pure. ;^ 1 simple. The native pi^perty vote womu ...,,- induce them to pay taxes and rates, ami conform to European customs. -^elj°"xu' 'of Europeans towasds natives in the SSona . '; Island was different from any other couog/ as being one of peace and conciliation: -o_ ; regarded double voting as a temP°^J experiment to continue only as an exp^* ment until the Maoris paid rates. Ju? believed in five years special representatio^. It could be abolished, but it would «» ; wrong to reverse in a moment a P^i j which had continued for fifteen years^,■ y r ■-■ , ' Mr Fox followed Mr Sheehan, making a

BDeech to the ladies' gallery, which was unusually f«u- He ™I(luced some strong arguments in favour of 'female suffrage and female legislators, adducing examples of the satisfactory operation of the system in America, Manhood suffrage was inevitable, like a great advancing tidal wave. The political demoralisation in America is the effect of socialistic reforms, not ofmanhood suffrage. Mr Pox referred to_ Mount Aithos, ■nrhere no female of any kind is allowed, where cats were all toms, and hens all .cocks- When Governor Bowen visited it, -one of the monks asked him in confidanceto describe what sort of a man a women Mr Bastings strongly supported manhood suffrage, and characterised the Bill as compromise. He condemned Government timidity. If the Hare system was left out of Mr Whitaker's Bill lie would preter it, but would generally support the Govern- ' ment measure if, in committee, a clause were inserted conferringmanhoodsufiragepureand simple. He advocated the system adopted in Queensland, where the onus of registration was cast on the voter, who applied persodally to the Returning Officer for a registration ticket, paying a shilling for it. The voter was then required to sign his name, a fac simile of which was immediately made with the recording instrument. On the polling day if any doubt existed as to the identity of a voter, he would be asked to sign his name, which would be compared with the fac simile. Mr Barff supported the second reading, expressing strong disappointment with the measure. He condemned the proposed system of registration, and instanced a place on the West Coast where two hundred names of Englishmen, and some Scotchmen were struck off on account of their being

alien b. Major Atkinson delivered a strong speech against the bill, alleging that the Premier had pledged the Government to manhood suffrage pure and simple, but had been ■obliged to give way to his colleagues, and sacrifice his own views. The Ministerial icy was the policy of funkers. The Ministry had done nothing for the country except talk. Under the bill the bone and sinew of the country was left to take care of itself, while facilities were given to pro-perty-holders. The representation of the two races should be separated. Mr Ballance delivered a'powerful speech in support of the bill. If Mr Whitaker ■would strike out the portion of his bill embodying Hare's system he would be one of of the true liberals of the country. Mr Whitaker : I accept that at once. Mr Ballance : But will the hon. gentleman's late colleagues accept it? Mr Whitaker : I don't know. The debate was adjourned at 12.30, when the House rose. THE LATEST. In the House Sir George Grey replying to a question from Mr Barton said, the separaion story was a mere canard. ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN. In the Legislative Council, on the motion of the Hon. Mr Eraser, a select committee was appointed to prepare a Congratulatory Address to the Queen on the successful result of the Berlin Congress. BILLS PASSED. The Sale of Food and Drugs Act Amendment Bill and the Cruelty to Animals Bill passed. THE BEER TAX. A deputation, consisting of Messrs Dodson, Staples, McCarthy, Johnson, Marshall, Joel, Todhunier, Manning, and Sharp, (M.H.R.), waited on the Treasurer to-day respecting the tax on beer. Mr Marshall, as spokesman, read a -written list of objections to thejtax. _ Mr Ballance replied in detail, stating that though the Government were anxious to study the convenience of the brewers, they were determined to adhere to the three-halfpenny tax. With regard to j contracts the Government proposed to enable brewers to recover from the consumer. The Government will consider the ■ matter of allowing rebate on stocks. There would be a provision in the bill preventing private brewing by pubiicans. With regard io larg« employers of labour brewing for workmen, he would see what was' the English practice. Mr Macfarlane, M.H.R., who accompanied the deputation, urged that a remission on the sugar duty and beer tax would injure the production of barley in the colony. Ministers emphatically deny the statement that any disagreement exists in the Cabinet on vital points of policy, or that any Separation views are entertained,