PARLIAMENTARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3763, 2 September 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(FROM OUB SPECIAL COKKESFONDKNT.)

WELLINGTON, this day. Removal of the Native Lands Court. From what I can learn, there U every pro. bability of the Estimates being recommitted for tho purpose of reconsidering ths item of £500 for the removal of the Native Lands Court. Mr Bryce is kicking up his heels aud says the question will have to be made i Ministerial one. It is almo»t certain hut, should it come on again, the item will be thrown out. Detective Farrell's Case. The Public Petitions Committee's report in the case of James Farrell, l»te detective, states that " Having carefully considered the caaoof tuepetitioner.thecommitteeare of opinion that he baa some claim oa consideration, and recommend, if he cannot be reinstated in the police, that, on account of his long service and previous good conduct, he receive employment in some other department of thi Public Service, for which he is suitable." Adulteration. The Government Tea Bill has been distributed. It declares that all imported tea shall be subject to be detained lor examination by aoy officer of Customs Samples of all tea may, when deemed necessary, be taken without payment, and may be examined by an analytical chemist, If, upon examination, the analytical eticmist shall certify that the tea is unfit for human consumption, the whole of the packages bearing the same bland or marks as the packages of tea from which such samples were taken shall be deemed to be goods prohibited to be imported and shall be forfeited. Provided, however, that the importer or owner of such tea shall be entitled to tike legal proceedings against dor Majesty tho Queen for the purpose of determining the liability to forfeiture of such tea. If upon examination the tea shall be found to be exhausted tea, or to be mixed with other substances, deleterious or otherwise, or with exhausted tea, to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, he may order that the whole of the packages of tea shall be detained, and such tea shall not bo delivered either for home consumption or for exportation, unless on such terms nnd conditions as he shall think fit. The importer or owner of any tei ordered to be detained as aforesaid, or which may be forfeited under provisions of tnis Act, shall pay all fees and other expenses incident to theanalyais of such tea, and all such fees and expenses shall be regarded as and shall be a debt due to the Grown, and recoverable aB such. If any person, either as importer or owner, be found to have more than twice imported tea, which was subsequently found to be deleterious to human consumption, or exhausted, or mixed with other substances, or with exhausted tea, the Commissioner may cause such person's name and place of abode to. be published at the expense of such person in some newspaper circulating in the district in which he has his usual place of business, nnd such expense shall be recoverable as a debt due to the Crown.

Judge Wilson's Case.

The Public Petiuoos Committee report in the case of Mr John Alexander Wilton, at Tauranaa, late a judge of the Native Lands Court, that the committee arc of opinion that the petitioner is not entitled to the compensation claimed for the purcha<e of Native Land, as such claim was abandoned on his.appointment as judge of the Native Lands Court, With respect to the claim tor consideration for loss of office, the committee are of opinion that, owing to a want of harmony between the Chief Judge and the petitioner, it is not expedient in the public interest that he be re-appointed a judge of the /vative Land Court, but the committee recommend that some other appointment in tho public service, for which he is suitable, be offered him.

Auckland Museum Endowment,

There was a long debate on the Govern, ment Bill endowing the Auckland Museum, several members opposing,—Mr Hursthouse said it appeared to him that Auckland was tho favoured min'.on of the pre«ent Government. The House bad voted a million for a railway for Auckland, and £4090 for ever for a University College. He wai sotry to see such an important part of the community everlastingly bepging. It seemed to him that the 100,000 re.idents in the piovince should provide for the maintenance of the Museum.— Messrs. Peacock, Hanu, arid iswan-on spoke warmly in support of the Bill, pointing out how much had already beca dc>ne by private munificence. -Mr Mwanson made special mention of the liberality of Mr Justice Gil ios and Dr. Campbell.—Mr Man said the colony was bound to do all it could ti encourage museums, which were 'a medium of useful information to all classes. In Duncdin they had a museum which was largely aided by the State. The Canterbury and Wellington Museums were also, he believed, assisted by endowment,", and he did not see why Auckland should bo left out in the cold.—Mr Macandrew said he would support the Bill. It was better late than never. He had felt it was one of the faults of the Provincial Government of Auckland, that they had not made the necessary provision in the way of endowments for this institution. — Mr Weston said there was no doubt Auckland wan just now in the ascendant.. It bad a million for a railway, an enormous sum for roads and bridges, and lint, but Hot least, £4,0u0 for a university college. Tne pro. priety of granting that sum was a matter open to dincussion, but it was roo late now that it had passed. He thought the endow- | ment should be granted,—The Bill was j finally passed through committee. Warm for a Kailivay Official. "While the Estimateswcrebeing passed the Other night, Mr Allison Smith, .Locomotive Superintendent ot Christchureh, dropped in for it pretty warm from certain members, Mr Fergus moved thathis salary be reduced. He knew nothing personally- of Mr Smith, but believed ho was very unpopular. Mr Whyte said there had been a great deal more discontent in the Smith department than in any branch of the Government. It would be well for the colony if he was paid £700 to clear out. Mr Joyce said Mr Smith was a bad manager, and had no control over a body of men. Mr E. G. Wright spoke in liigb. terms of praise of the professional ability of Mr Smith Mr Dargavillo thought if was very unbecoming of members of the House to mention Mr Smith's name. They hid to decide whether such a depart? meat was to receive a certain amount of money. It rested with the Minister of Public Works as to whether- the man spoken of was worth £600 or £700 a-year. The chairman held the same opinion. Mr I. C, Brown sugacstcd that Mr Smith should be removed to Dunedin, Wellington, or Auckland. Mr Sheehan objected to him being' removed to Auckland, and thought Chatham Islands would be a more genial clime for Mr Smith to follow his pursuits. Petitions. The committee refer the petition of Annie Fcrgusson, of Auckland, to tho Government to deal with, The Wasto Land* Committee refer the petition of 11. L. Kingsley to the Govern, merit. '* The Native Affairs Committee refer the petition of Aperahama Pokae, of Ohinemnri, to the Government for consideration. A petition from James McGregor and another, referred to the Waite Lands Committee for grants of land to persons born in the colony, has boen reported upon ad-' vereely. Eighteen Maoris have petitioned that the Thermal Springs Act may be repealed, but the Native Affairs Committee leportthat tho question being one of public ijolicy, they nave no recommendation to make. Mr Bracken has given notice of his intention to ask the Government whether they will amcud the gaming and lotteries laws. Cemeteries Bill The Cemeteries Bill wa* passed with , amendments. Aid for Gold Prospecting. Mr C'ldman aski the Minister of Mines if he will cause enquiries to be made in terms of the report of the Goldfields' Committee upon the petition from the Thames, with the view of determining whether or not the prospecting for which aid is claimed by the petitioner was carried on outside old gold workings, as required in regulations then in force for granting aid to prospecting parties. Land Grant for lauranga Railway. Mr Turnbnll will ftfk the Minister for Public Works, " 1. Whether the land to be convened to j;he Tauranga Railway Company under the contract laid before this House is of the value of £70,500, or at the rate of £1,500 per mile for forty^even miles ? 2 Has any working survey of the line been made ? If so, by whom ? By whom has the estimate of the cost of con. atructiog the line been prepared ?'' '

A Menace to Public Safety, The lion. Mr Chamberlin is to aiktii« lion the Premier, « If it fa the intenttaXf the Government to prohibit theimportaHn., and tale of certain Yankee uovouKflS form of toy pistols?' lao

Albert Park and the Itailwau acclamation. " The Auckland hnprovemeut Amendment Bill, providing for tho removal of thl Armoury in Albert Park, was pissed through committee without amendment Th Auckland Railway Station Bill,'dividing the railway reclamation, was also passed through committee to-day without amentl ment. v"

Borough of Hamilton. The Borough of Hamilton Boundaries Bill was passed through committee in th« House to-day without amendment.

Last Night's Business. The proceeding ia the House last mVht were of a most dreary character. Somn twenty Bills were ordered to be committed and fitteen others were repotted, White the Mining Companies Act, 1872 AmenH raont Bill was under consideration thY word "dummy" was frequently 'mod : Many houoranle gentlemen wished to know the meaning of it, aud several members ' connected With mmm» interost.interpreted " as follow*:—Tho dummy is a very im portant institution with a certain class of mioing speculators. For instance • when a man is not inclined to pay repeated calls upon shares.wb.icb he has acquired upon tha chance of an early rise in prices, he some times transfers his stock to an imaeiuvv person-i.o , a dummy,|whoße residence is generally understood to be a coaeiderablft distance from whore the register ij kept, and the aharoi eventually become forfeited to the company, ' Progress was finally reported on the Bill Law Practitioners Bill, Mr Sbddon moved that the qualified " tioo, "general knowledge," be struck ont" It was onivof those ind«hnite terms whii* left It Id the power of the Judges to make examination so arbitrary that anyone who wished to refuse a candidate or class of candidates admission, could do so—Mr M W. Grken proposed the substitution of constitutional history instead of general knowledge.—The amendment was lost on " the voices.—Mr Seddon objected to clause 14, as it would prevent anyone but a barrister ' from appearing in Court. lie argued that this would be placing a restriction on. solicitors, which bad not hitherto existed ■— Mr Skddon proposed that clause 55, pro. : viding that the Judges n:ay make rulea dividing the two branches of the profession - be struck out.—The committee divided oa * the question that the clause stand as printed : Ayes, 35; noes, 38.—Clause 56 was struck out on the voices,—Mr Sbddon moved that the fee for admission be reduced f/- om, f 2l i" m lOs— The committee divided on the question that the sum stand as printed :—Ayes, 42 ; noes, 32.—The re- " maimier of the clauses were tb.cn put. and passed. ' The Eating Bill. Major Hakeis moved that clause 2 bo altered to read, " That the land without ' the buildings and improvement alone J should be rated,"—The question was put that the clause remain as printed-Ayes, 50; noes, 16,—Progress was finally re. ' ported. License Fees. , In the llousc to-day, Mr DICK fabled a report from the Law OiEcer stating that Town Boards, and not County Councils, are entitled to license fees payable under the Licensing Act, 1881, ana also fees payable under the Dog Kegistration Act, 1880. A. Meniber Sapping. A comical incident took place in the House on Thtmday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, when the Fencing Bill was under discussion. The membec for "Wakatipu was stretched at full length, folded in the arms of Morpheus, while his spirit wandered away in the realms of dreamland, when a division was called for. Just as members were about to divide, the member for Tuapeka directed the Chairman's attcu. turn to the fact that Mr Fergus wa9 oblivions to what was going on. The Sergeantat- Arms was directed to wake tho slumberer up.but before he reached the bench whpreon the eentleman was stretched, the member for Hokitika, -who was interested in. the Bill, shook the 6noror, and exclaimed, Vote " No, no." The member for Wakatipu started shouting " v<>." Not knowing the nature of the question under discuntiou, he went into the " Pq " lobby, and it is not yet ascertained whether he has been enlightened oa tho subject for which he voted.