PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 174, 25 July 1890, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

<p , (BY TELEGRAPH —OWN REPORTER.) Wellington, this day. Semi-official documents. The House of Representatives was occupied for nearly three hours yesterday afternoon discussing the powers possessed by Select Committees to call for the production of documents, papers, etc., relative to matters referred to them. The petition of Daniel Mahoney, of Wellington, claiming compensation for plans prepared for the -public buildings at Dunedin, had been referred to the Public Petitions Committee. The Committee made application to the Hon. Captain Russell for certain documents relating to the case, and these having been refused, Mr T. Thompson, Chairman of the Commitbee, was instructed to bring the matter before the House. In doing so, Mr Thompson stated that the documents referred to had already been produced before the Supreme Court, and were considered by the Committee to be necessary to enable them to arrive at that decision on the merits of the petition. He moved that the papers referred to be furnished to the Public Petitions Committee. The Hon. Captain Russell said he was perfectly willing to lay before the Committee all official documents properly, so called, but objected to provide private tnemos in reference to those papers, on the ground that the adoption of such a precedent would prevent the heads of departments from receiving in future confidential communications necessary to the proper conduct of the public business. Hon. Mr Ballance said the Houso had always drawn a distinction between confidential memos and public documents, but he had never before known any officer to refuse to produce somi-official documents, such as thoso in befora a select committee. In the majority of caaos, ho urged, the committees would fail to do justice to the questions referred to them unless they had such documents before them. The Hon. Mr Hislop said the Government were anxious nob to establish a precedent of this kind, but admitted that after what had taken place it would be advantageous if the documents were placed before the, Committee. After several others had spoken the motion for the production of the papers was carried on the voices. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time or committed :—Patea Harbour Board Bill, Borough of Devonport Empowering Endowment Bill, Wellington School of Design and Exchange Bill, Auckland Harbour Board Empowering Bill, Borough of Brunner Enabling Act, 18S9, Amendment Bill, Timaru Harbour Board Empowering Bill, Auckland Hospital Reserve Bill, Timaru Charitable Aid Institution Vesting Bill, and Gisborne Harbour Act, 1884, Amendment Bill. PATEA HARBOUR BILL. Although the second reading of this Bill was allowed to pass, there were signs of future opposition Mr Harknees asserted lhat the Patea Harbour Board had borrowed £10,000 on debentures, while they had also used £5,000 which had accrued from endowments, and now asked for power to borrow another £5,000. The security offered was Certain. The endowments stand to be worth £20,162, but which under the property tax assessment were valued at £4,073, and other asseets valued at £10,600. Mr Merchant expressed his opinion that the work for which thia money was proposed to be raised wae thoroughly desirable and justifiable. Mr Hutchison aaid the Patea Harbour Beard had never made default. Their annual receipts amounted to £1,500 or £1,600, and the expenditure of a further sum of money as proposed would enhance the security offered. The Bill eventually passed the second reading, and was committed for that day week. The Brunner Enabling Acb and Gisborne Harbour Amendment Act Were aleo waived for opposition at future stages. ( ALLEGED BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. Last evening the Hon. Mr Larnach called attention to a paragraph in a recent edition of a Southern paper, to the effect that obstruction was being offered in order to prevent fche Committee reporting until after the end of the present session of Parliament. He said these communications were not only very inconvenient, bub also very improper. Every effort had been made tb push forward the business of the Committee, but owing to the difficulties that had been experienced the progress made had been slow. He thought it a very wrong thing that they had individuals who had the privilego of going about the lobbies and in the precincts of the House, in the shape of Ananias, spreading these wrong sayings and doings. He protested vety strongly, but inado no motion on the subject, and the matter was allowed to drop. CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS. Mr Goldie is moving for the introduction of the Bill to give effect to the provisions of Clause 88 of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885, which provides for the setting apart of 250,000 acres of Crown lands as endowments for the purposes of this Act. The Distillation Amendment Act introduced by the Hon. Mr Mitchelson makes it lawful for the Commissioner of Customs to grant wine and still licenses to the or occupier of a vineyard in actual Cultivation. It fixes the annual license at £10. Mr Monk has been elected Chairman of the Native Affairs Committee.