THE ESTIMATES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 223, 21 September 1898, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES.

AN, ALL - NIGHT SITTING

[Continued from Page 3.]

(By Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

After two attention was frequently called to the state of the House, but vigorous ringing of the bell summoned in straggling members from Bellamy's, the library, and the lobbies. Mr. Duthie's amendment that the salary of the Registrar and the Sheriff of Auckland be reduced from £400 to .€350 was, after considerable discussion, negatived on die voices. There was a lot of talk qvsv the item payments to deputy assignees, and as the Minister of Justice refused to carry out the written promise made by the Premier that the details of last year's vote should be supplied he was subjected to a lot of badinage and chaffed unmercifully as being the strong-, rann of the Ministry. ' ,/!:;■

A JTiotion to report progress was at 3.3S negatived by 20 to 17.

The Premier, who now returned to the Chamber, had attention directed to the fact that his promise to give, 'fullest information' when the votes* were 'under consideration' was being departed from.

* Mr 'Seddon asked that the vote should be passed, and before the class was disposed of he would roughly give the details asked for. This offer was accepted after strong1 complaints had been made by Messrs Duthie and Buchanan as to the attitude of the Minister of Justice, who was lying back in his chair without affordingthe House any information as to the Estimates. The vote was passed.

The vote for District and Magistrates' Courts provoked much discussion. Mr Buchanan moved its reduction by £50 ns a protest against the disproportionate salaries paid to stipendiary magistrates and districtcourt judges. It was explained that during the "recess a classification scheme would be adopted fixing the maximum salary as follows: — For first-class, £500 per annum; secondclass, £450; third-class, £400. The Premier expressed regret that Judge Kettle had not accepted the offer of the Government to come to Wellington and had also • refused a position as Judge of the Validation Court.

Mr Duthie protested against Mr Kenny, who was only a second-class man, being retained in Wellington.

Mr Northcroft's case was raised by Messrs Bollard and Monk', who asked if ilie Government intended to vindicate him against the charges made by Mr Lawry.

The Premier said jno Civil Servant or magistrate, had a right to call on a Minister to challenge a statement made by a member in the House. The member -was responsible only to his constituents and not any Civil Servant, magistrate, or Minister of the Crown. Communications had been received from no less than .'! members in Parliament in the direction of preventing' Mr Northcroft's removal from Auckland. .. "

The Minister of Justice said he declined to take sides in the matter. Ho was not going to say who wns right.

Mr La wry repeated the allegations lie had made concerning Mr Northcroft, whose conduct he considered most disgraceful, and ehalleged Messrs Pirani, 'Hutchison and Bollard to meet him on the public platform. He would say on the Auckland platform all he had said in the House—and ten times worse. Messrs Dnthie and Buchanan expressed the opinion that Mr Northeroft was incapable of telling- a lie; while Mr Carson said no Minister with a spark of nv.nliness or justice would sit still while an officer of his Department was slandered. At 5.45 Mr Buchanan's amendment was negatived on the voices and the vote agreed to. The next vote, that of the Native Land Court, was passed after the Premier had presented the contingency vote, which had caused trouble.when the bankruptcy vote was under consideration. Several other votes passed, and at (5.25 Mr Dnthie moved to report progress, but agreed to withdraw it till the prisons' vote passed. At 0.4.5 Mr Duthie again moved to report progress, but the Premier urged that the succeeding votes to the end of the Post and Telegraph Department vote should be passed.

Captain Russell thought they might meet the Premier in the matter.

Mr Dutkie complained of the faulty manner of sending the 'Frisco mails from Auckland southwards, and the Premier promised that the question of mail service should come up for discussion before the Supplementary Estimates were brought down. On this understanding- Mr Duthie withdrew his motion to report progress. On the vote for Office' of Industries and Commerce (£.1.075) Mr Duthie urged that the Department should be wiped out as of no use. He moved to strike out the vote of .2 250 for the promotion of tTie sale of produce in the United Kingdom. The Premier said there were great possibilities for the Department, but so far very little had been done with it, and unless improved, by next session it Avould be swept away. Mr Duthie's motion was negatived by 24 to 14 and the Department passed. Class V., Post and Telegraph Department, was then considered. On Mr Lethbridge's motion a reduction of £1 in the total vote of the mail services was made in accordance with the Premier's suggestion that this should be done as an indication that the question of mail services by sea was to come up for consideration later in the s-ession. Eventually the remaining votes of Class V. were passed without alteration. In answer to Mr Hutcheson the Premier stated that on the contingencies vote, of the Post and Telegraph -Department was a sum of £140, drawn as travelling allowance by Mr Crow, his secretary, who was an officer of the Post and Telegraph Department. * Mr Hutcheson said this £146 must be added to the £1,T50 expenses charged to the colony by the Premier on account of his trip to England. The Premier claimed that it was not his expenses but for Mr Crow, who would have drawn the amount for travelling whether he had gone to England or not; for he would have been travelling in the colony. Progress was reported and the House rose at eight.