PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7382, 7 August 1889, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

[by telegraph. j [from our special correspondent.] WELLINGTON, August 6. The "Ward-Christie affair occupied the House for an hour and a half this afternoon. The Committee on Christie's petition presented an interim report stating that as Civil proceedings had been taken against Judge Ward by Christie they did not think the petition should be further considered while the case is still sub judice. A long and at times somewhat warm debate took place upon Mr Seddon moving that the report be referred back to the Committee. Ultimately the motion was put and lost, when the matter dropped. The old familiar afternoon business of receiving petitions and notices of motion, and of questions, interrupted by the stonewall, was resumed to-day. All the petitions, notices of motion, and questions which had been accumulating for a fortnight poured forth like a flood for half-an-hour. There was hardly a member in the House who did not present one or more petitions. The questions on the Order Paper were postponed till to-morrow, at the request of the Premier, and shortly before five o'clock the House went into Committee for further consideration of the Eepresentation Bill. The Goldfields Committee report recommending " that the Minister of Mines be requested to bring in a Bill to amend section 293 of the Mining Act, 1886, in order that an. extension of twelve pontha' time may be allowed to persons desirous of obtaining mine managers' certificates of competency." This Committee also reported re Simon Fraser's petition, that he has no claim on the colony. In reference to tbe proposal of the Victorian Government to increase the tariff on cereals, Mr Seddon intends asking the Premier if he intends, on behalf of New Zealand, to remonstrate with the Victorian Government on the subject. Thomas Bell and Co., Limited, who formerly occupied Sunday Island, Kermadec Group, prior to annexation by New Zealand, having made a claim against the colony, Dr. Fitchett is to ask the Government what action they propose to take in the matter. The annual Bill for the reform, classification or re-organisation of the Civil service, by whichever term it may be designated, has not yet made it 3 appearance, and Mr Rhodes has given notice to ask whether it is proposed to introduce such a Bill this session. Mr Fulton intends to press the local option resolution carried by the House a few weeks ago, and will ask the Premier if he will intoduce a Bill to give effect to the terms of the resolution, which was as follows:—" It is, in the opinion of this House imperative that the Government should without delay introduce a Bill, giving powers to the people by direct vote at the ballot box, periodically taken, to prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors within the district in which they reside." Mr Fisher to-day gave notice of his intention to introduce a Bill to provide for the promotion of technical education. The Premier has not abandoned the idea' of getting a Select Committee to inquire and report as to what form of local government is beet adapted for the requirements of the colony, and to-day obtained permission to renew the motion he had previously given notice of on the subject. It is suggested that the Committee should consist of the following members: —Dr. Hodgkinson, Mr Moss, Hon. G. F. Eichardson, Mr Seddon, Mr Jones, Mr Whyte, Mr Vincent Pyke, Mr Samuel, Mr J. McE!enzie, Mr Macarthur, Mr Tanner, and the mover; to report in three weeks. Mr Verrall lias given notice to move for a return showing the amount of debt now owing by New Zealand local bodies, the amount now owing on New Zealand mortgages, and how much of theee amounts is owing outside the colony. For a considerable time past there has been loud complaint throughout the country over the system of auditing the ! accounts of local bodies, and Mr Thompson, member for Marsden, intends to bring the matter directly before the Colonial Treasurer by asking him if his attention has been called to the great irregularities existing in the Audit Department, by j which local bodies have been deprived of I their books for several months, and if he j will take into consideration the necessity of a better system of audit than at present exists. I Mr Walker has also given notice of a I motion on the same subject as follows: — , " That a return be laid before this House showing for the last financial year (1) the ! total coat of auditing the accounts of local governing bodies; (2) the additional cost to the Audit Department of undertaking such audit; (3) the additional number of officers, and their salaries, appointed to carry out such work; (4) the number of Provincial Auditors dispensed with ; (5) the amount of salaries so saved ; (6) the amount paid by way of compensation or retiring allowance to such Provincial Auditors; (7) the nett result to the Treasury by the transfer of local audit to the Controller and Auditors' Department; (8) the amount charged to each body for audit of accounts, specifying date of audit and time occupied in each case. Mr Joyce is persistent on the reciprocity question. He has given notice to-day to the effect that the Government should endeavour to effect a reciprocal /treaty with Victoria during the present session. Mr J. C. Brown is also bestirring himself and *»«■ given notice to ask the Minister of Lands and Agriculture if he will use his best endeavors to bring about a 'reciprocal tariff between New

Zealand and the neighboring colonies on all colonial products from the soil, with the view of such being admitted free of duty. Tae member for Lyttelton has also notified that enquiries should be made by the Native Minister of the practice of leasing N ative lands in the Canterbury district. The Minister is asked if from one to fourteen years' rent is paid in advance and in one sum, and if new leases are granted five or six years before existing leases expire. Mr Joyce has also given notice of certain amendments to be moved in Committee on the Shop Hours Bill. They are in the direction of giving the absolute power to two-thirds of the shopkeepers in any town to close their shops at a certain hour, the petition to be sent to the Borough Council, upon which a special order shall be made. Mr R. LI. Taylor gave notice to-day to ask the Minister of Mines—(l) Whether it is true that the Union Steamship Company which is largely subsidised by the Government, has made arrangements in Sydenham and Christchurch whereby the said Company virtually monopolises the West Coast coal trade in that part of the colony, by limiting the supply ftad regulating the price ? (2) Is it true that the Company refuses to supply dealers in West Coast coals with that commodity, unless they will undertake to obtain their supplies of Newcastle coal from the Company's agent. Mr Richard Reeves has given notice to move that the Parliament of New Zealand desires to express its sympathy with the people of Western Australia in their efforts to secure responsible Government, and views with very great regret the attitude of the British Government in withholding a measure that should be admitted as a right in every one of the Australian colonies, and that the Premier be requested to cable the resolution to the Governor of Western Australia. It was mentioned in the course of the discussion on the Ward-Christie affair today that the correspondence before the House was not complete, inasmuch as several telegrams and memoranda referred to in that correspondence were not included therein. In order to ascertain if possible the nature of these telegrams and the memoranda, Mr Hutchison has given notice to move that there be laid before the House, to supplement the papers re Christie, copies of the various telegrams referred to in the printed papers and the memoranda of the Hon. W. Hislop referred to in No. 10 of the printed corres pondence. The Lincoln Agricultural College and its objects are to be brought before the House by several members who, to-day, gave notice of qnestions as follows: —Mr Fisher to ask the Government whether it is intended to introduce a Bill this session to give effect to the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the management of the Lincoln School of Agriculture. Mr Monk to ask the Minister of Education whether, in addition to present regulations, he will arrange for special agricultural scholarships in connection with the Lincoln College, such privileges being for the public who, although deficient in those attainments for which scholarships are now granted, yet from their special bent or inclination are likely to secure distinction in that class of knowledge to which the above-mentioned institution is devoted. Mr Rhodes is to move—" That there be laid before this House copies of any correspondence in the possession of the Government showing the reforms recently instituted in the management of the Lincoln Agricultural College. , " Major Steward to-day gave notice to introduce the Waimate Public Reserve Sale Bill. [FROM OTTR CORRESPONDED.] WELLINGTON, August 6. It is probable the Public Works Statement will be delivered to-morrow night. In place of the departure being made as was intended by its being simply laid on the table, the Minister will read it as usual.