HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

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

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday, Accuse 6. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE JUDGK WAKD COUBESPONDJENQK. ' Mr Seymour broußht up the interim report of the Public Petitions Committee in the petition of Christie of Oamaru, making certain charges against Judge Ward. The report is to the effect that the case in question was stib juriHc« and the Committee did not feel justified in dealing further with the matter at toesent. Mr Seddon* moved that the report be referred back to the Committee for further I consideration, as he felt sure that If that were not done Parliament would have no opportunity this session of inquiring into the matter. The impression on hie mind was that as soon as the session was over the Government would take theflrsb opportunity of removing Judge Ward, and he thought the House should be fa a position to discuss the whole question. Mr Tuknuull also thought that tile petition should be referred Tback, and be considered the Committee had signally failed in their duty in the action they had taken. Mr Seymour said that the Committee were perfectly unanimous in their der cision. They were not likely to change their minds, as the petitioner had sent a petition to Parliament, and immediately after he bad taken another course, namely, through the Supreme Court of the colony. He thought the Committee was not justified in interfering in a case of that kind, but could only bring up an interim report. Sir H. Atkinson said that Mr Seddon entirely misunderstood the case. Hβ considered the Committee were perfectly justified in the action they had taken. The rule cf the House, so far as he knew, had always been that when a petitioner had taken action in a court of law to leave it there until it had been shown that petitioner could not obtain redress in that Court. The Committee, therefore, in his opinion, were following the usual custom in such cases. Parliament had nothing to do with the dispute between the Court and Judge Ward. The Government were responsible to Parliament tar the conduct of its officers, and i| it was thought that the Government had acted wrongly they could be brought to book by the-. House. If the Opposition wished to attack the Government on this question it was open to them to do so at once. Mr Ballance was afraid the question was slivV.) vi ' -i l» - n i" r " Cotnmlmc. I , i tkl < », > going OT I , OTl'-Ipf I >i a'tho if xi ■ *• mi h ii i v tes lit* mr j ,i i- tss u i •} t thcco'u Pitf-fi ban r.ir< purrontiK orrpRTH nu in '. irmwdci V It-' * ' ■*«• w»« r*n i »n m xi- ioverw»»i i>l. us rr r<.' and if iht Go-veiii.'i.m (&vi h t foi mic\ « Co'phiHp*. it t 1 <■ srhh o'it t* l i,i» nwi). 1' iViii t.uU<s r) < 3i i ri r usp"il<.nt< +1 lit am> hiM i t-< ii v ipiou,r louujit on iht pin a* th' l icMUiirrient, mid it va9 nctWiWry that the whole thing sboalil U» iq^uU into by a Committee. It would be manifestly unfair, however, to censure thtf Government now without such an inquiry being made, and he thought a Committee of both Houses should be appointed to deal with the matter. The Premier, instead of making a defiant speech, should give every facility for this inquiry. Mr Samuel supported the appointment; of a Committee, as the question wae too important to discuss without full inquiry. Mr Scobie Mackenzie congratulated the Premier on his regard for precedents,' although he had not shown the same regard for them on a recent occasion. Ifc was quite impossible for the Government to escape discussion on this question, as he considered it was one of tne most important that had been before the House. The proper course for the Government to, take was to court inquiry, and not in any I way to burke it. He held that an* interference with the administration o£ ttra course of justice should not be tolerated in any way, especially by a Minister who did not hold the portfolio of Justice; Hα strongly recommended the Colonial Secretary to get up and ask for a Committee- of Enquiry into the whole matter. Mr Fish, as a member of the Committee, said that the correspondence had nothing whatever to do with the Christie case, which would have been considered without correspondence at all. The Committee had now under their consideration the advisability of referring the correspondence to m Committee of both Houses. Hla opinionwaa that the correspondence being laid on the table of the House, , Parliament should not rise without a fall investigation into it. Mr Axlen took a similar view of the case. He thought there should be no attempt to burke inquiry into this correspondence. The Public Petitions Committee was not, however, the proper tribunal to deal with it, and It sfcotuq Dβ referred to a Special Committee. Mr Fisher was not surprised to "J** from the Premier that Christie was dleeatiefled with the administration of justice at Oaraaru. Ho was glad that the member for Kumara had brought the question before the House in tbis way, as It waa new made clear that a Special Committee should be appointed to inquire into a matter of such an important nature. Mr Fergus submitted that anything the Government did at the present time wonla be an object of dissatisfaction to Mr Fisher. Hβ regretted, however, to hear such an amount of political venom imported into the matter before the House, which was calculated to prejudice the whole thing. The correspondence with Judge Ward had nothing whatever to do with the Christie petition, which was presented by a member of the House, and was altogether separate from the petition presented to the Governor. Mr Marchant, another member of the Committee, contended that it waa nob within their functions to deal with the matter at all, and he saw no reason foe referring the interim report tt&cj£ to fcho Committee. After further discussion, Mr Hislop said he did not propose t<3 debate the matter. All he could cay was that no interference had been made witb the Courts of Justice, inasmuch as the conviction had been obtained when the petition was presented to him. The amendment for referring the report) back to the Committee was finally lost on the voices, and the report ordered to lie on the table. Mr Larnach said he Intended giving notice of the appointment of a Committee to report on the correspondence between the Government and Judge Ward, and toact with a Committee for the legislative Council. . t . tu^t. Sir H. Atbxnsok asked whether tnaD was a hostile motion. , Mr Labwach replied in the negative. Sir H. Atkinson then asked the non. gentleman if he would agree to Postpone the motion till next day, as after the discussion that had taken placei tfca Government required a little time to consider the matter. „,„*:„„ Mr Larnach postponed fcia motioa accordingly. THE BABBIT COMMISSION* Mr Bhown asked the Minister of Lands if he will inform the House of the cost to the colony of being represented on toe

Rabbit Commission on the Pasteur experiments in New South Wales, and the name of the person who represented New /.ealand, and,the time he devoted to sucn duties. nsni Mr Richardson said the cost was £oui, the name was Mr A. D. Bell, and the time spent was 103 days in Australia. The remainder of the questions were postponed till the next day. on the Premier's motion. REPRESENTATION BELL. The House went into Committee for the further consideration of the Representation BilL Sir J. Hall moved a new clause to tne effect that in elections in city electoral districts where three candidates are to be elected no elector shall be allowed to vote for more than two candidates. He explained that this system worked well in England, and he hoped that the Committee would agree to it. Mr Ballance said this system never met_ wii._ the approval of the .Liberal party in The hon. gentleman, having abaaaoned single electorates, now wished to introduce a three-cornered system of election. He (ilr Ball.ince) did not think it would work well, and it had created dissatisfaction at Home. He admitted that in London it had the effect; of returning three Conservatives and one Liberal. Notice should have been given of this amendment, and he thought the Committee would not be prepared to accept iv Mr Turnbull was surprised at an hon. gentleman of Sir John Hall's experience introducing amendments of this character, which were calculated to destroy the Bill that had given them so much trouble. He held that, every amendment which Sir John Hall introduced would be likely to kill the Bill, and that was what a certain section of the House desired, and he appealed to Sir John Hall not to press his amendment. Dr. Newman also hoped that Sir John Hall would withdraw his amendment, and said that the member for Selwyn was not acting fairly to the town party in moving it. Mr Beeves (St. Albans) was in entire agreement with Dr. Newman, and said that these three-cornered elections worked very badiy in England. This was a most unfair attempt on the part of the member for Selwyn to deprive towns of their rights. It was grossly unfair to deprive the majorities of the towns under the amalgamated system of those privileges which they enjoyed under the single electorate system Mr Lance Baid Sir J. Hall's amendment was a gross breach of confidence between the town and country parties. He would ask the hon. gentleman to withdraw his proposal. , _. . , Sir John Hall entirely denied that ne had been guiit-v of a breach of confidence, and it was the"first time such a charge had been made against him. His amendment merely provided for the fair representation of large minorities in towns. Tile House rose at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. REPRESENTATION BILL. Sir John Hall resumed his remarks in defence of his proposal, a3 necessary in theMnterests of the minority. Mr Sunders said he could not vote for the amendment. It would give country representation an advantage over the towns. , „ . Mr Moss said that what was really intended was that the clause should operate against the majority not, as asserted, in favor of the mlnorify. Mr Izard opposed the amendment, which was lost on division by 55 to 10. Sir John Hall said that he would withdraw the amendment In favor of female suffrage If the Government would give him another opportunity of discussing the matter. , The Premier agreed to do so, and hoped the Bill would now be allowed to proceed without other amendments being proceeded with. Mr Reeves (lnanghua) proposed to move an amendment in favor of female suffrage himself, but at the entreaties of the Premier and Mr BaUance he abandoned his intention. Mr O'Conor also withdrew an amendment of which he had given notice, applying the Hare system to electorates for whioh there were only two candidates. j Mr Guinness moved that where a candidate returned at the first poll had not an absolute majority, a fresh election should be held between the first and second candidate on the poll. The amendment was lost by 51 to 18. . The Bill, as amended, was then, reported ; the amendments to be set down for consideration on next sitting day. *n«.I R-___inV(r9. The Canterbury Society of Arts Bill and Public Reserves Act, 1889, were received by message from the Legislative Council and were read a first time. POST OFFICE BILL. The House then went into Committe on the Post Office Bill, which was reported without amendment, read a third time, and passed. OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY. The adjourned debate on the second reading of the Otago Central Railway Bill was resumed. Mr Guinness said that the work would inflict a large burden of taxation on the colony. The report cf the Commissioners was his authority for this statement. This was a political job, and a bid for the Otago support. It was a wrong and an injustice to single out this one line in the colony, and a departure from the non-borrowing policy upon which the present Government took office. The only legitimate way to construct this and other lines in a similar position was to go to the London market specifically for that purpose at a proper time, and then deal impartially with all parts of the colony. The Bill was one which ought to be thrown out, and he moved that it be read that day six months. Mr Hutchison opposed the Bill, and referred to the uncertainty as to the cost of tha construction of the line. He went on to assert that the Bill proposed a direct reversion of the Loan Act of 1886, wherein expenditure on public works was distinctly ear-marked. Further, the loan proposed was a breach of faith with the public creditor. Mr E. Richardson thought the Bill was the solution of a difficulty which had troubled the House for a long time past, but while he supported it, he thought that after its second reading it might stand over till after the Public Works Statement had been brought down. (The Premier—-Hear, hear.) Mr Gkhoiond moved the adjournment of the debate, in order that the Public Work- policy might be brought before the House, and it could be seen what other railways could be included in the Bill. Mr Walk_3R seconded .his, agreeing that the Public Works policy should be known before the House dealt with such a new principle or system as was proposed by the BilL The Premier said Government would offer no opposition to tbe adjournment of the debate.

Mr Turnbull preferred, he said, amendment of Mr Guinness. The debate was then, on the voices, ad- ■ journed for a fortnight. LAW OF T.rRgT. BtUU The House then went into Committee on the Law of Libel Bill. In clause 2 the words thirty-three were Inserted instead of twenty-six. so as to cover in the interpretation of "newspapers" any monthly publication. In clause 3, report of proceedings in Court, Dr. FxTCHETT moved to amend the clause to make it apply to reports of evidence only. i After some further discussion, the! Colonial Secretary moved to report progress, and asked leave to sit again presently. This was carried on division by 40 to 26, and progress was reported. A CURIOUS Dxx-KMMA. The Premier then stated that by a curious mistake, owing to his absence from the House at the time, the debate on the last Bill—an important Government one—had been adjourned for a fortnight. Of course the Government could not permit this. He believed the affair was accidental, and he therefore would ask the House to allow him to move without notice that the order be rescinded and the Bill placed on the Order Paper for to-morrow. This the House refused, and the Premier then gave notice to move next day in the direction he had Indicated. Of course, he said, the Government could allow no further business to be done that night, and he would, therefore, move that the House now adjourn. This was agreed to, and tbe House rose at 10J30p.ro.

There la (say* the London m-nA Pnrf) another feather in the capital of Sj_£_£ Mdlle. Blize de Burypoints Kh2t Moliere was of Sc©tt__£ e-rtKWtkm