HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9887, 18 November 1897, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, November 17. MORNING SITTING. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. After the Telegraph Office closed this morning the consideration of the Lands and Survey Estimates was continued. Mr TAYLOR moved to strike out the item Balneologist awl expenses £1000. Negatived by 49 to 7, and the class agreed to. Class 14—Police Department. Mr PIRANI moved to report progress. Mr SEDDON said he had every reason to complain ot the treatment the Government were receiving. It "•'as clearly understood the other evening that, if certain classes were taken, the remainder would be finished in one evening. The non-passage of the Estimates was blocking business and paralysing work. After debate the motion was negatived by 31 to 27. Vote Police Department £105,666. Mr TAYLOR asked for information as to the scope and order of reference of the Police Commission. Capt. RUSSELL protested against Inspector Tunbridge being on the Commission, and said it was unfortunate that on his arrival in the colony lie should be placed in such a position. Mr T. THOMPSON said the Commission would enquire into the organisation of the force and any other matters brought before it. When Inspector Tunbridge arrived in the colony the papers were laid before him, and it was at his own request that he had been placed on the Commission. Mr ALLEN contended that Inspector Tunbridge had been forced into the Commission. Mr ROLLESTON wanted the scope of the Commission more definitely stated. Were the Commissioners to have a free hand, or only to investigate charges brought before them? Mr TAYLOR was not aware of any precedent for Inspector Tunbridge's appointment to the Commission. If the Government insisted on this course they would do a great deal to thwart the enquiry they had pretended to concede to the country. The Minister's answer as to the scope of the Commission was most unsatisfactory, and he demanded a more definite statement.

Mr SEDDON said he was satisfied that, no matter in what position Inspector Tunbridge was placed, he would acquit himself with credit to himself and profit to the colony. He was sorry to inform the House that Dr. Giles, from private reasons, had been unable to accept the position as Commissioner. His (Mr Seddon's) mind was still open on the question of the appointment of Inspector Tunbridee to the Commission, and he would give it further consideration.

At 3.45, after an hour and a half's discussion, the motion to report progress, moved by Mr Montgomery, was negatived by 26 to 23. A further lengthy debate ensued on the subject. Mr TAYLOR, at 4.55, moved that the item three clerks £575 be reduced by £5, as an indication that the Premier's reply to the question respecting the scope and conduct of the Commission was unsatisfactory.

Negatived on the voices. Mr WASON moved to report progress at five o'clock.

After a debate, this, was negatived by 27 to 20.

A discussion ensued on different items of the vote.

Mr MOORE moved to reduce item 4, Inspectors under Licensing Act £600 by £1, a« an indication that their services ought to be dispensed with. Agreed to on the voices. At 6.45 Mr MOORE moved to report progress. Negatived by 27 to 14. Shortly before eight o'clock Mr SEDDON moved that the Hansard .reporters be relieved from reporting this class (Police). Carried. Mr Guinness left the chair at eight o'clock for breakfast. On resuming at nine o'clock the discussion was resumed on a motion to reduce the vote £300 hoase allowance for police by £10. Lost on the voices. Mr LEWIS moved that the item, purchase of horses £250, be reduced one-half, as an indication chat the department should arrange for police being more extensively mounted on bicycles. Mr THOMPSON, in reply to Mr Crowther, said that 100 horses, more or less, were kept for Constabulary purposes. After another lengthy debate, the amendment was lost, and total vote, £105,666, passed. Miscellaneous, £2492. In reply to Mr Richardson, Mr SEDDON said, if the vote of £500, compensation to J. J. Meikle, were struck out, he would put it on the Supplementary Estimates. In the meantime, the matter had been referred back to the Public Petitions Committee. When the Committee reported, the Government would approach its recommendation with an open mind ami act on that report. Mr RICHARDSON moved that the vote be struck out, with that view. Mr ROLLESTON asked what was the object of striking out the vote, aa some measure of justice was better than none ? Mr SEDDON did not know, and said his offer was made in order to stop the discussion. If the vote were struck ont it might not appear on the supplementary estimates at all. He was quite content to await the report of the Committee. After considerable discussion Mr Richardson withdrew his, amendment. Mr WASON moved that the purchase of long service medals, £50, be reduced by £40, and pointed out that only £20 was spent on those medals last year. Several members having* spoken on this l eduction, Mr SEDDON asked the Opposition to discontinue its obstruction to the Estimates and preserve the good name of the House. He said he had never seen such a sorry spectacle since he had been a member of the House. He moved that this vote be strack out. Captain RUSSELL w_3 much obliged to the Premier for his advice to the Opposition, but the Opposition felt they had a duty to perform in this matter. If the Premier would fix a day for bringing on a resolution deaUng with the officers of the House, and for setting up Select Committees, and if he would also give them the information they asked for on several other subjects, they would at once cease their obstruction to the Estimates. Tltiey felt that if they allowed the Estimates to pass without making this protest they would have no possible chance of redressing, any grievances at all. He )CapUin Russell) had never, during his twenty years in Parliament, known it so difficult to gel, information as at the present time. Mr SEDDON said Captain Russell had J now admitted that the Opposition had been 1 deliberately obstructing the Estimates and

had stated their object in doing so. If that was a constitutional way of proceeding it was new to him, and he now st-ted, with a proper sense of the responsibility cast upon him, that he was not prepared to accept the alternative offered him by the Opposition leader. It was, therefore, a question whether or not the Government, with a majority in the House and the country, must rale, or whether the Opposition were to rule. He distinctly stated that he could not be forced into the position which the 'Opposition wished to put him in. Mr ROLLESTON said he had pointed out, on a previous night, that it was not proper that the Committees should not be set up or that the officers of the House should not be put in their proper position. He thought it improper that they should be forced to put through the whole of the Estimates iv this manner, and said it was a wrong thing to grant supply before the large amount of public business for which the country was crying out was transacted. Mr HOGG said the Government side of the House were prepared to sit out the Estimates, and they would fight the Opposition on fair terms. Mr J. M'KENZIE said he had never during seventeen years known an instance of this kind where the Opposition had deliberately stonewalled business from the beginning of a session. The course they had taken was unprecedented, and the Premier was perfectly right in taking the stand he had done. At 1 p.m. the House adjourned till 2.30.