GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 103, 30 June 1876, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27. (Continued from page 3.) In the House of Representatives at evening sitting,

Mr Pyke continued the Piako Swamp debate, asserting that the charges of corruption were emanations irom diseased minds.

Mr Lusk endeavored to prove in an argumentative speech that the sale was vicious in the extreme, inexpedient and injurious to the welfare of the district— that more land was given away than was bargained for, ana that the land was worth twenty thousand pounds, though he djd hot say that the transaction affectea the honor of the Minibters. The sale could not have been carried out if the public of Auckland had known of it. The Government had no right to give away principalities. No action of Government could be more disastrous to the interests of the people of Auckland. The Waikato people who defended the sale were all directly interested or dependent on the Piako works. To pass a resplution was like whitewashing the-Go-vernment. .'

"■ Major Atkinson laid the maps of the ] swamp upon the table, and defied anyone to disprove .the correctness of the i maps, or say more land was given away than was originally bargained for. As to the legality ofthe transaction, neither the late Attorney-General nor the present Solicitor-General had expressed any doubts as to the legality of the sale, and the Government could not be far wrong in acting according to their interpretation oi the law. Mr Joyce opposed the motion. -Mr M'Lean said he visited the Piako Swamp solely with the view of being able to give an opinion upon it, and he was quite satisfied that neither 400 nor any number of small settlers could be placed on the land. Sir D. M'Lean took all the responsibility of the transaction upon himself, denying that he and Mr Russell had anything in common, or that he favored him in any way. He took every care to preserve the rights in connection with land, and maintained that the «ale was conducted fairly, openly, and honorably. Mr Hodgkinson thought the transaction very "swampy," and wondered how Mr Stafford supported it. Mr Andrew defended the action of the Ministry. ~ „ Sir Julius Yogel made a long speech, answering the principal arguments of the Opposition speakers, and dealing with a great deal of the matter dragged in',; but hpt very pertinent to the debate, Buchjas his^ telegraphic correspondence yrit|_ .Sir George Grey, and his correspondence with th«» Banks. He ndic r _u^d.' P l^idea ; Vf-°^ George Grey taking on^ehalf of tlie Queen, under a writ of seire 'facias, legal proceedings againsj; ;her t reponsible , ad gontiem^ lin the course of his remarks that altgr V||« : pending constitji^ Provinciaifp|;ope*rty^ be vested in jtlie; Go pernor, and al)l Proyin cial oMcers wopld ;^beciome^ ! Uener&r- Goverhmehr officers. ; He ahnounced that the rJ.'in-

uncial statement would he delivered on I "uesd ay next. .; ;A division was culled on Mr Stout's amendment, whioh was lost by 52 against 20. ■•■..-, Another division took plac^.upon the originnl motion, which was carried by 51 against 19. The following is the division list : — o A^_f 3-^ AlMlrew . Atkinson, Baigent, BallancVHanif, Bastings, Bowen, J. E. Browne, .Bryce, ' Bunny, Button, Carringtori, Cox, Curtis,- Douglas,/itzory, Gibbs, Henry, Hunter,, Johnston, 5 ft' £ c " ne,i - y > Larn » ch - M'Farlwi^.-Manders, bir D. MLean, G. M'Lean. Montgomery, Moorhouse, Murray- Aynsley, Ortriohd Pearce, Pyke, Read, Reynolds, Richardsntf; 7 Richmond, Rowe. JKussell, Sharp, Stafford, Stevens, r Taiaroaj ; ! lawiti, Teschmaker, Tribe, Yogel, Wakefield,. Watson, Williams, Woolcook, Waterhouse. Noes. -Brandon, J. C. Brown, Burns, De Lautour, Dignan, Fisher, Hamlin, Hodgkinson, Joyce, Lusk, Murray, Nahe., Kees, Rol_e_too, Shnmskw, Stout, Swanson, Tole, Thomson, W. Wood, Reader Wood. • The House adjourned at 1.40,. WEDNESDAY, JDNE 28. '

Mr Wakefield gave notice $o, moye that the General Government .assume the control of all the railways throughout the Colony -with as little delay, as possible.

Sir Robert Douglas moved tKe, address in reply. He commented upon the different . subjects brought undqr notice in the document.

Mr. Bastings seconded, and in doing so to.ok opportunity of making a personal,explanation as to which side he intended to vote with. He came to House resolved to vote for Abolition, and he intended to carry out that idea, but it was only on that question that he felt himself bound to vote with the Government.

Mr Manders thought mention should have been made in the address of the eminent services rendered by the Premier while at Home.

The address in reply was thetf-put and agreed to. Mr Rees moved — " For a select committee to inquire into and report upon the statements and. facts connected with Mr Frederick Vyhitaker and the Piako Swamp contract. *V,, f r'; ' Sir J. Yogel said the House vrould commit a grave error in ' appointing a committee to inquire into the, J^e.of a single member, when any mej|^R r wh6 ,; \. took his seat illegally wasj^ile to • heavy penalties. As far ae^lßSS'"'o / o>'.-i vernment were concerned, theyvwere of opinion that it was not the place of the ;, House to interfere. It was quite open r lor any one to proceed against Mr Whitaker. The penalities were- very ,' . heavy, and the hon. member sat there at his peril. Mr Wakefield was glad the Premier had set the House right in pointing out that the appointment of a com mittee would be a mistake. The Dis- . qualification Act was never meant to ■• entrap hon..members r _in this way, and jk subject any member of the House ', to £ annoyance and inconvenience. ;^*7 " .isf .1 " Sir Julius Yogel saidf ;thjh' r Govern-? J ment would be 1 prepared, shortly', tp\ bring down resolutions dealing with the whole matter of disqualification. Mr Rees protested against any op- - position to so reasonable a demand.

The -motion was negatived on the voices.

Sir J. Yogel moved that Mr O'Rorke : > be appointed Chairman of Committees. Sir George Grey seconded the nomination.

Mr Burns moved that the Government be requested to call for tenders for manufacturing within the Cplony , all descriptions of rpllingr stock and o_b.er off 8 rail way plant. The hon. gentleman argued there was a great deal of necessary pla&'t , in the .: 7 Colony for doing this kind ot wo^k; and! the industry of the Colony buglit, he thought, be encouraged. There was '" no scarcity oT skilled wbrkniieh, who 2 had .been induced to come here to work upon our rolling-stock. Mr Richardson recognised the principles embodied in the motion as quite in accordance with the policy of the last three or four years, but-it was quite out ofthe (question that all ;the appliances in the Colony put together could manufacture anything like a proportion oif the stock required by the different railways of the Colony. Wherever it was practicable, the Government would call for tenders for the manufacture of railway materialjan the Colony.. Already they had had' some carriages built in the Colony, but he regretted to" isay that they did not give anything like- the satisfaction the imported ones, did Mr.Macandrew hoped tHe r f^ftv i ßrnment would carry out this princijfte^aV , widely as possible, even to Forp|terg, '.'. Superintendents of Gaols, ' Hospitals, and Lunatic Asylums. s -^ Mr J. E. Brown pointed oiit that in' 1 ' Victoria, where local manufacturers bb-f;:.," tamed tenders for the . construction of V^ rolling-stock, they merely imported them. " ' Motion agred to. ; Mr, Reeves moved for a return of number of Savings Banks no^r in ope- ' ration in the Colony, hot being Post Office Sayings Banks.— Agreed! to. ... Mr Cox mqved forja return ,of all/ , Educational Reserves in tlie ;Cblony, General and Prpvinci ; al, r Jspe(sifying , the P r 6 vi nee and acreage)' of each reserve; ,,' ., and .whether leujsedur open foi^ale, 7 ; ."•' .;.-, Agreed tq. r V-" ; ■■ ;-':". .Vi ;V ;,-£-. Theliouse rose at^3o^y V; v / V-rv< .:''■'"■* 7- ■«r«_M_-w-b-----i>.vf^..jj-7 )/,>-, ";'j