HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5286, 21 September 1876, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday.

MR. MAUANDREW'S KK30LUTI0N LOST BY 37 AGAINST 24. The debate on Mr. Macaudrew's resolution (namely, " Tnat the Abolition Act be held in abeyance in Otago until the people of Otago determine as to form of self-govein-ment most suitable for them") was kept up until 1.40 a.m. The speakers were chiefly the Otago representatives. It had been anauged borne time before using that if speaker of minor importance on each t>ule could bo pievailed upon not to speak, a division would be taken, but moie spoke than was expected. The following members supported the resolutions : Sir George Grey, Messrs. Keid, Burns, Stout, W. Wood, and Sluimski. The arguments weie to a great oxteut repetitions, namely, that the request ot Otaijo was reasonable , that it was unstatesmanlike to coolly ignore the wishes of a hundred thousand people if it was sordid to have a system ot Government based on a money principle, as the l'remiu' did in saying that Otago will be no woiae off, as she will have this, that, and the other. This was mere bubeiy, nothing more. There was no hope of local legislation being obtained this session. If local legislatuies had been allowed to meet, they would have provided for this want. it onepaitof the | colony was poor and another wealthy, it was idle to say nothing would be taken lrom tho richer ones if good government was to be provided for all. The people ot Otago weie never so agitated befoio, and it was mistaken to suppose this agitation would calm itself when abolition became a fact. 1 1 would take years to allay the dissatisfaction, i'o refuse granting these resolutions would be like a spark in a barrel of gunpowder The people would lebel against it. it was denied that the Public Works scheme did any tiling for the advancement of Otago. If nlic progressed, it was in bpito of the Geneial Government and Public Works policy, and due aoley to her Provincial Council, it tho Government thought the people were with them, whi' be afraid to appeal to them '! It the colony wanted moie money, why not raise it in a sttaiglitforwaid manner ? not indirectly by a qucc/ing the provinces. Let those pay whose land benefited by the change. Directly a system ot bribes failed, inenibejs of diflerent parts of the colony would combine to threaten the Governinont. It they did not get tor their districts what they wanted they would be against them, and the whole country would becomo demoial'.aed .Tho resolution was not intended as a vote of want of confidence. The Government was good enough, and if turned out on this they , would be put m to-moi row. _ Sir Gkokok Gklv threatened to make a similar appeal on behalf of Auckland, Ho said the only outcome of Abolition was an upstart moneyed aristocracy and a nation or down-trodden soifs. Messrs. Mandlr^ and J'yke, though op posed to the lesolutu'ii, did not vote. The following othei spoakeis spoke aganibt the resolution : Tho Pkkhu'm, Aleanrs. KhVNOL.DK, VVAKKKir.LD, and i*AKF*. it WU3 alleged against the resolutions that the chic i arguments uaed weie sentimental pleadings for a cause aheady parsed away ; that tluir real object was to remodel ProYinciahuin in Otago. Grant that, and Auckland, that $ould notcairy on a week without assistance, would also apply for it. It wa4 i idiculously absurd to i dogate to an infonor power what ahould be the woik ol the Su|>ieine legislature. It was untiuc to say that Abolition would cof-b Otago £150,000 yearly. It would take nothing fiom them, and that could be proved. They weie challenged to prove tho contiory. Wee it not for the turn attitude of tho Government this session, the laud fund ot Otago would havo become colonial now. Provincialism did good, but it was not losal government, only centralism oil a small scale- Twenty ytais they had tried it, and never could gut equal government, and distnbntion of i •.■venue. Public woiki did Hiou- toi Otago and the colony than Provincialism in 20 years. To carry the l esoJutions mum make the colony revert to the old system. Practically, tho resolution Amounted to a vote of want of confidence.

It would he dangerous to put the (jueslKiiit ) the people of Ota^o, .uid «m I'lminualisin an oppoitmnty of nuinijiuUtm^ another election. The usiilt \w>uld not be the vfi diet of the people. It loiegated to any, let it 1)0 to existing PiovincialCounc'ls, without any election. Tt was denied that the whole of Otago o- any thing hko it cued out against it, though favoured districts of Dunedin andCluthadid, and honeo thetalke. - of enthusiasm. This was nonsense, for out of over 3,000 eleotois in Dunedin, Mr. Macandrew polled less than 9" \ and as tor insurrection and appealing to arms, that was laughed to scorn ; people would be just as lich, and «lcep .is sound, under Abolition as not. The icjolutions were lost by 37 against '24.

DIVISION. The following is the division lisb : — Ayk-,, 37 : Major Atkinaou Mr. Macfarlane Mr. Andrew Sir Donald McLean Baigeut Mr. McLean, G. BalLmce Mortgoinery Bartt Mooi house Bowen Murray-Aynsley Brown, J. E. Onnoml Bryce Tliohardson Carrington Richmond Cox Rowe Gibbs Russell Harper Seymour Henry Stafford Hunter Steven-* Hur8thouse Tribe Johnston Wlntaker Kelly (toller) Wilhama Kennedy Woolcock Kenny Noes, 24 : Mr. Brown, J. C. Mr. Reid, D. Burns Rollestou De Lautour Seaton DiL'nan Sheehau Sir G. Grey Shrimski Mr. Hislop Stout (teller) Joyce Swanson Lumsilcn Takamoana Mao.andiew (teller) Thomson Murray Tole Nahe Wood, 11. G. Reos Wood, W. Majority against, 13.

Wednesday HMYTHIES' CASE. The House met at 2 30 p.m. In reply to Mr. Reynolds, The Hon. Mr. Bowen said the Governia Mit woulil obtain the affidavits of Messrs. Russell, Flaggett, and Macassey in connection with Mr. Kmythies' case before the Committee of Law Practitioners Act Amendment Bill, and lay it upon the table.

A RETURN ASKED FOR. A return, asked fot by Mr. Woouiopk, namely, of all members of the Assembly who were appointed to ollices of emolument during the List ten years, was promised by the Government.

THE FOREST REPEAL BILLS. A bill to Repeal the New Zealand Forests Act was introduced, and read a first time. On the motion of Mr. Mac karlank, the bill to repeal the Woods and Forests Acts was read a first time.

EXPENSES OF MEMBERS. The principal poition of the afternoon was occupied in (liscu.sbing the following motion by Mr. Lunacli :— " 1. Tli.it this House will to moi io\\ icvtlve itscit into a Committee of the whole to consider an addiess to his Excellency the Governor praying that an additional sum may be placed on the Esti mates for the purpose of defraying the expenses of members of this House in connection with their Parliamentary duties during the session 2 That such additional sum be estimated at the rate of £300 for each hon. member." The Premier said the Government would oppose the motion when it c&me on m committee. Mr. Burns gave notice to movt, "That numbers be allowed 20s. per diem from the day Parliament is opened till it i» prorogued. " The SfKAKKR put the first resolutions singly. The discussion on both sides was animated. Mr. Stafford said the motion was inopportune, and, in any case, really meant paying membei s at the rate of £900 per year. A good deal of objection was taken to the (iovemment not taking a more decided stand, and if they weie going to oppose it at all, they ought to do bo at that stage and not w vit till they were in committee. They would then, at least, save one discussion. Messis I'vkk, Stout, Trihk, JIowe, and WooLoot'K fapolve btrongly in favour of the payment of members as more likely to maintain the purity, independence, and efficiency ot the Parliament than allowing the work of legislation to fall into the hands of thoso who could aiford to go to Parliament without being paid. Messrs. Stafford, Swanson, Murray, Hauper, Bowks 1 , 11. Wood, T. Kelly, MACtARiANJ'., and IIoi.li'Mon all spoke against the motion. Mr. Haki'kk moved tho previous question. A division was taken in favour of the resolution by 30 against 25, seveial having voted for the hist resolution who said they would not vote for the two, and the second was then withdraw! 1 .

THE STtiAMKIl ' HINEMOA ' Mr. RoLi.t-MON asked tho Government if they could give the House any information icgardiug tlui uahlcgraiu 111 that moruuig's p.vper, relating to the ateam yacht ' IlmeJUO.l ? ' The Hon. G. McLi:a\ said the jjripor knew moie than the Government about the matter. The Speaker left the chair at 5.30 p.m.