HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3147, 29 July 1881, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday. The House met at 2,30 p.m, PETITION. Mr We9ton presented a petition from the legal practitioners afc Christchurch against the Legal Practitioners Bill introduced by Sir George Grey. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions it was stated that ifc would take several months to compile a table showing the adult male population in each county and electoral district; ifc was not the business of the Government to consider whether, or liofc Captain Baillie was disqualified from sitting in the Legislative Council because he drew £100 a year forage allowance as the officer commanding the Marlborough district; the Government had with regret received the resignation of a prominent member of the Auckland Waste Landß Board, hut hoped ifc was sent under misapprehension 5 the Government would take steps to prevent Chinese working on goldfields without miners' rights ; tho Government were not aware that Charles Rynald Tylder, of the Auckland provincial district, had been bound over to keep tbe peace for 12 months when they appointed him to the Commission of the Peace—they had every reason for believing that he "was a very suitable person for the office j Messrs Seed and Batkin's report had only recently been received, and had not yefc been considered—in all probability it would be of a nature which would render ifc inadvisable to place it on the table of the House ; with the view of better protecting the seal fisheries the Government had under consideration a proposal to lease sealing rights at the Snares and other islands where these fisheries were exposed to abuse; the Government would not consent to remove the restriction provided for by section 5 of the Arms Act as to the sale and purchase of firearms, gunpowder, caps, &c, in so far as ifc applied to the Middle Island. NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr Reeves gave notice that he would repeat his question respecting Charles Rynald Tylder, with the addition " That if the Government found that he had been bound over to keep the peace whafc action would they take under the circumstances." NEW BILLS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time : —Westport Coalfield and Harbor Administration Bill (J. B. Fisher) ; Bill to Amend the Gold Duty, Act; Bill to Amend the Contractors' Debt Act, 1871 (Finn) ; Waimate Racecourse Reserves Bill (Studholme) ; Fencing Bill (Bryee). THE NO-CONFIDENOE MOTION. Dr. Wallis resumed the debate on the no-confidence motion. He complained that by the action of the whips on both sides in fixing the division for that night they had placed members who still desired to speak at a disadvantage. He denied the statement set np that Maori lands had not been benefited by the public works expenditure, and should not therefore pay rates. The fact was that those lands before the advent of European enterprise were not worth a farthing per acre, whereas they had now acquired a good round market value. That of itself was an answer to the objection referred to. He had no desire to see the Ministry turned out this session or to precipitate a dissolution, still he had no confidence in the Government as constituted, and he would therefore vote against the motion for the second reading of the Rating Bill. Mr Tomoana complained that justice had not been done to the Maoris, and intimated his intention of opposing the Government. Mr Jones said the local bodies throughout the whole colony were discontented with the proposals now before the House, and with the present state of affairs. The Public "Works Board would operate most inconveniently for the local bodies, and its proposed constitution was of such a nature that ifc was bound to demoralise the House. Both he and his colleague knew from experience that ifc was only the supporters of the Government who could get the reasonable requirements of their district attended to, and under the provisions of this bill that evil would be perpeted an increased. The debate was interrupted by tho 5.30 adjournment. r Phe House resumed afc 7.30. Mr Jones continued the debate, blaming the Government for their action re the telegraph clerks, favoritism in police reductions, and about the Patetere block, regarding which he said an enquiry would elicit facts to make a Boss Tweed blush. Mr Pyke insisted that the country demanded a large measure of reform in local Government, and was utterly disappointed in the Government proposals, which he most strongly condemned. If the Opposition were not strong enough to eject Ministers they were strong enough to prevent them doing mischief. The country would not submit to be governed solely from Wellington. Mr Seddon thought there should only be one form of local body to be called the Local Council, to be elected by large districts divided into ridings, and with power to administer everything except police, education, surveys, railways, machinery, pi-isons, mining and justice. There should also be an elected land board. He would vote for the amendment in order to send the House back to the country as soon as possible, but ho did not disapprove of tho Rating Bill. Mr J. B. Fisher strongly urged the necessity of decentralisation of administration, and condemned the Government measures, especially tho Roads Construction Bill, as essentially vicious in principle. The House then divided on"the question that the Crown and Native Lands Rating Bill be now read a second time. Ayes, 41 ; Noes, 37. The following is tho division list .— Ayes, 41. Noes, 37. Allwrighfc Andrews Atkinson Ballance Bain Barron Beetliam Brown Bowen De Lautour Brandon Finn Brycc Fisher, J. B. Bunny Fisher, J. T. Colbeck George Dick Gisborne Fox Grey Fulton Hamlin Gibbs Harris Hall Hutchinson Hirst Jones Hursfc Levestam Hursthouse Lundon Johnston Macandrew Kelly M'Donald Kenny Montgomery Levin Moss

Mason Ormond M'C'aughan Pyke Murray Reeves Pitt Reid Richardson Seddon Rollesfcon Sheehan Russell Shrimski Saunders Qpeighfc Seymour Taiaroa Shanks Tawhai Stevens Te Wheoro Studholme Thomson Sutton Tole Swanson Turnbull Trimble Wallis Wakefield Wood Whitaker Whyfce Wright Paibs. Ates. NOEB. M'Lean Stewart Oliver Bastings Moorhouse Tomoana Collins Shephard After the division, Mr Lundon said, having voted with his party to turn Ministers out, he would now vote for the bill, which would suit his constituents very well. Mr Barron hoped the bill would be greatly altered in committee. The bill was read a socond time. On Major Atkinson's motion that ifc be committed on Friday fortnight, Mr De Lautour asked if this meant that it was to be shelved ; if so, the Government ought to say so honestly afc once. Messrs Moss, Speight, Seddon, and others, followed to the same effect. Major Atkinson said of course the Opposition knew how to manage Government business much better than the Government did, but as long as they remained in office, and enjoyed the oonfidonco of the House, they would maiaage their own business in their own way. After some further discussion tho motion was agreed to. The Hottse adjourned at 12.30,