HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3152, 4 August 1881, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday.

The House met at 2.30. PETITION. Sir William Fox presented, a petition from certain members of the Law Practitioners Society of Wellington, protesting against the Law Practitioners Bill before Parliament. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr Finn gave notice to move to have £1000 put on the estimates for the volunteer force. Mr Murray gave notice of a motion in favor of using efforts to get wool admitted duty free to America, or failing this to levy double duties on American goods. MONDAY SITTINGS. Mr Hall intimated his intention to ask the House to sit at 7.30 on Mondays in future, and to give up one of the'private member's days in each week to the Government. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, it was stated that Ministers were now aware that Charles Rynald Tylder, recently appointed a Justice of the Peace, had been bound over to keep the peace, but the affray was a trifling one, which did not affect his character in relation to his recent appointment as a Justice of the Peace, and Ministers did not intend taking any further action under the circumstances ; Ministers could not disclose their intention as to relinquishing negotiations in respect to tho purchase of native lands on the East Coast; the ten per cent, reduction was made for July in accordance with a resolution of the House, but if the estimates as framed were passed by the House then the amount deducted could be refunded from the 30th June ; directions had been given to pay the costs awarded to successful objectors to the Government property valuations. NEW BILLS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time :—Kakanui Harbor Board Borrowing (Shrimski) ; Railway Construction ; to amend Canterbury Rivers Act (Hall). DIRECT STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND. Mi> Macandrew moved that a committee be appointed to consider and report on the best means of establishing a direct steam service between New Zealand and the mother country, the committee .to consist of Sir George Grey, and Messrs Bain, Hutchison, Johnston, Montgomery, Oliver, Pitt, Richardson, Reeves, and the mover. Mr Johnston said the Government had no objection to the motion, and were quite alive to the importance of direct steam communication being established. The motion was adopted. ELECTIVE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Dr. Wallis moved that the time has come when members of the Legislative Council be elected by the people of tho colony. Mr Hall regretted that the question had not come up in a fuller House, the motion having come on unexpectedly. It would be i injjudioiqus to abolish tho second Chamber.

It operated as a wholesome check npon hasty and incomplete legislation. He did not think that nomination for lifo was a good course to pursue. Its tendencies were to create members out of harmony with the times, and the vacancies were too few to enable that state of things to be counteracted ; moreover, the nomination system was liable to be abused, although he did not """in to say such had been the case in New x"»— "" —• were many men who had Zealand. 'JL'nm-* . -•• -nod legislators, all the requisite abilities iov fc - . °°lyes and yet they could not make thexu.. popular enough to secure the popular- vote, and. what he would suggest was that they should be elected by that; House and by the ballot. A process of that kind would secure the service of the class referred to by him. He did not suppose that ifc Was intended to press the question to a final issue, and having ventilated the subject he would suggue'sfc to the' mover that the motion might in the meantime be withdrawn. Sir George Chef contended that in the success which had attended -Provincial Council legislation they had a guarantee that the business could be carried on "efficiently _by one Chamber. The system was responsible for the hasty and indiscriminate legislation complained of so much, as they felt that ; their work was sure to be put right in ''another place." He denounced the practice of members being allowed to resign their seats afc pleasure, and yet fche Crown was bound to retain these gentlemen for life if they chose to remain. Ho understood that the Premier gave bis constituency to understand that he meant to bring in a bill to reform the Upper Chamber, and he called upon him to do so, assuring him that he would haye 1 the support of the opposite side of the House. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. ■ The House resumed at 7.30. TTMAIUX HATCBOIt BOABB Blllr." The Timaru Harbor Board Endowment Bill passed through committee after a vory long discussion, the schedule being reduced from 100,000 to 50,000 acres. OFFENCES AGAINST THE PERSON BILL. Mr Weston moved the second reading of the Offences against the Person Bill, the object of which provides that consent on the part of a girl under 13 years should not excuse an indecent assault, and that wife beating should be punished by flogging. Messrs DeLautour, Stewart, Grey, Lundon, Levestam, Seddon, Speight, Moss, Pyke, Turnbull, and J. B. Fisher opposed the bill, and Messrs Rolleston, Hall, Stevens, Fulton, Bowen, Fisher, Barron, and Reid supported it. The second reading was negatived on a division of 23 to 19. The Houso rose at 1,25.