ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 39, 5 September 1882, Page 3

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

In the Legislative Conncil yesterday the Wellington Harbonr Board and Corporation Land Aot Amendment Bill was read a third tlm* and paased with the added olause absolving the Crown from all contingent liability for compensation to Messr*. Simmer, Koeves A Co. or others. The Premier ¦aid ho should have opposed the Bill from the first had he imagined that the promoters contemplated coming on the Crown for compensation, as he held that in taking ovtr the land tho Harbour Board and Corporation had token with it all its liabilities, 'lho Trntioes Executors and Agency Bill was also read a third time and passed. On the motion of Mr. Mantell it was ordered that tho oorre'pondenoe between the Government and any person or persons relative to the establishment of a pnblio library in the City of Wellington be printed. The Resumption of Land for Mining Purposes Bill and the Reservos in Mining Districts Bill were committed, and reported with amendments. The Chattel ?eonrities Bill was withdrawn, the Mnnioipal Corporations Amendment Bill and Mortgage* Reieaae Bill were read a second time, and the Spcoial Powers and Contraots Billa first time. Several Bills of interest only to tho various looilities affaoted were advanced a stage. Mr. Wilson moved the second readng of (sir George Grey's) Land Boards Bill, whioh, however, was thrown out by 20 votes to 8, the division lUt being as fol ows :— Ayes, B.— Bnokley, V. A., Dignan, Fraser, Lahmann, Martin, Reynolds, Whitmoro, Wilson. Noes, 20 — Aoland, Bonar. Brett, Chamberlin, Graoe, Gray, Hart, Holmes, Johnson, G. R. , M'Laan, Menzies, Miller, Oliver, Petar, Pollen, Sootland, Stevens, Whitakar, Wigley, Williamson. Tho Counoil adjoutndd at W p.m. At the timo of our going to press yesterday afternoon, tho Speaker of the Lower House bad left the ohstr on the following Hills :— Road Boards Bill, Counties Aot Amendment Bill, and Road* and Bridges Construction Bill. The first of these Bills occupied the attention of the Committee up till the supper adjournment. Numerous ytrbal and other amendments of a comparatively unimportant character were efftoted in the measure. The first division took place over a proposition on the part of Mr. Weston to add to olause 125 the following words: "Provided that ¦uoh by-laws shall immediately on their coming Into operation receive the approval of the Governor in Counoil " Ihe olause in question rererred to the snbjeots on whioh Board* might make by-laws. The proposed amendment was lost by 45 to 23. On the motion of Sir John Hall, subsection 4 of the same olause was struck ont. Several new olames were afterwards added to the Bill. Among these was one moved by Mr. Swanion, providing that no road should be less than a ohain wide. This was agreed to on the voices, after whioh the schedules were passed, aad ths Co mm ttee then took the nmal half hour adjournment for snpper. On resuming, the Counties Aot Amendment Bill was taken in hand. Clauae 5 underwent a verbal amendment. On the motion of Mr. Shophard, clause 6 (where the Governor or a Counoil is empowered to aot on petition, their aotion may be taken without petition, but the same shall not have effeot if a petition is presented against it within three months), was itrnokont. In clause 8, providing that the Governor in Connoil might add part of one oonnty on to another on potition of four.flfths of the electors of suoh part and of the county to whioh the part is added, Mr. Pyko moved oertnin alterations in tlio first subaeotion, with a view of enacting that tbe mere signing of a potition should not have the effect of adding to or dividing a oonnty. He moved that tbe sub¦eotion be made to read as follows : — " That a poll be taken of the electors, and a majority of at least four fifth* of the oonnty electors whose name* appear on the eleotore' roll of the oounty in respeot of rateable property situate within the portion of tbe oounty whioh it i* proposed to add on to the other oonnty shall have been recorded in favour of suoh alteration of boundaries." Mr. Button expressed' his opinion that a simple majority of the votes polled ought to be suffiolent. Ha contended that no member of the House of Representatives had snocecded in being returned by four-flfths of his constituents. Captain M'Kenzie considered that if the amendment were passed, it would have the effect of defeiting the objoot of the Bill and keeping the boundaries of counties a* they were at present. Major Atkinson asked whether tho Committee were going to reverse all they had done on Saturday and that day in regard to the Looal Government Bills, whioh all provided for petitions aa against polls. lie roally hoped the Committee would get on with the bnsi* ness in hand. Mr. Fish was of opinion that though a poll would be more costly than a petition, the former would represent the aotnal wishes of the ebotora more faithfully than the latter. He pointed out that a person who, like the member for Mataura, possessed " the virtue of ruavittr in modo " in a high degree, would have no difficult- in getting any number of signatures to a petition. A signature to a petition, he added, was not like a signature affixed to a bill whioh the signatory would bavo to pay at maturity ; and rather than waste time in arguing tho matter an elector wonld pro'or to sign tho potition and havo done Kith it. The true sense of the •lectors, ho maintained, would be arrived at mnoh better by means of a poll. Captain M'Koniio hero protostod against having been pointedly referred to by Mr. Fish as " the member for Mat* nra." and regarded the ro r o enae to hf* iuavitar xn modo as personally offensive. (Loud laughter.) Eventually Mr. Pyke s amendment was lost by 45 to 17. On the question that the original snbseotion a* printed stand part of the olauao, Mr. Seddon moved that the word* " three-flftha" be substituted for " four.flfths." After tome discussion this amendment was carried, and tho olause as amended was paseed by 48 votoi to 8. The Colonial Treasurer here moved to report progress and ask leave to sit again, whioh was agreed to on the voices. The Boad Boards Bill wai then reported, the amendments wero agreed to, and the Bill was read a third time and p»«*od. Major Atkinson moved that the Honse at its rising adjourn till 11 o'olock. Mr. Levestam wished to know whether Seleot Committees would have leave to sit this morning. Mr. Sheehan protested against oommitiees sitting at the same time aa the Home. Sir John Hall suggested the House ¦honld meet at noon instead of 11 o'clook. The motion in favonr of adjourning till 11 o'olook was oarried by 37 to 25. The Colo* nial Treasurer next proposed that committee* have permission to sit till 12 o'olook. Sir John Hall called fer a division, whioh re* suited in the notion being oarried by 28 to 18. The Home rose at 1.20 a.m.