HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 149, 21 December 1897, Page 6

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mr Hutchison pressed the Premier to allow members to move their motions for returns, &c, before the House rose. The Premier said he would give an opportunity after the Appropriation Bill bad been passed. THREE BILLS SHELVED. The Lands, Reserves, and Endowments Exchauge, Disposal, and Enabling Bill was taken in Committee. Mr. Rolleston protested against Bills of this kind' being brought down at this stage of the session. It wai a Bill that even the Premier admitted he did not understand. He moved to report progress. This motion met with general support, members being practically unanimous in the opinion that the Bill should have been introduced early in the session. After a long debate the first clause of the Bill was formally passed, and progress then reported. Progress was also reported on the Technical Schools Bill and the Eight Hours Bill, which had been in Committee, and the Bills so shelved for the present session. THE GEAR COMPANY. The Premier laid fur/her correspondence on the table relating to the direct steamship service to West Australia. This was remedying an injustice that had been done to the Gear Company. THE SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES—HOROWHENUA AGAIN. The Supplementary Estimates were brought down by Governor's message. Mr. G. Hutchison asked if any provision had been made for costs in the Horowhenua case. The Premier replied in the negative. Mr. Hutchison thought the House ought not to separate until this sum was provided. He would move a motion to effect this. The Premier *aid it would be an interference with an action now before the Court. Mr. Pirani moved to report progress to enable the Premier to place a vote on the Estimates for the purpose. The action of the Government was injuring the Public Trust Office. He would light the Estimates item by item if necessary. If the Supreme Court ordered the Public Trustee to pay the money would the Premier pay the amount as an item of unauthorised expenditure ? The Premier said the Court had already decided that the Trustee had to pay. The question was, could he pay ? He could not make any rash promises, and it was a very good thing to have the point decided as to whether the trust moneys could be paid. If the Court ordered that they could they would be paid. Mr. Fraser— Out of trust moneys ? The Premier— Out of the moneys at his disposal. Mr. Fraser— That was never intended by the Act. Mr. Pirani said' it was a case with the Government of "Heads I win, tails you lose." If the Government bad won they would have claimed the costs, but having lost they refused to pay. Mr. G. Hutchison contended that it was damaging the credit of the Government. The Premier said the matter might safely be left with the Government. At 1 o'clock the usual adjournment took place, and on resuming the votes were passed through at a rapid pace, without further allusion to the Horowhenua matter.