PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 6033, 13 July 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday, July 12. On the motion of the Hon. W. H. Nubse it was agreed that it was desirable that railway guards should hare the power of constables to arrest drunken travellers. PENSIONS BILL. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds moved the second reading of the Pensions Bill. The Premier, Hons. J. N. Wilson, Sir G. Whitmore, G. M'Lean, and Captain Fraser spoke in support of it. The Hons. P. A. Buckley, G. R. Johnston, M. Holmes, W. Robinson, M. S. Grace, and J. Menzies opposed it, stating that it would be a violation of contracts entered into by the State. It would harm the public service, have a retrospective effect, and would bring political influence to bear on the Judges. The Speakee ruled that the Bill was one which could be amended by the Council. The debate was adjourned till next day. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, July 12. Ministers, in reply to questions, aaid that tho Minister for Public Wotks would consider the question of granting a bonus for the manufacture of barbed fencing wire in the Colony.—The experiment of importing ferrets from England had not proved very satisfactory, but they knew of no reason for believing that their introduction was injurious. There were thousands of them in the Kaikoura district, and the effect had been excellent.— The Government were quite alive to the necessity of dredging the approaches to the railway pier at Port Chalmers, and would communicate with the Otago Harbor Board so that the necessary action could be taken. —The Government had no power to interfere with the Otago School Commissioners aa to the leasing of 70,560 acres in the Wendon and Waikaia districts, but if the new Land Bill passed they would have power. The Land Department had, however, communicated with the Commissioners on the subject of inserting a clause in the leases securing to miners the same rights as they have over lands leased for pastoral purposes by the Crown. POSTPONEMENT. Mr Weight, on his motion in favor of placing the Middle Island main railway lino under the administration of a Board being called on, asked that it be postponed for a week. After the statement was made last night on the subject by the Minister of Public Works, he felt at some disadvantage in going on with it now. ELECTION COSTS. Mr Ivess moved—" That this House will on Wednesday next resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, to consider an address to the Governor requesting His Excellency to place a sufficient sum on the Estimates to recoup Major Harris and Mr Wason the taxed costs which they incurred in the Elections Petition Courts, which declared their elections void owing to the ladies of the returning officers whom the Government employed to conduct the elections for the Wakanui and Franklin North seats." He held that the Government should be held responsible for the improper acts of their servants, and that innocent persons should not suffer for tho mistakes made. The taxed costs in the Wakanui election amounted to L 684. If, through official errors, innocent men were to be mulcted in this way, people of small means would hesitate about becoming candidates. Mr Hobbs moved that Mr Buckland's name be inserted. Mr Fitzgerald said the motion would open up a legal question. How was the House to know whether the candidates were to blame or not ? Inquiry should be made by a committee. Mr Siieehan supported the motion, and also the insertion of Mr Buckland's name. The bills of costs in these election cases were monstrous, and if made in the Supreme Court the practitioner making them would have stood a good chanee of being struck off the rolls. He moved that a committee be appointed to report on the various cases of the election petition inquiries, and also the costs charged in such cases. The Colonial Secretary said the Government would not object to the motion in this shape ; but the original question, involving as it did the liability of the Government for the acts of their officers, opened up a very wide field and might involve very serious consequences. It was always held that th« Government were not so liable. He admitted the cases in question were very hard ones, and deserved sympathy if not money, but he knew of no precedent for repaying such costs, Mr Macandeew thought the whole system of establishing election courts a mistake. Mr Bracken said the Corrupt Practices Act was a huge mistake, and should be repealed. If it had been enforced Mr Dick himself would not Bit in the House, and that through no fault of his own. Sir J. Hall said that Mr Sheehan's argument was very indefinite, and he would move that it be amended as follows."That a Select Committee be appointed to report whether, in any of the cases in which election petitions have been tried by the Election Petition Courts, the circumstances are such as to render it just and reasonable that tho persons upon whom the costs of such trials have fallen should be relieved therefrom by a grant from the Colonial Treasury, and also as to the costs charged in such inquiries." Mr Sheehan accepted this, and The motion aa amended was agreed to. NAVAL TRAINING VESSELS. Mr Sheehan moved —"That a Selec Committee be appointed, consisting of ten members, to consider and report upon the best means of giving effect to the expressed wishes of the House in favor of naval training vessels ; the Committee to have power to call for persons and papers, and to report in one month; the members of the Committee to consist of Mr Daniel, Mr Turnbull, Mr Allwright, Mr Macandrew, Mr Peacock, Mr Swanson, Mr Hurst, Mr Joyce, Hon. Mr Dick, and the mover. standing orders. On Mr Steward's motion, certain amendments of the Standing Orders Committee were agreed to. RAILWAY MANAGEMENT. Mr J. E. Brown moved that a committee be appointed to inquire into and report on the present system of management of the railways of the Colony; the committee to consist of the Hon. Sir J. Hall, Hon. W. W. Johnston, Mr H. Thomson, Mr Fergus, Mr Peacock, Mr Fish, Mr Macandrew, Mr Feldwick, Mr Hobbs, and the mover; to report within a month. The Minister of Public Works understood from the mover that the inquiry was to be made up of four points, viz., the system of railway audit, delivery of passengers' baggage at stations, classification of goods, and the propriety of differential rates. This being so, he would not object to the motion. Mr Brown said he wished the inquiry to be into the general management. Mr Montgomery moved a resolution limiting the inquiry to the points named. The debate was interrupted by the dinner adjournment. PASTORAL LANDS BILL. The Disposal of Pastoral Lands Bill was read a second time, on the understanding that the debate should take place on the motion for committal. AFFIRMATION BILL. The Affirmation in Lieu of Oaths Extension Bill was read a third time and passed. MORTGAGE RELEASE BILL. Mr Feldwick moved the second reading of the Mortgage Release Bill, which he had introduced at the request of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce. Its object was to substitute a single receipt endorsed on the mortgage for the expensive deed of release now required. The Minister of Lands objected that the Government had not had time to consider the Bill since it had been circulated. Sir J. Hall moved the adjournment of the 'obate. From whnt he paw .f r the Bill ; j-.p-ii'd to K i rw/ninH" av.l pv-.f,.r a-.e : :,-".; •.; •, ort:">;>\ -. ; .,.;'.; T In" :'i'.Ml t!.C ' 'O"-"- ■■!•• C m ; .,.! 1 tU 1. ■• 0 -..00 ii Lhe .•...!:■

The Colonial Secretary had warned the hon. member for Invercargill that thuOovcrnment did not approve of tho Bill, and that it would not effect its object. o The debate was adjourned to the ovd August. (.OLD DUTIKS AMENDMENT BUM,. Mr Seddon moved tho second reading of the Gold Duties Act Amendment Bill. It was similar to a Bill passed by the House last session, but thrown out cl™ where. Its Object was to compel persons selling gold to B ay where it was obtained, SO that the duty might go to the local body entitled to it. The Bill was read a second time. NATIVE LANDS COURTS AMENDMENT. Mr M'Donald moved that tho House to the amendments made in the Native Lands Court Amendment Bill. The Native Minister hoped that this would not be pressed, as he was going to bring down a Bill dealing with tho subject. If after seeing this Bill Mr M"Donald still wished to proceed with his own, tho Government would give him an opportunity to do so. Mr M'Donald agreed, and the debato was adjourned for a week. MINES ACT AMENDMENT. The Mines Act Amendmant Bill was reported from Committee with amendments. OJEOHNICAL EDUCATION. In Committee on Mr Hutchison'b motion for a vote of LI,OOO for technical education, a long discussion took place. The motion for tho Chairman to leave the chair was negatived by 49 to 10. Ultimately the resolution was agreed to with the omission of all words after "night school." LAW PRACTITIONERS BILL. The House went into Committee on Sir G. Grey's Law Practitioners Act Amendment Bill. , . A motion of Colonel Trimble, to substitute two Judges for one, was negatived on tha voices. The Minister of Lands moved the insertion of words requiring candidates to pass examination in general Knowledge as well as law, which was negatived on the voioes. The Bill was reported with trifling amendments. The House rose at 1.30. [Bt Oub Special Ebpobtbr.] WELLINGTON, July 12. Mr Joyce's motion for tho appointment of a committee to inquire into the administration of the Kaitangata relief fund has disappeared from the Order Paper, in accordance with the Standing Order of the House whioh sots forth that all notices of motion which hare not been dealt with within two weeks from the date fixed for their consideration shall bo struck off the Order Paper, subject always to the right of renewal. Sir Joyce, however, intends to restore it to the Order Paper in the course of a day or two. Ho has received numerous communications from Bubscribers and those entitled to share in tho fund strongly attesting the desirableness of such a course as that contemplated by the motion ; and while hj« does not at all intend te abandon the motion ho thinks It is evident that the Government are opposed to the investigation, and says it is quite poasiblo that he will not be able to get the matter dealt with this session. The Treasurer was absent from tho House to-day, being confined to his house through the effects of the cold from which he has so long been suffering. The Minister for Lands led the House in Atkinson's absence. The first meeting of tho Joint Committee on the Brogden claims was held this evening. Mr Stevens wa3 elected chairman, but no other business was d.. uu. A return laid on the table of the Oounoil, to the order of Colonel Brwtt, shows tho number of convictions for indecent exposure during 1881 to have been—Dunedin, nil ; Ohristchurch, 29 ; Wellington, 3; Auckland, 5. July 13. The Dunedin Water Supply Extension Bill has been discharged from the Order Paper in consequence of the ruling of the Local Bills Committee that it was not a local Bill, and the further ruling that it is a private Bill. This will give the petitioning suburban boroughs interested ample time to arrange, before ths next session, for a Water Board, if desired. Everybody is getting thoroughly sick of the threatened no-confidence motion, which is as far off as ever. Even the Opposition leaders themselves (far there are several of them) admit that It is by no means improbable that the motiori will not be brought down at all this session. There is not now the least prospect of the non-supporters of the Govornment uniting their forces, so that If a motion were submitted there is not the slightest chance of it beirg successful. Appearances still favor the belief that the session will close at the end of August.