PARLIAMENTARY

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5296, 17 September 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

[fkoji our correspondent.]

(Evening Post's Essence of Parliament for Monday's Sitting.) Wellington, September 15. The amendments made by the Legislative Council., in the, .Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill were agreed to. ( vMr Hamlin .explained that the statement made by one of the native members some days ago that he had tried to influence the native vote was not correct. He had never on any occasion endeavored to influence the vote of Maori or European members, and owing to his position as Chairman of Committees ha j l held aloof from all paries. The Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill was committed. The only operative clause (denning contract) was struck out, and a new clause inserted providing ; that no proceedings shall be commenced 'under section 65 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, without the consent of the Attorney-General, and any penalty received shall be paid into the borough •^funds, and any penalty now or hereafter sued for may be remitted wholly or in part. Mr Reese moved a new clause p-o---viding that printing and advertising shall not be included in. the term " contract." That he said was the law at home, and should be so here. The clause was negacived. The Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. The Enforcement of Judgments Bill was read a third time and passed. The House then went into committee to consider the Premier's resolution relative to New Guinea. The Premier said in moving the resolutions he was simply carrying out the wish of the House last year, and the wish of the other colonies. It was resolved last year that tlie Government should give a subsidy, and the vote had already been passed without demur. A long discussion ensued, lasting out the afternoon and part of the evening sitting. Sir George Grey considered the first two resolutions an attempt to interfere with the power of the Empire in a way that would act prejudicially to this colony. Dr Newman held that the granting of a sum of £2700 a year foi the management of a. block of land 2000 miles away was an absurdity. The Premier said the Home Government had asked the New Zealand Government to give an expression of opinion on the subiech Major Atkinson thought the time would soon come when we would; have to join the Federal Council, and the present motion was a step in that direction. Sir George Grey moved as an amendment to the first resolution, "That no opinion should be expressed as to the form of government to be given to New Guinea, or as to the future disposition of that colony until a report has been received from Major-, General Scratchley until after personal inquiry into it." After further discussion the original resolution (No. 1) was ne atived by 40 to 25. Mr Ballance accepted the decision of the Committee as covering the series of resolutions. It was thought by Colonel Trimble that it would be better to have no record of the matter at all, and the Committee generally accepted this view. As Sir George Grey's amendment was negatived on the voices upon' the motion of Mr Ballance, the Chairman was moved out of the chair and there the matter ended. Upon the motion that the Hous> resolve itsel l : in Committee of the whole to consider the grunting of a subsidy to the Australian cable, Mr Sutter moved that the House go into Committee that day six months. H e complained that the Government had hitherto given a subsidy of £5000, and now they wanteJ to double, the amount. He looked upon the subsidy as being for the benefit of the newspapers, and no one could use the telegrams without being subject to a heavy penalty. The Treasurer explained that the total amount of the subsidy was £7,500, and of this Ne.v Zealand paid ,£SOOO and New South Wales £2,500. This colony had ' eeti asked to renew the pubsirly, and a threat was held out that if this were not done there would be an increase in the tariff. At present our rates were as low as upon any line of the same length, but the -ates were uniform or ordinary and Press messages, while in piher parts of the world the Press rates were lower than the ordinary rates. The company had agreed to reduce the ordinary rates to 5s for ten words, and 3d per word for Press rates, and his (the Treasurer's) resolution would be for a word rate of 6d for ordinary messages and 3d a word for Press messages. The reduced Press rates would not effect any saving to the Press, because one of the conditions was that the Press should spend as much ! as previously, but the public wouid get the benefit. The 6d word rate would be of great advantage to the colony, but he was not sure the company would accede to it. New South Wales was in favor of continuing the subsidy, but might not be so if not agreed with now. The House went into Committee, when the Treasurer moved that the Government be authorised to undertake to continue the. cable service for ten years, provided that the cost shall riot exceed 3d per word for Press, and 6d per word for ordinary messages. The amount, he said, had not been maintained, because it might be possible to get it for a smaller sum than that at present paid. The term was put down for ten years, but it might possibly be for seven years. — Mr Hurst moved as an amendment that the term should be for five years. — Mr Fisher moved that the limit be three years.— The words "ten years" were struck out on the voices, and the proposal to insert " five" in their stead was carried. —Mr Hurst moved to insorfc the amount of the subsidy, viz.— £sooo.— The Treasurer asked the House to accept the assurance of the Government that they would not give more than i>sooo. — Mr Hurat wished to withdraw his proposal on that assurance, but Mr Trimble objected, and said there should be a distinct resolution on the subject. Mr Barron was opposed to the Bubsidy altogether, bat in order to have some amount fixed by resolution moved that the sum be reduced to £2,500. Mr Fisher did not see why Government should wish to subsidize this company and enforce upon the country a compact in the interests of newspapers. Why should the portion of the community who did not want the telegrams pay for those who did. He hoped the amendment of the lmn. member ! for Oaversham would be pressed to a i division. Sir J. Vo^e! said Mr Fisher was i in error in saying it was a subsidy in favor of newspapers, as they would hare to pay : juafc ai much jier annum as at present, but

they would provide the public with more information. If the Committee were going to reduce'the amount to L 2,500 he would rather they negatived the motion altogether. It would be a pettifogging thing to vote a sum smaller than could be accepted. Mr Fisher said the telegrams now received were as meagre as couW be, and they would not be made any fuller by the granting of this subsidy. Mr Bryce wanted to know, what would be the effect if the subsidy were discontinued. He thought there would be only an extra column of sporting news if the rates were reduced. The Treasurer said there would not be an earthquake or eclipse of 'the sun, but the company would probably increase their rates. The motion for adding the words LSOOO to the resolution was then put and negatived by 41 to 32. The Treasurer then moved that the Chairman do leave the chair, but upon the request of Mr Guinness and others who had voted against the insertion of the words,i in order to leave it to the Treasurer how much within that limit should be given, Sir Julius Yogel withdrew his motion and explained that New Zealand had far more interest in the cable than the other colonies.

The House went into Committee of Supply for the further consideration of the Public Works Estimates. Thy Hon Mr Richardson expressed his deep regret at the death of Mr Blackett (in the . public service). He spoke in terms of high commendation. Mr Levestam paid a high tribute to the good qualities of the deceased both as a citizen of Nelson and as an engineer ; and Mr Samuel also spoke in eulogy of the deceased gentleman. The votes L3OOO for surveys of new lines and railways, and L 28,931 for the Public Works Department, were passed without much discussion. There was a good deal of talk over the vote L 60,229 for roads and bridges north of Auckland. The Minister for Public Works explained in answer to a question tint this vote could be reduced by LIO,OOO without injury. Mr Sutter moved a reduction of L 30,000, and Mr Peacock a reduction of LIO,OOO. Mr Sutter ultimately withdrew his amendment and moved a reduction of L 15,000, and this was carried on the voices. Mr W. J. Stewart moved a reduction of LIOjOOO on the item Nelson, Westport, j Grey, and Hokitika, L 85,000, but the motion was lost ; and a motion to reduce it by LSOOO, moved' by Mr Peacock, was also lost by 32 to' 26; The West Coast members had a long struggle for the vote, notwithstanding their fit of economy last week. The total vote of L 45,100 was ultimately agreed to as printed. On the vote for miscellaneous roads and bridges, L 83,974, a reduction of LIO,OOO was carried on the voices. On the vote L 268,329, for grants in aid, the Minister for Public Works suggested that L 25,000 might be taken off the amount, and this was agreed to on the voices. The vote L 740,742, for roads to open up lands before sale, was passed unaltered. The vote L 52,000, for roads on goldfields, was on the motion of the Premier reduced by LSOOO. The vote of L 30,200 for waterworks on goldfields, was, on the motion of Mr White, reduced by L 15.000, the voting being 36 for reduction and 31 against. The Premier agreed to accept a reduction of L4OOO, and this was carried. The vote for Postal and Tolegraph Buildings, L 8322, was agreed to. On the vote L 4239, for Customs buildings, Mr Holmes moved to omit the item Auckland Custom House, L4OOO. Carried by 31 to 24. Onthe votes burvey and Printing Office," L6OOO. The Minister for Public Works said tho amount could be reduced by L4OOO. Mr Moss moved that the vote be struck out. There was a gool deal of opposition to the vote, but many of the speakers' remarks were drowned in the strident " Heah, heah," and nasal "Hi, hi, hie," of the member for Christchurch South, which were incessant. Messrs Bruce, Bryce, Johnston, and Newman pointed out the bad sanitary state of the printing office, and the necessity for mak- . ing some improvement in order to save the lives of the employees. The vote was ultimately reduced by L4OOO. The votes for Lunatic Asylum buildings (L 23,000), Hospital buiiding.g (L 13,000), and School building (L 68,320), were passed unopposed. On the vote Lighthouses, L 10,440, Dr Newman moved a reduction of L2OOO and it was carried. L 55,700 was voted for Harbor works. On the vote L 225,000, for Harbor defence, Mr Levestam moved a reduction of LIOO,OOO. Mr Ballance said the vote could not be reduced by that amount, as a great part was for liabilities. He would consent to a reduction of L 50,000. Mr Levestam pressed his motion to a division, which was lost by 39 to 10. The L 50,000 reduction was agreed to. The votes— L2s, 9oo for PostmasterGeneral and Commissioner of Telegraphs, L 70.000 for 'the purchase of Native lands, and L 60,000 charges and expense of raising loans, were passed. Progress was reported at 3.30 a.m., and the House rose. September 16. In the House this afternoon, the Minister for Public Works said, in answer to Major Steward, that the Government would consider at an early date the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the construction and continuation of railways'. Mr Seddon asked the Minister of Mines— (l) Whether the Government will advise his Excellency by Order in Council to adopt and have gazetted a regulation for grants in aid to prospecting and rewards for the discovery of new goldfields on the recommendation of the goldfields committee this session on the above subjects ; (2) If so adopted and gazetted, will the Minister forward copies of the Gazette and regulations to the various I local bodies and literary institutes in the mining and gold-mining districts ? The Premier replied in the affirmative, and said a small sum would bo placed on the supplementary estimates. The free conference on the Mines Act Amendment BUI reported that they had been unable to agree with the representatives of the Legislative Council as to the amounts, and the matter was ordered to be conside red to-night. The Railways Authorisation Bill was read a second time. The Premier intimated that the following business now remained to be discussed: — District Railways, Waimea Plains Rating, Mines Act Amendment, Railways Authorisation, Special Powers and Contracts, Appropriations and Property Tax Bills. The supplementary estimates will be down either to-night or the first thing tomorrow, and the prorogation will probably take place this week