HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5160, 23 August 1878, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, August 21— (Continued). After the 10 o'clock adjournment the debate on Mr Whitaker's Parliamentary .Representation Bill was resumed. Mr Tole spoke at some length, expressing views in opposition to the bill, which he considered would enable a few ingenious persons to manipulate the elections. There were, however, some points in the measure which he preferred to those in the Electoral Bill of the Government. Mr Hursthouse objected to the bill because it fixed the basis of representation on population, a pernicious principle which would allow the towns to swamp the country. He wcmld accept the Government bill as the lesser of two evils, though still it wanted much amending. Mr Whitaker said that as the feeling of the House appeared to be against the new plan, if the hon. member for Wallace would withdraw hia amendment, he (Mr Whitaker) would withdraw his bill. By this means he would be enabled to move such amendments as he thought should be made in the Government measure. He had only one object in view, that of having the best possible measure passed into law for placing the question of Parliamentary representation on a satisfactory footing, and to attain that object he would assist the Attorney-General as far as lay in his power. The amendment and the bill were then withdrawn. The House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole to consider an address to the Governor, requesting his Excellency to place upon the estimates a sum to encourage, by way of bonus, the production of wattle bark in the colony. The Premier said the Government had considered the subject. The Government would place on the estimates £400 for the compilation of a book setting forth all the exotic plants likely to succeed in New Zealand. They thought this plan would better meet the subject aimed at by the hon. member for Parnell than offering a bonus as lie proposed. Several members concurring in the Premier's view, the proposal was accepted.

Mr Sutton moved the second reading of the Wairoa Harbor Board Bill, explaining that the district contained a very large extent of good land, about 400,000 acres of which belonged to the Government. At present the only means of getting to the district from Napier was by sea, a voyage of about four hours, as there were no roads affording communication with the district. If the improvements were carried out which the bill provided for, the value of the land would very largely increase, and the district would be opened up for settlement. He hoped the House would agree to the second reading, in order that the bill might go before the Waste Lands Committee. Mr Stout said the Government had no objection to the bill being read a second time, but would not pledge itself to acquiesce in the schedule of endowments. Mr Woolcock opposed the granting of endowments, except in cases where the works proposed were of general public utility. He was glad to see that the Government intended to take a stand in the matter. Captain Russell strenuously urged the claims of the Wairoa district, and the necessity for the constitution of a Harbor Board there. The motion for the second reading was agreed to, and the bill was referred to the Waste Lands Committee. The Savings Banks Profit Bill was read a seoond time. Mr Stout, in moving the second reading of the Administration Bill, explained that one of the provisions of the bill was to place all real property in the same position as personal property, to be distributed in the same way as personal property in all cases where persons having children died intestate. The bill contained several other provisions, the operation of which would confer a very considerable boon on the people of the colony. The bill was read a second time. Mr Barton's motion regarding the Wellington police was, by consent, referred to the gaol committee to report on. The house adjourned at midnight.

Thursday, August 22. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Fox gave notice to ask if Mr Macandrew used certain words attributed to v him as having been used at a banquet at Dunedin, regarding a probable return to a modified form of provincialism, and if so, what he meant by them. Mr McMinn asked whether the Government would re-establish an emigration agency in Ireland. Mr Stout said that it was under consideration, but Ireland had a far greater share of the immigration expenditure, in proportion to population, than any other country. Mr O'Rorke asked if the Government would lay before the House a return showing the operation of the existing Civil Service ActsJ before passing the Amendment -Bill now under consideration. Mr Ballance said the return would be ready by Tuesday next. Mr Wakefield asked the Government when the Licensing Bill would be brought down, and whether they would make it a Government question. Mr Sheehan said the bill would be made the first or second order of the day ! for Tuesday next, but they did not consider the measure one on which a Government ought to go in or out. The Government, in reply to Mr Sharp, promised a return of the number of officers employed by the various municipalities, with their salaries, travelling allowances, &c. Mr Barton asked the Premier whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce a measure for the creation of two large Provincial Governments, one for each Island ; the seat of Government for the South Island to be at Christchurch, and for the North Island at Auckland, and the jurisdiction of these Governments to be so large that little or nothing will be left for the General Government to do, the Postmaster-General, perhaps the Commissioner of Customs, and half a dozen clerks a-piece, to constitute the General Government, and once in three years the General Assembly to meet ; and whether the published statement in the Wellington Press that Sir George Grey, Mr Macandrew, Mr Fisher, Mr Sheehan, and Mr Stout were all in favor of the scheme, had been authorised by the Government. The Premier said the Government had not considered the matter. He could not give any further information than he afforded yesterday, and could only add that the statements were not authorised. The Native Lands Bill and the Hokitika Harbor Board Amendment Bill were read a first time. Mr Bowen moved that all papers connected with the abolition of the store department be laid before the House. The hon. gentleman, in referring to the work of the late store department, said that thousands of pounds a year were saved to the colony by the system of check upon the departments of the Government. He feared there was no check now, althoughnow as before large quantities of stores representing large sums of money were under the control of officers who had no' check upon them. He could not believe that any satisfaction would result from the departments doing their own check and audit. It was only recently at home that it was found that a system of wholesale plunder of iron, coal, &c, was going on solely through a want of a system of check. In one instance special trains were being run to take away the company's own goods. Mr Barff animadverted on the destructive propensities of Colonel Gorton, the officer referred to, .saying that so indefatigable was that officer that he destroyed any quantity of furniture all over the colony. The Government did well to abolish a department so utterly destructive and useless. Mr Gisborne would be glad if they could save the cost of the department and secure the property of the Government (about £200,000 worth) from loss. He was certain Colonel Gorton had saved the colony many thousands of pounds. Major Atkinson Baid that for years he ' had had an intimate knowledge of the services rendered by Colonel Gorton, and he was able to say that he saved the colony tens of thousands of pounds. The late Government had intended to make a change, and place the check upon stores in the hands of the Audit Department. Mr J. 0. Brown and Mr Shrimski ridiculed the idea of a store department, which did more harm than good. Mr Stout said there were no papers on the question. After Colonel Gorton's resignation the Government considered the office unnecessary. Mr Stout considered Major Atkinson's remarks regarding the savings by Colonel Gorton as a slur upon the character or the departmental officers. Mr Richardson said that in 1873 a large quantity of furniture was taken away from the building they were in, and it had been found absolutely impossible to trace it. His own experience was that such an officer coming round and taking stock prevented such occurrences as that referred to. It was notorious that in Canterbury and Otago no check was put upon stores, very much to the' loss of those provinces. Mr M'Lean, speaking from experience, would not advocate dispensing with an Inspector of Stores. He believed the chief fault of the late officer was overzealousness. Mr Bowen could scarcely believe there were no papers or reports regarding sweeping away such an important office. If it was so, then it was a more reckless proceeding than he at first thought. The motion was agreed to. Mr Reeves moved, " That in the opinion of this House immediate steps should be taken to prevent the probable influx of Chinese." He urged that it would be wise to take time by the forelock. So great had been the influx of Chinese in California that on the Pacific

Slope there were 160,000, and 40,000 in San Francisco, where they were as thick as beea round a hive, and they had completely crushed out white labor. It was such a curse to the country that no one could be surprised any day to hear of great bloodshed there. In Hawaii, again, the Chinese had become a curse. Realising the danger of an influx of Chinese, he hoped the Attorney-General would not wait till the evil was upon the colony. If the Government did not bring in some measure imposing a poll-tax, he would do so himself. . Mr Joyce said the Chinese should not be allowed in any British colony, and if any Imperial law stood in the way, then they had better cut the painter at once. We had no right to degrade and deteriorate our race by allowing Chinese to come amongst us in large numbers. . Mr Howe regarded the motion as 'a chip in porrige. ■- It would neither do much good nor harm. The evils, referred to did not exist, nor were they likely to. Altogether, the motion was premature. Mr Manders, while bearing testimony to the industry and general good conduct of the Chinese in his district, •thought some restriction to the introduction of Chinese should be imposed. One feature of the problem was this, that the experience and knowledge gained by the Chinese while here might be turned to advantage against us after they returned to their own country. -Mr Stout could not see how the same state of things could arise here as ia California, but still he was prepared to go the length of saying that if the colony saw signs of being over-run by Chinese, probably it would be right to impose restrictions upon their coming here. There .were fewer Chinese coming here now than two or three years ago. If the House thought it necessary to legislate upon the question," any measure that would be introduced would be some such measure as that in force in Queensland. Mr Pyke said there were only 3200 Chinese in the colony, and it was rather derogatory to the Europeans to be afraid of them. They were an industrious and law-abiding people, and in many parts of the colony they were not regarded with | any aversion. Indeed .their absence would be regarded as a loss. Mr Barff, while agreeing that what the Attorney-General said would meet the case, pointed out what danger would arise from the introduction of leprosy, a cass of Avhich was reported in Otago, while numerous instances (details of which, would be unfit to relate) occurred in Victoria. Mr Gisborne could only sanction exceptional legislation when exceptional circumstances arose. Attention having been . drawn to the matter, he would move the previous question. Mr Reeves then withdrew his motion. The interrupted debate on the question that it be an instruction to the Goldfields Committee to ascertain the practicability of amending the regulations of the Mines Act, was resumed. Mr Reeves, who had been interrupted in the previous debate by the hour, 5.30, after a few words, moved the previous question. The motion was again talked but at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30. The Parnell Reserve Bill was read a second time, Mr Moss explaining that the committee had altered it so that only part of the reserve was vested in the Mayor and Councillor a town hall site, the rest being reserved for public schools. In committee on the Milford Harbor Board Bill, Mr Whitaker asked that the endowment clause be postponed for a week, in order that the House should decide once and for all what course they should adopt in regard to the principle of endowments, and accordingly he moved that progress be reported. Mr Wakefield defended the bill. He^ disclaimed any idea of its being a swindle, ~ ./ and protested against its being made the scapegoat on account of this sudden outburst of principle. Mr Stout did not want to seethehon. member in charge of the bill risk it by going on with it. He would suggest'that it be postponed.for a week, by which time all the other harbor bills would have reached their second reading, when probably the House would be prepared to deal with the very large questions opened up by bills of that kind. Mr Wakefield expressed his willingness to withdraw the bill. Mr Rees said that a single bill could settle the question. It was necessary the House should affirm its principle on the question by resolution, and in order that the whole question might be debated he would take an early opportunity of bringing down a resolution for that purpose. , Progress was reported, and leave granted to sit again. . The Wellington College Act Amendment Bill, the second reading of whioh was moved by Mr Gisborne, was strongly objected to by several members, on the ground that its object was to take away for its own endowment land whioh belong to the New Zealand University. The Premier suggested that the best way to settle the difficulty was to provide a separate endowment for it, of land set apart for secondary education. The debate on the bill was then adjourned till Wednesday, to enable members to make themselves better acquainted with its contents. The Catlin's Rjver Cemetery Bill was passed through cpmmittee. The Waimatariri Harbor Endowment Bill was read a second time and referred to the Waste Lands Committee. Mr Ormond moved the second reading of the Napier Harbor Bill. The bill was read a second time and referred to the Waste Lands Committee. The adjourned debate on the Electoral Bill was resumed. Mr Seaton said that any man worth his salt, after six months' residence ia the . country could have a vote under the M existing law. As to the Government bilr^rhe considered that after bringing such a bill down they were not deserving of confidence, and he intended before he was done to move that the bill be read that day six months. He believed the effect of the bill would be to throw the control of elections into land rings. Supposing a hundred gentlemen chose each to spend £100 on land, they could so invest it as each to get four votes. That could be done ad infinitum— and imagine the effects' of such a practice springing up. The Government should have harmonised the Electoral Bill with their financial arrangements. In the one, property .up to £500 was exempt; let them fix that amount with regard to votes in the Electoral Bill, and that would meet one of the greatest difficulties to be overcome. He would move that the bill be read that clay six months. The debate was continuing at 10---o'clock.