WEDNESDAY, JULY 23.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5442, 24 July 1879, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23.

The House met at 2,30 p.m.

RAILWAY ARRANGEMENTS,

Replying to Mr Feldwick, the Minister for Public Works said that with the view of increasing the comfort to passengers on railways his department had taken steps for converting the 6-wheoled carriages now in use into doable bogie carriages, and that the Government were in course of relaying the 281 b. rails on. the Inver-cargill-Riverton line by others better adapted for heavy traffic. QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr ITart, it was stated that the Government intended placing a sum on tho Estimates for a Resident Magistrate's Court-house at ABhburton. Replying to Mr Hobbs, it was' stated that the Government land purchase

was

•agents had not the right of buying land on their ; pwn accpunf and selling it to 'fprivate 1 fipediilatpi'i; Replying tq ]^r'| Goldie, the Govern-, meht promised rijis't pi ilk ndrrios 8i all persons wljpjhad received appointments in the Civil : Servic|3/during the 12 months ending June 1879, and also of the salaries payable to eachr ' Replying to Mr Barff, the Minister of Mines stated that he Was not in possession df irifdriila'ticm relative to assertions -made in the Stafford districf;, to^he^efifee* that ; Chinese .miners, had been . /unduiy faired 1 in fHo d^tribiitio'n^f' water rights from^he Wflitn^a^te&Mßi"*****. Replying to Mr Sutton>:the Colomal Treasurer said that some delay in plaoing.--progreis; payments, parsed Qn account foil i the Woodside contract bf- t]hfe ,. W«iifafapit railway line^ had taken place, but tHd matter had sinde been attended to. and fchfr payments nia'de.' ' " ' ; ' ' "■■■" fif -' l<i Mr Gibbs asked whether the Government, intended to taKe: action for relteviflg the.depressioh in tlie timber tiade, by re-imposinpr the duty previously leviea J on timber, or. by any other measure^ , . The Premier said- that the oju'estiotf ? ' • would .be answered when the Financial Statement came down. Replying to Mr Turnbull, the Minister for Public "Works said, as regardea'the intention to complete the fencing of, thS mainlines in theMiddleilslaiid, that wheti §L^ the Public Works Statement was 1 brdughf T ddwh the Attention oh ih|e House ttoWfd-': " be directed to the tiiatteft ; ' , ; "'"'.:. Replying to , Mr Turnbuji, the MmwteK '. '■' for.. Public. Works said; the Government,., '. could not . .iri; all bases , fesferve, '.'blocks "of. ?r land at donVenieht disiaflces aiorigi f .|pro-l':I posed new lines of railway ior village sefc-'" tlemehts with land for commonage; ibui m that the point' was one to' which a'tteritiori : . would be directed. . - 1 -' ' : „'■■ \:

jßeplying to Mi* Murray- Ajrnpley/Hli© - : Minister of Justice paid he had not carried^ -out .. the recommendation f of' tfie ', Gaols "" Cpmmitke to., emkliae the salaries o* ' officers of the gaols thi-bdghpu^thejgplpn^ ™ and; he could : not , do so A u^atil a. cpii^aei\f'. able aura for the purpose* ; fcad £eenjvojte£^ by the House. : uli v-'j /.•.,-. 'Jnu'iV-U Replying to Mr Tole, the Premier S«id ; he ~> had that day' received a telegraphic com J mumdatida ftpm , tiie : shatebrofeers' 5 pfe J ' re garding tjie, pperafc !; of tfe"V'V bhareb'rokers: Acts,, and' that wli'cn tli^^; ' letter^mcnt^pned, in that communication^P arrived he iwpuld b> prepared.'to say the : . Government intended doing. ih7 the* » r affair - - -•• -v i ,-^v.vhV. _ 8J1.1,3— nRSX READINGS. ,i, .K >iv. '} . The following bills were introduced 4n'd*3 read a, first titiieJT-Aahburfcdn. County Council Waterworks (Hart); to detiia/e the trusts -of the Auckland College riiid I Grammar School endowments, -arid -for - other, purposes (S wailson).; ,the - ? , powers qf...-.the. Auckland^ Imp'ro.veiHeni" ""' Commissioners id' the ' Ciiy'Ooitnlff of .Auckland (Rees).

i - : -NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS/") ?i- f /-, . A question of privilege;.:; reipe'oiingSi the alleged tampering with a map showing i" { the~propdsea line* of railway in "the North •-- Island, ~wap mentioned, - -'^^'fi''f JIOI Tfie Speaker said he had nofc L yeV'coM- 1 pleted his inquiries into the matter."' - "''■•■*■ ' Mr M'Lean Baid that it was "aVmatfcer ■ ;r which should be at once inquired into.' ' ■} i Sir William Fox suggested that the ' matter should be : referred -to -'■ a, soleofccommittee for enquiry. ; - ' * ' '■•'• Mr McLean moved that a.iOd.minittee;^ be appointed. '•.'.'.' 't'ii-.'u I The Minister for Public J W^ri&,' ; ' : ii'; ll seconding J;tee' motionj made ; e^pranations fijom whicMt appeared that tM question had originated in a misapprehension.' a;H

THE THAMES-WAIKATO RAILWAY. "" " Mr Uichardaon moved—" That it U 'ex- "f pfedient the House be informed (1) '' whether the conditions attached to* clause 3 of the Railway Contractors Act} jl&t^/i has been complied with in respect to the railway from Waikato to the Thames }•■' (2) if so, when the plans and estimate, -with -t a' certificate from the . chief-engineer, .:!thaf the route chosen for the railway is the best available, were submitted to the - Governor in Council ; (3) when the' aa- r proyal of ..the Crovernor in Qounpil was given ; and (4) what contracts' have;" 'been let on this railway and the.' rate"" at ivhic'li^ the same were let."

The Minister for Public Wprks, stftted^ that the Government had no objection to I the motion. The information was being - prepared, and would.be forthcoming when ready. All the work done on these linek had been done " within the four corners of the Act.."

Mr Bowen'said that when the* line in question was commenced he believed there was not a^memjjer in the House knew - anything" about' it. It Was another"' 1 "Tapanui job,"- of which he, was, ,per- „ fectly ashamed. '■.'''.-',.. - 'I' Mr M'Lean said it would liajge- been "a , very pimple thing for the ' Minister: Vfpr Public, Works have given an answer tp.v the questions set forward in the motion, i] instead of telling the House that the information, would be "forthcoming " at ,>, some future time. Ho did not object to a ' railway of this kind being made, /but he " objected' to Ministers" undertaking such works at. their own "pleasure.. ... The .work had been gone about in a most extraordinary manner. A block pf-4.and?fbr station purposes cost £8000, wji£rgaiian, equally good site on the opposite Bide pf " the road could have been got for l £io,ool What he contended for was! that.no rail-! ! way should be" made unless fully \'san.c- .,' turned by the House, no matter What;, Government was in power. The reins must be drawn tighter, and transactions Jof this kind put an end tor i •-• ■ •

Mr Turnbull thought it was unreaisonable to expect an off-hand reply to the questions in the motion, and gave it as his opinion that the propiise given was the most that could under the circumstances be expected. , .' w . Mr Kolleston alluded to the address by the Premier at the turning of the first sod in commencing the line, and thought that the House was entitled; to an explanation. It was a political railway, and as such the Premier of the colony ought notto.Jiave.^^ put his hand to it. ''!*'' ~"~ : f^^Sir William Fox said he hoped it would be understood that they were not opposing the rights pf the Thames people to this or any other railway. What they protested against was the unconstitutional proceedings of the Goyernment in making an alteration in the line. It was the least, necessary portion of the . line that had been made, and that in defiance of a resor lution of the House.

Mr Richardson in replying, agreed with the sentiments of the last speaker. He regretted that .the Minister for Public. Works had not taken the opportunity afforded him of giving the information 1 asked for. The motion was put and carried. A COMPREHENSIVE RETURN. ' Dr Wailia moved :— " That there be laid before this House a return showing the income and expenditure of every Municipality, every County Council, and every Road Board in the colony during the year ended 3oth June 1879, and Bhowing the amount of salary, if any, paid to every Mayor, every County Chairman, andother salaries during the aforesaid year and showing the indebtedness . or the amount borrowed by every Municipality,' by every County Council, and by every Road Board on the 30th June, 1879." The motion was put and carried. FREE LIBRARIES. Mr Hursthouse moved : — " That in the opinion of this House all libraries in the colony receiving Government aid,' should bo supplied with a copy of the Government Gazette* Hansard, Statutes, and all Parliamentary papers free of cost." The motion was put and carried,