EVENING SITTING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5559, 10 December 1879, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. PUBLIC WOKKS STATEMENT. \ The Hon. Mr Oliver then delivered the Public "Works Statement, of which the; following is a summary :— Sir, — On the 7th of, August my predecessor, Mr Macandrew, made a Public Works Statement to this House in which he shortly summarised the work of the department for : the last financial year, but avowedly confined himself to such facts as were in his opinion needed to accompany the application for the loan then authorised. I shall '* now, by the permission of the House, give a brief account of the progress of our public works up to a more recent date, and then indicate the opinion of the Go-' vernment on the' course which it is our duty to pursue. RAILWAYS — NORTH ISLAND. Taking the railways in their geographical order, we begin with the Kawakawa, that being the most northern. The firstsection of this line ha 3 been completed, and is being used in conveying coals from the mine to the wharf, where the coal is put into barges and conveyed to ships lying at the deep water anchorage, eight miles below the first contract. The Whangarei-Kamo line is within a few weeks of completion, and the work of plate-laying will be begun as soon as possible.—The surveyof the proposed Helens-Tille-Whangarei railway has now, been begun, and during the summer the whole of this country will be thoroughly examined. It is expected that the wharf at Helensville will be completed in about a month, which will provide a very necessary accommodation. Between Riverhead and Newmarket, work is. in progress along the whole seventy:two miles, and should be finished in about; 10 months. If in the same time the. Newmarket Junction Station could be finished, railway communication between Auckland and the

Kaipara writers would-be completed. A.. large reclamation contract is being carried out to obtain increased* station accommo-. elation in Auckland, and a. site for railway workshops has been boughtat New,mttrket, The .^{lnch line to .-Hamilton lias beeri opened- for traffic, and ih A very short time the Southern end of the ,Kaipara-Punui line will bii finished, within two 8r .three miles of the confiscated boundary.;. -.Some woi'ks are being carried "on at Grahamstown and Shortland, and natives are employed at piece work on another section, about tw,o miles long, farther up the Thames Valley. The works on the ftfapier-Manftwatit railway are, being piishe'd dti South b'f K6p\ia, and sixty-four miles are now opan for traffic. Railway workshops are being built at Napier. Ninety-four miles of the Patea Manawatu railway are now open for traffic from Foxton to Kai-Iwi, nine miles north of Wanganui, and a further section of thirteen miles 13 being constructed. In a few weeks the Stratford contract on the Wait{tra».Patea line will be finished, and the joUrney from New PlymoiUh to Wanganui will then be an affair of one day only. Surveys are being carefully made north of Carlyle, arid this line, desirable for strategetic and other reasons, between Waitara anrl N&w Plymouth on the north and Cdrlyle', the port of Patea, on this south, may be finished at no distant dates. The works on the Wellington-Wood-ville railway in the Wairarapa district are being pushed on vigorously The ooritract hating been abandoned, its completion is being cai'ried out by the Public' Works engineers. These works and the formation on the Greytown branch are so ; well advanced that the line may be open for traffic as far as the latter place early in February. The railway wharf at Wellington, and the workshops: at Petone, are drawing near completion. Machinery for the latter has arrived, and wjll shortly be placed in position, giving facilities for repairs as well as for the economical manufacture of many articles at| present bought at a high rate: iSurveys of the Foxtdn end of the W.eilington-Foxton line are being proceeded with, and some work has been done near Wellington by day labor, over a length of nearly five miles. RAILWAYS — MIDDLE ISLAND. ;Mr Oliver then reviewed the progress or railway-construction in the South Island, saying that the original Public Works Scheme for that portion of the colony was finished in the last financial year ; but the western railways in Southland, commenced by the Provincial Government, and some small extensions of the General Government lines, were hot completed. With reference to the Tapanui line, which was contracted for by the late Government on the condition that no progress payments were to be made, the wjiole amount being paid in one sum from the sale of the lands opened-up by the line, Mr Oliver stated that the works Yf hioh were pushed on with great vigor for some time, were now almost entirely suspended, and the contractors had stated their inability to finish their contract without progress payments being made to them. : RAILWAYS AUTHORISED LAST YEAR. . Contracts were let almost to the full extent of the votes on nearly all the lines authorised last year, and in several cases the votes were largely exceeded. Sections were let on piece-work and day labor in Canterbury, Otago, and Wellington, and on these sections there were about 2300 men engaged at wages somewhat less than current rates, but it was certain that this number wonld rapidly become smaller as the summer advanced. ROADS. Certain main lines of road in the North Island are being maintained — such as the Great South-road, Auckland, the Tau-ranga-Taupo-road, the Taupo-Napier-road, and some other short lengths of, road in native districts. The Government expenditure on roads and bridges in the Middle Island during last year was comparatively small, having been almost entirely confined to Weatland and the northern end of the Island. WATER-RACES. Speaking of Government water-races, Mr Oliver said the receipts had been equivalent to about 1 per cent, per annum on the outlay, a very unsatisfactory result ; still the collateral advantages were considerable. The Nelson Creek and Waimea races worked by the Government were the means last year of obtaining 25,800 ozs. of gold, and employing about 700 mon. ; COAL EXPLORATION. ■• The most important work of this class which has been undertaken during the past year is the examination of the coal beds of the Mokau district by Dr. Hector, who reports that the coal formation there ; is of considerable extent, the outcrops having a width of over two miles, and stretching from Kawhiao Harbor towards : the upper parts of the Wanganui river. Coal seams crop out on the Mokau river, varying from 2 feet to 6 feet in thickness, ;and the quality is excellent for steam pur- ' . poses, 1-J tons of Mokau coal having been proved by Dr Hector's trials to do as much as 2 tons of the best Waikato coal. In . connection with a district in which coal and limsestone abounds an extensive deposit of brown hematite has been discovered by the geological surveyors at Mount Peel, in the provincial district of Nelson. It is 50 feet wide, and has been traced for a distance of over 3 miles. The coal' measures of the Tokomariro district have also been examined as regards their relation to the auriferous cements between the Woolshed Creek and Tuapeka, but no new mines have yet been opened in this field. A new mine has I been opened at Fernhill, Green Island, j The Kawakawa coal mine at the Bay of Islands is undergoing steady development, and the coal is rapidly acquiring an established position in the market as a valuable steam coal. A shaft recently sunk has disclosed the existence of two seams, 4 and 9 feet thick, of superior quality, and at a greater depth than any previous workings. In the Waikato coal fields the company working the Kupakupa mine have opened another mine on the opposite side of the Waikato river, and indications of an. improvement in the quality of the coal with increasing depth have also been shown by recent discoveries. The heavy- works undertaken by the Westport Colliery Company for developing the rich coal-field of the Mount Rochford district are making rapid progress, and in a few months it is expected that the market will receive supplies from this source. The further development of the principal coal mines of the colony, by increasing the facilities for shipment, deserves most careful consideration as a means . of fostering an industry that will profitably employ at home the large sum of money which is at the present time sent out of the colony for the purchase of foreign coal. WORKING RAILWAYS. During the first few days of July heavy floods occurred in Canterbury and Otagoi doing serious damage to the lines, partially suspending traffic, and causing a heavy outlay in repairs and renewals. The permanent way is roported to be in good working order, except on some o£ the branch lines, which, owing to the light L ness of thejrails and sleepers used in their construction, are becoming seriously impaired. A very large number of sleepers have required removal during ,the past four months, and it is worthy of note that they were chiefly American timber. These sleepers were only imported as an experiment, and at a time when the pressure was great and the local supply wholly inadequate. ; The traffic returns for July, August, and September, show a considerable falling off compared with the corresponding period of last year. No doubt this is owing to the financial depression, but

much may be expected from the .: grain; traffic of- the approaching - . i season, which bids fair to be at -'"I prosperous one.., A good harvest,, and the % revival of fr^e'rysym atom's of .wh'icli are \,:"5 Star^" spec^ il * pl^ ddce h W fe * T3 „ lam S\ a p° s ay that we are extending '■"■] the use of New Zealand coal on our railwrys, and after the expiry of existing contracts for the supply of Australian coal our arrangements will enable us •to dispense to a large extent, if not altogether, thousand pounds a year, \" '" " -v: ' "■ -■•■-•' I find that the cost of railways open for traMc.at the end of the .^t.fESt. year is £8,600,41? 03 ' -4d, , inblulnsT ; ' " l £633,229 Os 4d for inter^sfc- tWo of opening. The gross traffic returns amounr to £1,729,955 3s U, 'from which must be deducted £1,250,897 5s 7d for working expenses .'and maintenance] ; leaving £479,047 1 18s for . '■ payment o of interest on , - the :■. loans ont .-^ -. of which these railways were'madq^/^ ?^Kd the past yea * the recei PJ? hare beW '-' ±-758,096. 85.2 d,, and the working expend £545,478 15s od, leaving tf Burp'lus of £212,617 13s 2d. .Thisamquritrepfeaeritfl 2.054 per cent, on, the, .average cost* of construction, leaving. 2. 946 ; per cent, tp\bp ;.tr supplied from other sources* Sir, wq'sH,"}/believe that. New Zealand. is r a country ; ot .,'.(> such great, resources that in > the course oi .•;■'■•, ).'■ years even those railways wHich. are. novtfVtO the farthest from paying will become re- ■ <.•.<£• munerative.- . • : ;r -' -sil-j'i Mr Oliver then quoted that part of .M*^ % Macandrew's statement itijwhich h'eproV v) X. posed that where railways did not pay in-j terest on the cost of cqnsiructidn/alff l property inthe district should] be rated to;;*-, make up this deficiency, and continued:—• ' ,' t The proposal of 'the , Goyemment'is^as. ', .- honorable members know^tp^oYote &£^ - proceeds of , sales of land, to.jlocaliand J.: J :. colonial public works, but if. this- fund, is ; .", to be supplemented to any great extent Jjy>, : additional borrowing to complete the: ,> general soherae-of railways, 1 there iia no. ■>'..■ doubt in niy ! mind that^ either those ■> already constructed mußt, be fflade to , approach more nearly t6 a payiil'g' con- ! dijtion, or'el3e a system of'rating' i;hedis : -;- : '• tricts beneficiallyaffected muslt'eyentviallyp.'l be resorted to. ;Sir, we do noVthiak;tHat^ the proposals for the various, lines of ; rail :! . i ways which are now in course of f construcr ;; tion have been subjected : b.efpre. ,tneii?' J>N adoption to so close a scrutiny 'as. their inir. - f portance demanded. It -has, ..'moreover, .. \! f become apparent that the funds ; H ,' which will be at our. disposal: for-. ihe,.{f " prosecution of these works , will prove inadequate to complete' them.' We think that the_ time has c,ome ; when our whole policy with, regard to public works must be reconsidered, and it. is therefOTe'our" f, intention to ask ParUamenff6r t itLthoniiy' 1 ' i to appoint a Royal Commission to 1 nitike a more full and complete investigation into the cost and economical valuej^of Ttt©^ several works commenced and proposed ;! than it would be possible for ttie Governor', ment unaided to complete.before the next session of Parliament; The Goyernment • hope by means of the report of these eppimissionera to be placed in a position to . make proposals to Parliament for the;; prosecution of public works' upon a plah/i; carefully adapted to the circumstances of the colony. Our efforts must now there- * fore be earnestly directed tp the economical management of our railways, and amongst other means I think the keeping of .the . ; accounts of the various .sections separate^ and distinct, so that it may be seen what .'! each is earning and spending; will have/i the good effect of arousing emulation among the officers, as well of showing! on which, of the lines a different Bystem of - working should be adopted^ . ;^r PnOPOSALS FOE THE FUTURE. . Sir, my predecessor has had the, gratification of proposing and initiating many new works of great magnitude. To meT has fallen the unwelcome task qf,showing T that our resources are inadequate to bear the continued strain of so rapidly constructing these expensive works. Belieying that to be the case, we do not intend : to ask for authority to begin new works. The funds at our disposal for the next few years will be only, sufficient to meei^ the necessary requirements for miscellaneous public works, and for enlarging p'ia. the works already authorised at a fate prd'-j' portioned to our resources and to the point at which they will be of real \ise to the community. Our position is briefly this in respect of the £5,000,000 loan and the balance of £517,120, including credits, with which we begau the year. — The positive"" engagements on contracts entered into atidi? liabilities which must be met, together with the expenditure already made during the current year, will absorb £3,800,865, including £l ,210,802 for land purchases and £154,791 payable to r .counties in the provincial districts of Oatiterljtuigr^lSad O tago, .in respect of stopp t age^ifo&Qi)B« surplus land revenue of those disirictfcilf^ finished in the stipulated time, these works will require £2,559,082 of ;tKis;. amount: to be paid before the 30lh June^next, an<i the remainder of the liab,ilitie3^excepjting a portion of those for . land purchases— within the following year.; .v,; The balance therefore whichis available out pf- the new loan is £1,872,046, and: the johly. method of adding to this for public works in acUdition to receipts from land sales, is by diverting to this purpose a sum' from one of the other objects, for •which^the/ lqaji was authorised. ' I have Btated generally our intentions, and the principles whichx we believe must guide' our proposals. Whatever may be the opinion of the House as to the expediency of -the coujSie^which. we propose, that course mustyto^a^«kjge extent be guided by circutristances^wfiijSh we cannot, control. It is my^du^'t^nr form the House that the understanding on which the loan agents are likely to obtain the £5,000,000 loan is.^uckas will.gte^clude our going uppn the jnglish money market for further-loans for a period of three years. It is imperative, therefore,in the interest pf, settlement, that i;he y_. expenditure of this loan should be judi-' ciously spread over that period. Our proposals for expenditure will be placed in detail before you, and I regret to state that although an earnest 'endeavor has been made to keep the e'stimatfes. within reasonable compass, they reach a very much larger sum than hon. members will probably expect. It will be seen, however that no less a- sum than £2,356,729 7s on our estimates is for liabilities which we found in existence upon bur assumption of -> office, and a large portion of the remainder is for works which are necessary, tp make available those sections already in course ' of construction. - However much we have desired to contract .thelargejexpenditure to which the polony is commit |edj we have felt bound to. a§k f or , appropriations which we are advised will-^be-Vye-quired for the above purposes, 'but should Parliament agree to our proposals it? .will be our anxious endeavor to limit the actual expenditure during the current year considerably within the amount'of the votes. . :; . . .7 WORKS FOR THE CURRENT YBA^!,.^ I will proceed, sir, to briefly an'd,iqate the principal works intended ,t.o : be ; qarrjed out diving the current year. Kawakawa Railwtiy*— Another section is nearly ready for tendering; "and 1 it f is proposed to. go. on immediately 'Svitji^he work, its prosecution* beiilg an obligation imposed on the Government.. iinder t! i an agreement between the Superintendent / - of Auckland and the proprietors lofiihoJ Kawakawa coal mine, ratified by an V^Act • of the General Assembly. 1 This work v would be a very desirable one, developing as it will one of .the most important coal fields.iv the colony. . >'''"'* -,■ Whangarei to Eamo.— Plans >aye'l)eeii prepared for the.second sections J extend"ihg into deep water, and tenders will soon be invited for the work. ( - '■'■) U Kaipara to Punui.— The, whple, pf, this work is now under contract," witti the exception of the station at f l;he Newmarket : Junction. Tenders haA^e been received for this work, and their acceptance is only

awaiting the passing of the estimates Tenders have- likewise been, received: foi levelling arid draining the site "at: Newmarket, on which it] is proposed to ereci the district workshops as soon as authority htiSibcen obtained froni Parliament; WaiUatd to the Thames.— t.t is intend.ee! ic construct a bridge over the Wri'ika'to; and a section from Hamilton East. Orders for the abridge material will be sent to Londeri^byian early mail. { ■ . Napier to Woodville.— -Tenders have been received for the plate-laying on the section south of the present terminus at Kopua, the acceptance of which ia awaiting the passing of the estimates. A further section will be put in hand with a ■yies to another contract;. / ■ :,..., We'jlin'gtp'n'. to Woodville. —It will probably iidfc be possible to' ( do more this yeafWarf complete the lii^e to' Mn#terfcon, but arrangements will beniado for laying, the permanent way on the Greytown'"b;ra*ndh', at^d : tenders will be called for the erection of 'the necessary stations, so as to^op'dnL'Jthb line /and branch ; as nearly together aB .the state of . the works will allow. Surveys i of the extension of the line beyofldJ'Mastertori will be pro- 5 ftecdfefl with. _ Bunnybliorpß ; te Woodyille.— A proposal has been" received from the Emigrants and Colonial Aid Corporation to construct' apportion of the 'main line connecting- the East and.rWest. Cqast Railway, with a vieA7i : to open up the valuable timbered land through which it passes. The portion suggested^ is -'-from 'Buntiy'thorfce to the Manawatu Gjorge, and you will be asked to give the riecess'ary power to fenable the Government and the Corporation, Jto enter into arrangements somewhat oii ilie terms* indicated in the proposajs now 'laidi onithe table.. „ ■ . , ■ : Wellington to Foxton. — The necessary extension (9f- .the wharf , and station at Foxton.. will %e k undertaken^ and'the works on the Crof ton • section : ' near Wellington will 1 be proceeded with by day labor. The surveys now-going on from Foxton will be continued v to' completion. A line fromPalmerston to join the Wellington and Foxton line is alaoj being surveyed. Foxton to Carlyle — -The section from Rai-Iwi to Waitotara is under contract, and'the acceptance of a tender for the next^ section toWaverly is awaiting the passing -of , tHe estimates. The gap of about nine miles thence to Oarlyle will be aurreyed, and plans made ready for tendering 1 lislsb.Ojn aB possible. -The forma-, tion of the branch. ,line. from Gfreatfont to Bulls, and., the extension of the Taonui siding ihrbugh about a mile and a half of timbered land is under consideration. Carlyle. to Waitara.- -It is proposed to complete without delay the remaining sections between the port of Carlyle and Ha- : wera and froaii thence to Stratford. A , portion of this line is being executed by piecework, it having become expedient to do'so^owing, R6 1 the . temporary, unsettle- ( ment of the ordinary. :avocatious of some of , the residents. . . . 'j Waikato to -Taranaki.^- While it is not at present practicable to survey or do any works on this line, you will, be asked to grant :a sirall vote to enable, the Government to take adyabfagcof any "opportunity j that may arise in that direction. Nelson to Greymouth.— ln is intended to call'for tenders for a section at. each end of this line, and to carry on the Greymouth harbor works more vigorously thancircumstances have rendered it possible during the past year. Greymouth- to Hokitika. — The continuance of. this line will be kept steadily in view. Weatport to Ngakawau. — The Buller protective works will be completed so as' to insure the whole dis.trictas well as the therailway againstthe encroachments of the river. There is every reason to hope that very shortly the coal mines in this district will be in full working order, and the expenditure incurred on this line turned to profitable account. < Picton to Hurunui. — In addition to completing the line to Blenheim, a section to the south towards Awatere will be surveyed, and advertised for contract. Hurunui to Waitaki. — The maiu lino through the Weka Pass to the Hurunni Plains will be, completed, and the stations at the large centres improved. The branch lines to the Upper Ashburton, Little River, and Opawa will also be proceeded with. Canterbury (interior). — Three sections will be gone .on y with, viz^, one at each end, and one southwards from the White Cliffs branch. , VVaitaki ,to Bluff.— Further station accommodation will be provided" 'at the' principal centres, and increased wharfage at 1 Port Chalme'rs. The branch lines from Oaniaru to Livingston, Palmerston to Waitemo, Clutha to' Catlins River, and Edendale to Toitois, will all be proceeded with."- "IV^."; „-'. ■ '' ; ' ■; :< ■•'";-.' i 1 Waipalii; "ip fieriotbii'rn.— In order to facilitate the opening of the line to Tapanui, and thereby place, the district in easy commu'nicatipn with a market, it is proproposed to assist the contractor in the completion of his. contract.;. Parliament will be asked to empower the Government to" make arrangements with tho contractor to-ensuieithe. completion of this work. _- 5 _ Otago central. — Tenders will be advertised for' ii further contract in continua-'tidii^'-'dT-Hhe^-Rungatai and- "-Hindon Bections. Thisc^will . finish; the heaviest works to the Taieri Gorge, and bring the lino into tho open country. Western rail ways. — Fo vi* work son th ese t lines, from Atautau- to JNightcap, Lumsden to Mararoa, and Riycrton to Orepuki, wi)l ; be steadily, carried on. „ , "East" and West coast^.f^This - line., will not be lost sight of, and while no special, portion can'f or the present ; ' be continued during year. - - -• ~ --,-_ " 1 DISTUICT EAILWAYS. . .v Honorable.members will regret to learn that" nearly 'all the railway companies formed under the provisions of the District Railways Acts have' been compelled "to ; suspend theiroperations : owing to the general financial depression, and the defects which: have been found in working those Acts.,. Applications have been received from most of these companies for •^assistance, .; on : the ground ,that . unless, ".the: •■'- Government assume their responsibilities: the > expenditure already made willi ; benjost.'' ■■ Sonic .of these branches would form useful portions of our 7 railway 1 system, and with regard to ' them: the Government propose to : ; take power.' to^trdat with Btich:. companies as have' begun works' and aro unable to com- ' plete their lines, and in the event of ' satisfactory.arrangements being made to purcnase them' 1 for the colony. As the residents^ in T the r districts interested have „ s.hown their' faitli- in the remunerative character 'of these lines .bjrlayirig themr selves . a under, an; 'obligation to submit to tfie'Viating' of ! their properties, it may, I think, be assumbd that there is every , - prospect of the lines, proving" commercially successful.' As the rating power is intended to be retained by the Goveriiment, r the risk^will be reduced to a minimum, '•''lh'e Government being already 'liable to pay interest afc 2 per cent per annum. : WATER ,-KACES. - -The -vote proposed to bo taken for t } water races'. ia £39, ; 883., .This svjm ;W,ill he expended as indicated in the estimates on works' "which; .while/ they. ,pr.omi§e.: to be • > ifeiTeficial: cannot , .bo. expected to, be directly remunerative. -' - '■ ■J l * "■/•' ROADS. ' . '• • i I now come to our proposals with regard to roads. We lay great stress upon these, both as promoting a solution of the native '' : aiffi'dulty.'in the North Island, and las fostering the permanent settlement !of ..^the^cpuntry in connection with the A administration „of a liberal land : law. Unless we steadily pursue a policy of progress'by opening up the country with roads .i"i-r leading to our . main lines of railway, as itmWeU-.a5.,, in.. : ,part 3of the country •■'■■-' where ; 'we „ ^are -" not, likely; to : . '!*s.&*, a^le to* . establish railway commnnjoation:j.yjiwp^..'Can have,, ilj-tcle - hope of a revival of the prosperity of past

. ; years. This will only be attained by c enlarging, the. area of , our cultivation - and^ affording every' facility; |; for; .the b occupation of our* lands by a! 'far larger r population than is now settled upon them. To the revival of immigration, the enL conragemement of. an iiiflux of small ; 6apita'list8 ?] coupled with the active ads ministration of , our land laws, we > must lob'k uiider existing 6ircum- ■ stances for s a re-estjtblighm^nfc^ of" s confidence aVid- a healthy pursuit ! of Oiii' ! industries, more perhaps than to the ex- ;< .tension of works of a costly character for which the funds may not be immediately available. The estimates Avill show in detail our proposed appropriations under this head. , ,"" " ' ' tioNditrfefotf. %I; " : In conclusion, Sir, I have only to add that. I should have made this statement iriiidh earlier in th'o,scssion if there had bedn any certainty" 'fia i .to the funds which would be at our disposal. Even -. now I should haverMed to defer making it for a few days --fintilTlthe. result of our application for the, five million- loan had become'ltnown to us,; . but; the , advanced period of the Bession and of the year forbade rtny , further delay. Sir, I have to thanfe you' and the House for the patient attention which you have .given, me. "PUBLIC WORKS BILL. The Public Works Bill, ; lSTO,. was .introduced, and read a first time. . Mr Macmndrew said that tjie. Public Works Minister was to be complimented upon the clear, businesslike statement he .bad jiTpt made. . He was glad to find that the policy aa originally initialed was to be carried out in ils integrity". PItOPJEHTV ASSESSMENT KILL,The i House-. then .went- into committee, on; the Property Assessment Bill. ' i. A oiotion was made to include steam engines in the exemption clause; The Committee divided. — Ayes, 37 ; noes. 38. The motien was therefore lost. !Sir George, Grey moved as a further amendment that machinery of every description be inserted in . the:, exemption {"•clause. The Committee.. clLvided-r-rAyes, 25, noes, 40 The amendment was lost. Motions • wove made and negatived for the exemption of steam engiues used in manufactories:' and other industries ; for the exemption of all property vested, in for goldmining purposes, or for for minerals other than gold ; and for the exemption of draught horses > employed for farming purposes, and also for the exemption of dairy cows. At midnight, when our message was despatched, the House waS'still sitting.