EVENING SITTING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5565, 17 December 1879, Page 3

EVENING SITTING.

The House resinned at 7.30. PUBLIC WORKS BILL. Mr Oliver moved the second reading of the Public Works Bill. Mr DeLautour said that the provision in the bill for aiding District Railway Companies was one which required further explanation. Those companies were promoted by owners of land which was of such a character that it would not pay them to turn it to any use. All they aimed at was toget quit of tha land at such an enhauced price as a railway lines would give them. Measra Driver, M'Lean, M'Oaughan, Studholme, and he believed the Minister of Public Works himself, were all pecuniarily interested in the question, and he would submit that those gentlemen ought not to remain in the House and vote uponit. Mr Studholme said it was incorrect to Btate that he was either directly or indirectly interested in any of the lines. The Speaker ruled that it would not be right for any member interested in the works referred to in the bill to vote on the subject. Mr Montgomery said that he would do his best to prevent the clause providing for the expenditure upon district railways becoming law. Mr Macandrew said it was to be regretted the bill had : not been brought down earlier in the session. He could see no good reason why the colony should riot assist the companies in completing their lines. In committee he would move that clauses 30, 31, and 32 of the bill be struck out, and in lieu thereof that a new clause be inserted to the effect that the Governor-in-Council might from ,tin*e to time advance by way of loan to the District Railway Companies, whose lines, were partly in course of construction, or who might have imported rails or rolling Btock, sums of money to the total extent of. the amounts expended by those companies, such loan or advance to bear interest at a rate of 7 per cent per annum, proper security being taken for the repayment of such advance and all interest accruing thereon.

. Mr Pyke, Mr Turnbull, Mr J. T. Fisher, Sir George Groy, and aeveral other members spoke in opposition to the clauses relating to the purchase of the district railways.

Mr Oliver admitted that he was interested to the extent of 75 shares in the Waimate line. It waa a matter of no importance to him whether be was ever able to realise upon those shares or not ; others, however, were less favorably situated, and they found a difficulty in paying the continued calls made upon them. He did not think a member in the House would allow his personal interest in the matter to clash with hia public duty.. It was a singular fact that while both Sir George Grey and Mr I)e Lautour pretended great solicitude for the man who proposed buying land, no sooner

had he done so than lie seemed to become the object of those two members' antipathy. The motion was then put and carried and the House went into committee on the bill. .

On clause 30 being put, Mr Macandrew suggested that £ 100,000 should be advanced for the completion of the linesimentioned in the clause, the money to be lent fora period of twelve months, after which the companies would be enabled to float their debentures. ' He proposed a raotibn %o that effect. :-.

Mr Montgomery proposed that the clause be struck out altogether. The question was being discussed when ovtr message was despatched at 1 a.m.