Evening Sitting.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5769, 17 August 1880, Page 3

Evening Sitting.

The House resumed at 7.30. "THB 10 PEB CENT REDUCTION. Mr Pyke gave notice that on going into Committee of Supply he would move that the ID per cent, reduction do not apply to salaries of £200 and under. PUBLIC WORKS BILL. Mr Oliver gave notice that he would move on the following day for leavo to bring in the Public Works Bill. WELLINGTON BILL. ■• /The Wellington Foreshore and Railway Wharf Grant Bill passed through all its stages. ;,7i A GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. ..Mr Hall gave notive that he would move that in future Thursday after 7.30 be given to Government business. RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. Mr Shephard resumed the debate on Mr Pyke's motion condemning the Railway Commissioners' report. He Bpoke against the report, cilticised its recommendations, and said that, if carried, the resolution woQld prevent the appointment of ianyymore Royal Commissioners to assume the duties of Ministers without the .responsibility. The House should certainly pass the motion of the member for Duristan. Captain Russell defended the appointment of Commissions of the kind. Its tendency was to put a stop to that system of log-rolling which had been only too prevalent in that House, and which was mainly responsible for the non-productive works they had constructed. What they required at present was a little more selfreliance. In times past they had. relied too much upon English gold, and they would have to learn to rely more upon themselves. He believed that it was absolutely: important that they should connect the various railway lines. It was" not necessary that that should go on -at a great rate, but just as their circumstances would permit. The extension of the Seventy-mile Bush line from Napier was a case in point. The settlers in that locality were in great straits, although no unemployed demonstration had been made on their part. The' extension of the line towards Woodville would not involve any extra expense for, rolling stock, and he also understood that rails had been provided. Referring to the West Coast line as compared with that <via. Masterton and Woodville, he said that he was wholly disinterested. Still, he would point out that the West Coast line ran; -all along by the coast. Experience had shown that traffic always inclined to where it was most practicable, and ; he could see that traffic in that direction would always be by sea. Then, again, he reminded the House of the danger of frittering away money, making a lot of small fragments of lines. If they concentrated all their energies in completing through lines they would be paving the way, as- ,it were for undertaking fresh works,* such as that on the WellingtonIJqxton line. '""Mr Thomson said the appointment of this and other Commissions was a mistake. He ref erred at some length to the injustice being dove to the Clutha district in not completing the line from Balclutha to 'Catlin's -River, and went oh to show ih&i a sum df £33,000 had been spent on railways in Taranaki over and above what was authorised. Then, again, a sum of 45,31,000 had been spent within the lastl2 months in the same provincial district. Had the late Government done a thing of . that'irind there would have been no end - of outcry. It was a Tapanui job on a large scale. There were also harbor works 'going on there which were so much money thrown into the sea. Then there was an Armed Oonstabularly kept ;up for the benefit of Taranaki at a cos. 6f £500 per day. With a state of things like that in, thoir midst it was quite impossible that the colony could be prosperous. It was also proposed to spend during the current year on roads in that province. £26,800. It was not at all wonderful that there was nothing left for the South Island when so much was |*iyallpwed up by Taranaki. If the Government had no money to spend it would be a diff6r6nt thing, but having money ho I had good reason to complain, '

Mr George said his chief objection was that in the future, when they had more money at their disposal for railway works, the report would be brought up, and in that, way it would prejudice very necessary works. Mr Hirst regretted that the Government had not provided for the prosecution of the Oi-epuki railway, which the Commission iiad j .recommended. He spoke strongly of .its advantages, as it wonld open up valuable coal fields and beds of petroleum.Mr Whyte spoke in support of the report. , Mr Jones denied a statement made by Mr Pyke that the Livingstone line had been made at the instigation of ono of the Railway Commissioners. Mr Reid' said it had been made at tho instigation of a joint agitation — at the instance of the inhabitants of Oamaru and Naseby. It had been argued that Livingstone was not a populous district, but 'he had to remind the House that one of the principles on which the railway policy proceeded was that it should open up Crown lands, and by that means promote the settlementof the country. The member for the Dunstan was a noted story teller. He had written a story entitled " Wild Will Enderley." That tale was rich in imagination, but Mr Pyke's speech the other night respecting the Livingstone railway completely eclipsed that narrative in rich romance. Mr Hutchison thought that of the three documents— the Railway Commissioners' report j . the . Public Works Statement, and the Civil Service report — the latter was the most important. He was afraid, however, that that document was buried from public gaze beneath a heap of replies, reports, and so on. If the gentlemen who made the report were satisfied with the reception it met with they were very easily satisfied indeed. The roport told ihe trUth- And in doing so it had not made a single friend all round. So much for the truth and the love of it. He believed himself that he was the only one in that House who had a good word to say of the unfortunate report. With regard to the Public Works Statement, he could not look upon it as the outcome of a policy ; it was simply a thing of patches and shreds. The Government had no policy. All they were doing was to damage the credit of the colony. They wero throwing over a few underpaid clerks, who were compelled to do work in excess of what they were paid for. Those men were dismissed, while not a single office-holder of any importance was cut down or dispensed with. The. other night he asked what the Government proposed to do in reference to the recommendation made by their own Commission about dispeniug with the services of the two Railway Commissioners, who cost tho country not less than £2000, and ho could get no reply. Then again the proposal to reduce the Governor's salary was Bhirked with equally littlo ceremony. Mr Hutchison then referred to the West Coast railway, and strongly urged the necessity for its construction. Mr Pitt generally supported the recommendations of tho Commissioners, contending that they had conducted their inquiries with strict impartiality. Instead of conveying a censure, as the motion was intended to do, the Commissioners had earned, and were deserving of, the best thanks of the colony. The House divided on the question for going into Committee of Supply — Ayes, 30; noes 15. Mr Pyke's motion was therefore negatived. At 1 o'clock tho House was sitting in Committee of Supply.