EVENING SITTING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6978, 4 October 1884, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7-30. . WESTPORT HARBOR BILL. Mr Turnbull continued the debate on the motion for the second reading of the Westport Harbor Bill. Be regretted that the whole question had not beon referred to a select committee to report upon. By that means members would have been made conversant with the merits of the question. He would support the Becond- reading, but when in committee. he hoped some means would be cieviseiF by' %_ich tKe Government could carry out the work in their own hands.

-I ' _ Mr Rolleston said the House should be yvery particular as to the course they took ln connection with this matter. He favored the suggestion of sending the bill to a oommittee. There were two matters to be carefully considered before this measure was adopted.. The first was to make sure that the resources were sufficient to warrant the expenditure in dtey&oping them, and the second was whether the carrying cut of the work should be left to a looal trust or should be carried out by the Government. Mr Montgomery said there could be no doubt that the, Ooai deposits on theßuller were valuable and of good quality. It appeared to him that if the harbor could be deepened to admit of large vessels to carry away coals, not only for looal consumption but for foreign also, it would be of great benefit to the colony. He objected to the Government guaranteeing debentures, and also to the Board having power to borrow half a million. He could not Bupport the second reading, but he concurred in the opinion that the works indicated were very necessary. Mr. Shephard spoke in favor of the bill. __ Mr .Bryce thought the work was a desirable one, and th.9 only question in his mind was by whom it was to be done. He agreed with the member for Akaroa that the Government should undertake the work. Sir George Grey believed that New Zealand was to be the coaling station of the Pacific, and thought it was of great interest to the colony that facilities should be extended for exporting coal from West Coast ports. Colonel Trimble. said he was opposed to borrowing powers being given to local bodies. y Mr. Stout disagreed with what had been said about the Government carrying on the work. It had been the ourse of the colony, for. the Government to aot as a central Board of Works: If the Government undertook the management of one heffbor they would have to take over all of them.Mr Garriok said the bill was a practical application by the Government of the doctrine of. local self-government. It was, he believed, the first occasion on which the Government had. introduced a bill which so emphatically tended in that way. y Mr Barron hoped the bill would be referred, to a committee. Mr Holmes would not at present pledge himself to vote either for br against the bill, i ■ . After Sir Julius Yogel bad replied the second- reading was carried, and Sir Julius^ Yogel moved that the bill be re£g£red to a committee to. report on Tuesday, which was also carried. . GREYHTOUTH harbor bill. Sir Julius Yogel moved the second reading of the Greymouth Harbor Board Bill. After a few remarks from Colonel Trimble the motion was carried on the voices,, and the bill was referred to the committee appointed to consider the Westport Harbor Bill.