HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 4026, 31 August 1898, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday, August 80. The House sat at 2.30 In the unavoidable absence of the i Speaker, the Chairman of Committees . took the chair. QUESTIONS. In reply to Mr Rolleston, The Deputy -Speaker said he had t issued instructions that the publication [ of Hansard with the Hon. Mcßenzie's , map should not be proceeded with until orders had been issued by the Speaker J or the Deputy-Speaker. The Rating on Unimproved Value b Act Amendment Bill was introduced and read a first time. PACIFIC CABLE. The Public Accounts Committee reported in favor of the colony joining i with the other Australian colonies with , a view of establishing a Pacific cable. The report was agreed to. C THE MAP QUESTION. 1 Reporting Debates and Printing Com- > mittee reported that the Speaker be r recommended to publish Hansard with i the map produced by the Hon. Mr McKenzie in his spbech on the Financial Statement. Mr Seddon said the circumstances in ' connection with the matter were ex- ~ c ceptional, as the Minister of Lands had not given details from the map as he } had expressed his intention of inserting it in Hansard. As an amendment he moved that the House approves of the ) map being circulated with Hansard r which he contended would get over the | objections raised by the Opposition. r The Minister's speech could not be 1 intelligibly understood without the map „ and he considered it weuld not be a bad 1 thing if the pages of Hansard were lightened by photos of members. Mr Rolleston said Mr Seddon's V amendment was no way out of the I difficulty, and the matter was of such imi, portance that the Speaker should have c been present. His side of the House c wished the matter dealt with not with 6 respect to the Minister or to the map produced, but as one which would create ° a precedent. " In the course of the discussion which , ensued g Mr Geo. Hutchison produced a map of Bushy Park showing that it was : i capable of subdivision for small settlement, and said if the Hon. McKenzie's c " gridironing " map was inserted in 0 Hansard he would claim the same c treatment for the map he produced. 'S After further discussion the debate ir was interrupted by the 5.30 adjourn- *• ment, the Deputy-Speaker announcing f# that orders of the day would be prooeeded with at 7.30. IN COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. 1 An Imprest Supply Bill for £495,000 d for salaries, wages and contingencies 7 was agreed to by the Committee of »" Supply. a On a motion to refer it to the Comee mittee of Ways and Means, Mr George '» Hutchison moved as an amendment J that information shall be given the ,j public as to the amount collected on the i. different articles of tariff affected by the o revision of the tariff in 1895, in the c years 1893, 1894, 1896 and 1897. ', "The Deputy- Speaker ruled the h amendment out of order

Mr Buchanan complained that the Government had refused to grant returns, but he considered it was time to protest against Ministers' refusals to grant returns. The fact was that the House had lost control of the public purse.

In the course of the debate which ensued, Mr Rolleston considered that the Public Works Estimates should be considered concurrently with the General Estimates, and said it was shocking to think that they were drifting in the same direction as they did last session, when the Public Works Statement had been brought down five or six days before the end of the session, where there was practically no discussion at all on it.

Further desultory discussion ensued on the question that the resolutions in committee of ways and means with respect to Imprest Supply Bill be agreed to. Shortly before midnight the resolutions were agreed to, and, the bill was read a first and second time, committed, and passed unaltered. On the question of the third reading, Mr Seddon said it had been evident that there was a set determination to prevent the business of the colony proceeding, and to block Old Ago Pensions, Master and Apprentices.and the Government Accident Insurance Bills. The Bill passed its final stages, and the House adjourned as 12.40.