HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 51, 6 August 1877, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington August' 2. Tbe House met at 2,30. * Mr Macandrew will ask whether tho Colony is likely to lose Sir Julius Vogel 's services. Mr Macandrew will move. for. a subsidy to. aid public libraries. Tbe Government said tbey had', no intention of making any furtber nominations to tho Lagislative. Council tbis year. Mr M'Lean told Mr Rees that he was uoaware of telegraph officials having altered a/iy press telegrams. Then Mr Rees gavo notice for a committee to enquire. into the matter. Arrangements are being mado for Opening telegraph offico3 at all the principal railway stations. Triennial Parliaments and Manhood ; Suffrages Bills were read a first time. Mr Stoufc will raoye that in future the Governor of tho Colony be elected by the people. A return of the cost of Railways: Commission was ordered. Messrs Burns. Reader Wood, and others . commented in strongest terms on what they considered the gross, mismanagement of our railways, and a committee to enquire, into, the matter is to be moved for. A solecfc committee is appointed to enquire into, the necessity for tbe. weather reporting and, storm signalling department being continued. Ifc will also enquire into the working of the Hinemoa and. Stella. Considerable discussion, took place upon, a motion, for a return of the amount of fees illegally paid for inspection of plans at Survey offipe, Timaru, and severe comments passed upon the unconstitutional action of the Government in levying taxes not authorised by tbe House. Government explained that certain fees had been, charged through a misunderstanding of instructions, but the matter w,as immediately rectified. The returns asked were furnished. Mr Reeves moves " That, after the docidedexpression of opinion of the House last session regarding the. Waka Maori, ifc was highly reprehensible for the Government to continue pripting ifc, and tbat ifc was unconstitutional to use Govern*, mpnt monies and iufluenco in defending an action brought by onp private individal against another." Mr Whitaker was saying that now the matter was before legal tribunal, ifc ought to be finally settled there before coming j into the House, wben 5.30 interrupted..

The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Rees gave notices of motion to the effect " tbat the Government' should be condemned for using their influence and means in defending the Waka Maori libel action, and that af^r the expression of opinion of the House last session the •conduct of the Government in still carrying on tbe business .was highly reprehensible." He also gave notico to move for a committee to enquire into tho circumstances under which the Bank ovcrdralt atthe Thames was paid by the Government. Debate on the Charitable Institutions Bill was resumed, and continued until midnight, when Mr Reid replied, answering tbo principal arguments against tbe Bill, but alleging tbe lateness of tho hour j for not going further into the matter. A division was taken, the result being that the second reading of the Bill was carried by 43. against 11. The mone£ clause will be considered to-morrow, and the Bill will be committed on Thursday. The House adjourned at 12.JK5. August 4. The House resumed at 7.30 last nMit. After some discussion, the Fencing Bill. Sheep and Cattle Bill, and Plaughterho.uses Bill were read a second lime and referred to a Select Commi.tee. On Mr Bowen. moving tbe second reading, of the Education Bill, several ( members wanted postponement of a week in order to afford time to elicit the opinion of the country upon it ; the Government on the other hard pointing out that nothing was to be gained by su,ch delay. Ultimately the debate was adjourned on the. voices. On a motion for goinc; into Committee of Supply to pass a few items which would not meet with opposition, Sir Grey called upon the Government to suspend all business until tbey had disposposed of Mr Rees' motion expressing reprehension of the Government re the Waka Maori case and libel action. Mr Rees followed, in the same strain, saying it was due to themselves to do so. Mr Woolcock here rose and moved a motion relating to adjustment of taxation, wbich he had given, notice of pre^ viously. He spoke for over an hour, the burden of hia speech being that land should be taxed. After tbe usual adjournment, The Premier called upon the leader of tbe Opposition to state whether Mr Rees' motion was intended as a vote of want of confidence, becauso although iv moving, it .Vfr Rees said it was not, yet now tho leader and others said it was, and wanted it gone on with. If it was a vote of no confidence, the Government wished lo tuwept tlie challenge, and furl it it out. . The. result was. that a good dcul of tak, which resulted in no businsss. tnok place, until 12.51, when adjournment of the debate was proposed, carried, ;md thu Hjouse adjourned until Tuesday.