HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 1, 26 November 1877, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington., November 20. The House met at %SO. i Fox as a matter of privilege drew at*

tention to the report of a speech mndo in A.qck|aud by Dr Wallace, in which ho said that one.fourth qf the members of ilie House wqre 'political trim,mers and roughs. Ho made no, motion on the subject;. ' Stout ppinte,d out that tho Auckland Star contradicted the ueporl m the Herald fr/>m which Pox quoted. To discuss the subject Ue nioypd the. adjournment of the House. On this, a long discussion ensued which gradually drifted into a debate on Eiako Swamp an,d Waitu Laud transactions. This lasted till near dinner hour when a motion for adjournment was negatived. In the cpurse qf debate Sees accepted Atkinson's challenge to, criminally prosequte him and his lafe pollpagues in respect of the Piako transaction, and Stout undertook at his first public meeting tp repaat the charges of improper conduct made against late Ministers so that they might if they could, justify themsplves in a Court of law. Wailjs and bis speech dropped quite out of sight. In reply to Qrmond Grey, said the Government had not countermanded any orders, for railway material from England, but had one for railway tickets. In the Legislative Council to-day, on the motiqn of Buckley, a call of the Coun>. cil was ordered for Friday next, by a majority of eleven. In Committee of Supply fi\e Estimates were passed as for as the en,d of clause 10— railways. The only reductions were £400 in Militia and Volunteers, aud £200 in Colonial Arphitects Department. None of the Departmental items were interfered with. Government saying they would not feel bound by tho items, but would accept merely the totajs of the present Estimates as not to be exceeded in the various classes ; the items being all subject to rs. arrangement with a view to economy On Constabulary Estimates Government intima'ed intention of restoring Middle Inland policemen to their former status as a purely civil force, and would also re ■ arrange the rates of pay so as to provide (airly for those men who were stationed where Hying was exceptionally expensive, as on goldfields. Progress was reported, and the House ro3e at 1 4jO.