PARLIAMENTARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10105, 2 August 1893, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY.

[Pub PB9BB Association.] legislative council. Tuesday, August 1. AFTERNOON SITTING. ■ The Council mot At 2.30. , . ' BtTPPDY. .The Imprest Supply Bill (No. 2) was Taowwi; from the Houaa and passed through all its stages. . . PETITION. .Sir .G. S. 'Whitmqbei presented a petition fnom 1900 shopkeepers in Canterbury against the Shop Houro Bill. * MAGISTRATES* COURTS. , The Magistrates’ Courts Bill was further considered in Committee. Tie Son J. M'Gbhgob, on Clause 121, moved an addition to enable shares in a Joint Stook Company to be seized by a bWlht on a distress warrant. ■ The Attorney-General opposed the amendment, which was withdrawn. Progress was reported on a new clause, IM, with leave to sit again. INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISTS. The New Zealand Institute of Journalists Bill was read a third time and *The Council adjourned till next day.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. AFTERNOON SITTING. The . House met at 2.30. ROBINSON ESTATE. Sir John Haul moved the second reading of tha William Robinson Estate Trust Bill, which proposes to vest the estate of tho lata Hon W. Robinson in separate trustees instead of one trustee. Tie Hon B. J. Seddon said the Bill proposed to annul the will ot the late Mr Bobinson, and he hoped the Committee would consider it carefully. Mr BoiiLEfITON said a private Bill was not a question of public policy but of dvate rights, and as the Bill waa now ore a Committee it would no doubt receive careful consideration. Sir B. Stout pointed out that by this Bill the trusts of tho will were not interfered with at all. It merely purposed to vest the property in five trustees instead of. one. The Hon W. P. -Beeves supported tho mij. He was only sorry that it did not gOi further, and deal with other large properties in the same manner. Sir John Hall said the Bill religiously preserved every one ot the trusts in tho will, and he denied that it would annul Mr Bobinaon’s will, as stated by the Paemlar. Motion agreed to. QUESTIONS. Beplying to' Mr Joyce, The Hon' W. P. Beeves said he should consider the. advisability of giving any information to -the various Education Boards that they did not now with respect to - the encouragement of the kinoergarten system in some schools of the Colony. Beplying to Mr Guinness, The Hon E. J. Seddon said the Government was waiting for the opinion of experts on the condition of the Bruanerfcon coalmines before taking any action in the matter. Mr Fish moved the adjournment of the House, and said this matter was a very serious one, and should be submitted for the consideration of the Government as soon as possible. The: Hon R. J. Seddon deprecated a general discussion on the question at the present stage, until the Government had more information on it. A lengthy discussion ensued, after which the motion for adjournment was lost. Replying to Mr C. H. Mills, whether the Government will bring in an amendment to,the Public Trust Office Act, so that the Public Trustee will be empowered to pay the rightful owner any small sum of money standing to hia credit without the claimant having first to obtain au ( order of the Supreme Court, The Hon J. G. Ward said a Bill with this object had been drafted, and would be brought down in a few days. Replying to. Mr E. M. Smith, The Hon R. J. Seddon said he had already telegraphed to Mr'Harold Thomof New Plymouth, to the effect that tho Government, would giant him a reward for the capture of the highwayman at New Plymouth. Replying to Mr Pish, The Hon W. P. Beeves said the engagement made with Hr Mabgregor, the Inspector of Lunatic Asylums, terminated on Doc. 13 next.

• Cfi.V.-.' NATIVE AFFAIRS. The Hon B. J. Seddon moved that the of Sir E. Stout and Captain Russell " he'a'dded to the Native Affairs Committee. ,■ WEST COAST SETTLEMENTS. Mr Taipua resumed the heba o on the Wqst Coast Settlements Reserves Act Amendment Bill and said he hoped the Bill would be sent to a Committee. The Hon Ji Carroll explained the provisions of the Bill, and aaid he proposed to refof it to toe Native Affairs Committee for its .consideration au d for any suggestions that 1 might bo thought desirable. The Bill was similar to that of last year, but clearer in its provisions. Alter some discussion in which Mr Roheston, Sir John HaVi, Messrs G. Hutcbison, Taipua, and Kapa took pact, the motion wai agreed to, and the Bill sent to the Native Affairs Committee. ■ , native trusts. The Hon J. Carroll moved the second rating of the Native Trust and Claims Tidinition and Registration Bill, to define to (S <riye effect to certain Native brus's and ClbhliS. :

Mr Babata supported the Bill, ami sud it would give great relief to the Natives whO; had waited'for it.. fJr;'dipLLi!6TdN thought the Bill might pels.icly. have a wid.-ru-oopo than appeared et Ant. They ought, however, tj hf.ve ton pgjnioa of the. Chief Judge of the N-ißve Band Court on the proposals of the •tel.. . , The Hon J. Carroll promised that if Rny.o'iyw were open to doubt he should have particular esquirioamade with respect to such cases. Motion Agreed to, and the Bill referred to tho Native Lffaira Committee. NATIVE TITLES. The Hoo J. Carroll moved the second residing of the Rowe Fofcatoe Investigation of Tifcje Act Amendment Bill. Mr Solleston thought, na in the case of the former Bill, that thera should bo a report from the Native Lands Court on it. it seemed to him to be more a private Bill than a public one. Motion agreed to. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.

EVENING SITTING, The. House reuumod at 7.30 p.m. CHEVIOT COUNTY. On the motion for the committal of the Cheviot County Bill, Mr Rhodes presented a petition from Heyeral who wished to.be cut off from the He said it was the general wish of other residents in the county to be excluded, and he hoped that the Minister would postpone the Bill for a few days, so as to give the Public Petitions Committee time to consider the petition. The Hon J. M’Kenzie aaid he could not agree to further postponement, Mr Rhodes regretted the decision of the Minister, and urged that those petitioners hdd a perfect right to be heard. .‘After further the House went into Committee on the Bill, which passed its second reading without amendments, and was read a third time and passed.

NORTHERN COUNTIES. Tho Hon R. J. Seddon moved the second reading of the North of Auckland Couctics Vehicle Licensing Bill, to extend the powers of County Councils in the nortnem part of the North Island, so as to enable them to raise the funds necessary to defray the cost of maintenance and repair or ""county roads, &o. Ho explained that the Bill simply provided that all vehicles f should be taxed by the Northern County Councils for tho maintenance of county .= roads;

Mr Mooub contended that the Bill gave the local bodies too much power. Mr Batrcß wanted to know why the Premier introduced a bjll for certain parts

of tho Colony without making it a general measure.

Mr Euckland said the Bill would not be beneficial to the districts close to Auckland, as it would compel all vehicles to ba licensed in those localities.

-Mr Houston supported the Bill. Mr Fergus did not see why this measure should not apply to the whole Colony, especially as the revenue derived by a similar measure on tho West Coast amounted to .£I2OO a year. He should support the Bill, because he thought all those who used roads should contribute towards their maintenance.

Mr Guinness regretted that the Government had brought in this measure at all, as it waa simply trifling with the qusetion piecemeal. -Mr K. Thompson supported the Bill, and said it was impossible to keep up roads in the north ca local revenue, and the Bill was urgently required. Sir John Ham did not object to tho powers contained in tho Bill, bub he did object to exceptional advantages being given to the north. Ho thought that a small alteration in the Counties Act would effect tho required purpose, and make the Bill a general one. Mr Hogg took a similar view, and urged that the Bill should apply generally. Captain Russell said, unless the Bill were made general in its application, there would be great difficulty in its administration. If tho principle of the Bill waa right, and no doubt it was, there waa no reaaon why it ehould nob bo general.

Mr Sheba, supported tho Bill, bub hoped no other member would advocate such a Bill for hia dial riot.

Mr 'Palmer supported the Bill, but said if ho hoard from his constituents that they objected to it, he should oppose it on the third reading. Mr T. Thompson supported the Bill. Tho Hon R. J. Seddon said he should be prepared to bring in an amendment to the Counties Act, providing that on a special order being passed by any County Council, power should he given to the Government to bring a Bill of this kind into force in any particular district. _ Ha thought special facilities ehould be given to the north of Auckland and the Otago goldfields. Motion agreed to. CAULK I’ROTECTXON.

The Hon J. G. Ward moved the second reading of the Submarine Telegraph Cable Protection Bill, for the protection of the submarine telegraph cables lying in the vicinity of Lyell’s Bay in Cook Strait. He pointed out that there waa £40,000 worth of property represented in the cables, and tho Bill simply provided that any damage happening to those cables by the discharge of sewage should be made good by the Wellington Corporation. Mr Duthii suggested that tha Bill should ba dropped. He said there was no danger whatever of the sewage doing any damage to the cables. It seamed to him that to bring in a Bill for an imaginary danger of this kind was not at all necessary.

Mr M'Lean also thought the Bill should he dropped, aa if it were passed the whole of the Wellington people might sua the Government for damages. He hoped the Bill would not go beyond the second reading. Mr Wright also hoped the Bill would be dropped, as it was calculated to bo irritating and vexatious to the Wellington people. There was no necessity whatever for the Bill, ns tfaeie was no fear of the cables being injured. Mr Willis pointed out that the Bill was merely a precautionary one. If there was no danger to the cables, what objection could there be to the Bill ? Mr W. Hutchison said the Bill left the door open for litigation between the Government and the Wellington people, and he agreed with those who thought it was unnecessary. The Hon J. G. Ward said there were already on the Statute Book Acts protecting telegraph cables all over the Joloay, and why should there be any objection to this Bill ? It was a very harmless measure, and he hoped it would be allowed to go through. Motion agreed to. CONSERVATION OF RIGHTS. The House went into Committee on the Ward Conservation of Rights Bill, and it was read a third t’rc.e and passed. IMPRISONMENT FOB DEBT. Mr M'Lean resumed the debate on tho Imprisonment tor Debt Abolition Bill. Ho said ho hoped tho Bill would be dropped, as there was no such thing as imprisonment for debt in the Colony, Mr W. Hutchison cup-ported the Bill. Ho said he knew of cases where Resident Magistrates and Justices of the Peace sent men to gaol because they thought they could pay their debts, while aa a matter of fact they were utterly unable to pay them. Mr Guinness opposed the Bill, and protested against the Government making invidious distinctions between persons owing J2IOO and thoi-o owing ill. The Bill was utterly illogical and quite unnecessary. Mr Palmer also opposed tho Bill, and hoped the Premier would not proceed further with it. Mr Buck. and opposed the Bill because he thought it would have a very prejudicial offset. Bit R. Stout moved that the debate be adjourned. The Hon E. J. Seddon did nob concur in the adjournment of the debate. : P a majority of the House was against the B il he should regret it very much, ns he thought, the principle was right; but he saw r.o necessity for adjourning the riebnte. The motion for adjournment was lost by 23 to 83. Tho Hon E. J. Seddon strongly defended tho Bill, and said is was remarkable that jr, was opposed by the lawyers in the House (Messrs Guinness, Bacldaad and Palmer). He honed that ihn good tome o£ the House would'sce tJo justice of pairing a Bill of tvs bind, end in Committ-o he would be pee; a.red lot-ike any tugg ostler. that would ta'wgt ard the poster men of tie common ty. Tiie mot’on for the second xcaiing v.as carried by 27 to S 3. ELECTORAL BILL. The Electoral Bill was further considered iu Committee. Clause 7, Meotis only qualified to vote under part 5. Mr Bjieea moved to strike out the first portion of the danse, with t-.o object of placing Mr oris o;i t.e iiuw o.ccio; al tooting as Burotwacs. Thu .Hon K. J. Seddon said he could not accept the amendment. If it were desired to aboil Jr special Maori representation it should be done by aopecial measure, fairly and openly, and noc taking the House by surprise. A lengthy discussion ensued.

Captain, Bussell considered the time moat opportune far making this change. The special representation of the Maori people was created many years ago because the ordinary franchise was the property qualification, and it wao considered impossible to decide Mrtori property interests. Mr Duthie hoped that Mr Share, would nob press his aiaendmont. He did not think that the sugg»s:td change way. desirable. Sir E. Stout urged that special representation should noc ho abolished. Ho disapproved of all this talk about abolishing Maori representation and the Native Deor.rtment. Tho Hun J. Carroll pointed out that whilst they had a Native Department they must have Native representation. If the Nti'vcs were rendered liable to taxation as Europeans were, they must have tha same electoral privileges as Europeans. If they did not have that, they must have ext??, Maosi representation, because on tho population basis they were not eufficiontly represented howl Mr Shera’,'3 amend mint wu fmnJly lost by 35 to H. *rrogr6-is waa reported, and the House rose at 12.50 a.m.