HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7413, 1 October 1902, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tho House mot at 2. .0.

Mr Buddo brought down the report of tho Select Coajmitice, which was sot up to enquire into tho condition of the frozen meat industry. After considerable discussion on a question of procedure the report was ordorod to lie on tbe table aud be printed along with tl.e evidence. On tho motion of Sir J. G. Ward the following bills were struck ofl tho Order Paper: — Land for Settlement Act Amendment, Crown Tenants Rent Rebate Act Amendment, Orchard andGardonPtMi»i Destitute Persons Act Amendment, Tenants Rights, Young Persons Pioti-otion, Shops and Offices, Medical Practitioni rs, Legitimation Act, 1894, Ainendin-mt, Electric Lines Act, 1884, Amendment, Contempt of Court, Lyttelto vi Harbour Board Act Amendment, \b-olute Majority Vote, and Thames High School Borrowing.

Mr Fisher brought down the report of tho Public Accounts C-mraiitee on the correspondence as to tho diflercnce of opinion between the Audit Department and the Treasury as to the payment of a draft of __3000 in respect of tho Coronation Contingent. Tbe coinmittoo found that tho charging of tbe J3OOO to tho imprest account was in accordance with the prac'ice followed by th_ Treasury for years, but that in order io remove contenions between tbe Controller and Auditor-General and the Treasury an amendment of the Public Revenues Aot is nece3sary.

On tho motion that tbe report of the comuiittee lio on the table, Mr Ja.nes Allen complained that tho sum of JE3OOO had been paid out of tbe gonoral imprest account in London instead of being defrayed out of unauthorised account. They had evidence before the Publio Accounts Committee of the payment of further sums of JEISOO and _1000 for the expenses of tbe Coronation Contingent, and thero was a referonce to another sum of _*30CO, bo that the total cost of the contingent would probably amount to .£IO,OOO or more. Ho contended tho monay should have been paid out of unauthorised expenditure. In his opinion tbo stand taken by the Auditor-General was the correct ono.

Sir J. G. Ward said that at the ond of last session Cabinet had decided not to seDd o Coronation Contingent to England, but after tbe close of Parliament an invitation to send Contingents was extended to all tbe British dependencies, in face of which New Zealand could not stand aloof. It came out in evidence, he said, tbat unauthorised expenditure was occasionally charged to Imprest account in London, and he contended that no departure had been made from the usual course. In regard to the payment of the 43000 under review, Sir Joseph Ward expressed the opinion that the colony onght to adopt the post-audit system and so obviate these continued differences of opinion between tbe Audit and Treasury Departments. Had there been time this session he would have brought down an amendment of tbe Public Revenues act, whioh would have provided for a post-audit instead of a pre-audit system. A brisk debate followed.

I Mr Fisher, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, in replying, said people wero not aware the Government were entering upon an expenditure of £15,000 in dispatching the contingent (Sir J. G. Ward: the oost is not _. 15,000 or anything like it), and he contended Parliament and peoplo had been misled in tho matter.

The report was ordered to lie on the table.

A message was received from the Leislative Conncil insisting on its amendments in Government Railways Superannuation Fund Bill. Sir J. G. Ward said he did not want to jeopardise such an important Bill at this late stage of tho session, and therefore movod that tbe Council's amendments be agreed to. The motion was agreed to. Tho House rose at 5.30. The House met at 7.30. Tho Methodist Church of Australasia in New Zealand Bill, to give statutory sanction to the change of name of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand was read a second time.

The Military Pensions Bill, which extends the provisions of the Act of 1900 to the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Coutingents, was read a second tune.

The Railways Authorisation Bill, Pbarmaoy Act Amendment Bill, Tauranga Educational Endowment Reserves Bill, Inebriates' Institutions Amendment Bill, and Public Health Amendment Bill were also read a second time.

The committal ot the Native and Maori Land Laws Amendment Bill and Municipal Corporations Bill waa agreed to, and tho Houso rose at midnight.