PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 226, 19 October 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, Wednesday. A provision was introduced into the Municipal Corporations Bill, making the costs of testing the validity of the election of Councillors payable by the Borough Councils. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Wednesday, The House met at 2.30. this afternoon. After some formal business, Sir R. Douglas moved, on the motion for the House resolving itself into Committee of Supply, that the House resolve itself into Committee of the Whole to consider an address to the Governor irequesting him to recommend aa appropriation of £1050 to satisfy the claims ,-frafc H 3 W. Facnall has on the Province of Auckland, a. stated by the report of the Public Petitions Coinniittee, The Premier opposed, saying the appointment was illegal. The claims ought to have been made against the Provincial Council of Auckland, and should have 'Men submitted to that body, inasmuch as :seEcions of the Council had baen held at which the. eeuld have applied. There was no doubt Hie had/heen illegally appointed hy the Superintendent (Of Auckland, and that Mr Parnall gave away isfld orders under the authority of an Act which ,l*e knew was repealed before he was appointed.- The motion was lost ou Ahe voices. The House then weftt-i&to Committee of M_upplj. Public Buildings, £27,515.— ft^e item, Dd-p-artnieKtai Building, £14,300, was %■ £4000. Sir George Grey nioved that the item iJ4SO for repairs to Ministerial residences be struck <©Et. TJhis was negatived OU the voices, after considerable discussion. Sir Robert Bouglas moved that tte item. Colonial Architect £700, be reduced by £$ f just to give the Architect a hint that they were dissatisfied with his work, especially

with the ventilation and other matters connected with the House of Representatives. This was negatived by 27 against 16. Mr Burns then moved that the whole item be struck out. The debate was interrupted by the Chairman leaving the Chair at 5.30. Thursday. The House resumed in Committee on the Estimates. Mr Burns' motion that the item Colonial Architect £700 be struck out was put, when the House divided, aud the motion was negatived by 36 to 14. The whole vote was then carried by 39 against 20. Railway Estimates : « Head Office and Audit (Wellington) £4,617." Mr Murray moved that the item Superintending Engineer £800 (showing an increase of £100) be struck out. Mr Richardson passed a high culogium upon this officer (Mr Passmore), and explained at length the large and important duties performed by that gentleman. Mr Murray then withdrew his amendment, but Mr Lusk said he would press it, and complained strongly of the mismanagement of that officer, at least so far as Auckland railways were concerned. Mr Whitaker pointed out that a Commission had been appointed to enquire into those charges, and they would soon ascertain whose fault it was. The salary was no more than was paid in Otago and Canterbury. Mr Lusk withdrew his amendment, and the item was agreed to. "Northern Railways £86,131," and "Southern £170,000" were agreed to without dis- ' cussion. " Municipalities, Road Boards, and out- \ districts £75,000." Mr Montgomery objected to this on principle, and moved that the whole item be struck out. Sir R. Douglas, and Messrs Wason, Rowe, and Moorhouse supported it. The Premier defended the principle as perfectly sound, the main object being to compel the whole population to contribute by taxation towards the construction of roads instead of letting ifc all fall upon real proproperty. Mr Reid said that, look at ifc how they would, it must acfc unfairly, as it played directly into the hands of owners of property. If a poor district that could not afford to levy rates joined a rich district they would see the revenues of the colony poured into the rich districts that could, perhaps, well afford to do without assistance at all. Sir G. Grey said the Premier was trying to pay money into the hands of one party and to wheedle it out of the other. He was taking money from the hands of the masses and giving it to the few to expand. Mr Sheehan said there wa3 neither wisdom, principle, nor science in subsidising municipalities already well endowed while outlying districts were languishing for want of a reasonable expenditure of a little public money. The corporations of Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Christohurch had no claim upon the vote whatever. After a long discussion, the vote was carried by 37 to 12. The estimates chargeable on]the land fund passed without alteration. On the motion for going into committee on the Provincial Abolition Financial Arrangements Bill, Mr Sheehan spoke at great length against the Bill, availing himself of the opportunity of condemning the details of the Bill and the general administration of the Government. The House went into committee on the Bill and reported progress, and adjourned at 12-40 a.m. The Premier laid a telegram on the table of the House to-day from Lord Carnarvon re Grey and Macand_ew's telegrams in reference to abolition. The telegram says that the Acfc was assented to on the advice of the Law Officer of the Crown, and cannot be disallowed.