HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2371, 11 December 1879, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30. Mr do Lautour brought up a report from the Roporting Debates Committee, to the effect that the cost of translating Hnnaard into the Maori language, so as to be available for the information of the native race, would bo L 750, and recommended that Government make provision therefor, if they see fit to do so. The report of the Native Petitions Committee on the petition of George Davoy, making certain imputations upon the character and dealings of Mr Sutton, M.H X., in the acquisition of native lands, was brought up and read. The report recommended that no action be taken on the potition. Sir G. Grey moved that tho report bo referred back to the Committee. There were persons on tho Committee who had never been present until the vote on tho report was taken. As a member of the

Committee he had moved a resolution that those metnbora bo not allowed to record their rotes. On that motion an amendment was moved by Mr Ormond, which had the efleot of burking all further discussion. That amendment vm carried, which, under the circumstance!, was most unfair, and prevented him from putting his views before those membors who had not boon present when the evidence was taken. What he now wanted was tho report to be sent back so as to afford him an opportunity for placing hit views on record. „ " Mr Orraond explained the action he had taken in the matter. After sitting for about a month a determination was come to, the effect of whioh is embodied in tho report. Upon that Sir O. Grey proceeded to move a number of resolutions ombodying his particular views on the subject. All that ho did was to move a resolution that these views of Sir George's, which, In b his opinion and in the opinion or other members, wore erroneous* and calculated to mislead the House, shonld not be embodied in tho report. Mr Rolleston, a mombor of tho Committee, also made an explanation of the facts of the case as they transpired in Utoraraitteo, defending tho report as made. Sir G. Grey, in reply, Tstated that hia resolutions could not have come beforo tho House, and therefore could not, as alleged, produce an erroneous opinion, unless these resolutions had been adopted by a majority of tho Committee It was monstrous that a member of a Committee who had attended all the meetings, and listened olosely to the evidence, should not be allowed to bring his views before the Committee. The motion for the recommittal of the report was lost by 31 to 26. On the motion of Mr de Lautour, it was agreed that tho minutes of evidence should bo printed. Mr Gisborne asked tho Colonial Secretary whether he will place on the Supplementary Estimates a gratuity in the oaao of the deceasod Dr Dermott, surgeon of the Gaol and Lunatic Asylum at Hokitika, as a contribution towards the support of his widowed mother and unmarried sister, aged .'respectively 89 and 60 years, who were dependent on him, and are now left in very straitened circumstances. Mr Hall replied that the Government had no evidence that the ladies roferrod to were dependent on tho deceased. On tho contrary they had boon led to believe that they had other relations. In reply to Mr Hutchison, Mr Rolleston said that no representation had beon made to the Government relative to a decision of the Resident Magistrate given at Fielding, Manawatu, by which an information charging a person there with arson, in so far as on the same day last month he set fire to a house and burnt it down, tho charge not being denied, had been dismissed, on the ground that the person so acting alleged that he was the owner of tho land on which the house was erected, and that he had no malicious intention nor purpose of perpetrating a fraud in burning the said house. Mr Thomson askod whether they intended placing any sum on tho Estimates for roads in deferred payment blocks. Mr Rolleston replied LlO.OOO had been voted last year for this purpose, and ho Understood that there was no provision made for the mattor this year, although considerable provision had beon made for tho opening of such lands for sale. The adjourned debate that this House resolve itself into Committee to consider an address to the Government, praying that 90,000 acres of land in Rodney County be set aside for tho purpose of the construction of roads in oaid i county, came on. Tho motion was carried on the voices. Mr Dick moved the second reading ol tho Otago Harbor Board Endowment Bill. Mr Mncnndrew opposed tho motion ai it now stood. He was prepared to give tho endowment asked, but was opposed to the extensive borrowing powers proposed. There were great differences ol opinion aa to the bononcial expenditure of L 250,000 already expended by the Board. His opinion wai that tho money to a large extent has boon misapplied. They had no legal claim to the land askod for. To settle the disputes that had arisen, he was willing to concede the point. He hoped the Bill would bo withdrawn. What was asked was 88 acres of water to bo reclaimed from the sea, and at present they had not tho means for carrying on reclamation works. In fact, they would be as fai forward next session as they could possibly bo if tho Bill passed this session. Practically speaking, the Board consisted of one man who was left to do much as ho liked. Mr Oliver said that originally L600.00C expenditure was contemplated, and at present not half that amount had been spent. The work already done, pr*ctioally speaking, was of no uso until further expenditure had beon undertaken. The railway ran along tho lino of small baya proposed to bo reclaimed, and tho soonor that was done for the benefit of the railway the better. Mr Stowart explained the reason the Bill had not been brought up at an earlier period of tho session was the difficulty in getting the Committeo togother to agree as to the provisions of the Bill. The grant was required in rospoot of land taken from the Board for railway purposes. Tho position of affairs was this : if money was not available for carrying ortfc the proposed works, then money would have to be provided to bring the harbor back to its original stato. The gentlemen who constituted the Board were all gentlemen who had devoted a large amount of time to the work. These thought it was wrong for Mr Macandrew to cast importations on their bona fides, Mr Fulton said that a great deal of dissatisfaction existed both in Dunedin and elsewhere with the proceedings of the Board. He had no objection to tho en* dowmont, but in common with many others ho objected to tho borrowing ■theme. Mr M'Lean thought the Bill would not carry at this late period of the lossion, and it was more tho pity Mr Maoandrew'a election for Port Ohalmora depended upon the opposition ho gave the Board. It was to bo regretted he had gone the length of stating that the members of the Board were not equal to the occasion, and that tho work was left in tho hands of one man. That was not the true fact of the case. Mr Bowen spoke in opposition to the borrowing powers, Mr Dick replied, and the motion was put and carried on the voices, and ordered to be referred to tho Waste Lands Committee. The amendments proposed by the Legislative Council in the Mines Act, 1877, Amendment Bill, were not agreed to. Messrs Reeves, Finn, and de Lautour were appointed to draw up the reasons for dissent. The House met at 7.30. A resolution to be reported from a Committee of tho House on the Charleston Water-race was considered. Mr M'Lean moved the adjournment of tho discussion. Tho House divided— Ayes, 27 ; Noes, 04. A motion that a resolution bo agreed to was carried on the voices, Tilt Slaughterhouse Act, 1867, Amendi raent Bill was pagaed.

On the motion to go into Committee on the Taranaki Iron Smelting Works, 1876, Amendment Bill, awarding the company 800aores of Land, a lengthened debate emued. The Houie divided— Ayei, 34 ; Noes, 24. The Bill pained the Committee, was reported a third time, and passed. On the aeoond reading of the Civil List Aot, 1873, Amendment Bill a division was taken— Ayes, 25} Noes, 35. The Lands Claim Arbitration Bill for second reading was thrown out on the voices. Tho adjourned debate on the seoond reading of tho Elective Legislative Council Bill was brought on. The House divided — Ayes, 24 ; noea, 35. The Bill was thrown out. On the motion for going into Committee on the Prevention of Corruption Bill, a division took place— Ayes, 28, noes, 29. Tho Bill was thrown out. The Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, Amendmont Bill was also thrown out on the motion for committal.