GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4902, 2 August 1877, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

JKKOM <>i:i: 51-KI-lAI. rOF.Kr.MONriFNT.] GoVr.KNMF.NT I'.rU.I'INCS, Wki.uni.tos-, Wednesday, S p.m. (.iPINI.'NS OX TliK FINANCIAL STATEMENT. DiVEHSF. are the .sentiments of men:bens i(,.inliiig the Statement. The surplus o: T il-!S,000 gratified many who feared the sliortcoiue of Customs vrould cripple progress : but this surplus is simply the result of nut expending the vote, there being on the year expended under various heads, i'HV..S!'O less than the appropriations. Mid while in excess of appropriations ricrc was expended CO, 10fi, showing ■1 1-ilanco unexpended of X'tTti.SOO. Among ,■„,.,., savings on estimated outlay was '.T.'i.OOO oil" intiTift and sinking fund not n.vru.'d, 1 .-nipi"'"-, within the year, £21,0110 •JtoTwo on law and justice. The fciet of ;!>■ re I'cinu' a surplus shown is a measure of *: :vni;th to Ministers, and so does the ]■..growing . f two millions, but Canterbury [•■embi'rs = are dissatisfied with the arrange-m.-nts regarding the Land Fund, and all i-veept three or four are said to be hostile to Ministers. There is felt to be a ::uk of principle in the matter of the localisation of tho fund as set forth in tin. , Statement. Major Atkinson did not .-("■:n to be speaking from conviction on this ]"int. Me was halting and hesitating, and, in fact, his idea of districts, r.ud his careful j < \i'!.n:ati.in that ho did not say auything | : ,;..'.-.ir the size of the districts, has led people j t.' hcliew that the localisation of the Land l-':ind is doomed, and that New Zealand will ].■ made one district. The arrangement is j .•■ -mod ir.cn ly a temporary and rather feeble ~■ ini.roinise. and there arc some who think ! th it' tiie whole land-, will be taken even this j s. .--'.m:. Most of the Otago members accept j •J'■' liropositioii of the Government; ard Mr. '.Mru-an.irew and others declare, 1 am j :i = Mire.l. thev will not lend Canterbury i any aid to turn out the Government on" this point. Indeed, this Laud Fund b'.:sinc.«s is considered by some as pivimj the way for Separation, which has v..t.iries both North and South, but from "hat cau be gathered there are several who tilk about separation who would not like to =vc it accomplished, and who on the ticket <>:" (ipnoMtion, say. "If it is not likely to he i -rrie'd. 1-t us support it." Many Auckland i:,-.-:nbers consider that the new arrange-i'.-nt will h* better for the Xorth, but T;his .: • - not satisfy them, and they prefer Mr. SmiT. >rd's proposal of a per centage for the i.-.-ility-— say twenty per cent, (which it is bf-ii.'vcd Canterbury would accept), the remainder g'.ing to genera! revenue. There is tiilk of a caucus meeting, but the South ar- divid-d, < Hago rather exulting that Canterbury, which"failed to help Otago last year, is the sufferer now. Hence thero is a lark of agreement, although it is believed | a combination of Opposition parties would j oust the Government. Tlie most is now j being made of the Canterbury dissatisfaction, and tbe leaders of the Opposition (r-:i■ I their naues are many) are waiting, , :>.\.i !•" anything can be accomplished, there | will be si.jns th.-reof iu the course of the en- I pr.:n_- week. It is a common opinion that I had Ministera gone boldly and entirely for the Land Fund, they might have been de-f-.atvd, but would speedily"have returned. j THE RAILWAY .STATION. | Mr. Header Wood spoke on the motion fo j removal of the Auckland Railway Station to i a -=ite alongside Quern-street Wharf as re- : commended" by the Auckland Railway Com-i!ii-Mouer= iii thc-ir report of March last. He urji-.l on the Government to make as M'-'dily as possible the necessary arrangeii'.- lit."?, and said it was n. gigantic engineering i.!i:nd(T in having the station where it at present stands. He could not understand u:i ■.! what grounds the Government; were c:'.;.-..scd u> altering the present terminus, uii;tss indeed, it was desired to uphold the uiimistakeable blunder made by the Governl;>- site wh'.-re it is now. The cost of the pi-.ip'ised ehaiiii" would be about £10,000 or i'rj'.'iuO, a mere bagatelle compared with the fi it lay hi'.-urred iu thr- extension of the K-iip-ira and Mercer Rai way.?. Mr. Dignan i•.•• Miidcd tho motion, and in doing so, rein a rke , ! t imt from the roiTner action he took ):■■ was led to infer t !;..t the matter would be ; ken in hand by the Government, but no st.i.s whatever have been taken by Gcvern-ni-iir. If they will not sanction the pro-j-.5.-l alteration, it will be imperative for the Aii.-kland Harbour Board or some private c-npany to do the work. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL CAUGHT. Mr Whitaker, in reply to Mr. Rees's ..K-Jtinn as to who would have to pay the <'.s'.s of the trial, Russell v. Waka Maori, w.i« frank enough to say that in his opinion it w.juld be the plaintiff himself. Upon t!iis, .Sir George Grey caught him on a questi"]i of order and privilege, pointing out that an ouininn of thie kind publicly stated by tii.; Attorney-General of the colony would t-ud to influence the decision of the jury. A few cries of " Hear, hear," followed this remark. SHORT SPEECHES. Mr. Curtis made a neat little speech (like himself) on the short time speaking, and .-tkhnuuh he made tho most of his case, mi, hours were literally lost, for after a <livl-ifin and .sundry amendments the motion wui really thrown out. Mr. Curtis wound i-nvptiau M.S.. found at Cheops' Pyramid. It'VleSLTVts to he rescued from the oblivion '.: llansanl. It was a part of an epitaph, reading thus : —

•' . bar.: fed the hungry ; ! hm clotli-rl t e nik'-d ; I hive v.icroiiied the sick ; I hv.t iiiv-n to th.t ji'ior, and I hir'! novt-r raa'le lons speechei." lii vain ! Mr. Jlees roue in his (vrathand dei.ounced the projjcsi'ion as tending to give v.:;-iuo power to the Government, en.V'liiii; them to stifle debate. Mr. >v.,ui.4011 opposed it because it gave to tij'j more educated of members, who could condense their thoughts into crisp and crys-v-.liinu sentence-?, frre-at advantages over '■•Jit.™ less skilled in literature and learning, r.-.'i Dr. Wallis crossed his hands as if about t. i-nter on devotional exorcises (with :ui '.ience neither few nor fit), and looked on the- motion as a joke. So the result proved i' i<l lie, except that it would not do. Mr. 1 urtis, in his reply, created a laugh by sayi'n: that probably Dr. Wallis's opposition ;i.-"»e from the presentiment that he would i'« the first on whom the provisions of the ii-flutioii would be exercised. TKLEGIiAPH PRESS MESSAGES. Mr. llei-s's motion respecting the Telegraph, of which notice was given to-day, opens x considerable qucation. It appears tint a telegraph clerk h*d demurred sending a Press message, becauee, so it is stated, it contained what were "not facts." Evidently tin: ek-rk meant that it was argument, and not narrative, which 13 what the telegraph :;!'l>o;irs ilcbirous of restricting L'ress mesi!:i;ifs to. It is time the subject were :-t Uled. Some years ago a case occurred ii: which a certain editor desired to telegraph a li-ading article, using the plural " we" in orthodox fashion. This was objected to, but there being more ways of killiag a dog than hanging him (which the literary censor of the telegraph office will no 'ioiibt admit to be a fact), a little alteration ' ! the phraseology and the whole thing was :n ranged. This can in almost every case be tltiiie if care is taken in constructing aentviicc.s, and any breach of stringent rules '•'" the- department can thus be avoided. However, it is the opinion of experienced :. .«>papt-r mm. and also of most members ;■' the House, that so long as reasonable iifints are observed, no restriction!) should be i'liiCfd on J'ress telegraphing, provided the matter sent ia really intended for publica-

(ion. The telegraphic letters of correspondents of the London Times are not merely dry narratives, lint they mingle comment and conclusion with unrestricted freedom. So hero it is just as necessary to narrate facts and to show vvliat they portend, —in short to discuss fully any public question of the day. There will, in addition to the objection to this absurd censorship, f 1 t +1 if tor f f this in qisirv regarding publication <if the intellig<;!'.v re the- Vogel-Broomhall directory proposal, and the utterly unwarrantable means whicli the Telegraphic Department it stated to have ordered so as to ascertain whether any message had been "improperly divnhjed," and after all they h.--'e not ascertained the fact. Nor are they Tke!"; to do bo without a Select Committee, vr"'si; power been threatened against the llci:amj who first printed the story. PETITIONS. Petitions have been presented from Mr. V. K. Kice. Secretary to the Board of Education, praying that he should be awarded the compensation for Provincial ollieers on being deprived of their oflices. A petition was also presented from Mr. F. J. Moss, late Secretary of the Board of Education, praying for an inquiry iuto tlie circumstances attending his removal from tlie office of Secretary. THE WAKA MAORI. Mr. Kees has just tabled a motion that the conduct of the Government in continuing the Wα ka Maori after the resolutions against it iu the House last session, is highly reprehensible. THB THAMES OVERDRA T. Mr. Hues has also given notice for a committee to inquire into the circumstances under which the overdraft of the Borough of the Thames was made a Provincial liability nd afterwards takeu over by the General Government. TRIENNIAL PARLIAMENTS. Sir George Grey's motion iu favour of triennial Parliaments is the first order of the day, but will not come on as the motions are numerous. He is now speaking on the Charitable Institutions Bill, on which a division is expected tonight. LAND PURCHASES IN AUCKLAND. Sir George Grey, in speaking on the Charitable Institutions Hill, referred to large landed estates being purchased by favoured officers and friends of the Government: specially alluding to the Tauranjja Block of SOO I or 00U0 acres, sold for a trifle ; also, 10,000 acres of a ccaltield in Waikato put up in cue block, so that it might be secured bv certain favoured parties, instead of being put up in sections to suit small settlers He spoke again of the I'iako Swimp, SS,OOO tending, by the very fact of their absorbing so much laud, to create a pauper class So much was he depressed by this fact of these men so far above him and his relatious aud other people that he had made up his mind to llee from the country where such things were done, but on considering it he s.iid, N'o : ue would stand aud struggle for the right, and do what he could to prevent wrong 3 like these. (Applause.) [Left speaki ug.] Thursday, 12.30 a.m. CfIAR'TARLE INSTITUTIONS BILL. The following in the division list on the Charitable Institutions Bill, which took place at 12.30 a.m. this morning : —

Arts, 42 a.iiient Macfarlano liHlNrcs Man.lers Be-, him McUw I! jirni Murr.iy Browa (J. C.) Miirr-iy- \ynsley is'rrns KeiT C- x Kowe fUzToy Seymour CJibhs Suir.mt c;i-itiorn3 *tout Ho,?;;/ s""°."on Hunter (toller) Ti-sdiemaker Johnson fc.ii (teller) .-,>.« Whit-knr K>]lr Willinm3 Keiiiie.lr Wooi! , \V ) Key ' Woulcock Noes, 11. DeLau'ouc .-teven'on (teller) Fislinr Thßinson Lusk Toll! M^.it E au.n Wkkeftelil Rollu-toa (lulli-r) W^lliS Pairs :—Carrington paired for with Curtis, against, Richardson with Bastings, Reynolds with O'Korke, Button with Kees, Russell with Grey, Brown with Travers, Tawhiti with Karaitiana, Morris with Hodgkinaon, Fox with Reader G. Wood. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. [TRESS AQF.XCV.J Government Buh-pin'os, Wellington', Wednesday. Dr. POLLEN said, in reply to Colonel Wiiitmore, the Government would bo prepared this session to introduce a bill to ameurt the Protection of Animals Act, 1573. LAW OK ARCEST. Dr. POLLEN introduced a bill to alter the law relating to the apprehension and arrest of persons for misdemeanours and other offences. PROGRESS OF BCSINBRS. The Friendly Societies and ludustrial and Provident Societies Bills passed through committee, and the Council adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. [rRE.SS AGENCY.] Government Building.\ Wellington, Wednesday. The House met at half-past 2 o'clock. PKTITION.S. Several petitions were presented. One from a Canterbury settler, for compensation for a field of wheat fired and destroyed by a spark from a railway engine. From Kangitikci, prajing that the Kducation Bill may provide for daily Bible reading in schools. PKF.SS TELEGRAMS. Mr. R.KES gave notice to ask by whose authority Telegraph officials alter or amend Press telegrams without the consent of the sender. MEDICAL PRACIITIONBRS. Mr. HAMLIN asked if Government intended bringing in an Act to amend the Medical Practitioners' Registration Act, Mr. WHITAKER said they had no such intention.

U.LKIiEI) TIIHKAT TO A COU.NTV COUNCIL. In reply to Mr. De Lautouh, Mr. REID said the Government had never used any threat, direct or indirect, to the County Council of Waikouaiti to force them to gazette the main arterial road as a county road. SAVINGS BANKS IK SCHOOLS. Mr. STOUT asked what steps had been or intended to be taken for establishing savings banks in public schools. Mr. McI.KAN said the matter rested entirely in the hands of the Education Board. If they decided to establish those banks the Government would render them any assistance they could. STOCK IN THE NEIGHBOURING COLONICS. Jn reply to Mr. Seymour, The PREMIER eaid the Government had received no reports from the Australian colonies of the condition of stock in their respective districts. The only document received was from Victoria, last Juno twelve months, stating that Victoria was free from NIPIER I.IBEL CASE. In reply to Mr. Rkes, Mr. WHITAKEIi eaid the libel case, Russell v. Waka Maori, was practically against the Government, but that in all probability the plaintiff would have to pay the costs. As to the printing of the Waka Maori, a special arrangement had been made for it, particulars of which would be laid before the House. Sir G. GREY raised the question of a point o£ order, inasmuch as the AttorneyGeneral had made a reply, regarding which no question had been put, to a remark which was calculated to influence the jury. The SPEAKER said it would have been better had the remark not been made. REGISTRAR AT DUX 1C DIN'. In reply to Mr. Maoandkew, the Government were understood to say they were about getting a more suitable office for the Registrar of Kirths, Deaths, &c. LICENSING LAWS AMENDMENT BILL. Mr. FOX'S bill to amend the licensing law, was read a tirst time, and the second reading fixed for Wednesday next. PROPOSED RESTRICTION OV SPEECHES. Mr. CURTIS moved that the Standing Orders be amended so as to provide that no member shall address the House for more thau2ominutes consecutively, unices by leave rfth- »-r° a,h ? < ?^ni?tnTOßßtfiU^flJPilflllii n ili

was this, not that any member who exceeded the time mentioned should be stopped at the moment, but merely that it should be in the power of the House to prevent the continuance of a speaker after the Speaker's attention had been called to the fact. He would prefer such a remedy for tedious prolixity instead of the Bystcm of clamour by which obnoxious speakers were silenced in the I louse of Commons. He was not wedded to twenty minutes, and would be willing to accept amendments as to time. ; but something like a reasonable limit should be fixed. Mr. STOUT moved that the word* " Unless by leavo of tlie House "bo left out. Hβ did this to prevent a majority controlling the power of talking of a minority. Mr. GHBOUNK considered the motion should be rejected in any shape as being quite uneonstitutir.nal. Dr. WALLIS, while disapproving of long- I winded ora'ory, doubted whether such a motion could be carried into effect in any legislature iu the world. One bad effect of it wouid be to throw the power into the hands of any party which wielded a majority. He originally thought the proposal merely a joke. Mr. U'KADKR WOOD expressed his astonishment that Government did not lead the House in a matter like this, which affected, the privileges of the House. Indeed, it seemed to him that the Government was favourable to the motion. Last night it took the Premier an hour aud a half to deliver the Financial Statement, and yet they wero to be limited to 20 minutes to criticise it. In tint case tho criticism would not lie very exhaustive. Better reject the motion altogether. Mr. CURTIS objected to the amendment, and announced that he would divide the House upon it. Mr. MONTGOMERY deprecated tlie silence of tho Government upon the occasion. Me would oppose tbe amendment and resolu tion. Mr. RUKS was in favour of accepting the resolution, if amended so as to make- the limit imperative and irrevocable, aud apply to all alike. Tho PREMIER said the Government decliiind to treat the matter as a party question, and if it came to a vote they would be foucd going into both lobbies. They also took no stand on the matter, because they thought tho House ought to be allowed to regulate its own privileges. Mr. SWANSON said if the Houso accepted the motion, they ought to allow mcmlicrs to prepare written speeches, and read them. A division was taken on Mr. Stout's amendment, which was carried by 52 against IG. Mr. WIIITAKER then moved the following words be added, —" and that the Standing Orders Committee be instructed to frame ,i utandiug order to give effect t"> this reso tion." Xegatived on the voices. The amended resolution was then negatived. THE FINANCIAL, YEAR. Mr. MURRAY moved, "That it bo an instruction to the Public Accounts Committee to report within a month whether it would be advantageous to change the financial year, 30 that it terminate on the 31st March, or some date earlier than the 30th The PREMIER said the Government had no particular objection, but he failed to see why it should bo submitted to tho Public Accounts Committee Mr. MONTGOMERY was in favour of the resolution, ae it would enable members to come earlier, which would be a great convenience to many of them. The motion was agreed, to. BEET ROOT Sl'UAll. Mr. MACFARLAXR moved, "That the House affirm the desirability of encouraging the establishment of bset sugar factories, and give an assurance that no excise or other duty would be levied on beet-sugar manufactured in the colony for a period of ten years." The PREMIER said, while they desired to encourage enterprise all they could, they werc aware that it was highly necessary they should be cautious what they did in giving assurances of the kind asked, so as not to make themselves li.ible for claims of compen sation, as had happened sometimes in cases of this kind. He hoped the mover would give them more information on the point, and explain the nature of the assurance he sought. Mr. MACANDREW suggested that the motion be amended by which the Government should be asked to place a sum on the Estimates by way of a bonus for encouraging beet sugar manufacture. Mr. RUSSELL asked what was the use of placing a sum upon ihe Estimates when tlie vote would lapse next year, and beet sutMir could not be produced in any quantity under four years. Mr. GLSBOKNE said the motion asked the Government to do what was unconstitutional, and hoped it would be withdrawn. Mr. TRAVERS referred the House to an elaborate paper upon the manufacture of beet sugar, by Sir Julius Vogol, in 1576, aud quoted from th&t pa[jer to show that beet sugar could not be produced in the colony under A'l7 or £18, or more per ton than the imported article lost. A perusal of that paper would convince anyone it would not be wise to interfere in the direction of the motion They should recollect their experience in distilleries.

Mr. JOYCE was in favour of the resolution. He did not believo in bonuses. Protection, it should be remembered, gave the world beet-root sugar, tie looked upon the stoppage of the distilleries as a great mistake

Mr. MURRAY took a similar view. Mr. SWANSON moved an amendment that after the word that, the following wor<ls be inserted, " That the question of tho encoaraging the manufacture of beot-root sugar be referred to a Select Committee, This amendment was agreed to, Mr. Macfarlanc accepting it. Mr. Macaudrew's amendment was negatived on the voices. THE HINEMOA. A return was ordered of tho contract price for building the Hinemoa; amount for extras in Britain ; total cost on arrival at Wellington, and if insured. THE NATIVE LANDS COURT OPERATIONS. Mr. TUaVEKS moved for a return of cases upon which the is'ative Lands Court had adjudicated during the past year in each Provincial district of the North Island, showing separately lands jmrehaeed l>y Government under the Public Works Acts lS7oand 1573, lands purchased by private individuals, and lauds retained by natives. Mr. ORMOND would give the return as far as could be got, but they could not tell as to private individuals or quantity retained by the natives. Mr. HEADER WOOD moved, "That in the opinion of the House the Auckland Railway Station be removed to a site alongside Queen - street Wharf, as recommended by the Auckland Railway Commissioners." He argued to show that thp work was really of a colonial character, that it was a gross engineering blunder in the first inetance that the railway station was not along We Queen-street Wharf, and that the alteration ho proposed would be profitable. This station would be made the terminus of the Kaipara and tho extuusion of the Auckland and Mercer Railway to Waikato. The probable cost would not be more than £10,000 or £12,000, and they would gain a large quantity of land bi' tho reclamation which the work necessitated. The laud reclaimed would more than pay for the work, and if Government would not do it, if they would allow a private company to carry out the work he would be fatistied. Considering the amounts Government were spending upon other railways, what lie asked for was a mere nothing. He was at a loss to understand why Government so consistently oppoeed this alteration. The debate was adjourned till to-morrow. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.