GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5632, 4 December 1879, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

PER "HERALD"* SPECIAL WIRE. [riIESS ASSOCIATION.] i, EG IS L ATI VIS COUNCIL. Wednesday. In the "Legislative Council to-day a large number of small bills were rend a tirst time, and a lot more a third time. Mr. Whitiker'a Indecent Theatricals' Bill wa* read a Jirst time. SECOND RKADIN'OS. Auckland Loans Consolidation Bill, Otago Road Bxu'tls Ordiuance, 1870, Amendment Bill, Kunvra Education Reserve Bill, and Oucliunga Water ILeaerves Hill. Captain motion for a return of all mines in the colony now worked ; also the number of those worked with single egress, and which may bj considered dangerous, was carried. Sir F. 35i1l had tabled a motion that Sir ! J. Vogel was right in assuming he had the approval of the late Ministry to join the Laroach Compjny. But, after a short discussion, in which Colonel Whitmore denied the allegation or the motion, and asserted that the Government pr«'inptcl their friends to raise the question damaging to the late Govcninv nt, the mot'on wa*? shelved by the previous question being carried by 20 to 9. Captain Fraser'a motion, "That the Government ought to introduce the American I atmo pheric brake on the railways," was withdrawn on the advice of Mr. YYbitiker, i who paid the Council were nob competent to id- cide the merits of different railway brakes I which the Government engineers would deal with. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday. The House met at 2.30. Qr/.snox.s. Mr. Jonxs'iox a-ked the Miuister of Justice " Why Government arranged that the foundation stone of the new Supreme Courthouse should be laid by a secret society, and what is the meaning of the inscription on the scroll deposited with the stone —that it wai laid in year of 5583 Mr. Hollestok ivplied that Government male no such arrangement. The way in which the thing was done was what was the ordinary case under similar circumstances. Contractors for the building are in po3S- Esiim of the ground, arc entitled to do what they may please inside the ground, and Government as a Government had nothing wlntevcr to do with the arraDgetoeufc. With regard to the second part of the question, he had already stated that as a Government they had nothing whatever to do with the ceremony, and as Minister for Justice lie had no information to give on the point. Mr. Johns jx said ifc was a great pity that the contractors in this colony had power to do what had becnj done on the occasion referred to. Mr. Sutton* asked the Minister of Native Affairs (1) 41 Whether the Government have purchased a block of laud known as PaUiri, in the Kaipara district, and if so, what was the date of purchase? (2) Whether the whole of the purchase money has been paid by the Government, if so, to whom? (3) Whe- ; ther the Government have a c nnplete title to the land in question, and if not, why | not? 1 ' | Mr. Bryce replied in the affirmative. An | was entered into in the year 1576, j for the purchase of 29,000 acres. The sum ! to bpaid was £1500; of that sum £1450 had been paid to the natives. The Government had uot yet a complete* title to the land. Renlyiug to Mr. Hamlin*, Mr. RoLLESTo.'i said that commissioners had been appointed to report upon claims | under the 1 and Claims Ac&, IS7S. Mr. Shanks asked the Government If they will arrange that the rents of deferred payment settlers, due within the next twelve months, shall remain unpaid during that period, so that the old year's rent shall become payable one year later than the end of the present leases. Iu other words, extended to eleven years instead of ten, as at present, without any additional rent, Mr. RollestoN" replied, that Government were anxious to make this system a success, and, to do so, the engagements entered into on both sides, would have to be carried out. Mr. Stewart asked the Government whether the Bill would provide a suitable lands office at Dunedin Mr. llolleston said he found the complaint was well foundeil, and steps would be taken to remedy the complaint. Mr. Bowen asked the Commissioner of Customs, " Whether Government will, during the recess, take into consideration the condition of the smaller harbours of the colony, with a view to make adequate provision as asked for ?*' BILLS HEAD FIRST TIME. The following bills rere introduced and ■ read a first time :—To Incorporate the Township of Kawakawa {Mr. Lundon); the Otago Harbour Board Endowment (Mr. Dick). REPORTING DEBATES. | Mr. DeLactour moved, "Thatthe House j do not concur in the report from the Report- | ing Debates Committee sitting in conference with similar committee of the Legislative j Council, that the debates published in j Hansard shall be condensed next session." Mr. Hall disagree:! with the proposal. They had not at their disposal the particular class of talent requisite for producing condensed reports. It was a class of talent j highly paid, and at homo it required men intimately acquainted with political matters, 1 aad, looking at the condensed reports produced, they would agree with him in saying that the proposal was not likely to bo satisfactory. Mr. Tole suggested that me.-nbers them* , selves should s.iy les3 than they did— ! study tho subjects better, and deliver i themselves with less verbosity. I Mr, Bowen said coudcused icporfcs were accepted in other places. In England Hansard was compiled from newspaper reports. Members might bo allowtd to correct the newspaper reports before getting into Hansard. The proposal made in the motion was quite worthy of an expei iment. Mr. ItEID spoke in support of the m*> ion, and denied the statement of the Premier that experienced pereons for condensing purposes could not be had in the colouy. Mr. Saoxders was of opinion that if Hansard were abolished altogether better reports would be got in the newspapers. He did not think the condensation proposed would succeed. The better way would be to limit members to cer ain space, or perhaps limit the subjects upon which members were allowed te speak.

Mr. Gisborne suppirted the the motion. Their speeches were at present, to some extent, condensed as things i-tood, aud he thought further condensation might very properly be attempted. Major Atkinson' opposed the motion, and suggested that a saving might bo effected by Sending tho manusceipt copy of the reported speeches to the speakers for correction, and not print'd slipi. Mr. Hutchison contended they might with safety ro3ort to the condensation process ; they had in the place reporters quite capable of making such condensation. Were Ilamari abolished, he quite believed that some newspaper or another in the place would make arrangements for a more complete system of reporting. The House divided—Ayes, 29 ; noes, 37. The motion was lost.

DUTY ON COAL. Mr. Beeves moved, "That in the opinion of the House it is desirable to impose a duty on all coal imported into the colony." The import of coal into the colony at present represented 230,000 tons per annum, and if anything could be done to keep that trade in the place, a vast amount of good would be done towards protecting local industry. If they could increase the output of coal in New Zealand, they would be able to reduce the cost at least 25 per cent. A protective duty of this kin ! was more important than a duty on bops and grain. Mr. McLean opposed the motion, expressing the opinion that it woold be unfair to tax coal, which in many ca=es could not be substituted l>v coal p:0 uiced in the colony. Mr. Hall also oppose 1 the motion. The consumption of New Z'aland coal was increasing rapidly, and the proposal to tax imported coal was quite unnecessary from that point of view. The colonial product had been fostered in a variety of ways, and any other means than that proposed with the view of developing the New Zealand coals would bo readily consented to. tie hoped the motion Would be withdrawn. The debate was interrupted by the 5 30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. HILLS KEPORTRD. The following bills were reported from the Legislative Council with amendments: — Wairarapa Racecourse Bill, and Waitara Harbour Board Bill. The amendments were agreed to. THE AR"IIA LAND CLAIM. Mr. SliiiiMSiii asked a qui-stion in connection with a paragraph which appeared in the evening paper to the t Elect that a block of land in Auckland thrown out for sale had been claimed at the last moment by Mr. Thomas Russell. Mr. Rolleson replied that he knew nothing whatever about the matter. FURTHER BILLS. The following bills were reported, and read a third time and passed:—Rating Act, IS7G, Amendment, No. 2 Awatere, Shelving Reserves, Mining Companies Act, ISTG, Amendment Bills. HELP TO AUCKLAND REFUSED. The adjourned debate on the question that the House to-morrow resolve itself into a committee of the whole to consider a respectful adihvss to be presented to his Excellency the Governor. Drying that he will cause the sum of £200,000 to he pined upon the Estimate* as grant to provide the district of Auckland for the formalion of roads and bridges, then took place. On being put, the motion was lost on the voices. ADDRESS TO TUB GOVERNOR. Motion was made to the efb-ct that the House go into committee of the whole to consider of addresses to be presented to I lis Excellency the Governor, praying tint ho will came the sum of £500,000 to be placed upon the Kstimatcs as a grant for the provincial district of Otago, for roads and bridges. Mr. Rolleston advised that the motion be withdrawn. The motion was put, and lost on the voices. K AI TANG ATA ATIIES-EHM. The House went into committee on the Kaitangata and Wangaroa Athenaeum bill. The bill was reported, read a third time, aud passed. MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY. Mr. Finn moved the second reading of the Married Women's Property Bill, lie complained that it was a bill designed to protect the property of the poorer classes. The rich generally protected themselves by means of marriage settlements, and this was a measured designed to seeuro similar immunities to the poorer classes. Mr. Hall said the subject was one of great importance, and it was impossible at this late period of the session that it could pass. The bill was read a second time, on the understanding that it would not be pressed through this session. Licensing act. Mr. Acton Adams withdrew the Licensing Act Amendment Bill. PUBL'C hall. The West Clive Public Hall Reserve Bill was consdered in committee, read a third time, and parsed. FINE ARTS. The amendments made by the Legislative Council on the Fine Arts Copyright Act Amendment Bill, were agreed to. constitution amendment. Sir George Grey moved the second reading of the New Zealand Constitution Act Amendment Bill. The bill consisted of six clauses, and after stat'ng the abuses which the Colony was subjected to, at the hands of the hand of the Government and its friends, by t!ie acquisition of largo estates in Canterbury and elsewhere, he (Sir George) went on to say, that its objects were to remedy these evils, aud to prevent their rccurreuce. He Mfc that, in this House, there was no fair representation of the people, and it pained him to think that the Government had done its best to burk his endeavor to carry a measure, having a fairer and better basis for representation. Ho invited the House to join with him in insisting that the hill before the House be carried into law this session. Mr. Hall regretted that the motion had not been made in a spirit worthy of the mover, the House, and the occasion. They had dimply a repetition of those wellknown tirades against everyone who happened to bir in opposition to himself. He had deplored the inequalities of representation in New Zerland. The fact was, if one man was more responsible than another for that state of things it was him (Sir George Grey). Had he stood aside when his Government was defeated last session, a measure for readjustment would have been sure to pass, and in the readjustment a dissolution aud re election would of necessity have taken place. He (Sir George) however preferred his chance of remaining in ollieo to that of the opportunity for removing the inequalitie i he now professed to deplore. fie claimed for his Government the credit of having rescued the colony from the gravest possible financial eoibarrassiuunt —embarraamr nts c:eatcd by the late Government, and thi»t was far more important work than was the aH.-enco of that which Sir George Grey so loudly professed to deplore. Tne present was the most inopportune period of the session to grapple with tbo measure now put forward. He concluded by moving that the bill bo read a second time that (lxy six months. Mr. SiikiMaKi quoted statistics of various electorates, and argued that the representation was moat unfair, i'or that reason ho would support the bill. Mr. Spkioht complained that instead of dealing with the motion, Mr. Hall had treated the mover withsneors and contempt. The Government, as constituted, took credit to itseif for having passed tho great Liberal measures of the day. The fact vhb they had branded their measures with the name of Liberal, but in reality they were not in any sense of the word Liberal ; and even then, such as they had got, had been wrung out of them because they knew they could not hold thoso bcnches unless they afforded some sort of evidence of liberality. Mr. Turnbull hoped they would hear nothing more about this Government saving the country from financial ruin. If members would look through the Financial Statement, it would be seen that New Zealand never bad been threatened with any such ruin. He would support the bill if they remained in session to Christmas. It would

be better than to defeat a measure of euch importance, and that should be sufficient for enabling it to be brought into law. Mr. George said the Government promised at the beginning of the session to bring in a bill for the readjustment of representation. That was a distinct promise, and now they were told it was not to be done this session. Mr. Sheeiian sa : d nothing could be more distinct than the promise made that the Readjustment Bill would be brought down. He knew that it would not. Then again, the House wished a distinct resolution though that it was to be brought forward, yet, after two months'delay, they were nowtold these promises and resolutions were to be disregarded. If the Government waslionc-st in its other measures, and desired to see these honestly carried rut, they were bound to bring in a m-asure of this kind. This ought not to be male a party question. They were simply asked to go back to the old cons'.itution. Although they were all anxious to get away, he felt sure no one would grudge a few days to get a measure of this kind passed, aud if the Government would be honest in connection with its professions, and take the lead in a matter like this, he was sure that the fact would bi shown. He would vote for the second reading. Mr. Stmwap.t reiterated that the Prem-er had given no direct promise to the effect that he would bring down a readjustment measure. He could not be ignorant of the fact that they had done so, and in the position the Pr.-mier now took up, he was acting most unfairly with the House and country. Mr. Macandrew scouted the idea that for the sake of shearing a few hundred sheep, or reaping a few tons of grain, they should hurry away, and leave a measure like this —a measnre to which they were all committed. It would not delay the House more than a week, and he for one was prepared to devote that time to a matter of so great importance. Mr. J. FisnEß supported the bill. Mr. McLean appealed to the members to come to vote at once. No good eud was to he served by churning it further. Mr. llf.eves blamed the Government for not having brought down a measure of this sort at an early period of the session. He would support the bill. Major Atkinson s»id the bill before the House did not aim at redistribution. It simply provided for the election of a common commissioner to divide the colouy into electoral districts based on the principle of population. If necces-ary, all that could be done without the expense aDd waste of time involved in this measure. Its effect would not be to advance redistribution of seats. The Government was as anxious as thoy could possibly be to get < redistribution bill passed, but had not the time. No one wauted another general election between this and next May, when the House is to be again called together, and a bill of this kind would under ordinary circumstances take a month or six weeks to p.vs ; no one would sit that time, so that it was absurd to bring it down at this state of session. No Government would allow a matter of this importance to be taken out of its lian ls. Mr. Hislop supported the bill. Mr. Gisborne thought that if the Government had not had time tobrini; in a readjustment bill, they ought at least to have made provision for increasing the representation iu districts at present notoriously under represented. Mr. Pvke supported the principle laid down in the bill, althongh be admitted it was too late in the session to expect that it would pass this session. Under these circumstances, he would move, "That the de bate be adjourned." The motion was ruled out of order, in respect that Mr. Pyke had spoken to the original motion. Mr. Muuuay moved the adjournment. Captain Colbeck seconded. Mr. Hutchison disagreed with the details, although he fully agreed with the principle. He wonld vote for the second reading. Mr. Stevens would vote for the adjournment in the full confidence that the Government would next session bring forward a measure dealing with the whole question. Mr. Hall, speaking to the motion for adjournment, said no member of the House was more anxious to see a redistribution than ha waa, but it would be quite impossible to pass such a measure this session. Next session a carefully-considered measure on the subject would be brought down. Sir George Grey said that having received a promise of a re listribution, he was led to keep quiet on the aubjet, and it was not until lie found that ho was being deceived that he brought dewu this measure. He did not believe iu the promise that the matter would be provided for next session. The question ought to have been fairly met, and not burked by a motion for adjournment. The country should know how the vote went iu this matter. The Premier was solemly pledged to get the bill passed, aud he was bound by that pledge. It was bis Srm conviction that he would never pass such a measure, and never intended doing so. The Premier had got up that night in bis place in the House aud stated absolute uutruihs.

Mr. Hall called upon the statement " untruths" to be withdrawn. Sir George Grey said that he did not use the word in the sense of a ivilful untruth. After a good deal of discussion on the pcint, the debate proceeded. Sir Geo roe Grey went on to say that they had been absolutely deluded. There was still plenty of time to pass the bill. If the promise of the Premier about bringing down this bill were not carried out, ho would Still do his best to prevent further supplies being granted, and he hoped the members would stand by him in that determination. The House divided ou the motion for for adjournment. Ayes, 43 ; noes, 29. Ayes : Adams, Atkinson, Bain, Bcetham, Bowen, Bryce, Colbeck, Dick, Fulton, Gibbs, Hall, Hirst, Hurst, liursthouse, Kelly, Kenny, Levin, Masters, McCauglian, McLean, Moorliouse, Murray (teller), Oliver, Ormoud, Pitt, Pyke (teller), Richardson, Richmond, Kolleston, Russell, Saunders, Seymour, Shanks, Shepherd, Stovens, S'u lholm, Sutton, Swanson, Turnbull, Wakefie'd, Whitaker, Wood, \Y right. Noes : Andrews, liallance, Barron, Brown, UeLautour, Fishi-r (J. B.), Fisher (J. T.), George, Gisborne, Grey, Hutchison, Ireland, Lundon, Macandrew, Montgomery, Moss, Reeves, Ileid, Sheehan, Shrimski, Speight, Stewart, Taiuui, Tawhai, Te Wheoro, Tole, Turnbull, and Wallis. After a good deal of discussion on this point, tbe debate proceeded. Sir Ghorge Grey weut on to say that they had been absolutely deluded. Mr. George moved, as a further amendment, " That the debate be adjourned till 3 p.m. on Wednesday." Mr. Saunders said ho approved of the bill, but felt it was too late in the session to be dealt with at all conclusively. It bad been shown that the redistribution would affect Canterbury principally. In that case tho Government had nothing to fear, as the new election would be likely to strengthen their ranks. The debate was continued until tho House was counted out.