GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6422, 17 June 1882, Page 6

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

frr TI XE GR ArH.-PRKSS association! LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. ?' * Friday. ■ ~ The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. PROGRESS OF MEASURES. The Council sat only five minutes 110 Siwis "Sheriffs Act Amendment Bill. - HOUSE"OFREPRKSENTATIVES. ITh crsday.—[Concluded. J ri:i:CIIASE OF VOTHS BILL. ' Sir Georgk Grey-, when he rose to reply, - was evidently over fatigued. Referring to - the leasehold vote, he said that l le had never r . been waited on by a ihe sub. iect The conversation referred to bj the members.for Waitemata and Newton was merelv a street conversation. After Ue sat'down, Mr. Swan'son- rose for the purpose of explaining this incident, and . then went on to make a vigorous speech • against the Bill, charging Sir George Grey • with inconstancy m his attitude tow aids tha property vote, going IS4B, when Sir George Grey, in a despatch Home, wrote strongly in favour of the property vote. - V ©-There was also- a , scrimmage botween Montgomery find Hursthousc, the former .: complaining that Hursthousc was always ;= ----- parading the working man, and it ought to * . be put a stop to. • ' •' Mr Hukstiiousk retaliated by ridiculing Montgomery's pretensions as leader of the •'Opposition, and telling li.m to take shelter ' under the wine of the only man fit to be - - - leader of the party. ■ ! Ue3sr3.GK.ORGE and PkLautouw replied '' -to Mr. Swanaon, 'after which the House rdivided as follows : — ' . _ _ -- Avos 19- Bracken, Cadman, DeLnutour, Dodson, Feldwick, George, M. W. Green, Grey Holmes, Hutchison, Joyce, Montirnmerv Moss, Munro, Seddon, Shephard, and W. White. ; - Noes 37 : Beetham; J. Buchanan, >». C. -Buchanan, Conolly, Dick, Fergus, Fish, Fulton, Hall, Hamlin, Hobb3, Hurst, Hurst- ' house, C. Johnston, W. Johnston, ICelly. Captain McKenzie, McMillan, Mitchelsoii, Peacock, Poatletli'waito, Bolleston, Rutherford Sheehau, Stevens, Sutton, Swanson; ' Taiaroa, Tawhai, H. Thomson, Tomoaaa, Trimble, . Watt... Weston, Whitaker, J. ; - Wilson, J. G. Wilson. - " ■ The.BiH was ordered to be read a second "lame that day six months.

V. • . • •; Friday. " - The House met at .2.30 p.m. : ' - QUESTION'S AND ANSTVERS. . Replying to Mr: Allwright, Mr. JoH!*sio* said he would consider the propriety of giving effcct to the recommendation of the Railway Committee of a previous session in favour of abolishing free : •- railway .passes, except to members of Par- . liament. i .Replying to Mr. Bracken, ' Mr. Dick said that the appointment of a member of the Police Force at Wansppui to the petition of a gaoler, was made .-is, the police officer in question happened to have special' fitness for the.position.' ; Moreover, it would, have been a reduction of salary for a senior officer of the Gaol Department to ■ have been appointed to that post. j ' Replying to Mr. Barron, ; ■ Mr. Dick said the Government was not unfavourable to the introduction of the - cental of 1001b3. as the standard for the sale of grwn, but until the population was educated thereto it would be injudicious to adopt it. In South Australia it had been - adopted, but afterwards abandoned foi; the reason stated-above. Replying to Mr. J. Grkks, : Mr. ,Dick said an order-in-council j\vas . being prepared declaring stoats and polecats natural enemies of rabbits. Ferrets landweasels were protected under the" Rabbit Act. Owners arid lessees of land could obtain the services ' of imported ferrets from the Government on certain conditions. THE CHINESE. - • Mr. Tcrvbttli., on behalf of Mr. Daniel, moved for leave to introduce a Bill to disqualify the Chinese from holding miners' rights and business licenses on goldfields. Mr. Bracken* denounced the measure as tyrannical and uncalled for, and thought the House" would consult its own dignity by refusing leave to introduce such a measure: • Mr. Sn kpitahd moved tlic adjournment of the debate for a fortnight,'to enable them to : ascertain the nature of the Bill. J The motion for adjournment was carried. " ; BILLS'-INTRODUCED. . i - The following Bills* were introduced' and .read a first time The Coroners Act ment, 1567 (Mr. Steward), And the Mining Companies Validation (Mr. Westbri).' : ; THE CHRISTCHtrBCH EXniBITION. j -i. -ill:. J. C. Buo'.vjf moved, "That I this House do adjouni'from Thursday, the 29th instant, until the Tuesday following, to "enable members to accept the invitation of : ■ Messrs. Jouoerfc and Twopeny-tovisit the -'New Zealand Exhibition at Christchurch." Mr. Fish seconded, and after-some dis- . cussion. : ' Mr. Rollestok said that the Government ."would give every facility for the proposed " visit. , i : PROGRESS OF BILLS. ... The following Biils passed through committee The Waikato ' Confiscated Lands and. Trade Marks Amendment Bills. : V KATrVE. -' . . Mr. Kelly resumed the debate on the Native Reserves Bill.: ;He objected to the principle of the ' Bill, and moved, as an ■amendment, " That .the Bill he read that day six months," as'was it expedient that the native lands should be administered by the Land Department, and through it the Land Board. : Mr. COS'OT.I.Y thoiight 'the short title the only commendable partrof the Bill. All the rest was-danger'ous aiidlmproper. ■Mr. Rolleston contended that the Bill asit stood was framed materially in. the interests of both natives and Europeans. Mr. DKLAUTorm insisted that the principle of the Bill was bad; inasmuch as it aimed at the creation of irresponsible Boards to deal with large interests, in connection with.the landed estate of '.the colony, in other words, shifting the responsibility from the Government on to the shoulders of irresponsible bodies, thereby establishing a policy antagonistic to that of the abolition of provinces. It vould be an improvement if the natives themselves had a voice upon, the proposed board." The amendment,not having been made in a hostile spirit, he,would support it. Mr. Stkvess said the lSill.was calculated to demoralise the native mind, and ccive them the feeling of entire dependence on the exertions of the colony, peculiar to children. That, he considered,. was opposed to the spirit of the native policy of the day. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. [The Financial Statement was delivered in the evening, a report of which appears elsewhere.]