THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7649, 28 May 1886, Page 6

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[by TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday. Tux Council met at the usual hour. CARDINAL MOHAN'S visit. Mr. Chamberlin presented a petition from 300 colonists, protesting against the manner in which honours had been heaped on Cardinal Moran by the Government daring his recent visit to the colony. ROADS AND BRIDGES CONSTRUCTION ACT. Mr. Buckley laid ou the table a statement showing the number of applications to the Minister of Public Works last year under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. CIVIL servants. Mr. Wilson gave notice to ask on Tues» day next, " Whether the Government are aware that the regulations of the Civil Service, whereby Civil servants are prohibited from occupying paid offices in certain companies are habitually evaded, and whether it is the intention of the Government to take any steps in respect of such evasion POLICE BILL. The third reading of the Police Bill was agreed to, and the Bill was passed. The Council adjourned till Tuesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday. The House met at half-past two p.m. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM BILL. Sir R. Stout gave notice to move the introduction of a Civil Service Reform Bill. He said the Bill was brought in ia pursuance of a promise made in the Financial Statement, namely, that the Government would effect reductions in the Civil Service of the colony. If the Bill were passed into law it would effect a reduction to the extent of £30,000 or £40,000. .SIR ROBERT STOUT. Major Atkinson said, assuming that the reports which had appeared in the newspapers were correct, that the Premier had received the honour of knighthood from Her Majesty, he desired, on behalf of the Opposition to convsy to the hon. gentleman their hearty congratulations. Many and tierce were the battles which had been fought with the hon. gentleman on the floor of that House, but he rejoiced to be able to say that notwithstanding party feeling had on many occasions ran exceedingly high, it had never interrupted, even for * day, the friendly communication they had with the Premier. The congratulations which he wished to convey to the hon. gentleman on the present occasion was no idle compliment, He felt, and spoke in the name of that House and of New Zealand, that an honour had been done to New Zealand in the appointment which Her Majesty had been pleased to make ; because the hon. gentleman was a type of a colonist of whom any country might be proud, possessing, as he did, great abilities and, what was of still greater importance, high personal character and wide and general sympathy. When it could be said, as it could in this case, that public men in this colony ever sought tho public welfare, forgetting private advantages and personal gain, the colony could go on with the assurance of reaching that goal which all hoped to reach, feeling sure that prosperity would be returned to them, whatever might be their present difficulties, either political, social, or economical. He begged again to convey to the hon. gentleman the hearty congratulations of the Opposition for the high and welldeserved honjur which Her Majesty had been pleased to confer upon him. Mr. Macandkew said that he for one felt exceedingly gratified at the very graceful terms in which th 6 member for Egmont had alluded to this matter. He felt sure that, laying aside all party and personal feeling, there was not a member of the House who did not congratulate the Premier on the great distinction conferred upon him by the British Crown without any backstair influence on the part of the hon. gentleman or his friends. He felt that a very great compliment had been paid to the colony on the occasion of the jubilee of Her Majesty's reign, and be hoped it would act as an incentive to the rising politicians of New Zealand, whose name was legion, to devote as much of their brain power to the public affairs of the colony as the Premier had done. Although he had differed in opinion from his hon. friend upon many important points, at the same time he could not but recognise in him a man brimful, as the hon. member for Egmont had said, of human sympathy and popular instincts, a man who had raised himself without any adventitious aid, but by sheer integrity and force of character, to the highest position in the State. Sir R. Stout said he was more at home in debate than on an occasion like that. He thanked the House very kindly for what had been said. He hoped they would excuse him from paying more. At a later stage Sir R. Stout rose and said be wished to say a few words as to the congratulations which the House was kind enough to express a short time previously. In thanking the House, he said that the honour which had been conferred upon him had been entirely unsolicited, and was altogether unexpected on his part. He had no friends at home, nor was he aware that any person had spoken on his behalf, and he could only come to the conclusion that the honour that had been bestowed on him was owing to the office he held. He had accepted the distinction with some diffidence, knowing that there were older colonists who had borne the burden and heat of the day who were more entitled to it than he was. He exceedingly regretted that the honour had not also been conferred on those gentlemen. He need not mention who they were, as they were gentlemen who hai held the position of Premier of the colony. As for himself, he wished to say that since coming to this country he had always striven to be a true colonist. Hd again wished to thank the House very heartily for their kindness in referring to the honour that had been bestowed on him by Her Majesty. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr. Taylor, whether the Government have under consideration the desirability of paying all persons in the employment of the Government fortnightly, instead of monthly, Mr, Richardson said the matter had been under the consideration of the Government, and it was found that if fortnightly payments were made instead of monthly it would add greatly to the expenditure of the Public Works Department. Replying to Mr. Brown, if the Minister of Lands will set aside in various parts of the colony suitable allotments of agricultural land, on such favourable terms and conditions as will induce working men, with limited means, to become possessed of permanent homes, Mr. Ballancb said steps had already been taken in the direction referred to in the question of the hon. member. Replying to Mr. Fulton, if the Minister of Lands intends to amend clause 200 in the Land Act, so as clearly to indicate the extent of land for which any one applicant may tender under the clauses dealing with small grazing lands, Mr. Ballance said the opinion expressed by the Legislature last session was distinctly that no man should hold more than one run. Replying to Mr. Macarhidr, whether the Government will bring in a Bill to amend the law relating to election petitions, in order to provide that when a member is disqualified on a petition through default of the Keturning Officer, or other Government official, the cost of such petition shall not bo borne by the disqualified member, but shall be paid out of the public funds, Sir R. Stout said there was a good deal in what was said on this matter, but if the electoral law was disturbed, it might not be in the direction wished by the hon. member. PRIVATE BILLS. Several new private Bills were introduced. BILLS HEAD A SECOND TIME. Sir R. Stout moved the second reading of the City of Dunedin Leasing Bill. Agreed to. Major Atkinson moved the second reading of the New Plymouth Reoreation Reserve Bill. * Agreed to on a division being called by Sir George Grey by 30 to 21. SUPERVISION OP public expenditure. Mr. Moss moved that tho following be added to the standing orders, "That there shall be a standing committee, to be designated the Committee of Public Acoounts, for the examination of accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament to meet public expenditure, the committee to consist of eleven members, who shall be nominated at the commencement of every session, and of whom four shall be a quorum." Sir Julids Vogrl opposed the motion, frbich, after some discussion, was negatived.

THE COST OF GOVERNMENT. Mr. Barron moved, "That a return be laid before the House, showing the expenditure in the years 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1880, and 1885 on account of salary and allowance to the Governor and the maintenance of Government-Houses, the salaries of Cabinet Ministers, the travelling and other expenses of such maintaining Ministerial residences, th.e Legislative Council, the House of Representatives, and ■ each department of the Colonial Government of New Zealand." Sir R. STOUT hoped the motion would be withdrawn. It would lead to a large expense, and would serve no purpose when it was prepared. Sir G. Grey, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Rollhston, and Major Atkinson supported the motion, all contending that it was a valuable return, as it would be moat useful to the House. Mr. Tcrnbull moved an amendment to insert "to" between the years IS6O and 1565, 1870 and 1575, IS3O and 18S5. The amendment was lost, and the original motion was carried on the voices. PURCHASING NATIVE LANDS. Mr. Buchanan moved "Thatthere be laid before this House a return showing the names of the persons appointed during the last financial year to negotiate the purohase of native lands, the remuneration agreed to be paid to them, the acreage of the blocks purchased and under negotiation by each agent, and the price paid or agreed to be paid for the same." Agreed to. NATIVE EQUITABLE OWNERS BILL. This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be referred to the Native Affairs Committee. JUSTICES or THE PEACE ACT. Mr. Tole moved tho second reading of the Justices of the Peace Act, ISSS, Amendment Bill. He said the Bill simply covered the regulations as to the rota of Justices of last year, and he thought it would prove of great public convenience. Mr. Rolleston was satiklod that the present system had not worked satisfactorily. He had no objection to the mayors of boronghs and chairmen of counties being made Justices, but he objected to chairmen of Road Boards being put in that position. He said Justices of good position had left the Bench because of the unfitness of the persons who were now appointed to the Commission of the Peace. Mr. W. F. Bucklanb supported the Bill. He defended the chairmen of Road Boards, and said they were quite as much entitled to the position as those who lived in towns. Mr. Peacock also supported the Bill. Sir Geokgk Grey thought this was an approach to the election of Magistrates by the people, and he was always favourable to that course. Mr. Tole said the correspondence which ha had received during the last twelve months on the present system had not shown there was such a large amount of discontent as was complained of by Mr. Rolleston. He pointed out that there had been only four resignations of Justices owing to the severity of the Act, and he did not think that was •much to complain of. The motion was agreed to. The House rose at ten minutes past five p.m.