PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9105, 13 July 1888, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

[by telegraph.—PßESS association.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday. The Speaker took the chair at half-past two. THE NATIVE POLICY BILLS. On the motion of the Attorney-General to appoint a select committee to consider and report on the proposed native legislation coming up, Mr. Reynolds moved the adjournment of the debate till Friday. Agreed to. REDEMPTION OF DEBENTURES. On the adjourned debate on the Appropriation of the Assurance Fund of the Land Transfer Department, The Attorney-General said it was quite a misconception to suppose that this was a trust fund. The manner in which the moneys were dealt with by being handed to the Public Trustee was quite irregular. Messrs. Buckley, Waterhouse, Whitmore, Shephard, and Richmond spoke in support of the motion. Dr. Grace defended the proposed action of the Treasurer and the administration of the fund. Mr. Wilson having replied, the motion was negatived on the voices. the CUSTOMS BILL. The adjourned debate on the second reading of the Customs and Excise Duties Bill was resumed by the Hon. Mr. Oliver, who was speaking when the Council rose. On resuming the debate on the second reading of the Customs Bill, Mr. Oliver said it had been introduced for revenue purposes, and not for protection, and regretted the necessity for introducing such a Bill. Mr. Wilson characterised the Bill as most unsatisfactory, but supposed the country would have to put up with it. Mr. Reynolds criticised the items, adding that he would sooner have seen an income tax. Dr. Grace thought the present Bill proved that the colony had awakened to its true position. He said Jlew Zealand was the worst governed colony in the world, but was now safe, as it was face to face with its difficulties. Mr. Richmond considered that the result of the Bill would be to drive capital away from the colony. ' . , The Attorney-General said that the Bill was no doubt an objectionable one; but, looking at the financial condition of the colony, he thought that the items mentioned in the tariff were the best way to raise the money required. Mr. Acland congratulated the Government upon the stand they had taken, and thought they deserved the thanks of the colony. Mr. Stevens having replied, The second reading was agreed to on the voices. The Bill was committed and reported without amendments, and passed. The Council rose at 10 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,-

Thursday. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. Hamlin .took the chair in the Speaker's absence. * ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, it was stated that a large saving could be effected by conveying foreign mails by ordinary steamer instead of by the present mail services, but the whole question would be brought before the House; that the cost of printing the report of the Commissioners in the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum inquiry was £165. HARBOUR BILLS. The Auckland Harbour Improvement Bill and Nelson Foreshore Reserve Bill were reported, read a third time, and passed. • Mr. Hislop moved the second reading of the Otago Harbour Board Indemnity and Lands vesting Bill, the object of which was to validate certain' payments made by the Otago Harbour Board, and which were objected to by the Auditor-General. ■ Mr. Fish would not oppose the Bill, but he held that the time had come when members of public bodies should be made to know that if they broke the law by illegal expenditure of this description, they did so at their own risk. • After further discussion, the motion for the second reading was agreed to. Mr. Graham moved the second reading of the Gisborne Harbour Act, 1884, Amendment Bill. He said the Bill did not ask for further borrowing powers, but simply to expend a further sum already borrowed, but which the Board was restricted from spending last year by the* action of the House. Mr. E. Richardson opposed the Bill. Mr. Ormond suggested that the Bill should be referred to a committee to report whether or not any further expenditure should be sanctioned. This was agreed to. 1 Mr. Turnbull moved the sesond reading of the Timaru Harbour Board Loan Act Amendment Bill. Agreed to. AUCKLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL. Mr. Fisher moved the second reading of the Auckland Girls High School Bill, to vary the powers of the trustees and providing for the borrowing of £5000 for the construction of brick school buildings. Mr, Turnbull opposed the Bill at some length, and Mr. BallancE supported it. Mr. Peacock defended the Bill and disclaimed any intention of interfering with the education reserves of the colony. Mr. Tanner objected to the Minister of Lands giving away grants of land without the authority of Parliament. * Mr. Goldie strongly supported the Bill, and Mr. Marchant opposed it; Messrs. Moat and Thompson (Auckland) supported, the Bill.* Mr. Kerr opposed the Bill, and was speaking at the half-past five adjournment. The House resumed at half-past seven p.m. THE CHINESE BILL. Mr. Hislop reported that the Conference en the Chinese Bill had been unable to agree. • ' > Mr. Fish asked if the Government proposed to do anything further ? , Mr. Hislop replied he would rather not say at present. THE OTAGO CENTRAL, Mr. Pyke moved to commit the Otago Central Railway Bill. Mr. J. McKenzie said the Waste Lands Committee had gone carefully into the Bill, and recommended it should not be gone on with. He accordingly moved it be committed that day three months. There was some debate, in which the majority of the speakers were against the Bill, and the Minister, of Lands took occasion to say that the only foundation for the statement that the Government were supporting the Bill secretly was the fact that last session Sir F. Whitaker had promised Mr. Pyke to draft a Bill for him. He, for # his part, quite agreed with the decision'the Waste Lands Committee. Mr. Pyke, in reply, urged that nine years had been taken to open eight miles, and an immense amount of money had been sunk, for which no return was being got. His Bill proposed a method of enabling the line to be completed. It was impossible the line could stop as proposed at Middlemarch or Taieri Lake. The fears that a company would interfere with settlement were absurd. As for the evidence of the Surveyor-General, on which great stress had been laid, that gentleman had on various occasions expressed directly conflicting views. The whole of the residents in the country, who, after all, were those most affected by the Bill, were loud in support of the measure, and derided the idea that the mining interest would be affected by its operations. He contradicted the idea that loan companies were interested in the Bill. On the contrary, they were opposed to it. . The amendment was lost by 47 to 17. In committee, Mr. R. Thompson and Mr. J. McKenzie announced that they intended to oppose the Bill at every stage. Mr. Fish said if the opportunity were I given to move some necessary amendments, he would bow to the wish of the House expressed by a large majority, but if Mr. Pyke would not agree to report progress at the proper stage for that purpose, he also would oppose the Bill. Dr. Fitchett said a good deal of the opposition was owing to the Kamo-Kamo Railway Bill having Been rejected. After two amendments to alter the title of the Bill had been negatived, Sir G. Grey moved in clause 2 to throw open the contract to tender. Lost by 31 to 15.

Mr. R. Thompson asked how it was the Government whips were voting for the Bill if it were nob supported by the Government?

Mr. Fergos said no instructions whatever had been given to the whips. The Government were divided on the subject. The Premier and himself were in favour of the measure ; others of the Ministers were opposed to it. Sir G. Grey asked to have the clause postponed for further consideration. He objected strenuously to the names of six Dunedin residents being inserted in the schedule, and said Mr. Pyke was worse than William Rufus. A stormy debate arose, Mr. Monk seconding Sir Geo. Grey, who said he would stop there all night rather than let the Bill pass in its present shape. Mr. Pi'KE said it was the cause of the settlers in the district that he was pleading. They would leave it wholesale if the railway were not built. He had worked for this line for twelve years, and if the Bill did not pass now he would not bring it down again, and the Government would have to find the money themselves to construct the railway. Mr. 'Conor pointed out that the Manawatu Railway Company was a success, and had put to shame the efforts of the Government to settle the country. He strongly supported the Bill. Giving land for railway construction was a very different thing to grabbing large blocks of land from the native?. Mr. Maec said the Manawatu Company were not doing so much for settlement as Mr. O'Conor supposed; neither were the conditions for settlement provided in this Bill. An animated discussion followed, in which Mr. Fish bore the principal part, speaking against the Bill. Mr. Pyke said the opponents of the measure were fighting with shadows. He was quite prepared to take the names of the gentlemen specified out of the schedule. It was a formality, as there must be two parties to a contract. No doubt after what had been said they. would themselves insist on withdrawing. He offered to i allow clause 2 to be amended so as to leave the question open. . Sir G. Grey said this would not throw the contract open to tender. Mr. R. Thompson remarked upon the ominous silence of all the Otago members but two. It was evident they did not feel vitally impressed with the measure, and he thought there must be some hidden influence at work forcing it on the House. Mr. R. Reeves, speaking as a goldfields member, could not see that mining interests were endangered, as had been alleged. Mr. G. Richardson said if the provisions of the Bill were strictly carried out in the direction of guarding mining interests there would be no land for the syndicate. Mr. G oldie moved to report progres. Ayes 14, noes 26. Dr. Fitchktt proposed that a division should be taken on the clause and further discussion postponed. : . Mr. Barron hoped Mr. Pyke would not agree. The majority were in favour of the Bill, and if Mr. Pyke was tired he would take charge of the Bill and sit as long as a quorum could be kept up. Mr. Pyke said he would agree to report progress if a division were taken on the clause. Mr. J. McKenzie moved that the Chairman leave the chair. Ayes, 13 ; noes, 29. The committee then divided on the question that clause 2be postponed. Ayes, 15 ; noes, 27. Sir G. Grey moved to report progress. Lost by 24 to 17. [Left sitting at 2 a.m.]