PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9111, 20 July 1888, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday. SCHOOL CAPITATION. In the Council this afternoon Sir G. Whitmore gave notice of a question with the object of getting the Government to order that no capitation be paid on account of children under five years attending school. THE TOTALISATOR. Mr. Miller moved that the Government be requested to give effect to the report of the totalisator committee. The Attorney-General moved, as an amendment, that in the opinion of this Council it is desirable, with the view of limiting the number of race meetings, that a charge should be made for the use of the totalisator as follows :For the first day, £100 ; for subsequent days at the same meeting, £20. The debate was adjourned. PROGRESS OF MEASURES. The Mining Act 1886 Amendment Bill, the Wellington Asylum Home Hospital and Orphanage Reserve Bill, were read a second time, and the Invercargill Corporation Empowering Bill was read a third time and passed. LOCAL SUBSIDIES. Mr. Bap.mcoat resumed the debate on the question, "That- in the opinion of this Council it is not advisable in view of the financial condition and obligations of this colony that any portion of the public revenue should be appropriated or set apart permanently or for a definite period to provide subsidies for local bodies. The original motion was carried by 12 to 11. The Council rose at five p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thursday. The House met at half-past two p.m. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. Replying to questions it was stated that the question of appointing Railway Commissioners was still under consideration ; that the police were on the track of the Waiapu wife murderer, and it was hoped he would be delivered up to justice ; that the Government had not yet decided what steps to take in regard to the question of Chinese immigration ; that the Inspector of Mines would be sent to Mahakipawa (Marlborough) to report on the new gold diggings in that locality.

BILLS PASSED. The Otago Harbour Board Indemnity and Land Vesting, the Oamaru Municipal and Education Reserve Exchange, the Timaru Harbour Board Loan Act Amendment, and Mount Somers Road Board Empowering Bills were committed, read a third time, and passed. "

SECOND READINGS. The Ngaruawahia Cemetery Leasing, Kaiapoi Drill Shed, Waikato Model Farm, and Christchurch Rifle Range Bills were read a second time without debate.

EPSOM AND MOUNT EDEN RESERVES. Mr. Mitchelson moved the second reading of the Epsom and Mount Eden Recreation Reserves Bill, to change the purpose of the public reserve in the suburbs of Auckland, and to constitute it a reserve for public recreation and for gravel pit. Mr. Hislop, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Kelly supported the Bill; Mr. Turn bull, Mr. Kerr, and Mr. Tanner opposed it. The motion for the second reading was agreed to on the voices. AUCKLAND GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL. Mr. Kerr resumed the debate on the second reading of the Auckland Girls' High School Bill. He moved, as an amendment, " That the second reading be postponed until the opinion of the law officers of the Crown be obtained as to the legality of the gift of this reserve to the High School. Mr. Tanner and Mr. Turnbull supported the amendment, urging the Minister for Education to accept it. After a long discussion, Mr. Fisher asked Mr. Kerr to withdraw his amendment, which, at this stage of the session, meant the destruction of the Bill, and he would undertake to get the opinion of the law officers on the matter. All he (Mr. Fisher) had none with respect to this Bill was to carry out what he considered was an honourable understanding entered into by the late Minister for Education, and all correspondence showed that the reserve had been set apart for the Auckland Girls' High School. The amendment was lost by 37 to 23. On the motion being put for the second reading, Mr. Feldwick moved that the debate be adjourned. Mr. Fish supported the amendment, and was speaking at the 5.30 adjournment. The House, resumed at half-past seven p.m.! ,v HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD. Mr. Macarthttr moved that the House go into committee on ? the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill. •

• Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Perceval took exception to the measure as being really a local Bill.

The Si-baker said in his opinion the Bill, affecting more than one locality, should be regarded as a general Bill. Mr. Perceval moved as an amendment, "That the Bill be referred to the Local Bills Committee, in order to ascertain their opinion." Sir J. Hall strongly opposed the Bill, and deprecated all such attempts to tear it to piecemeal. Considerable discussion followed, in course of which it was plainly intimated that the Bill would be stonewalled. Attention was several times called to the state of the House, and the bell had to be rung to obtain a quorum. On one occasion Mr. J. McKenzie carried Dr. Fitchett bodily into the Chamber, and held him there till the requisite number was declared to be present. At the, supper adjournment, Mr. Jones, who had been speaking for an hour and a quarter, was still in possession of the floor. '

On resuming, Mr. Jones finished his speech, and Mr. O'Conor called attention to the presence of strangers in the House, saying , that as members were making an exhibition of themselves he thought they should not punish the servants of the House, and keep Hansard reporters at work taking down a debate which no one wanted to see published. On a division, the motion was carried by 27 to 18, and the galleries were cleared. [Left sitting.]