HARBOUR BOARDS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9140, 23 August 1888, Page 5

HARBOUR BOARDS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Wednesday, The whole evening has been devoted to the discussion of this much-contested measure, which contains clauses for dealing with the default of certain Harbviir Boards of the colony, and empowers the Government to appoint receivers and increase the harbour dues. In his introductory speech the Premier, to strengthen his argument, said that not only small Harbour Boards, but some of the large ones, would ultimately require lelief by legislation. He alluded to Dunedin as one possible case, and Auckland as another, if an article which he had read in an Auckland journal was well founded. The Premier in his speech intimated his intention of striking out the Thames Harbour Board from the list of Boards provided for by the Act. Colonel Fraser said that was a relief to his mind. He felt certain if the Thames Harbour Board was left unfettered to work out its own destiny it would be able to meet all its liabilities. Mr. Thomas Thompson made a vigorous defence of the Auckland Harbour Board, to which the Premier had alluded. The article in question referred to by the Premier was more a criticism of the Board's management than an expression of doubt as to financial soundness. If the Bill was not brought in till the Auckland Harbour Board required the benefit of it, it would never be introduced. The hon. member strongly opposed the Bill. The Premier expressed himself pleased to hear so emphatic a contradiction of the article in question by Mr. Thompson, and to learn that Auckland Harbour Board was in a thoroughly solvent position. The Premier, in his reply, stated frankly that the rejection of the Bill would be the first step towards the colon} , taking over the liabilities of local bodies, and he washed his hands of the consequences when the time of trial and trouble came. Notwithstanding the Premier's appeal, the House rejected the Bill on a division, at one o'clock in the morning, by 44 to Hi.