PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8680, 24 September 1891, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

(by TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. THE PETITION OF MRS. ROBERTSON.

As ' the sum of £400, r&ommended by the Public Petitions Committee to bo paid in settlement of the claim of Mrs. Robertson, of Rototua, does not appear on the Supplementary Estimates, Mr. W. Kolly asked to-day whether the Government intended to pay the money. Mr. Ballanco replied that sovoral committees in past sessions had reported in favour of the payment of £200, bub' this year the committee had recommended £400 as the amount to be paid. The Government, however, did nob seo their way on the recommendation of one committee to reverse the decisions of more than ono previous committee, and therefore they had not placed the £400 on the Estimates.

NAVAL AND MILITARY SETTLERS. The petitions received from tho naval and military settlers for grants of land since the Bill authorising grants to certain applicants was drafted havo been roforreu to the Government, who are asked to send them to the various Commissioners of Crown Lands to bo reported upon. Those which came from Auckland after the introduction of the Bill wero from tho following persons: — William Connell, Newton; William George Garrard, Auckland; Thomas Moßeynolds, Onehunga; Henry Gelt, Waipu; W. H. S. Beamish, Waikato ; William Perry, Thos. John P. Ward, Kamo; Thomas Barron, Auckland ; John Long, Te Aroha ; William Lambert, Epsom ; E. P. Donnelly, Auckland; John F. Fitzgerald, Auckland; Wm. R. Fosbrooke, Helensville; John Barron, Auckland; Richard Cox, Thames; .Mrs. Dunn, Ponsonby ; "Richard Noble, Waitakerei ; John Emerson, Hamilton; John C. Lander, Devonport; James Fitzpatrick, Ponsonby; Charles Clark, Auckland ; John Pratt, Auckland ; Alex, Lyon, Aratapu ; John Barron and twenty-two others, Auckland ; James Inglis, Thames ; Henry Jenkinson, Katikati; John S. Hart, Thames ; W. 11. Goodwin, Ngaruawahia; Thomas Healey, Auckland ; Charles J. Flannery, Auckland ; William Curtis, Kaipara; W. Esdailo Thomas, Auckland; Mrs. Parr, Auckland : John Gleeson, Auckland ; Mrs. McCabe, Ellorslie; Jas. Williams.Ponsonby; Thos. Wallace, Victoria Valley ; Saml. Falloon, Birkenhead ; Edward O'Hara, Auckland ; Joseph Chambers, Waikato; John F. Boyd, Whangarei ; J. M. lMcLnchlan, Auckland; Robert; Richardson, Mount Eden ; Mrs. Flaherty, Auckland ; Mrs. Gregory, Devonport; Alfred J.Saunders, Hokianga ; Mrs. Phillips, Auckland ; William Thompson, Victoria Valley ; Jesse Sage, Waikato. POUTO PILOT STATION. For some time Mr. Houston has been endeavouring to have a light fixed at the pilot station at Pouto, Kaipara. Yesterday ho was informed by tho Marine Department that though the light would no doubt be useful a man would have to be placed in charge at tho station, and tho trade is not sufficient to warrant this expenditure. . THE ADDITIONAL MINISTER. When tho Supplementary Estimates were in committee at an early hour this morning, a discussion arose on the item of £100, proposed in tho Supplementary Estimates as salary for six mouths for the extra Minister working without pay, tho Hon. Mr. Ward. 'Mr. Rolleston and other members of the Opposition objected to such a vote appearing on the Supplementary Estimates, and pointed out that whilst they did not wish to support an irregularity, they did not desire to bo placed in the position of voting against Mr. Ward, whom they recognised as one of the most capable and hardworking members of the Government. They considered, however, that the money should havo been provided for in a Bill. Mr. Richardson suggested thai a short Bill should be brought in that day, when it could be passed at once. The Premier repliod that it was too late in the session to talk about passing Bills. He admitted that it was an irregular way of bringing down the vote, bub the Government left the matter entirely in the hands of the Committee. Eventually the vote was carried. Though some members were anxious that the House should not be divided, a division was called for. It is the intention of tho Government to bring down a bill next session amending the present Act so as to provide for a salary lor the extra minister. BRITISH RESIDENT AT RAROTONGA. With regard to one item in the Supplementary Estimates, "Expenses connected with tho residency at Rat a tonga, £200," the Premier explained that the expenses of the British Resident at Rarotonga amounted to a considerable sum, and that he could not possibly live there for £300 a-year, the amount of his salary. An application had been made to tho Imperial Government to puy a portion of his expenses. PETITIONS. This afternoon a petition was presented by Mr. Houston from William Meiklo asking for a reward for the discovery of gold at Kuaotunu. The public petitions Nto Z | Committee, who concluded their sittings j to-d iy, have submitted to the Government for their consideration the petition of William Towers, of tho Thames, who complained that as a pieco of land which he received for military services was given to him jointly with several others, ho could not sell his interest, and also the petition of W. Paterson and GO others of Awaroa, asking for roads in that and surrounding districts. THE WORK OF THE SURVEY DEPARTMENT, A voluminous report detailing . tho progress of the important work of" surveying land in various parts of the colony during tho year was laid before Parliament by tho Hon. J. McKenzio. The Surveyor General (Mr. S. Percy Smith) states that the greater part of " the land dealt with under tho Native Land Court orders in the King Country, owing to causes over which the department have no control, the surveying of land under the orders of tho Courts has fallen into serious arrears. The Maoris are frequently unable to pay the cost of them, and hence subdivision orders have had to remain incomplete for years. These incomplete orders are steadily accumulating, so much so that tho final issue of all the titles is a matter of great uncertainty. Whilst there has been a decrease in area of gold and other mining surveys, the quantity of land surveyed for roads and railways lias insiderably increased. The total cost of field survey work in tho colony during tho year was £57,922. JOTTINGS.

To-day Mr. 13ucklantl echoed in tho House a statement he had heard, to the effect that Mr. Perceval had loft in the hands of the Premier his resignation of tho office of Agent-General, so that it might be used at any moment " for the promotion of another hon. member of the great Liberal party." Tho Premier gave this statement an absolute denial. Tho cost of printing the report of the Public Trust Commission was £561.

It is intended by the Government to ask next session for a vote of £5000 for the expenses of representing New Zealand at the Chicago Exhibition. The vote of £500 passed this morning is to meet preliminary expenses. Whilst ho has been Agent-General, Sir Francis Dillon Bell lias, with the assistance of Sir Penrose Julyan, raised £8,000,000 in loans for the colony. The Minister of Defence has been again urged by Mr. Jackson Palmer to take over the Hamilton Volunteer Hall. Captain Reid, of the Hamilton Volunteers, has written suggesting that the mortgage on the Hall should bo taken up with trust funds. Mr. Seddon. promises, however, that ho will consider the matter after the session. A clause was to have been included in the Appropriation Bill to relieve the members of the Public Trust Commission from liability under .the Disqualification Act, but it is not necessary, as Mr. Macdonald distinctly refused to accept any payment, and asked that aii item authorising that he should receive £1 Is per day should be struck out of the Estimates. There was another discussion to-night on the Naval and Military Settlers' Bill, the Council having struck out the clause allowing holders of certificates to transfer them to others. The friends of tho Bill said that this alteration rendered it comparatively useless. A conference with the Council was suggested, bub Mr. Seddon replied that

this was too late. He advised that the Btl bo allowodl to proceed, and said that it might bo amended next session. This advice was accepted. . The present intention of tho Government is that the prorogation of Parliament shall be gazotted by proclamation and not by commission, as the former plan has been found by experience to be more convenient. A sum of £12,000 is to be expended by the Government in erecting a building to be occupied by tho Public Trust Office on the site of the Government Insurance Buildings. At present there is not sufficient room for the work of the office, and valuable documents aro in great risk. The money for tho work will bo borrowed from the Government Insurance funds, and is calculated to produce a feturn of 5J per cent. „ ..

The total amount which the Government propose to expend in the purchase of native lands for settlement in the locality of the main trunk line and outside the railway areas is £24,000.

The session is to end to-morrow, and tho House will meet at eleven o'clock to consider tho Appropriation Bill. Tho vote on the estimates of £411 for rent for the Parnell and Auckland endowments taken by the Government for the village settlement of Punakitere was opposed by Mr. Richardson, who said the late Government found that the Borough was not ontitled to tho rent. The Premier replied that tho present Government had boon informed that the liability was perfectly legal, at all events it was a perfectly moral liability. , The vote was passed without alteration.

The conference regarding the Auckland Electric Lighting Bill has not yet agreed, and it is to meet again to-morrow at ono o'clock.

Tho votes for the Admiralty House at Auckland and the Great Barrier Mail Soiv vice passed this morning without comment.

A vote of £1000 on the estimates for the' Wellington Colloge was the subject of somo talk this morning. The members of the Government vigorously defended the voto,' 1 and said that if it were not passed the College would not bo able to carry on. It was carricd by 25 to 13. Tho Premier assured the House that it would bo required for this year only. During the past year 95,597 acres of rural sections were surveyed in tho Auckland district at a cost of £G6GB.

Several Southern members left for their homes to-night by the Takapuna. Tho Legislative Council recommitted the Coal Mines Bill to-day to insert a new amendment, moved by Mr. Millar, to clause 09 rendering a mine owner liable to a fine not exceeding £50 for refusing to permit an inspection of his books required by the Bill. The Bill as amended has been passed in both Houses.

One of tho features of to day's proceedings was a fierce attack on tho Government by Mr. Buckhind, who accused them of all kinds of political crimes. Ho predicted that- tho Premier would not remain in office after the next general election, and that the Liberal Party would go down into the "abyss of oblivion." Mr. Ballance remarked that the member for Manakau evidently thought that men of his own type would bo returned at the next election, whereupon Mr. E. M. Smith hoped the country would be saved from them. " They are respectable men anyhow," said Mr. Buckland.

There was some discussion this morning regarding tho compassionate allowanco to the widow of tho late Mr, J. C, Brown, £150, sot down on the Supplementary Estimates. Some members opposed the vote as they couldjnot agree with the principle involved. Tho vote, however, was retained.