PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9305, 14 September 1893, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. THE NATIVE QUESTION. Sir Robert Stout to-day moved the»following resolutions in the Native Affairs Committee :—" 1. That in the present state of the public finance ib is undesirable for the colony to keep up a Native Land Purchase Department. 2. That if any natives offer to sell land to the Government the Lands Department shall deal with that offer as ib deals with others submitted to it by Europeans under the Land for Settlement Act. 3. That hereafter, no Maori have any right to sell to Europeans, or lease for a longer term than seven years, any land save through the Lands Department, the said lands to be sold or leased by auction after survey, and no purchaser or lessee to bo allowed to buy or lease more land than Europeans can do under the existing land laws. 4. That the mode of disposal should be—(l) sales, (2) perpetual lease), (3) eternal lease, , (4) pastoral leases. 5. That if there is a large number of owners in a bleck, and all do nob agree to its sale, the same may be partitioned, and the trustees or guardians of infants may consent to a sole." The committee, however, rejected the resolution on division.

The Land Purchase and Acquisition Bill was under consideration. The Native Minister was absent, bub 14. clauses were passed with amendments framed to meet the objections raised at the second reading.

MIDLAND RAILWAY. The Public Accounts Committee to-day considered the draft report as to the Midland Railway proposals. Eventually it was decided to recommib ib for alteration. I learn, however, that there is little prospect of the committee agreeing to terms which will be acceptable to the company, though several express a fear of a heavy law suit.

FLAX INDUSTRY.

The Manufacturers and Industries Committee have further considered the question of instructing flax millers and others how to work waste material from flax mills into paper wrappings, etc. Samples were viewed, and the consideration of the matter was further postponed. Mr. Earnshaw brought under the notice of the committee samples of teazles grown in the Peninsula (Otago), an industry which was started by Mr. Hewitt, when 25 per cent, ad valorem was payable on imported teazles. The removal of this had crippled the industry. It was decided to obtain evidence from Petone Woollen Mills before deciding whether the tax should be re-imposed or not.

CIVIL SERVANTS.

The number of civil servants in the Auckland Provincial Districts is 514, the gross amount paid in salaries being £81,430. Of those 279 are in Auckland, the gross amount of whose salaries is £41,951. The total number of civil servants is 2043, the gross amount of whose salaries is £445,245. The total number of railway hands employed is 4463, whose salaries and wages in the gross amount to £546,051. Of these Auckland has 549, whoso gross wages and salaries amount to £60,782.

WHAT IS STONEWALLING ?

After Mr. McGuire had been speaking for half an hour on the motion to adjourn over a question when it would be convenient to give a day, in order that the whole question of the New Plymouth Harbour Endowment should be discussed, Mr. Fergus suggested he should go into a back room and reel off his speech to a reporter, and tho work of the House could go on. The member for Egmonb said he had not occupied half the time Mr. Fergus had in stonewalling. Now this is not Parliamentary. The Minister of Education then wanted a Parliamentary definition of stonewalling, which the Speaker gave amidst loud laughter as unduly delaying the progress of public business.

INTRODUCTION OF ALIENS.

Mr. Palmer has asked the Premier whether he intends this sossion to give effect bo the wishes of gumdiggors. Mr. Seddon has replied thab at this stage of the session, and seeing the importance of the subject, it would be impossible for the Government to bring in any legislation giving effect to the recommendations of the Gumfields Commission. He would not be prepared to go the distance pointed out in some of the resolutions sent to him from the North, bub ho thought it was imperative something should be done, and they might this session pass a general law, which would enable the Government to prevent undesirable immigration. That, however, was also a very large question.

AUCKLAND POLITICAL REFORMERS.

Mr. Earnshaw, the member for the Peninsula, has received a copy of a resolution passed by the Auckland Independent Political Reform Association, tendering sympathy with Mr. Earnshaw at the highhanded tyrannical treatment he had received at the hands of the Government, for having had the courage to express his honest convictions. This sympathy, the resolution goes on, amounts to indignation when the Association saw the free hand allowed Mr. Rigg and others, who were opposing Covernmonb measures in another place. Mr. Rigg's position has heightened the suspicion in Aucklaud that the Government are nob sincere upon the female franchise question. The Association hoped to see Mr. Earnshaw back in Parliament at the general election. If the Government did not remove the suspicion from their (the members') minds they would see to ic that the Auckland contingent in the next Parliament would be men like Mr. Earnshaw, possessing the moral courage to express their convictions and nob favouring creatures like some by whom they had the misfortune to be represented at.the present time. The Association is the same us that which, in sending resolutions yesterday respecting Mr. Cadman, said its members had hitherto voted to a man for the Government.

A WASTE OF TIME.

The afternoon was spent chiefly in discussing New Plymouth's indebtedness, Mr. McGuire quoting largely from Sir John Lubbock, whom he persisted in calling Sir John Bull, and the offers he had made on behalf of bondholders. Mr. McGuire first moved the adjournment, and Mr. E. M. Smith, who desired to speak, lost his opportunity. He rose, bub too late. After question time, he again rose, and again moved the adjournment. " Don't," said the Premier, in an annoyed tone, and Mr. Mills, the whip, hurried to the member for New Plymouth, to get him to desist; bub Mr. Smith persisted. After several members had spoken, Mr. Earnshaw said the remarks he had made yesterday had been borne out by that afternoon's experience. Another half-day had been lost through the Governmenb party stonewalling. This was received with cries of " Rubbish," "Oh," " Yes," and "No." Mr. Fish, who for the day took the Government under his wing, said it was highly amusing to hear the censorious and dictatorial tone adopted by Mr. Earnshaw, who, said Mr. Fish, a short time ago would have stood a lot of that flort of thing. Neither Mr. Earnshaw nor Mr. McGuire could be said to belong to the Governmenb party, for they had both been kicked out. Whoever was to blame the fact remains thab bho whole afternoon was wasted.

COLONEL FOX'S REPORT.

The delay in discussing Colonel Fox's report so near the end of the session is nob giving satisfaction. To-day Mr. Allen wanted to move a motion without notice, bub the Premier could not see his way to accept it. Mr. Allen therefore gave notice of motion for to-morrow as follows : "That a committee of ten bo appointed to consider Colonel Fox's report on the volunteers and defences, to report within ten days, the committee to consist of the Hon. R. Seddon, the Hon. Captain Russell, the Hon. T. Fergus, Messrs. Carncross, Hamlin, G. Hutchison, Joyce, Meredith, Willis, and the mover." The discussion has to come off somehow or other if that is possible.

THE LIQUOR BILL.

The Liquor Bill is having a tardy and nob altogether even course through the Council. The latest obstacle is in regard to a person whose license has been taken away having the right to cancel his lease. This was held to be unjust to the landlord, so the matter was left over in order that the Attorney-General may see if he cannot draft a satisfactory clause giving some power of arbitration*

QUESTIONS.

Notice of the following questions has been given:— Mr. Houston to ask the Government if they will give effect to the recommendation of the Public Petitions Committee on the petition of Messrs. Masefield, re the close season for mullet; Mr. R. Thompson to ask the Government if they will be prepared to accept tenders for a sufficient number of sleepers to complete the Hikurangi Railway extension, and whether instructions have been given to commence the ballasting on that line; Mr. Kapa to ask the Premier whether he will appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the alleged grievances and complaints which have been brought under the notice of Parliament and the Government in connection with the Horowhenua block, with a view of deciding what steps ought to be taken for protecting the just rights of the native 1 claimants ; Mr. McGowan to ask the Minister of Education if he will during the recess take into consideration the position of : the school teachers of the colony, and prepare a measure with the object of introducing a colonial scale of salaries, so that this important body of public servants may be paid after a more equitable system than at present prevails.

THE PUBLIC REVENUES BILL.

_ The thud reading of thia Bill was the signal for a long and animated debate, that at one time degenerated into a confused wrangle, punctuated with points of order. Early in the discussion Sir John Hall, in referring to the new batch of Treasury bills, stated that the repeated explanations of the Colonial Treasurer uieanb an admission of an addition to the public debt of £476,000. This the treasurer Vigorously combated, declaring that £450,000 of the sum was authorised by the Revenues Bill of last year, that the addition was only £26,000, and that the wildest effort of imagination could not construe the act of the Government to mean a borrowing policy. As to the five years' currency of the treasury, bills to which exception had been taken, ib was nob intended to extend the time beyond the ordinary period unless ib became necessary to pledge the bills for interest or other purposes. Following upon the reply of the Treasurer, the third reading was passed on the voices, bubthe motion, " That this Bill do now pass," was challenged, and upon division the Bill was passed by 39 to 18. Then came Mr. Scobie Mackenzie with the air of a man who meant business, and the subsequent proceedings justified the impression he created. "I propose, sir," said he, "to add to the title of this Bill the words * and to raise a loan of £47G,000.'" "Ib is foreign to the Bill," interjected a Ministerialist. "Ib the sum and substance of the Bill," retorted Mounb Ida. This raised the ire of the Premier, who hotly rose to a point of order. " The hon. member is discussing the Bill," bub Mr. Speaker did not concur with Mr. Seddon. " The hon. member was in order in speaking in explanation of his amendment," and Mr. Mackenzie, with a gracious humility that well became him, thanking Mr. Speaker for being permitted to continue, proceeded to give the occupants of the Treasury Benches a very bad five minutes, during which he said thab his amendmenb really.covered the Bill, and he could nob speak bo the amendmenb without speaking to the Bill. Then came a crop of points of order, during which Sir John Hall thought the amendmenb more explained the Bill than the Bill itself, aud the Treasurer almost plaintively i wished to know if the hon. member was to be permitted to traverse his remarks, and the Speaker with unaccustomed sternness said ho was there to decide, and told Mounb Ida he might go on, which he did. " Directly I begin to speak, Sir, points of order are raised— as rats after a shower of rain," and then after some pretty sword play he made his last home thrust. The provision of the Bill was to raise a short dated loan of £470,000, and his amendmenb was essential to make the title of the Bill complete. Nob upon political grounds, bub as a matter of common honesty, he asked hon. members to vote with him. Again, the Treasurer essayed to convince the hon. member that in reality only £26,000 was asked for, in addition to the £450,000 authorised last year. He was astonished that in the face of this fact hon. members should attempt to persuade the House and the country thab ib was a loan. Sir John Hall had great pleasure in supporting the amendment, which he thought a fitting and expressive one. He contended that the Treasurer had admitted there was an addition to the debt of the colony, and therefore ib should be described as a loan. "We believe, sir; thab the Government has added to the debt of the colony, without telling the public plainly that ib is so, and that is why we desire bo alter the title of this bill." Messrs. Allen, Fergus and Richardson followed upon the same lines, emphasising in emphatic phrase the statement) that ib was a loan, and nothing bub a loan, until near the end came Captain Russell, with an excellent and simple illustration of the situation. It was, lie said, as though a farmer found ib necessary to give a lion upon his crop, and finding his crop fail, found ib desirable to negotiate a loan for five years, to pay off the amount of the lien, and then the division was taken as bofore, and the Treasurer, while no doubt feeling glad to got ib over, must have, I think, regretted bhab he did not, yesterday, accept the advice of the Opposition, that the Bill be referred to the Public Accounts Committee.

PROGRESS OF BUSINESS.

The Government have decided to force through the whole of the Estimates, if possible, before the House rises. The Premier is evidently very irate. On the House dividing on the question of going into Supply, there was evident resentment, particularly on the part of Sir R. Stoub and Mr. Rolleston.

JOTTINGS.

Mr. W. W. Carlile, of Woodville, who is now in Wellington, informs me thab he intends contesting a seat ab the general election as a supporter of Sir Robert Stout. Since 1874 there have been 3496 orders of commitment for debt in Auckland, of which 3262 were made by the Resident Magistrate. The highesb year was 1884, when there were 413. In 1892 there were only 126. The grand total of commitments for the colony during the same period was 16,916. . A parcel po3b service to and from New South Wales is expected to come into operanext month. The Premier has refused to raise a loan of £250,000 to repair damages done by recent rains and floods.

The near approach of the Public Works Estimates is presaged by the promise given Mr. McGuire that tenders would be immediately called for road contracts ab Egmonb. Mr. Seddon has told Mr. Buckland that the price asked for a native hostelry site ab Onehunga was simply prohibitive, hence nothing could be done. A voluminous mass of correspondence relating to the survey of the Urewera block has been laid before the House. There does nob appear to be anything new in it. lb is rumoured in the lobbies thab Mr. Dargaville, junior, who was to contest the Bay of Islands against Mr. Houston, will eventually retire in favour of Mr. Lundon.