PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11162, 7 September 1899, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

[BY telegraph— ASSOCIATION.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday. BILLS PASSED. The Council met at half-past two p.m. The Summary Convictions Indictable Offences Bill and the Native Interpreters Classification Bill passed through committee, the latter being read a third time. The Wellington City Electric Lighting Act. 1891. Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. The Council rose at three o'clock

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday. OLD AGE PENSIONS. After the telegraph office closed at two o'clock this morning, Messrs. J. W. Thomson, Gilfedder. Symes. O Meara. Wilson, Camcross. Flatman, Hogg. Carroll, Moore, R. McKenzie, Stevens, McGowan. and Mills, continued the debate on the Old Age Pensions BilL At ten minutes past three a.m. Major Steward relieved Mr. Guinness in the chair. A division was called for at a later stage, on Mr. Wason's amendment that the Chairman leave the chair, which was lost by 33 votes to five. Mr. Guinness resumed the chair. The Premier said the delay that had taken place in the consideration of the Bill was unprecedented. and the result was that the position of the Bill was prejudiced, for which he held certain members responsible. After considerable further discussion the Bill was introduced and read a first time, leave being given to sit again. The House rose at half-past four a.m. The House met at half-past two p.m. today. A PETITION. A discussion of some length arose on a report of the Petitions Committee on the petition of A. Monk and others that the rent paid on a section of land on an excess of valuation should be credited to future payments of rents. The whole question of land valuation was discussed, and ultimately the petition was referred back to the Petitions Committee. CHIEF LIBRARIAN. The Joint Library Committee reported, recommending that a chief librarian be appointed at Home at a salary of £400 per annum Mr. McNab moved that the report be referred back to the committee, with the recommendation that an effort be made to secure" the services of a librarian in the colony before applying to England. Mr. Tanner opposed the motion. Mr Guinness contended that it was time that the House set its foot down against making all the principal appointments in England. It almost indicated that the colony's system of education, secondary and university, was a failure, if they could not get men in the colony competent to discharge the duties of librarian and fill other offices in the public service. Mr.Scobie Mackenzie defended the recommendation of the committee. Mr. Hogg blamed the Young New Zealand party in the House for urging whenever an important office was to be filled that the young men of the colony should je passed over in favour of people at Home to get over a difficulty, Mr. Duncan thought a resolution should be passed that applications be invited in England, Australia, and New Zealand, at a salary of £400. Mr. Taylor said the recommendation of the committee was equal to a declaration that the whole education system of the colony could not produce a man competent to discharge the duties of the office efficiently. Mr. Fisher and Mr. Wilson supported the amendment. Mr. Rolleston objected to the question being referred back to the committee. He protest-id against the implied slur attempted to be cast upon our education system by the query raised by some members. Was there no one in the colony fit for the position? A man might be highly educated, and yet lack the qualities necessary for a competent librarian. Mr. Montgomery said if a competent man could be got in the colony, by all means make the appointment in the colony; but applications should not be restricted to the colony only. C'apain Russell thought there should be free trade in such appointments, although he saw no reason why, in the instance under notice, there was any necessity for going outside the colony.. He thought the present staff should be given an opportunity to carry on the work, which he believed they were capable of doing under the new and improved conditions of the library. Mr. Gil.'edder opposed the amendment. Messrs. 7iatman, Morrison, and Pirani supported the amendment. Messrs. Carson, McLean, and CVowther opposed. On a division, the amendment was carried by 39 votes to nine. The House adjourned at half-past five p.m. THE LOAN BILL. The House resumed at half-oast seven p.m., and went into committee on the Loan Bill. Mr. Rolleston protested against the ill being forced through committee before the schedule of expenditure was completed. The Premier said it was not reasonably to expect him to advise the Governor to agree to certain expenditure when the House had made no provision for ways and means. How could he arrange the finance of the measure when he was not sure that the House would pass the Loan Bill. The schedule was only a genera! indication as to the expendituies. and was subject to alteration by the House. He had no right to be asked to do what no other Treasurer had ever been asked to do. Mr. Monk advised the Premier to take bac-K the Bill and specify the amount intended to be allocated to each work. Mr. Rolleston moved to report progress. Several members urged that the amounts for each railway should be specified in the schedule before the committee considered the Bill. Mr. Taylor asserted that some of the lines were inserted in the schedule merely to render the seat of some Government supporter secure. .Mr. Duthie urged that an authorisation Bill should be dealt with to authorise some of the lines in the schedule. Before the House agreed to borrow tbe money they should know exactly how the money was to be expended. The Premier quoted records of former loans, showing that these loans were authorised before the works were specified on which it was intended to spend the money. He pointed out that the appropriations in the Public Works Estimates would enable members to criticise the amounts set down for each line. Mr. Scobie Mackenzie did not see why such a simple plan of putting in the schedule the amount proposed to be expended on each item should cause any trouble, unless it was on the ground that it was intended to hold expenditure out as bait to constituencies. Mr. J. Allen emphasised the objection that the Authorisation Bill should be introduced before the money was voted for some lines. He also pointed out that under the Bill it was not necessary that a million should be borrowed. The House could reduce the amount if it so desired. j Mr. Seddon explained that- the schedule to the Loan Bill' was of no value, further than as a guarantee to the lender as to hew the money was to be spent. The authority to spend the money was contained in the Appropriation Act, which would follow. It was a moral impossibility to give details of the expenditure. He appealed to the House to negative the motion, to report progress, and settle down to the consideration of the Bill. Mr. Duthie deprecated the Premier raking

1 up musty precedents in support of his action, i He contended that it would be far better to ! direct their energies to complete the railways i at present in hand, instead of spreading j money over a lot of small fresh railways. | Mr. Crowther complained that the expeni diture on the North Island Main Trunk | railway had not been so satisfactory as it I ought to be. He hoped that provision would be made for extending the line, at I any rate as far as its intersection with the ! East Road,.

The Premier, in reply, said he concurred that the main North Island line was a most urgent work, and agreed that tie line should be completed to the point mentioned by Mr. Crowther within two years. Mr. Rolleston had no desire to impede business, but he hoped that the House would

insist that they should the Public Works Estimates before dealing with thfe Loan Bill. Mr. Fisher was of opinion that the amount? proposed to be borrowed too "Snail to enable the demands of.members to bo complied with. Mr. G. Hutchison, urged the Premier to ! bring down the Public Works Estiiaates be': fore going further with the ; Bill. . Thar, j method would expedite the ultimate parage of the Bill. _ : ' p£'i : ' ! Mr. Morrison havingfj-iien in Sipproval oi the Bill, a division jiaco on the! motion to report progress, which was tired by 55 votes to 24. The clauses of the Bill were then :jdsidered. On clause 2, Captain Russell moved an amendment, " That the time for repayment be not less than 30 years from the date of issue.'' This was negatived by 31 votes to 22, and the clause passed. Clause 3: Rate of interest on short-dated debentures, pending the raising of the loan. Mr. Moore moved, " That the rate of interest be 3j instead of 4 per cent," which was negatived on the voices. The remainder of the clauses were passed without alteration. The schedule to the Bill created considerable discussion. The first item, Kawakawa-Grahamstown railway was objected to by Messrs. Rolleston. J. Allen, Fraser. Montgomery, and Hutchison, on the ground that the line had not been authorised, and that members bad cot sufficient information respecting it. Captain Russell moved to report progress to test the feeling of the House as to whether it was right to pass the schedule until the Authorisation Bill was brought down. The motion was lost by 27 votes to 23. A division was also called for on the question that the item be retained, with the result:—Ayes 29. noes 13. The question that the l'aeroa-Waihi line be retained was carried by 52 votes to 11. Gisborne, Kawakawa. and Helensville Northward lines were passed on the voices. Left sitting at two o'clock.