LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 546, 22 July 1882, Page 9

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1882. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. A petition wa3 presented by Captain Fraser from some Natives in the South Island. The Constabulary Report was laid on the table. The report of the Committee on the Nelson College Act was read, stating the Standing Orders had been complied with, and the Bill could be proceeded with. The Sinking Fund Report was laid on the table.—The Speaker said before proceeding with the business on the Order Paper he would answer the question put to him by Mr Wilson as to whether a private Bill could amend a, public Act. Without answering the question in a categorical manner, he pointed out that in this case no such an attempt was made, as section 10, which it was proposed to repeal, was a section imported into the Act from a private Bill, and that in this case it was a private Bill amending a private Bill.—Captain Baillie moved, “ That Standing Order No. 20, relative to private Bills, be dispensed with, in accordance with the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Standing Orders of the 9th June last, to enable the Ashburton County Council Empowering Bill to be proceeded with.—The motion was agreed to. —Captain Fraser pointed out an error which appeared in the New Zealand Times precis of the proceedings of the previous day, tha word “former” being substituted for “latter.” —The second reading of the Affirmations in lieu of Oaths Extension Bill was postponed until Friday next,—The Dog Registration Act, 1881, Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee, and amended. The Bill was ordered to be read a third time this day.—Tha Dangerous Goods Bill was read a first time, and made an order for this day. Some other Consolidation Bills were eventually dealt with. —The consideration of amendments of the House of Representatives on the Vagrant Act, 1866, Amendment Bill, were commented on briefly by Colonel Brett, who expressed regret that the Bill had been amended.—Mr Wilson considered the Bill as amended was improved. —The amendments were agreed to.—The Council rose at 3.45 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19.

The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m,, and read the usual prayer.

PETITIONS. Petitions were presented by Captain Morris, Mr Driver, Mr J. E. Brown, Mr Seddon, ana Mr Pear&on. NOTICES OF MOTIONS AND QUESTIONS. Among the notices given were the fol* owing Mr Moss to ask for leave to intro.

ggJ !Bi duce a Bill to facilitate the transfer of land by abolishing the laws favoring snwulm this colony ; Mr Beetham to ask for leave to bring in a Bill’to amend the constitution of the Wellington Gas Company; Mr Moss to move on Thursday, " That the conflict over local works and local legislation, pressed upon this House by the abolition of local self-government in 1876, tends with increasing force to lower the dignity and to impair the efficiency of the Parliament of this colony; that it is advisable to relieve this pressure by the re-establishment of local legislatures having jurisdiction over all matters which cart be more satisfactorily dealt, with by such legislatures than by the General Legislature of the colony.”

REPORTS. Mr KELLY brought up therepoit of the Public Petitions Committee, which was ordered to lie on the table. Colonel TRIMBLE brought up the report of the Native Affairs Committee on the petition of Messrs Taiaroaand Taiqui.—Sir GEORGE GREY moved that the report should be adopted by the House.—The Hon. J. BRYCE said the claims had heen inquired into exhaustively and completely in 1868, and a Commission was subsequently appointed to deal fhrther with the matter. The labors of that Commission were very protracted, and he had pressed them for an interim report to place before the House. One of the Commissioners had actually drawn more than LIOOO for personal expenses. He did not desire to stop the work of the Commission, but he eter mmed not toauthorise the expenditure of more than the L2OOO voted by the House. He had given them frequent notice of this, but the had amounted tooverL3ooo. He never could get the Commissioners to say when their terminate, and it was with great difficulty that an interim report had been obtained. _ lhe vouchers for the amounts over the L2ooohad been paid during his absence from the Government, for, most assuredly, he would not have paid them. In his opinion, the Commission had always been a most one-sided one. A great deal of evidence had been taken, and Judge Smith had been examined, and he therefore objected to that gentleman being brought down here again for the purpose of bong examined by the Committee, as recommended by the report.—Mr SHEEHAN said that promises had been made to inquire into the Middle Island Native land claims, and broken again, from 1871 to 1879, until he had taken steps to appoint a Commission. It was a lair thing to keep the promise made to the Middle Island Natives, and the House evidently thought so by voting the L2OOO. He could not ask for an appropriation for more than' a year. The Commission had not finished its labor, and had sent in an interim report, its labors having been •topped by the Hon. the Native Minister stop-ping-the supplies. ;He submitted that it was only fair that Judge Smith should he examined before the. Committee, in order < that he might have an opportunity of supporting the conclusion • to which he and his brother Commissioners had come, and saying at what point the work should be resumed. The Natives on the West Coast, who had been in rebellion twice, were receiving a hundred acres _of land for every acre set apart for the South Island Natives, who had never committed a single overt act.—Mr MACANDREW hoped the recommendation of the report effect,—The Hon. H. A* ATKINSON said there were certain rich and well-to-do persons in the South Island who imagined they had aclaim for L 3,000,000. A Commission was appointed, but he was sure the report of such a Commission would, never. have < been adopted by the House. They could scarcely believe that then predecessors. in office would have referred such aclaim to such a Commission, without even making provision that the Government should be represented by counsel.) ! The only course was to look on the whole thing as a The petitioners now-.came before them with a grievance, and the least they could do was to prepare weir case fully and submit it to the. Committee. They were now asked to prejudice their own case by summoning a witness at the * Government expense. ;In no case should this be done, unless it could be shown 5 that the petitioner was unable to bear the expense. He hoped the House would not be led away in this matter into the belief that there was any desire to burke inquiry.—After some further.discussion, in which. Messrs Turnbull, Moss, Taiaroa, Daniel, Stevens, : and Tawhai took part, Colonel TRIMBLEL said there were several points in the claims of the petitioners. In the first place, they claimed what was called " the tenths,” that was a tenth part of the value of all land sold from Kaiapoi to the south—in all, about thirty million acres. Messrs Nairn and Smith, the Commissioners, were in favor gd this claim, and then there were other demands with regard to hospitals, medical aid, schools, and " general care.” The Commission that had been appointed had never been able to give a definite answer as to when their report would be sent in, but had said that if another LBOO were granted they might in the course of eight or nine months he able to give some more definite information as to when their labors would be conoluded. He really did not see what Mr Smith could do for the Committee that they could not do for themselves. The Committee had every opportunity of arriving at a conclusion without spending a S piece in bringing witnesses from a oe.—The Hon. W. ROLLESTON said that the greater part of the claims of the petitioners had been finally dealt with, while the hospitals and schools had been pressed on their acceptance. The claims for schools and hospitals could not be reduced to a monetary value. He, for one, would always advocate the utmost liberality in these matters, for it was absurd that we could get rid of our responsibilities for a money consideration. It was a matter for regret that the Natives of the South Island had not been raised higher in civilisation and' education, but the fault was their own. The inquiry could lead to no good, and it was simply cruelty to the Natives to encourage them in their preposterous claims.—Mr TOMOANA thought if Judge Smith were summoned to give evidence some good might come of It.—Mr J. E. BROWN opposed the adoption of the report, for it was not proper to ask the House to assist the petitioners in making a claim against the colony. It appeared to n im that the Native Committee was in a most unsatisfactory state. Why did not the Chairman come down and ask that the quorum mighfbs increased ? Now the European mem* bare absented themselves, and the Chairman was left to sit with a few Native members, who naturally looked at these questions from a onesided point of view.—Mr DE LAUTOUR deprecated any attempt to discuss the merits of the petitioners’ claims during a debate on the desirability of sending for a witness. To prevent any further sacrifice of time he would move the adjournment of the debate.—Mr BRACKEN seconded the motion, and entered his earnest protest against the waste of time and money that the discussion had Involved.—Sir GEORGE GREY entirely dissented from what the hon. member for Avon had said, for he was prepared to show that justice had not been done to the Natives of the South. —The motion for the adjournment of the debate was lost, as also was the motion that the report should be adopted. The report was ordered to Us upon the table,

Mr SHEPHARD brought up the report of the Local Bills Committee.

PAPERS. Several papers were laid on the table by the Hon. W. Johnston. . ~ The SPEAKER said he had received the report of the Commission for the Public Debt Sinking Fund for the year ending 30th June, 1882.

MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR. A message was received from the ActingGovernor transmitting the Cemeteries Bill and Stamp Bill, which were read a first fame, and ordered to be read a second time on Friday.

questions. . , , Mr MACANDREW asked the Minister of Marine, "If the Government have received any official report as to the extent (if a uy) to which the dredger now at work at Otago Heads has been, or is likely to be, successful in inc easing the depth of w ater on the bar . TheHorif H. A. ATKINSON said he had received no communication on the subject. Mr BATHGATE asked the Government, " Whether they have received any recent communication through the Agent-General or otherwise from Mr William Cochrane, Over* dale House, Perthshire, in reference to the promotion of the culture of tea and silk in the North Island, and. whether they intend taking steps to give practical effect to any suggestions offered by Mr Cochrane The Hon. T. DICK said the Government had received communications from Mr Cochrane, but his proposals were so extensive that the Government could scarcely consider them favorably. . Mr TURNBULL asked the Native Minister, 11 If the Government intend proceeding with the Native Reserves Bill, the debate on which took place in July last ?”—The Hon. J. BRYCE answered in the affirmative. Mr DE LAUTOUR asked the Minister of Mines, " If he will take steps to have a regulation framed to enable the transfer of mining property to be simplified, as the warden administering the Central Otago Goldfields is reported to have ruled that, in the absence of regulations, all transfers of mining property must pass by deed ? ’’—The Hon. W. ROLLESTON promised to institute inquiries, and have a regulation framed if it was found necessary. '•Mr DE LAUTOUR asked the Minister of Mines, “If he will make inquiry as. to the reason why the sum of L 25 10s has been charged by the officer in charge at Naseby against an applicant for a mineral lease in the Blackstone District, whereas the regulation relating to mineral leases fixes the. sum of Ll 5 for survey and all other expenses in connection with such application; and if such charge is lawfully made, will he take steps to reduce the same'in the case of this and all similar applications?”—The Hon. W. ROLLESTON said the form of lease was somewhat complicated, and the legal expenses sometimes amounted to LlO 10s; He would look Into the matter, and if it was fourtd unnecessary to make an extra charge it would not be made. Mr FELD WICK drew the attention of the Minister for Public Works to the fact that.no mention was made in his Statement regarding the intentions of the Government in respect to fencing of railway lines, as promised by him in reply to a question asked during the present session, and asked him to supply the omission. —The Hon. W. JOHNSTON said in the South Island* there were 400 or 500 miles of line fenced on both sides. In some cases these fenbes had got into bad order, but he had given orders to repair them. . Mr HURST asked the Government, "If they will give effect to the recommendation of the Public Petitions Committee in the matter of Polkinhorne and another?’’—The Hon. T. DICK said a sum would be placed on the supplementary estimates. Mr BRACKEN asked the Minister of Justice, " What the new prison van for the use of Dunedin Gaol cost, where it was built, and if It will be found more economical than using a cab for the conveyance of prisoners ?’’—The Hon. T. DICK said the vas cost LIOO ; it was built in Christchurch because a firm there contracted to do it at a less price than any one else in Wellington or Dunedin. The van would be more suitable and economical than a cab. Mr SHEEHAN asked the Native Minister, " Whether it is intended to give effect to the report of the Public Petitions Committee on the petition of the Thames Volunteers re their services at Parihaka?” —The Hon. J. BRYCE said the item would be placed on the supplementary estimates, but he thought he would be able to give good reasons why the House should not vote it. Mr MACANDREW asked the Colonial Secretary, " What proposals have been received in response to the offer of the Government to grant a bonus for . the manufacture.of gunpowder; and what action, if any, it is intended to be taken thereanent ? ’’—The Hon. T. DICK said the Government last year advertised that they were prepared to consider the question of a bonus to any firm which would manufacture gunpowder. Before this a gentleman at Port Chalmers had imported machinery to manufacture gunpowder. He made proposals which the Government could not accept, and then proceeded to sot up his machinery at Catlin’s River. If tbe Government could enter into negotiations with him it would be done, but it was necessary that a Gunpowder Act should be passed for the protection of the public. Such a Bill would be passed this session, if possible. Mr SUTTON asked the Colonial Secretary, " What arrangements the Government propose to make in reference to the maintenance of hospitals and charitable institutions for the current year ? ’’—The Hon. T. DICK said the Colonial Treasurer, in his Financial Statement, had stated what the intentions of the Government were. Mr ALL WRIGHT asked the Minister for Public Works, “ Whether the firm of Talbot and McClatchie, who are in possession of a Government property in Lyttelton, have signed the lease for the same; if so, have they carried out the conditions of such lease; and if not, why not?” —The Hon. W. JOHNSTON said all the covenants of the lease had not been carried out. He would inquire further into the matter.

Mr VINCENT PYKE asked the Colonial Secretary, “ Whether he is aware that spurious coins are being circulated in Christchurch ; and whether he will take steps to restrain the issue of the same ?” —The Hon. T. DICK said the Government would look into the matter, and see what could be done to stop the circulation of these tokens. Mr VINCENT PYKE asked the Colonial Secretary, ‘‘Whether the Government will bring in a Bill during the present session to amend the law relating to elections of members of the House of Representatives, m the following direction(l) To prohibit the placing of names on the electoral rolls within two months of any election, so as to prevent sham residential electors being improperly placed on the rolls. (2) To make it penal to personally canvass electors for support, by any candidate, his servants, or his friends. . (3) To prohibit the use of vehicles, whether hired, lent, or otherwise, for the conveyance of voters to or from a polling-booth?”—The Hon T. DICK said with regard to the first part of the question the Government agreed with the position taken up by the hon. member. If there were time the Government would bring down a Bill to

remedy what was a defect in the Act. lhe Government were not prepared to interfere further with the Corrupt Practices Act this session. MOTIONS. Mr HOLMES moved, “For a return showing the respective total amounts of fees received during the year ending the 31st March, 1882, at the Supreme Court offices at Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, respectively. ”—Carried. Mr TAIAROA moved, “ That a return be laid before this House, showing all moneys which have been paid to members of Parliament, commencing from the year 1872 up to the last session of last Parliament; the return to include honorarium, legislative expenses, and all public moneys paid to such members m their various capacities.”—The hon. member explained that he moved the resolution because a return had been moved for showing all moneys that had heen paid to him. He did not want it to go forth to the whole colony that he was the only member who consumed public money.—After some discussion Mr TAIAROA said he would withdraw his motion. Sir G. GREY moved, "That this House will, to-morrow, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole to consider of an address to the Administrator of the Government, requesting his Excellency to cause the sum of L4OO to be placed on the Estimates for. the purpose of defraying the cost of the publication of a work which shall describe the various valuable foreign trees and plants suitable to the soil and climate of New Zealand which would yield valuable products for consumption and export’; which work shall also describe the mode of cultivation of such trees and plants, asalso the manner in which their several products are prepared for market and export,”— The Hon. H. A. ATKINSON said he would agree at once to put the sum on the Supplementary Estimates. —Sir G. GREY said in that case he would withdraw his motion. The Speaker left the chair at 5.30 p.m.

EVENING SITTING. The Speaker resumed the chair at 7.30 p.m.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION. Mr SHEEHAN said, with the permission of the House, he would say a few words in personal explanation. . A few evenings ago, in discussing the question of payment of members, he referred to the case of a member having refused to take his honorarium, and then having applied for it after he had been refused, re-elec-tion. He mentioned no name at the time, but he had since ascertained that the statement was incorrect. It referred to an old personal friend of his own, and he would now do what every honorable man should do under the same circumstances—he had made a mistake, and he now retracted the statement utterly and completely. He would also express regret that he had been misled by a lobby report. The name of the gentleman he had referred to was Dr. Hodgkinson. . J Mr DE LAUTOUR read a Treasury minute to the effect that Dr. Hodgkinson had only consented to receive LSO out of L 207 10s due to him, on the ground that that sum was sufficient to cover his expenses. The Hon. H. A. ATKINSON and the SPEAKER spoke in corroboration of the statement that Dr. Hodgkinson had never received more than LSO of the amount of his honorarium. REPORT. Mr DE LAUTOUR brought up the report of the Goldfields’ Committee, stating that the Committee had agreed to the Gold Duties Act Amendment Bill with" amendments. On the motion of Mr SEDDON, the report was adopted, and the Bill ordered to be committed on the 10th ef August.

MESSAGE FROM THE COUNCIL. A message was received stating that the Legislative Council had agreed to the amendments in the Vagrant Act Amendment Act, 1882. CHATTELS SECURITIES AMENDMENT BILL. Mr FELDWICK moved the second reading of this Bill, which he said had been approved by the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce. It would effect some necessary and. important alterations in the law relating to bills of sale, but would not clash with other legislation on the subject.of bankruptcy. After some discussion the Bill wa3 read a second time and referred to a Select Committee. RELIGIOUS, CHARITABLE, AND EDUCATIONAL

TRUSTS CORPORATION BILL. Mr DARGAVILLE said he had been asked by the hon. member in charge of this Bill to move the second reading, and to ask the House to defer the discussion of the principle of the Bill until the motion to go into Committee on it. Considerable discussion took place as to the propriety of the course suggested, the Hon. J. BRYCE and other hon. members contending, that the principle of a Bill should always be discussed on the motion for the second reading. Mr DARGAVILLE said he distinctly declined to go into the measure then, for in doing so he would be committing a breach of faith with several hon. members who took a great interest in the matter, but who were not in their places. . . After further discussion, on the motion of Mr J. E. BROWN, it was resolved to adjourn the debate until Thursday, August 10th.

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

Mr MOSS moved the second reading of the Bill, which he said contained no new principle of any kiud, but simply proposed to give slightly increased powers to small boroughs m the matter of making contracts. Considerable discussion took place, and Mr WHITAKER proposed, as an amendment, that the Bill should be read a second time that day six months. On a division, the motion was carried by 43 votes to 34, and it was decided that the Bill should be committed on the 10th of August.

CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT BILL. The debate on the second reading of this Bill was resumed. The Hon. W. ROLLESTON could scarcely suppose that the House intended to pass such a measure as this. The Bill was one of the most extraordiuary he had ever seen. Our Constitution provided that all laws must be passed by the two branches of the Lsgislature and the Governor, but this Bill proposed to override that altogether. He would move as an amendment that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. Colonel TRIMBLE denounced the measure as proposing to subject the people to the Worst form of tyranny, though the hon. member who brought it in put it forward as a democratic measure. As a Liberal, he protested against the Bill, which could only have emanated from a man who had not one particle of liberal thought in his brain. He would vote for the amendment.

Sir JOHN HALL said the Bill abolished the Governor as a branch of the Legislature altogether. He could only account for the unwillingness of hon. members to discuss this measure by the supposition that they did not look seriously upon it. He would support any reasonable measure to make the Upper House elective, but when he said that he did not mean to say that the Council had not discharged its duties satisfactorily. The Bill before them was a step towards the abolition of the Governor,

a step towards the abolition of the Legislative Council, a step towards severance from the Mother Country, and a step towards the establishment of a republic of a, very red type. For these reasons he opposed it. Mr KELLY said he could not assent to the second reading of the Bill. The Hon. J. BRYCE said he had understood earlier in the cession from the gentleman who was supposed to be the leader of the Opposition that the Opposition was to be carried on on some principle. Yet the lion, member nacl taken no stand on the important measure before them, and there was again room for doubt as to whether he was really the leader of the Opposition. What were they to think of the hon. member for Auckland East, who was the very framer of the Constitution, when he brought in a measure to utterly destroy it ? Mr M. W. GREEN supported the Bill, which, with certain amendments, put an end to all possibilty of deadlocks in the future. He took the measure simply on its merits, and did not care by whom it was introduced. At 10.45 the Speaker left the chair for half an hour. On resuming, Mr TURNBULL moved the adjournment of the debate. He approved of the principle of the Bill, though he might assure the Hon. the Native Minister that the question was regarded as an open one by mempers on that side of the House. There was not the slightest reason to treat the measure as a party one, for there was no party in the House possessing the smallest right to dictate to the hon. member for Auckland East what measures he ought to bring forward. _ The Hon. H. A. ATKINSON said the Government would not agree to the adjournment of the debate, or to go on with any business until the question before them had been settled. If there had been a waste of time, the Opposition were to blame for not taking a stand, and showing the House the utter futility of. the debate. The hon. member for Akaroa had > been guilty of a broach of faith in not adhering to the arrangement he had entered into. Was a a proposed change in the Constitution be laughed at as a huge joke, as the leader of the Opposition had been laughing at it all night? If necessary, he was prepared to continue the debate as long as hon. members might desire. Mr MONTGOMERY said he would be sorry to see an Opposition to be drilled to such perfection that members did not dare express their opinions. He denied thathehad committed any breach of faith with the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer. Could he stop the hon. member for Auckland E:isi, who was able to carry Bill after Bill against the Government ? He was accused of laughing, but who could help laughing at the consternation on the Government benches. _ He would vote for the adjournment, and if that was not carried, he would havej&omething to say on the Bill. , ...... Mr M. W. GREEN said he had been listening to all that had lately taken place in the House with an earnest desire to.support the Ministry; but he had now come to the conclusion that he could not do so. (Cheers.) He was not ashamed to say that he had a conscience, and that he wished to give it fair exercise. (Laughter.) He believed the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer had a conscience. (No, no.) He believed it, even though the hon. gentleman denied it. The Hon. J. BRYCE objected to the debate being adjourned. The House did not object to the hon. member for Dunedin East having a conscience. (Hear, hear.) What the House objected to was continually hearing of his conscience. (Laughter.) The Bill involved the most important constitutional change that had been proposed in the House for years, and the debate should go on, and not give place to other business. The Bill came from a gentleman of high position in the House, whether he was leader of the Opposition or not, and the debate upon it should be continued. Mr MOSS was shocked at the levity with which hon. members on the Government benches had treated the measure. He hoped the adjournment would be carried. Mr SEDDON asked why the Government were not ready to deal with this important measure when it was first brought down ? Ample notice had been given, and if there had been waste of time the Government were to blame for it. The vote he would give would be in the direction of having the matter before them relegated to the people. In the meantime he would support the adj ournment of the debate. Colonel TRIMBLE recommended his friends on the other side to put the position of leader of the Opposition up to tender, as a properlyorganised and decently-conducted Opposition was as necessary to Parliamentary Government as a Ministry. Why did not the Opposition boldly state their views on the Bill when first the second reading was proposed ? Why, beoasse the hon. member for Akaroa dare not fall out with the hon. member for Auckland City East. But the time had come when the hon. member must declare himself. (A voice : ‘‘Next week.”) No, the hon. member must declare himself before next week, and if he was afraid, it was to be hoped he would be pushed on. (Hear, hear). Mr JOYCE said the members of the Government in speaking as they did knew that there was as wide a divergence of opinion on both sides of the House on the Bill before them, as there was the other evening on the Colonial Treasurer’s Government Insurance proposals. It was puerile to call for a trial of strength on this Bill. Why did the Government not seek a trial on one of their own measures? He would support the adjournment, as he was in favor of the Bill, and desired to see it properly discussed. He denied that there could be a vote of want of confidence on a mere abstract proposition. Captain MORRIS accused the Opposition of delaying business, and stated that they were well aware that they were in a minority. He strongly opposed the adjournment. Mr LEVESTAM opposed the Bill, but would vote for the adjournment, because he did not desire to see his friends defeated.

Mr SHEPHARD supported the adjournment of the debate. Mr HOLMES supported the adjournment, and said the Government were attempting to take advantage of what they considered an opportunity of snatching a victory from the Opposition. The opportunity, however, was not a fair one, and the question should never have been made a party one. The Government did not seem so anxious to stake their existence on their Land Act Amendment Bill or then* Native Reserves Bill. He thought the Government would be disappointed, and that their action would tend to consolidate the Opposition. Mr HURST thought the Government had everything to gain by an adjournment, now that the usual hour of rising had arrived, and tbe Opposition were showing a desire to waste time If the Government decided to object to an adjournment, however, he would support W. C. BUCHANAN hoped the Government would not take the advics of the hon. member for Waitemata. Major HARRIS supported the adjournment of the debate. The motion for adjournment of the debate was lost on a division by 44 vote 3 to 40. The following is the division list Ayes, 40. —Barron, Bracken, J. C. Brown, Cadman, Daniel, Davgaville, De Lautour,

Duncan, Feldwick, George, M-.W, Green, Grey, Harris, Holmes, Hutchison, Ivess, Joyce, Levestam, Macandrew, McDonald, J. McKenzie, Montgomery, Moss, Petrie, Pyke, Seddon, Sheehan, Shepherd, Shnmskl (teller), Smith, Steward, Sutter, Taiaroa, Tawhai, J. W. Thomson, Tole, Tomoana, •Turnbull (teller), Weston, W. White. Noes, 44. —Allwright, Atkinson, Beetham, Bryce, J. Buchanan, W. C. Buchanan (teller), Conolly, Dick, Driver, Fergus, Fitz Gerald, Fulton, J. Green, Hall, Hamlin, Hobbs, Hurst, Hursthouse, C. J Johnston, W. W. Johnston, Kelly, Levin, F. W. Mackenzie, McMillan, Mitchelson, Munro, O’Callaghan, Peacock, Pearson, Pilliet, Postlethwaite, Rolleston, Rutherford, Stevens, Sutton, Swanson, H. Thomson, Trimble (teller), Watt, Whitaker, J. B. White, Williams, J. G. Wilson, Wright. After Mr MONTGOMERY and Sir G. GREY had spoken, the amendment " That the Bill should be read a second time in six months,” was carried on the voices, and at 1.5 the House rose.