PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4176, 8 August 1874, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, August 7. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at two o'clock. THE COLONIAL BANE OF NEW ZEALAND BILL. The Hon. Mr. MILLER moved,—-" That the standing orders be so far suspended as to " allow this Bill to bo passed through all its stages this day." Otherwise he feared there was a great probability of its not being passed this session. The amendment! were very slight, confined to the fourth clause; and the loss, if the Bill were not passed this session, would be very great. The Hon. the SPEAKER asked the Council to consider the danger of doing away with safeguards with which the Btanding orders had surrounded private Bills. After some discussion ; on a division, the motion was carrie'd by 22 to 9. The Hon. Mr MILLER then moved, — " That the Bill be read a third time." The Hon. Mr. M ANTELL inquired what the amendments.were The Hon. Mr. MILLER explained that the amendments were in accordance with the objections raised against the measure on, its second reading. The words "or agreed to be made," in regard to advances; and, "or to become due," with regard to monies owing, had been struck out. The Hon. Mr. HART inquired whether the Committee had compared the clause as it now stands with similar clauses in other Bills .of a like nature. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE stated that the clause, though not in the exact words of other Acts, was in conformity with previous legislation. The Hon. Mr. HART pointed out that there was a material extension of power given to this Bank. The effect of this would be that an outside creditor might find that the whole assets were held as security by the Bank. I The Hon. Mr. J. JOHNSTON thought 1 that at the time referred to matters were, no doubt, as stated by the Hon. Mr. Hart; but since then great changes had been made, and there was now no difficulty in obtaining full information as to what bills of sale had been given. ' ' • Tho Hon. Mr. HOLMES was surprised to hear the objections that had fallen from the Hon. Mr. Hart. As a lawyer, that hon. gentleman must be aware of several Acts whoso provisions the Banks, as well as merchants, could avail themselves of. The motion was carried, and the Bill was passed through all the remaining stages. SALMON NETS. Tho Hon. Mr. MENZIES asked the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, —" Whether the Government has, in recognition of what is likely to become an important industry, taken or will take into consideration tho propriety of legislating on tho subject-mattor of the resolution agreed to by this Council on Augußt 31, 1860—namely, 'That it is expedient that tho Government should, during the recess, prepare a measure providing for tho vesting of or declaratory of the right to fish for salmon or trout, and to prohibit tho erection and maintenance of fixed engines and nets in New Zealand waters, both salt and fresh'—in accordance with the promise

then given by the Colonial Secretary for the time being, that ' the Government would give its attention to the subject.' " His reason for asking the question was that during the ensuing spring salmon would be turned into some of the rivers in the South, and steps had already been taken to establish nets. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN replied that the Government had not yet taken the necessary steps, and he could only give the same promise which had been made on a previous occasion. THE DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND. The Hon. Colonel BRETT asked the Hon. the Colonial Secretary,—" Whether, in accordance with the resolution of the Council passed on the 9th September last year, any information has been obtained by the Government respecting the condition and number of the deaf, dumb, and blind residing in New Zealand." The Hon. Dr. POLLEN in reply, stated that he had that day laid on the table a return compiled from the last census papers. TREATMENT OP LUNATICS. The Hon. Captain FRASER, on bringing forward the motion in his name, said that when in England he had received an order from Mr. "Vogel which would open to him the doors of all the Lunatic Asylums in the Kingdom. He had visited several of them, and made careful investigation of the mode of treating lunatics in them. The first thing done was to examine the patient in order to ascertain whether they required moral or physical treatment. In those institutions the patients were really a happy family. They never were subjected to severe treatment, never heard a harsh word. They were indulged with pic-nics and other entertainments, and their comforts were well looked after. Theirs was a very diff srent position from that of our lunatics. Here there was no steamheating apparatus, and it was not uncommon to see the poor creatures crouching and shivering round the fire. The hon. gentleman quoted extensively from reports to show the beneficial results of considerate and kind treatment, observing that at -Home the area courts were laid out with flowers and shrubs, with which excited patients never interfered —they were humanised, not treated as wild beasts like they were here. Having exhaustively contrasted the system pursued at Home, the hon. gentleman suggested that the Colonial syste*m should be assimilated to it—that all our large asylums should be treated as county asylums at home, and concluded by moving,— " That, considering the great importance of adopting, where practicable, the modern system of treating eases of insanity by placing the patients under the immediate superintendence of a resident physician specially qualified by education and experience in the treatment of such forms of disease, it is expedient that the Government, before talcing any steps in regard to the appointment of an InspectorGeneral of Insane Hospitals, should ascertain whether it would not be more advantageous to adopt the modern system in the larger establishments of the Colony, leaving the smaller establishments for a time to be daily visited, as heretofore, by a local physician." The Hon. Mr. MENZIES could scarcely understand whether the motion was intended to retard the action of the Government in appointing an Inspector-General. If so, he should oppose the motion. There were many points to be considered. The building 3 would have to be constructed on a plan furnished by an architect acquainted with the subject. The cost of large buildings amounted to £154 a head. The General Government, he thought, shoidd insist that abundance of space should be provided for parks, farms, &e., and not a yard. With respect to Superintendents, they had an exhaustive report by the Imperial Government, embodying reports from fifty-three Asylums. Many of those were managed by Boards, and some by Medical Superintendents. The proportion of well managed institutions under Boards was 2i in 5, while of those under Medical Superintendents the proportion of the well managed to the badly managed was as 7 to 10. He thought it indispensable that some Medical Inspector should be appointed to visit the different Asylums in the Colony. _ The popular impression was that the proportion of lunatics to sane people was greater in the Colony than at Home, whereas the opposite was the case, the numbers being respectively 1 in 800, and 1 in 375. The Hon. Dr. RENWICK observed that if the object of the motion was that what was called the modern system of treatment should be adopted, he quite disagreed with it. Various Committees had been appointed, and their reports recommended the appointment of an Inspector-General, and he would be the proper person to say whether that treatment was the one to be adopted. Smaller Provinces could not afford to appoint a highly paid officer for each Province, whereas an InspectorGeneral would be able to visit these institutions and put them on a proper footing. In looking over the reports of the Inspectors at Home, he was surprised to find that a great majority were non-professional men. With this he quite disagreed. In his opinion, the Inspector should be a duly qualified medical man.

The Hon. Mr. BUCKLEY pointed out that if the motion was passed it could not be carried into effect, as the charge of those asylums were purely Provincial matters. The Hon. Dr. GRACE remarked that the whole question was fraught with great difficulties. To Ms mind the most important question was whether greater benefit would accrue to the insane by the retention of local practitioners or the appointment of an InspectorGeneral. In his opinion a combination of the two would have the most beneficial result. He thought the time had come when the General and Provincial Governments should take joint action in the matter. He had himself been in charge of an Asylum where he had pursued psychological studies, but he did not, he was sorry to gay, carry much of that knowledge away with him, and hia own was no solitary case. Another difficulty presented itself in the appointment of an Inspector-General. His report would contain recommendations ; but how were these to be carried out while £to much Provincial jealousy existed regarding the interference of the General Government with their special functions 1 The Hon. Dr. POLLEN was much obliged to his hon. friend Cant. Eraser for having brought forward the subject. The lion, gentleman who had last Bpoken had said all that need be said. The difficulty consisted in | divided authority. The Government had done all that they could do by collecting information as, far as they could. This information revealed in some instances astonishing facts. In one case the sick and insane were living together : in fact, the nurses in the hospital were the insane. He quite agreed that it was desirable that every Asylum should be under j the charge of a medical man ; but there were other than professional qualifications to be considered in the choice of such au officer. Personal qualifications formed quite as important a consideration, and gentlemen of suitable personal and professional qualifications were very scarce. This would bo borne in mind in appointing an Inspector-General. The Council at four o'clock adjourned until the usual hour in the evening, to allow the Privilege Committee to bring up their report. WELLINGTON MAYOES BILL. On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, this Bill was read a first time. OYSTER PISHKKIES AMENDMENT BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN, in moving the second reading of this measure, stated that it was an intervention in favor of the natives of his own Province —Auckland. In season and out of season ship-loads were despatched thence to the Empire City, whereby the supply was considerably diminished, and in danger of being ultimately exhausted unless some protection were provided. ' The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE was disappointed with the remarks of the hon. mover. They were presided over by a Ministry of grand conceptions, and he had expected some grand scheme of preserving the present oysterbeds, and establishing new ones, whereby the Colonial debt might be extinguished. He had entered into minute calculations on the subject, which were, he would stake all he possessed, quite as reliable as those made in another place with reference to a Bill having this object. He estimated that an acre of land

would produce one million dozen oysters. Taking those at the ridiculously low figure of twopence per dozen, would give £BOOO per acre. At Ngahauranga, there were fifty acres of grounds where oysters might be grown, and this in ten years, would give the large sum of £4,000,000, which would no doubt extinguish the balance of the railway debt. And then, in addition to the pleasure of eating these interesting pi-valves, they would have the pleasure of reflecting that they were helping to extinguish the' Colonial debt. The Hon. Mr. MANTELL suggested that the most effective means of securing the object of the Bill would be to put a stop to picnic parties who went out and helped themselves to large quantities of these rock: oysters. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN only asked fair play for the oysters, that they might have a holiday for the purpose of recreation and | procreation. He was quite alive to the obseri vations of the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, but it was wise not to spend all their ammunition at I once. And in the present Provincial difficulty there was no saying what grand scheme might not be shadowed forth. ' The motion was carried, and the Bill was read a first time. MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT ADOPTION BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN, in moving the second reading of this Bill, explained its various provisions. The motion was carried, and the Bill read a second time. WELLINGTON BURIAL GROUND BILL. On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Mantell, this Bill was read a third time and passed. IN COMMITTEE. The "Wellington Mayor's Bill and The Oyster Fisheries Act Amendment Bill were considered and reported without amendment. The Provincial Fencing Laws Empowering Bill was likewise considered and progress reported. The Wellington Special Settlements Act Amendment Bill was considered. The Hon. Mr. J. JOHNSTON carried the following addition to clause 3 : —" Provided always that any land included in any such proclamation of withdrawal, and not reproclaimed, shall be sold in blocks not exceeding 200 acres, by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, for cash, at such time and place as he shall appoint, but not at a price less than 20s. per acre." The Bill was reported with amendments. The Oamaru Hospital Reserves Bill was next considered, and reported without amendments. THIRD READINGS. The Wellington Mayors Bill and the Oyster Fisheries Act Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. • ' PRIVILEGE. The Hon. Major RICHMOND brought up the report of the joint Committee on Privilege. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN, in moving the second reading of this Bill, explained that it had been rendered necessary by certain technical informalities in the original Act of last year. • m Motion carried and Bill read a second time. WATER SUPPLY" BILL. . The Hon. Dr. POLLEN moved for leave to introduce a Bill intituled an Act to Provide for Supplying certain districts of the Province of Canterbury with Water. The motion was carried and the Bill read a first time. The Council adjourned at ten o'clock till the usual hour on Tuesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, August 7. The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. PETITIONS. Petitions were presented by Mr. Cahhington from Mr. J. S. Macfarlane, objecting to Mr. Von der Heyde taking his seat as member for Waitemata, on the ground that he is an alien ; and by Mr. Parata, from seventy-six Natives at the Thames, praying that certain amendments might be made in- the Native Lands Act. THE LICENSING BILL. On the motion of Mr. Vogel it was agreed to sit on Monday evening from half : past seven o'clock, for the special purpose of considering the Licensing Bill. The Premier remarked that as there was some difference of opinion about the Bill it would be very desirable that members should be in their places that evening and take part in the debate. LEAVE TO INTRODUCE BILLS. Leave was given to Mr, O'Rorke to introduce a Bill to amend the Petty Sessions Act, 1865 ; and to Mr. Vogel to introduce the Otago Reserves Bill. AUCKLAND WASTE LANDS BILL. In Committee on this Bill there was considerable discussion on the '7sth clause, " Persons depasturing under these sections not liable for trespass except where lands substantially fenced." Mr. Sheehan moved the insertion after the word be, in the 58th line of the following words:—"Laid down in grass, under crop or." On a division there voted ; ayes, .27 ;. noes, 16. The Bill was reported, and afterwards read a third time and passed. FINANCIAL STATEMENT, &C. Mr. READER WOOD suggested that it would be a convenient course if, the hon. gentleman at the head of the government would state what course of business he proposed in reference to the proposals contained in the Financial Statement. There had been no opportunity given for discussing the general proposals contained in that Statement. He should be glad to hear in what mode the proposals were to be given effect to, because he was about to bring down some alternative proposals in' regard to those measures. Mr. VOGEL hoped early next week to bring down the Bills to give effect to the part of the financial proposals that affected the Provinces. Probably next week also, the Government would introduce a measure with reference to trade with the Polynesian Islands; Hon. members would have an opportunity of raising a discussion on the Statement when those proposals were brought down. Mr. MERVYN asked tlie Premier to give an intimation when he proposed to make a Ministerial Statement in reference to immi-; gration. Mr. VOGEL replied that the Immigration Staternent would be made in the course of next week. ' ' .."' ■ On Mr. Vogel obtaining leave to bring-in Bills to amend the'Public Revenues Act and for raising a Loan for Immigration and Public Works, ~.•■•■-. Mr. FITZHERBERT expressed tho hope that the Premier would be able, with convenience to himself, to favor the House with his Ministerial statement in regard to immigration prior to taking power for a loan for immigration and public works. This was a reasonable request, which ho was sure tho hon. gentleman would feel the propriety of. It was perfectly true that there had been numerous opportunities of raising a discussion on the whole or and part of the proposal ■ shadowed forth in the Budget speech; nevertheless, ho thought it might be safely said that until they had the, whole of the Minis? terial statements—the Budget speech, the Public Works Statement, and the Immigration Statement (the latter,not having yet been made) —they were not yet in a position.to review tho total aspect of our finances. He pointed out that tho proper course would be not to inyite the House to take the second reading or the Bills until the Immigration Statement was made. ■ Mr. VOGEL recognised the right of the House to ask for. the statement about immigration before proceeding with the Bill. At the same timo it might not be convenient to make tho statement on Tuesday. It would be more convenient to take the Becond reading before making the statement, but he would not proceed beyond the second reading until after the statement was made. ■;"• ' RETURN. Mr. VOGEL, in accordance with the promise made by him at the early part of the session, laid on the table correspondence and accounts respecting the publication of the pamphlet on the Colony, STATE FOREST BILIi. On the motion for going into Committee on this Bill,

Mr. ROLLESTON observed that the amendments proposed in the Bill had been so recently circulated, the committal should be postponed until another day. Mr. VOGEL replied the changes were very simple ; they merely asked the House to pledge itself to taking land at a future time, and meanwhile left it to the Superintendents and Provincial Councils to set aside land for the objects proposed by the Bill. Mr. ROLLESTON was convinced that the Provinces would be perfectly prepared to meet the Premier, and would do what would be for the advantage of the people, in the way of setting apart lands necessary for the purpose. He had no desire to throw any impediment in the way of what he held to be an exceedingly good object—the conservation of Provinces. (Loud laughter.) The lapse was not an unnatural one. He again urged that some little delay Bhould be allowed for consideration of the proposed amendments. Mr. TRIBE considered the Bill unnecessary, and the only effect would be to create a new and costly department. Mr. BRANDON, to test the feeling of the Committee, moved the adjournment of the Committee. Mr. T. B. GILLIES did not see why there should be any delay in going on with the Bill. There was nothing in it—(laughter)—except authority to spend a.little money—£lo,ooo a year, and to appoint three conservators of forests. They should not bother much about such a trifle. Mr. BUCKLAND said that the time was not far distant when £IO,OOO a year would not be considered a trifle. Unless economy was pursued there would be some difficulty in carrying on the ordinary affairs of the country. For his part, he should be glad to see the Bill thrown out. He also urged postponement. Mr. VOGEL thanked the member for Avon ( for his advice, but it was very like what that hon. member gave when he did not heartily support a Bill. The amendments were so" simple that they could not be misunderstood. They committed the Assembly most unequivocally to the establishment of State forests, to provide all the machinery, gave opportunity to the Provinces to set apart land for the purpose of endowments for State forests, and pledged the House to take land in the future if the Provinces did not give it for this purpose. The proposal to set aside a small part of the lands of the Colony for the purpose of State forests would be heartily responded to from one end of the Colony to the other. The question whether the machinery shoidd be in the hands of the Provincial or General Government would sink into insignificance before the great question of setting apart some portion of the country for State forests. The placing of the land at the disposal of the Government by the Superintendents and Provincial Councils would be a graceful thing and save difficulty. The motion for postponement was negatived on the voices. On clause 3, Mr. MERTYN asked if" it was intended to encourage planting, by enabling private individuals to obtain trees at cost price. Mr. "VOGEL replied that the matter would very much depend on the advice of the gentlemen appointed as conservators, but his own opinion was that two nurseries should be established in each island in suitable localities, without any reference to Provincial boundaries. (Hear.) It would be the' duty of the conservators, or those in charge of the forests, to distribute trees very largely. It would not be desirable that the department should supply private individuals. He did not see why private enterprise should be paralysed. The department should assist nurserymen, but should not be asked to deal very much with private individuals. It should deal rather with those in the trade, and with public bodies. But that was a question of detail for the department to determine, and it was proposed to leave the largest amount of discretion to the experience of the skilled persons who would have charge of the matter. Sir F. D. BELL sympathised with the object of the Bill, being quite satisfied that in its general scope and in time to come it would be of incalculable advantage to the Colony. But he regretted that the House should be asked to leave so much to the experience of the skilled persons who would be called on. He could not help expressing his regret that in a matter of such vital importance they should be asked to go into the matter without having time given to them to consider the Bill as it now stood without the clauses proposed to be struck out. Most of all they should endeavor to lay down in the Bill some more defined plan in respect to the planting of trees by individual persons, because after all, to make the planting of forests a success, the aid of private enterprise must to a great extent be availed of. When they came to the 7th clause, he would propose to strike out that part of the clause which authorised the appointment of two assistant conservators; because, as they were not going to plant on the large scale contemplated by the Bill in its original shape, it would be unnecessary to go to the expense of a Department. He made these remarks with the view of inducing the Government to be satisfied with having established the principle of State Forests. Mr. "VOGEL replied that the Speaker did not understand the proposal or intention of the Government. The House was asked to undertake the establishment of State forests, and the Government would take care that there were sufficient revenues to maintain them. He maintained that £IO,OOO a year outof the Consolidated Revenue, was a fair contribution for such an object. If they were to carry, on State forests and not use the lands '.of the Colony for such an object, that would be to make themselves rather ridiculous. They could not look to have State forests without the land being charged for the purpose. If they could not betaken for so essential a public purpose as the improvement of the lands of the Colony, and the improvement of the climatic conditions of the country, the, sooner they declared that the lands should be consdered available for no large public purpose the better., He had tod high' an' opinion of the good sense of the country to believe that it would endorse such a course. The : Governor had power now to ])ro'claim reserves. Did tlie'House suppose that if' the local Government shut .up' the bush lands from use for public purposes the General Government would stand by and submit to it ? The House need have no fear if the Bill were carried, but that State forests would be the reBu l*' j ~ ; Mr. MACANDREW did not think the forestswould.be better or. more valuable ber. ' cause they were called State forests. The great object was to create forests." It was proposed that £IO,OOO a-year should be devoted to that object, but if £SOO a-year were granted to the Botanical Gardens at Dunedin, he would undertake that there should be distributed gratuitously 500,000 trees for allthne to come. He merely threw that out as a hint.. Mr. SWANSON, inquired from what country the conservators were to be" obtained. ' Mr. VOGEL replied that he could not say whether it would be from Scotland; Germany, or India, but the'greatest possible care would be exercised in procuring the best assistance to be obtained at the salaries to be offered. The conservators would bo young men who had distinguished themselves by their pro"gres's' in forestry, and who would -come here with the idea that they had a good deal to learn. ' ' Mr. O'CONOR suggested that Dr. Hectors knowledge of forestry entitled him to be placed at the head of the proposed department. , On the motion of Mr. Brandon the words " otherwise than by selections under this Act," and on Mr. Murray's motion,, the words "establishment of schools and colleges for teaching forestry" wero struck out. Mr. SHEEHAN suggested that young men might be sent home from the Colony to learn the art of forestry. . ". - Mr. VOGEL hoped one of tho outcomes of tho Act would be that promising young men might have an opportunity of making themselves acquainted with the art of forestry in. other parts of the world than New Zealand. On clause 7, , , Sir F. D. BELL moved that that part of the clause authorising the appointment of assistant conservators be struck out.

Mr. VOGEL observed that the cost was a bagatelle compared with the desirability of getting a staff likely to be successful. Mr. Brandon's motion to add the words, " the salaries of the conservator, two assistant conservators, and officers engaged in or about the administration of the Department shall be paid out of the State Forests Fund," was agreed to. On clause 8, with the following additions : " The State Forests shall consist of such lands as the General Assembly shall hereafter from time to time determine, and of such lands within any province as the Superintendent of any province, on the recommendation of the Provincial Council of such province, shall in the meanwhile request the Governor to set apart for the purpose; and the revenues arising from such lands shall be paid to the ' State Forests Account," —being moved, Mr. REID observed that the clause materially altered the existing land laws, and submitted that in accordance with the standing orders of the House, the Bill should be referred to the "Waste Lands Committee. The Chairman of Committees, being asked to rule on the point, said it was not competent for him to pronounce an opinion, the Bill having been referred to the Committee. After some discussion, a motion that progress be reported, in order that the opinion of the Speaker might be obtained, was negatived on the voices. In clause 20, on Mr. Swanson's motion,, ten was substituted for thirty years. On the Bill being reported, Mr. White moved that the opinion of the Attorney-Gene-ral should be taken' on the point whether or not the Bill required to be referred to the Waste Lands Committee; and, after some disussion, in which Mr. Rolleston referred to the 21st clause of the Bill as supporting the ■view taken by the members for Taieri and Hokitika, and Mr. Vogel and Mr. T. B. Gillies took an opposite view, the matter dropped, and the third reading of the Bill was fixed for Tuesday. MESSAGE. A message from the Governor covered a Bill to establish, by means of a bonus, trade between New Zealand and the Islands of Polynesia. BILLS. The following second readings were agreed to :—Auckland Harbor Bill, Whakaki Grant Bill, Harbor Board Act 1870 Amendment Bill, Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits Act Amendment Bill. BREACH OP PRIVILEGE. The Chairman of the Privilege Committee brought up the following report:— The Joint Committee to whom was referred the matter of the publication in the IVibune newspaper, on the 4th of August, of an article purporting to give the substance of certain evidence taken before the Ward-Chapman Inquiry Committee, have the honor to report that they have taken evidence thereon, and have traced the circumstances which led to the publication of the article-in question. They find that Mr. Ward, a witness before the last named Committee, give information to Mr. Luckie, a member of the House of Representatives, who telegraphed the article to the Daily Southern. Cross newspaper, at Auckland, on Sunday last, the 2nd instant; and that the said -article was reproduced as a Press telegram in the Wellington Tribune newspaper of the 4th instant. Your Committee are of opinion that a breach of privilege, for which Mr. Ward and Mr. Luckie are primarily responsible, has been committed by the publication of this telegram. The SPEAKER : If the hon. member (Mr. Luckie) desires to make any statement or explanation, he can do so, and then withdraw, in order that the House may consider such statement. Mr. LUCKIE : As it has been decided by the Joint Committee of the "two Houses of Assembly that the publication of the evidence given before another Committee is a breach of privilege ; and as I mentioned to yourself, Sir, and to the Committee that I was the person who transmitted the information ; and as a member of this House, entertaining a due respect for the forms, rights, and privileges of Parliament, I feel that only one course is open to me. I adopt that course, and beg to tender an apology for having committed such breach of privilege. I may at the same time say that my position and that of this House in connection with the matter are greatly simplified by the very handsome and frank manner in which the gentleman from whom I- received' the information (Mr. Ward) came forward, and told me to name him as being the source whence I derived my information. I trust that, having offered these observations and such apology as may be necessary to the maintenance of the forms and dignity of this House, they will be accepted with the same frankness in which they are offered. (Hear, hear.) On Mr. Luckie withdrawing, Mr. O'RORKE said he trusted the House would not proceed any further with the matter, but accept Mr. Luckie's apology as satisfactory. (Hear.) He believed that it would be in accordance with parliamentary practice at Home, where the offence was of a trivial nature, not to proceed further with the matter. He had drawn up the following resolution, which he would place in Mr. Speaker's hands : —" That in the matter of breach of privilege that has arisen through the publication of the purport of certain evidence given before the Ward-Chapman Inquiry Committee, the House having considered the report of the Select Committee, accepts as satisfactory to this House the apology of Mr. Luckie for having been the means of publishing this evidence, and the expression of regret made by Mr. Ward before the Select Committee for divulging his evidence, and this House resolves to proceed no further with the matter." ' Mr. SHEEHAN was quite willing to extend the fullest possible mercy to the hon. member for Nelson City for the serious crinie of which he had been guilty. He trusted that our constitutional liberty would not be endangered, nor the progress of the Colony be impeded for a moment by the serious offence that had been committed. (Laughter.) He could not refrain from expressing Ms belief, that there was something absurd —{Hear, and cries of "oh.") and something absolutely laughable in the; way that the business of both Houses had been stopped for over an hour in order that a number of. respectable gentlemen might come to what he would characterise as an absurd conclusion. (Laughter.) Why, a Committee of the House was nothing more nor less than the House itself in an abridged form, and to surround its proceedings with such absurd restrictions, and go to the annoyance and trouble of bringing up breaches of privilege was simply a waste of time. They were the representatives of the people : why not have the proceedings of these Committees open to the public in the same way that trials in courts of justice were. It was highly desirable the proceedings of Committees should be public, and that the public should know what was going on in Committee just as well as members of Committees. He had as high a respect as anyone for the forms of the House when they were in accordance with what ho believed to bo right and proper, but those relating to bleaches of privilege were useless and ridiculous. In this respect they certainly required some amendment, and he hoped the commission of this very grave offence would lead to that being done, so that the House might not be called upon to impose serious penalties in the case of other offenders. (Laughter.) The Sergeant-at-Arms was then instructed to summon the attendance of Mr. Luckie, who, on talcing his seat, was informed by the I Speaker of the resolution the House had come i to. Mr. LUCKIE : I should like to remark that I omitted to say that the. publication, through I my instrumentality, was the result of misapprehension on my part, from my separating the two characters of a member of this House and a witness before a Committee. I should not have thought of divulging information obtained from a member of the House, but I thought a witness was under no formal obligation to maintain Bilenco respecting his own evidence. The subject then dropped. OAMARU HARB.OR BOARD LAND BILL. Mr. RICHARDSON explained the objects of this Bill, which were to validate an exchange of land, and for other purposes. The measure was read a second time, and ordered to be cornmittod on Tuesday. INSPECTION OF StACHINERY BILL. Mr. RICHARDSON moved the Becond reading of this Bill, which had already passed the other House. Various accidents that had occurred of late showed that the measure was necessary. It was especially necesßary that

inspection of land boilers should be made in the same way as marine boilers were now examined: He would ask the House to impose a small fee for the inspection of boilers, to recoup the expenses of working it. A clause had been introduced elsewhere to limit the hours of labor in connection with machinery to eight hours ; that clause could be discussed in Committee. The Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Tuesday. CHRISTCHURCH DRAINAGE DEBENTURE BILL. On the motion of Mr. Richardson, this Bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed on Tuesday. hawke's bay waste lands bill. The report of the Conimiitee was agreed to, and the Bill read a third time and passed. WESTPORT PROCEEDINGS VALIDATION BILL. Mr. O'RORKE explained the object of this Bill, which was to validate proceedings as to the constitution of the borough of Westport. The Bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed on Tuesday. THIRD READINGS. The Volunteer 'Act Amendment Bill, the Dunedin Gasworks Bill, and Dunedin Waterworks Bill were read a third time and passed. The remaining orders of the day were postponed till Tuesday, and at 12.35 a.m. the House adjourned till 7.30 p.m. on Monday.