PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4520, 15 September 1875, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, September 14. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at two o’clock. PRIVATE business. The Auckland Improvent Bill was read a third time and passed. PUBLIC VACCINATION. The Hon. Mr. MENZIES asked the Hon. Dr. Pollen whether public vaccinators have been appointed in all the districts appointed under section 91 of The Public Health Act, 1872 ? The Hon. Dr. POLLEN said so far as he was aware public vaccinators had been appointed in all districts gazetted under section 91 of the Public Health Act. grants under immigration and public WORKS ACT. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE moved, that a return be laid on the table, of the moneys which have been advanced, and of the subsidies which have been granted to private companies, under the goldfields clauses of the Immigration and Public Works Acts ; such return to specify the amount advanced or granted to each company, and the extent to which the obligations imposed by the Government in making such grant or advance have been fulfilled. There was reason to believe that the operations of these grants had not been so successful as could be wished. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN stated that there would be no objection to furnish the information. Motion carried. AUCKLAND ENDOWMENT AND RESERVES BILL.. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN moved the second reading of the Auckland City Endowment and Reserves Bill, The object of the Bill was to enable the Superintendent to divest himself of the trust of certain reserves, and confer it upon the Corporation, who bad for some time past, for all practical purposes, had the management of these reserves. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE said there was a prime, facie case in favor of the Bill in the fact that it, having been introduced by the Superintendent of Auckland, should meet with the approval of the Hon. Dr. Pollen, as those gentlemen were known to watch each other rather keenly. But be thought the Bill should be strictly enquired into, inasmuch as it was most desirable the Corporation should not have the power of selling these lands if there was a chance of vested interests being interfered with ; and from what he could see from the plan, it would appear that public rights would be infringed. The Hon. Mr. ROBINSON saw no objection to the Bill if it was understood that the reserves were not set apart for recreation purposes. The Hon. Mr. BONAR was strongly of opinion that the Bill should be amended. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN in reply, concurred that the Corporation should be restrained from selling certain of the reserves, which were an ornament to the city. Bill read a second time, and referred to a select committee on the motion of the Hon. Dr. Pollen. GOLDFIELDS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

The above Bill (No. 2) was read a thud time, and passed. WELLINGTON HOSPITAL LOAN BILL. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE, in moving the second reading of the above Bill, said its object was to authorise the trustees to expend a certain sum of money in making approaches to certain land, known as the old Grammar School site, in order to make the land more valuable. The Bill was read a second time without discussion, reported from committee without amendment, read a third time, and passed. KAKANOI HARBOR BOARD BILL. The Kakanui Harbor Board Bill, introduced by the Hon. Mr. Miller, was i-ead a second time ; to be committed to-day. TIMAED WATERWORKS BILL. The Timarn Municipal Council Empowering and Waterworks Bill was read a second time ; to be committed to-day. ORDER POSTPONED. The second reading of the Highway Boards Empowering Act Amendment Bill was made an order of the day for to-morrow. TARANAKI WASTE LANDS BILL. The Taranaki Waste Lands Bill was further considered in committee, and considerable discussion arose on the provision for leasing the lands. The Hon. Mr. ROBINSON strongly opposed it, and spoke very many times in support of his dews, which were, in effect, that to lease the bush land to which the Bill referred for sixpence or a shilling per acre would be to sacrifice the public estate. Several amendments were proposed and fully discussed. The Hon. Mr. BONAR proposed to amend sub-section 2 of clause 4 by inserting 7 in the place of 21 years as the period for which leases might be granted. He also proposed that the price per acre should be 3s. instead of Is. The Hon- Mr. ROBINSON proposed that it should be 6s. Other bon. members were in favor of imposing a royalty as the fairest way of dealing with forest land. At this stage of the proceedings the further consideration was postponed till the day following. The Council then adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, Sept. 14. The House met at 2.30. A large number of notices were given, and several unimportant questions were answered. report of reporting debates committee. The Reporting Debates Committee brought up a report on the subject of printing and issuing from the Government Printing Office copies of members’ speeches as reported in Hansard. The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Steward, in accordance with the wish of the committee, moved that the report be at once considered ; but Mr. Mervtn objecting to this course, Mr. Steward gave notice of his intention to make a motion next day. FOXTON AND PALMERSTON TELEGRAPH. Mr. JOHNSTO-N asked the Commissioner of Telegraphs when the telegraph line between Foxton and Palmerston would be completed ? He referred to the delay which had taken place, and said it would be interesting to the people of the district to know when they might expect the line to he opened. The Hon. Mr. REYNOLDS said some little difficulty had arisen in the way of the construction of this line, but that bad now been removed, and the line would, be proceeded with at once. Only about three miles were wanted to complete the line from Foxton to Palmerston. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. The Hon. Major ATKINSON gave notice of his intention to move for leave to bring in an Imprest Supply Bill. ABOLITION OF PROVINCES BILL. On the motion of the Hon. Major Atkinson, the order of the day for the further consideration in committee of the Abolition Bill was postponed till next day. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. The House resolved itself into Committee of Snpplr, and The" Hon. Major ATKINSON moved that a sum not exceeding £250,000 be granted to her Majesty, by way of Imprest Supply, additional to the sum already granted. He explained that such a vote was necessary, and most members probably were aware before coming into the House that the _ Government intended to introduce such a motion. Mr. REID enquired whether it was intended to go any further with the motion that day ? He had understood such a motion was to be introduced, but had not understood that the matter was to go further than the committee that day. He should like to see the business of the country proceeded with, and the Estimates passed, so that supply might be granted in one Bill. The Hon. Major ATKINSON said the Government did not propose to press the motion further than its initial stage that day. It would be impossible to wait till the Estimates were passed, for that would not be till nearly the end of the session.

Mr. WOOD inquired to what it was proposed to devote the money 1 The Hon. Major ATKINSON explained that several sums were required for contracts about to expire. The motion was agreed to, and on the question that the resolution be reported to the House being put, ■ The Hon. Major ATKINSON informed the committee that the Superintendent of Auckland had applied to the Government to carry on the public schools of Auckland, as the Provincial Treasurer had not sufficient money to carry on tnTe work of education efficiently. £ISOO was required at once, and another £ISOO would be required in a sho rt time. If the committee raised no objectioni the Government proposed to make these advances pending the decision of the House as to the manner in which the public departments should in future be carried on. . The motion was agreed to, the resolution to be reported on Friday. DEBTORS AND CREDITORS BILL. The adjourned debate on this Bill was proceeded with. Mr. J. E. BROWN strongly opposed the Bill. , .. Mr. PEARCE supported the second reading of the Bill, because it took out of the courts a great deal of the machinery of the old _ bankruptcy laws, and placed more power in the hands of the creditors. Hitherto courts of justice had been placed in the position of administrators, but it was clear to his mind that creditors could perform this work much better than courts. Some few clauses seemed to require amendment, and he trusted to be able to make alterations when the Bill was in committee. The clause having reference to property acquired after the bankruptcy was too stringent, and must be either struck out or amended. The Hon. Mr. BOWEN replied, stating that the principle of the Bill was analogous to that running through the Scotch Act which had worked so well, and though the Government would be quite willing to receive reasonable suggestions, he trusted the Bill would be passed into law. BILLS OF SALE BILL. The Hon. Mr. BOWEN, in moving the second reading of the Bill, said it was intended to provide for a re-registration of bills of sale. The second reading was agreed to, and the Bill ordered to he committed on Friday. FRAUDULENT DEBTORS BILL. This Bill passed its second reading. THE OAMARU GAS WORKS BILL. This Bill passed through all its stages. BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRATION BILL. Tha Hon. Mr. BOWEN moved the second reading of this Bill, explaining that it was intended to consolidate and amend the_ laws hitherto in force regarding the registration of births and deaths. One important provision was a danse doing away with the risk of losing records, by directing that copies of each registration should be in duplicate, one copy being forwarded to the central office. Another provision gave people two years in which to complete registration, it being felt that an extended time was necessary for persons to whom it was hot convenient to get to the place of registration within the time at present prescribed. Some hon. members had thought a longer time should he given ; but if this were done, there was a danger that such a proposal, if adopted, would tend to render these records unsatisfactory and unreliable. Messrs. Reed and Cuthbertson referred to the fact that many children in the colony were unregistered, and urged that a certain period, say six months, after the passage of the Act, should be set apart within which people might be allowed to register the births of their children, it from unavoidable circumstances they had previously been unable to do so. Messrs. Gibbs and Wales having supported the second reading, and expressed an intention of proposing amendments in committee. The Hon. Mr. BOWEN promised to take the suggestions made into consideration, and The second reading was agreed to. MARRIAGE act amendment bill. ‘ This Bill was read a; second time. STAMP ACT AMENDMENT BILL. This Bill was considered in committee, and several slight amendments having been made, the Bill was reported, tbe consideration of the report being made an order of the day for Friday. ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH BILL. 'this Bill was considered in committee. A discussion arose on clause 20, which relates to the production of evidence at trials. The remaining clauses were passed, as printed, without discussion, and the Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. STAMP DUTIES BILL. Mr. Murray and Mr. George McLean urged amendment in some of the provisions, particularly that imposing a duty upon mortgages, holding that it was the mortgagor, not the mortgagee, upon whom the tax fell —Mr. Von Dee Heyde hoped that the clause directing that reassurance policies should pay a tax would he struck out. He hoped amendments would he made in the schedule. Messrs. O’Neill, Stout, Swanson, J.E. Brown, and Pearce generally supported the Bill, but took exception to some of the details, and the Hon. Mr. Bowen replied on the debate, expressing willingness to meet the objections as far as possible in committee. The Bill was read a second time, and the House at 5.30 adjourned till next day.