PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 766, 25 September 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

PARLIAMENT.

YWf linoton, September 24. AFTERNOON SITTING. In the Legislative Council to-day, a petition was presented from the inhabitants of Ch.tha, prayina for a railway ; also from a Maori chief, asking for certain reserves for his tribe. Further Km v., of absence, to the 4th October, was -.anted to the Speake.. on. the ground of ill health. ■, The Bluff Harbor Act \ii.et.dmont Bill was read a second time, on the mntion of Mr. Menzifis, and referred to the Hirbors j Committee. h,:„j The following Bills -vore read ft third «„,„ D,g Registration, and S'ieep Bdls. The Council then went mto Committee on the Land Claims Final Settlement Bill. Which was passed throU,h after Colonel Whitmore had introduced a now clause, providing for publicity in England, to Sanction the proposal under the Bill. An Imprest Supply Bill (No. 4) m introduced by tho Colonial Secretary, and passed through nil its stage.*.

The Houbo of Representatives met at 2.80 p.m. . , „ , Mr Rollpston asked the Government to remove the restriction placed on the importation of horses. The Premier said the Government had the matter under consideration, and hoped to be able to remove the restrictions. Mr Stevens asked for a return showing the amount of duty paid by each Bank in the Colony on the notes in circulation, also the stamp duty paid by wch .ioint Stock Company during the year e>:ding Juno 30th lust. The return was hud on u.o tame. | The Bill f'>r the Ll'iK" School. W an-j ~anui, and the University of (.hago Amendment BUI were read a hrst tune The resolutions, as reported tiom tne Committee of Supply, were agreed to Mr Ballanco stated that this uoild probably be the last time dunm.r tins session on which impn st supply would be orequired. The Government would try to .remedy the system durnig the recess Major Atkinson complained that the Government had promised reform hut bad been unable to keep their promise. The delay in passin.thc unavoidable while such large public uoik„ were carried on. . Mr Stout thought that if the loan had betu ■floated earlier the cession m.ght have besjun sooner, and the. Jistunares pushed through. An alteration m he date of the financial year might meet the di |ne l, further B nm of L 200.000 in addition to the amount (L 750.000) already Sited as imprest supply, was granted, and the Bill passed all its tragi's. On going into Committee of Supply, Mr Richardson disclaimed any wißh that his' resolution re the Tapanm railway should he taken as implying any censure upon the Government. Re read the leSion passed by the House which he believed was msulne.cnt oritv Tito diselainu-r expressed Iy Mr that, any liability ha. been incurred was not a soun.l arguments contract implied fully as much hah, Hy a any other contract, He hoped the !)».« would accept the r05.01«t...» ,u the spm ho ottered it, viz., as a upon the expenditure of public money. He .. en moved to the following eilect ;- .. in view of the large oxpendmire on puhlu. works now «oing, in future no extracts «houldbe entered int.. by the <»*■£»- niont until after the money },<** I * , ' , » ,ml > appropriated by the House. Nlr. Maeandrew h. M -d the House wuhl not a-ree to the ees,.lut,on because .r would debar (lis or any ..th.-r (o.vern-

inont from eXereismg a wis, ..uxereuon in promoting the w.shcs oi the ib-ose and the prosperity of tl»' country. 1 h;s railway would be no charge, upon either Urn revenue or upon the Wu funds. The Govenmeut was proud of the contract and the country should be grateful. He foresaw the cavil he would bo open to, but, had braved it, and would uo so again should a similar occasion ante. Mr IWilK's defended the action .is a wise one. The land would realise LsO.OOU more wliou h-.!«1 th.-ui it. w.nlil l»i-J..r*-. Ihe land through uhieh the line passed was <•■: first-rate quality, a.nl the whole .merest toboptvid would only amount t<. LI, 00. Tlio Ministry dcs-rved the thunks ot the country for their action. Mr. ''.Howeii maintained that the -piostion was not whether the line was a >ood one or not, but whether the Hon.to sli.mM ha,vo control over the public purse or m>f. The line adopted was cpiite dinvivnr. Jo the one referred to in -he resolution passed last session, and the House understood at that time it had committed ttsoli to nothing. It was supposed to be open oven for a private company to take it up. Mr. Wood said the railway would pro- j bably be a useful work, if economically | undertaken. Ho would vote against, -he \ resolution. i Mr Saunders did not doubt Air Maeandrow's good judgment, esp' cully in one direction. He considered it an excellent piece of Rood generalship for his own district. Ho objected to iho course pursuod. I

Mr Pyke asserted tli:it. tho appropriation had been ni.-i.lo with tho lull onscMt of tho House, although only l-m<l, not figures, hud been sot against the appropriation. The r t -si»luti<>n implied a h'vhv censure. Mr Stout said tho spirit oi the .liscm-'-aion proved thtd, provincial jealousy sull existed. Canterbury last year had been better treated than Otago, but tho Otago members had not complained. It was not true that tenders were accepted before the advertised time for opening tho tenders. It was a fact that tho tender accepted was about L2OOO below the Engineer's estimate. Mr Rolleston denied that this was a case of Canterbury jealousy. Other contracts (quoted precedents) contained provisions by which contracts entered into were not binding until the consent of the House had been obtained. This contract had been entered into in contempt of the opinion of the House. Mr. M'.troiv-Aynsiey 'hoiuht that ilrresolution distinctly whitewashed the p. st and only referred to the future. It was the duty of the members, in the interests of their constituents, to defend the privileges of the House. , Mr Barton thought a resolution such as that before the House should he justified oilhev by showing that injustice had been inflicted, or was likely to follow if no action was taken. Mr. Turnbull thought the House was greatly to blame for the undictated poei-

tion in which the question had been left. Mr. Carrington thought it could De denied that the usual form had been a little departed from. As the matter toad been ventilated, he hoped that m the future similar action would not he taken, and thought the mover might withdraw his resolution. Mr M'L.-an said no pressure *as brought in this case which could excuse the action. Ou J.ily 29th, the tenders were bad <>n t"« *«» lu ; m Dunedin, on iJnlv 30th. they wore nccoptea. He approved of the line beini; opened, and considered it necessary for the House to control the expenditure on railways, but had „„ wish to reflect on the past action oi the Government in this cnse.