PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1125, 26 November 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

[BV TKLEGKArU.j Wellington, November 25. In the Legislative Council to-day, After some small preliminary business, and an hour's discussion of tho petition of Mr. Jackson, late Survcyor-Genoral, 3lr. Chamberlain brought forward his motion that all the fencing laws should be abolished, asserting that the common law of England was sufficient. The discussion was, however, adjourned Mr. Taiaroa gave notice to bring in the Native Districts School Bill, and Captain Fr.vscr for a return of coal mines worked with a single ingress. The Fine Arts Copyright Act Amendment Bill was read "a third time and passed. The Council was from four to five hours in Committee on the Qualification Bill, and on the adjournment at a late hour most of the clauses had been disposed of amended.

At the evening sitting, the remaining clauses of the Qualification .Bill passed through Committee, and the Bill _ was ordered for third reading and recoßinnt.tal ou Thursday.

The Protection of Animals Act Amendment Bill was thrown out on the voices. The Council rose at 9.55. In the House of [Representatives today, Mr. Stewart presented petitions from Otago against the duty on tobacco. On>tho. motion forgoing into Committee bf- Supply.' "' / ' ' v •,Sirj G. Grey suggested, |hat the. other basifibss sliouljd 'be gone on with:, so a? to aliowithe proposals of the Gflvernnient'to [ b.J'nfore. fully: un ders to o A/by,.;' thtfeountry.' f. that Had before'tlie country "'fir som'e time, and after the disposal of the motion on the subject discussed the previous evening, the Government could see no reason whatever 'foij the postponement.-j ,• , 3lrl' Lundon f i'noved that' cv sum of L 30,000 be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for public works proposed north of the cijy of Auckland.—the expenditure to be.entrusted to eorihty councils. .Captain Colbeck. seconded the .motion, and in doing so' he defended the action he £ad~taken in leaving! the Opposition party. - - Mr. Seymour George supported the motion. He asked the Government to give them an assurance that tlie money would be appropriated out of the five million loan. • Mr. Oliver admitted that the district referred to had been to a great extent neglected, but contended that the course taken by the mover of the motion was not the right course for obtaining success. The Government would, when the money was at its disposal, do the district ample justice, and he trusted the motion as put would be withdrawn. . _ Mr. Lundon said he would not withdraw the motion.

Mr. Tawhaio spoke in support of the motion. Mr. Macandrew thought that the better way would be for the Government to appropriate a sum of, say, half a. million towards subsidising local bodies in the carrying out of these works. That would be much better than for the Government th undertake such works. The claim might be just enough, but other districts had no doubt claims equally pressing. Mr. Speight said that if the motion served no other purpose it would be tantamount to entering a protest to the injustice done this district. He thought, however, that the wisest course would be to withdraw the motion, and leave the matter in the hands of the Government. Mr. Turnbull argued that the claim made was a just one, and one which ought to recommend itself to the favorable consideration of the Government. Mr. Reader Wood said the district: in question had not been benefited by the public works expenditure, and that its claims deserved recognition. The district was in a most neglected state ; so much so that it was impossible to get the produce to market. Sir G. Grey defended the claim as a perfectly reasonable one, but suggested that the matter should be postponed until the Public Works Statement had been brought down. / Mr. Lundon agreed to withdraw the motion, which fras assented to. Mr. Mo3s moved, " That in the opinion of this House it is desirable that foreign vessels arriving in Now Zealand ports should not be allowed to engage in the coasting trade, but should be confined to the discharge of original cargo at such port or ports as they may desire, and to the loading at such port or ports of cargo for British or foreign ports ; and that the ' Coasting Trade Regulations Act, 1871,' be amended accordingly." Major Atkinson promised that the subject should be attended to during the recess. It was a large question, and ought not to be rusiiccl through in a hurry. He su'«--ested that in the meantime the motion should be withdrawn. The motion was put and lost on the i VOICC3. The House then resolved itself into Committee of Supply. The Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs, ghitef offices and sub-offices, L43,8G1; .p;bjSe<3. ' Conveyance of mails by sea, L<G,Bol. The particulars of the vote as follow -—Contingencies, bonuses, and gratuities, L 2500 ; Chatham Islands services, Ll5O ; Intel-provincial service, L 6500 ; West Coast of Middle Island service, L4OOO ; "Wellington, Kaikoura, and Lyttelton service, L3GO; Wellington and Patea service (six months), Ll5O ; Blind Bay service, L 240 ; Tauranga and Opotiki service, Jj3oo ;. Fiji service., L 2500 5 San Francisco service, L 32,500 ; bonus, &c,, San Francisco service, L 2500 ; Suen service, L9OO ; Intercolonial service, LSOOO ; mail agents and' travelling allowance, L 1750 ; Auckland steam services, LBGO ; Westport and Katamea service, L2OO. Conveyance of inland mails :—Auckland, L 5250 ; Thames, L 300; New Plymouth, L 80 0; Napier, L 300 0; Wanganui, L 550 ; Wellington, L 4000; Blenheim, L,Bpo; iS elpon, LpOO } \\estport, L 800'; Greyniouth, L 900; Hokitika, L 1350 ; Christchurch, L 4500 ; Timaru, L 1250; Oamaru, L 400 0; Dunedin, L 7250 ; Invercargill, LllOO ; total vote, L 32,750. Passed with dissent. Carriage of mails by railway under special arrangement for eight months, L 800 0; special tyains, ten months,LlGOOj total, L9GOO. Explanations were made to the effect that the department thought it only fair that it should be credited with these sums in order to show the net earnings. Mr. Richardson objeoted to such an arrangement, as it only complicated accounts. Mr. Macandrew argued that it was important that the full value of the railway system of the Colony should appear in the accounts. On a division, the vote as printed was passed. Postal contingencies, L 4500; Telegraphic Department, LIIO,GGB. In explaining the vote, Mr. Hall said that the Government had determined to do away with the system of paying overtime to operators, and to provide for extra work the staff would be increased, and the hours of attendance also increased. ' Mr. Shrimski reminded them that a memorial on the subject was now before the House, and he suggested that the disposal of the vote should be considered in conjunction with that memorial. Mr. George moved that the item be reduced bv 5 per cpnt., making a deduction of L 4155 Is. j Mr, Lundon that the operators should be changed about from place to place, at least every two years. That was neeessary for the maintenance of secrecy. Mr. Reeves supported that suggestion. Sir. Dick said "that the new system of not paying operators' overtime would have the effect of reducing their salaries by from L4O to LSO, and he thought that unfair.

The vote as printed was passed. Subsidy to Eastern Extension and China Telegraph Company for Australian cable, L 50 0; contingent subsidy, L 35 0; proportion of subsidy under duplicate cable contract, L2OOO. These votes were passed. Minister of Education's Department — Education, L 242,715 ; Public libraries, LSCOO ; native schools, L 15,378. Mr. Rolleston spoke in favor of the free system of education. He said provision had been made for the establishment of a deaf and dumb institution. A person to take charge of this institution was on his road from England, and it was the intention of the Government that it should be established on a satisfactory footing. For that purpose a further vote would be asked for a building. Mr. Turnbull moved that the item reduced by LS6QO,

The amendment was lost, and the vote as printed put and carried. The House adjourned shortly before two o'clock, after voting the Estimates of the Justice Department without alteration.