PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1131, 3 December 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington', December 2. In the Legislative Council to-day, Sir F. Bell gave notice to move that : this Council deem Sir J. Vogel justified in believing he had Government sanction ; to join the Land Company. Mi'. Whitaker notified the introduction : of a measure to. prevent indecencies in theatres. Tljevo \yas considerable discussion on . the proposed condensation of Hansard, • but after several members, including the i Speaker, had remarked on the difficulty ! in the want of condensation, the debate was postponed. An Imprest Supply Bill for L 250,000 : was passed, and a number of unimportant measures advanced a stage either in . Council or Committee. The Council adjourned till 7.30. The evening sitting wa3 in Committee on a nun-.bc- of little measures, which were reported with amendments. The Council rose at 8.55. ■ In the House of Representatives today, Mr. Downie Stewart presented a petition from the licensed \ iouiallers of Otago, praying that the duty on spirits do not exceed 13s per gallon, and that spirits in bond be exempted from the operation of the property tax. Mr. Dick gave notice to move that the House sit on Saturdays during the remainder of the session, for the despatch of private members' business. Mr. Hutchison asked by what authority the public were charged Is for each plan examined in the Survey Offices of the Colony, and if the Government will direct in future all maps and plans of surveyed lands to be opened to all authorised or licenced surveyors free of charge. Mr. Ilolleston replied that the charge was only made of inspecting original maps of a public character, the same being authorised by section 169 of the Land Act. Mr. de Lautour asked whether in the survey now being made for the extension of a branch line to Livingstone, Government will inquire if a sufficiently _ high level is being chosen to enable tlie line to be extended through the Pass to Central Otago, in case a practicable route is discovered. Mr. Oliver replied that the route laid out was the best one. Mr. Hirst asked if any further claims had been made on the Government by the contractor for the Western Railway (Southland) since the award of the arbitrators was made, and if so what amount \ Mr. Oliver replied that the amount was LIS,OOO, and the amount paid was included in the arbitrators' award. Mr, George asked if there is still a reward. offered for the capture of Hiroki. If so, presuming the Armed Constabulary were to capture him, would they be entitled to the reward, and if the Government still consider it necessary to keep the large force now stationed on the West Coast, i Mr. Bryce replied that no reward had ■ been offered, and the Government considered it necessary in the meantime to , keep the Armed Constabulary force on the West Coast, but expected that the necessity would shortly pass away. In reply to Mr. Fisher, Mr. Hall said the Government did not see its way to make provision on the Supplementary Estimates to provide suitable accommodation for his , Excellency when lie visited Christchurch or Dunedin. On the motion for going into Committee . of Supply, Mr. Macandrew explained that ; certain 53 lb rails had been exchanged for 40 lb rails in the interest of the district of ■ Waikouaiti, where they were to be used. ; He made that statement in answer to a complaint made by Mr, M'Lean on the subject. Mr. M'Lean said lie had made inquiries , on the subject, and had been informed that the work in question was charged to main- • tenance, whereas he had since ascertained , that such was not the case. On the motion for going into Committee being put, a motion was made for the re- ; committal of the Estimates, for the purpose of reconsidering the proposal to reduce the amount to be paid as honorarium. The motion for recommittal was put and ■ carried, In Committee, the item expenses of members of both Houses, L22,G90 3s 2d, was considered. Major Atkinson proposed the sum as originally printed be passed. It was ex- • plained that the 10 per cent, deduction on the previous occasion reduced the item to L20 ; 525 3s 2d. The House divided—Ayes, 37 ; Noes, 20. The following is the division list : —> Ayes—Messrs. Thomson, Anderson, ; Hurst, Tomoana, Atkinson, Hislop, Bal- ! lance, Wallis, Hutchison, Barron, Irei land, Beetliam, Lundon, Brown, Mac- ; andrew, Bunny, Montgomery, de Lautour, j Moorhouse, Finn, Oliver, Fisher, Reid, jJ. B. Fisher, Seddon, George, Shanks, | Gibbs, Sheehan, Gisborne, Sutton, Ham- | lin, Tainui, Tawhaio, Te Wheoro, Harris, i Noes—Messrs. Adams, Bain, Bowen, ■' Bryce, Dick, Hall, Hursthouse, Johnston, ; j Kenny, Levin, M'Lean, Moss, Murray, i Richardson, Rolleston, Saunders, Shep- • j herd, Shrimski, Speight, Stevens, Studi j holme, Swanson, Tole, Trimble, Willis, , I Wright. t! The deduction previously made was re-. : stored. , An Imprest Supply Bill was granted to I the amount of L2p0,000,

e Mr. Rolleston moved the recommittal of the Land Act for the purpose of adding the following section : " Provided that in the case of lands sold on deferred payments since the first day of January, ■- 1878, the payment of the aforesaid one- '• third shall cease as soon as by such pays ments, together with any payments previously made, the total amount of onethird of the price of the land has been >, paid over as aforesaid to section 27, add t to first paragraph, "Provided the conditions of occupation and price to be paid for lands within settlement by the persons - placed thereon by the contractors shall e be submitted to and approved by the s Governor before any such contract as - aforesaid shall be executed to section 27 ) add to second paragraph, " Every person 1 placed on any land as aforesaid by any - contractor who has fulfilled the conditions - of his occupation shall thereon be entitled , to a srant direct from the Crown for land 3 he has become entitled to in respect of his occupation. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The Hau&e resumed at 7.30. s Consideration of the Land Act was re--3 sumed in Committee. 1 Mr. Pyke moved as an amendment that - the following be added to clause 7 :—"Any purchaser of land on deferred payments who f by reason of the operations thereof shall have been prevented from obtaining the full 320 acres shall, subject to the approval 3 of the Waste Landa Board, be entitled to select additional la,nd in the neighborhood - not being more than when added to his , purcha.se will make 320 acres, and he shall 3 pay therefor a,t the same price as he shall have paid for such original purchase." 3 The House divicledj the result being—- , Ayes, 25 ; noes, 29. i Mr. Seddon moved that clause 2S, re rebate in respect of adult persons introe duced from the United Kingdom, i A division took place on the question 1 that the clause as printed stand part of • the question, with the following result ; 1 Ayes, 25 ; noes, 39. t The clause waa struck out. > Mr. Kejly proposed to amend the clause j making provision re deferred payment on e land applicable to New Plymouth. 1 The House divided on the proposal. - Ayea, 1G ; noes, 47. The Bill was then reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. The Debtors and Creditors Act, 1870, Amendment Bill was committed, and a motion made that workmen's wages should be protected as a preferential claim for a t period of two months. i Mr. Macandrew maintained that a pron vision of the kind was liable to abuse, inasmuch as preferential claims of that kind n were found to swallow up the assets of a , small estates in liquidation. '■ i Mr. De .Lautour allowed that the exii punging of a provision of that kind would , be a hardship to both workmen and eme ployers. Good workmen stuck to employers y even though they might be a few weeks in e arrears. If this provision was expunged, the effect would be that employers of that 0 particular class would be debarred from t carrying on operations, a The clause as printed was put and carried at 12.50 a.m. Tlie House sat till 8.15 this morning in e Committee on various Bills, but nothing h important was done.