GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10587, 3 September 1896, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

: LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. j . WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, '■ The Council met <it 2.30 p.m. TItABIS ONIONS. . The Trade Unions Act Amendment Bill w»« rcid a. Brat time. i THK WESMYAN CHDBCH BILt. ! The WesleyMi Methodist Church Property ! Trust Act farther Amendment Bill was read a third time and passe'?. • KESTIUCnNG ASIATICS. The Hon. W. 0. WALKER moysd the third rending of the Asiatics Restriction Bill. -' •'... A Ion; dobate ensued, most of the speakers merely rtpn&ting their argument* for or against tho measure in the comae of the dabate. The Hon. G. M'LSAN moved that tbe bill be re-committed next day for the purpose of inserting a cUnse delaying the date of the coming into operation of the bill. On a division this wss lost by 17 to 14. On the question being put " That the bill dc now pass," The Hon. Mr SHEIMSKI called for a divi« eion; and The final stage was passed by 16 votei to 14. The Council then rc«e. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. . " The following is tbe conclusion of the debate on the management of Snnnysidc A»<lum delayed through wire interruption :—Mr G. W. Rosselt. condemned the arbitrary conduct of the superintendent, an d the constant changes in'de in the st«ff of Sunnysidn Asylum. Me J Bell defended tbo 6uperintcndent from the charges made by Mr Russell —Mr MORRISOJI corroborated Mr Rtisr ß i!'» statement, and naid he knew of very arbitrary conduct that had ooenrred in Braclig A-ylum.—Mr O'KncAW ' considoied Mr Bell was not justified in tuiliug the memberfor Riorarton he wai infinenceu by totes in this matter.—-Mr Meredith said h« visit«d Suunyside Asylum several times since ha ] whs a member of tbe House, and he h&ri foend everything scrupulously clean, and the farm" was a model one.—The Hon. Mr Seddon said it ' was the cmo in the past that tha discharging and employing of attendants rested .with, the ' superintendent, but a change was made in that ■; rejpact now. He h»ld the opinion that no ' branch, of the service should be under the despotic s.way of one maa, But it wa« necessary strict discipline should bo maintained. Hifch&rtO.; Minister* knew nothing of what wint on in this respect, but the inspector should act batwsen * tbe superintendent and the Govermannfc.—Mr Bucbanan regretted wry mnch to hear tha statement from the Premier that, ha or snj other Minister intenifel So interfere in engaging or discharging attenduaiw. at., asylums. Mr Seddon had told thtm discipline must be main> Uioed, but he was going to do that which' would utterly destroy discipline.—Mr Takjtkb said he had frequent;*; bssn interviewed in tho same way as Mr RiikwU with respect to dismissals from the asylum. Sonio two years «go dismissals were frcq««rt, and complaints wera also frsqueat. . THE ESTIMATES. , . '.'!-." After the telegraph office closed this morning Mr G. "VV. RusseU'j motion to reduce the s»l»ty of the resident msdical superintendent at Sunnyaids Asylaro, Christchurch, by £100 was further discuwed, and eventually, negatived on the voices,—Under the heading of. "Charitable departeftuS," Mr MiLLAS moyecl thiit the item Inspector of hospitals and charit-.. ; able institutions (£200), also lunatic, asylums (£1000) be struck cisi. He imid he had nothing : against the officer personally, but he thought it wrong that any cicil servant should be in receipt of a higher ssJary than the Premier.— The Hon. Mr Sroijow said there were special circumstances surrounding the case of D( HacGregor, and he ijid bo 6 consider the salary was too large.—After & long discussion thn item was retained by 29 to 11, and the whole vote sg'fed tv without sltfrs-fcioa; ,'■•'. ~ On the vote for-the Department of .Labour ' Mi1 Hl'Laculan laovti to reduce the amount . by £L, as au indication fcfeat the control of the Levin State farm ihonld be handed over to tha Agricultural department.—This, was lout by 20 to 12.—The Hon. Mr !?Knnos naid the Government.were con»iderir.g tan advisability oi handing the control of t.iiis farm over to the Agri- '. cultural department. '■...■* Piogn;«s was then rfipcr»ed, and the Hons» rose at 3 20 a.m. ' WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 2. . The House mst at 2.30 p.m.' •;■..,' .. THE MILLION LOAN - BILC." On the motion for the third readicg of the Aid to Public WcTiu sud Land fcioUlemeat Bill, ■■.-,■ ' . . ■ ■ . The Hon. Mr 3SDOON said it.wasabsolntely Keoessarj t.'isi .«»: Government should, jr. hsve money for };ii.!>sio. wcrks and tha.other purpos«s mentioned in t£s« bill, s-nd unlesn this ■' uionuy were granted t>;o consequence would be. sr-riou3 to the colony. H« told the House i-hut1 uulesa this bill wure «asii'<' the Govei:i;rai>nt would at the end «i tbia moath have to give notice to stop public nci'kd, aud at this season . of the year that wonld be disastrous, as it . would throw a large number of men out.of cn.-|il"yment. : i <>|>V»ia RDSSELL obaracterified this bill as a/ligraot attempt to bribe every constituency in i t-i2.-. colony. Tho resa»n wby they were oskerl to j borrow tbis large sum of money was to tnable | I>So Government; to contest th« general election, i Mi>i not .to bcnelii; the colony at all. Theboßstad , { policy, of sali-rniistiica of thß Government had v 5 uitsrly broken 'dowil. .. I The Hon. J. ai'KBNZIE asserted that thin i nionsy was wanted in the interests of the colony | sa<) not for the Government at all. The \ •Jm-ernnient wanted to enable the Treasury and ; tb(> colony to continue public «orks in the same way as had been done for the lust five years. ■ ■ ■ "■•".■■ . .' Sir R. STOUT protested against the ntter abssiiCu of all details in the bill B3 to the aisuuer in which the ioan was to be spent. The j bill gave the Government a million of money, t wii.hout any control whatever f?otn the House. • \ The Bou. J. li. WASD said Sir R. Stout was inconsistent.on this quostioa, and judging by his own action wh«u iv pswer, he should hive been, a strong .supporter of the bill. If the (Government were to legitimately carry, on : public works aud roads and bridges in the colony they must have money to do it. Mr BUCHANAN »poke:stroiigly against the, bi!!. The debate was ititerrupted by the 5.30 adjournmeDt. i EVENING SITTING. : The House resuiatSd at 7.30. TftE MILLION LOAN. • Mr ALLEN resnmed the debits on tlie third .reading' of tbe Aid tn public Works aud Lund ' SctV-ement Bill. Ha considered that Minnters ■ hsil noi advaocfd any s6rong | arguui(.liics iv f;ivonr of borrowing another million, and the ■ bil! meant that Uierfe would be a further in- ' crease in taxation in order to pay the interest on the loan. ' Mr SAUNDERS especially condemned the vote for goldflelds. His opinion was that nothing so much hasspared the colony as its enormous debt, which was now to be added to by another million. , j Mr FRASER complajoed that the House was ; abrogatiug its functions by giving ap the right of controlling the public purae, which had happened in connection with the schedules of this bill. -;■■'■ ' Dr NEWMAN' supported a progressive public works policy. JSe believed the colony Wanted money, and thought the Premier told them the truth when he said the Government could not go on without this loan. He thought . tha Government shonld act up a local commission of experts to go iuto the question of lighl railways, whioh would be a great advantage to the colony. The Hon. Mr SEDDON said the Governy znent were going into chut question. Mr I'IRANI said the Premier had accusad sonw of the members of the Houso'of inconsitrsucy on the borrowing question, but no man in the House had been mote inconsistent in his votes than the Premier himnelf. If a policy oE bribing the constitueucies was to be introduced by the Premier he wouid find that the principle of an elective Enerativ« *onld be carried by the people at the general election. Mr LANG opposed the bill and Hr E. M, SMITH supported it. Mr COLLINS 'said that unless some alter*tion was made in the Tota of £200,000 for goldfields and £50,000 for scenery preservation, he would feel it his duty to vote against the bill. The refusal of the Government to alter a single item iv tho schedule of tbe bill had placed him iv a different position from that which he occupied on the second reading. Mr MORRISON characterised Mr CoMus'e remarks as a Canterbury electioneering speech) as he diiapproved of everything but expenditure in Canterbury. He' (Mr Morrison) dofended the loan proposals, and poiuted out that tho items in the schedule of the bill could be difcussed when the Public Works Estimates Mr M'LACHLAN said although he had opposed tevoral items ia tbo schedule he would vote for the third landing. Mr M'GUIRS opposed the bill, »od His HOGG supported it. Mr LEWIS ispoka agaimst the bill, v he'con- . sidorad it undesirable to bring down such a measure on the eve of ihe general eleotlou. Mr G, W. KOBSELL supported the bill, as" be ■ believed the Govsccment had honestlj attempted toVsarry out the policy of selfreliance laid down by Mr Rallance. Meßsra G. J. Smith, Tanner, Hall, B. M'Kenzie, ajid Eamahuw also spoke. [Left sitting ot 2 a.m.] , Persons-waniiEe money accommodation shomo apply to London-Loan Society, Albert Buildings, Princes street (opposite P.O).—Hy. Benjamin, manager. Jiaai*-terms.^ small or.laxee, sum«-— L Anvil.