GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10621, 13 October 1896, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12. The Council met at 11 a.m. pushing on business. ■ The Standing Orders were suspended to enable Government bills during the remainder of tbe session to pass through all stagen at one sitting, if deemed necessary, and to allow Government business to take precedence. -OEOWnENUA AGAIN. A petitien was presented from C. B. Morrison, on behalf of one. of the descendants of Te Wbatanui, in reference to the Horowheuua block.—The petition was read, whereupon The Hon. J. MACGREGOR moved the adjournment of the Council in order to protest against the petition, which, he said, was not a general petition at all, but a successful effort at having the view of a certain section of those interested in the Horowheuua laud before the1 Council. He characterised the procedure as being an abuse of the Standing Orders of the Couucil. F__— readings. A large number of bills were received from the Lower House and read a first time. BILLS PASSED. The Native Reserves Act Amendment Bill Was amended in a minor degree in Committee. The measure was then reported as amended, read a third time, nnd parsed. , MANAGERS. ' . , The Hon. Messrs Williams, Jennings, and W. C. Walker were appointed managers of a Conference' to be held with the Lower House on the subject of the Rating Act Amendment Bill. THE HOROWHENUA BLOCK. ' The Horowhenua Block Bill was further considered in Committee. -..-._■' In the interpretation clause the Hon. J. MacGeegob. moved to amend the definition of "the court," the effect of the amendment being to set np in place of the Native Land Court a new court, consisting of the chief judge of the Native Land Coart and a Supreme Court judge. In case of disagreement between the two judges the opinions of the Supreme Court judge to be final.—After considerable discussion the clause was postponed. Clause 3 was amended on the proposal of the Native Affairs Committee to declare void the land transfer certificates for division 9 of tha Horowhenua Block.-j- The Hon. Mr Bowen objected to the whole clause on the ground that the certificate should be left to be dealt with by the court to be set up under the present bill.— The clause by 15 to 12 was then carried as amended. : Clause 4 was first consequentially amended.— ; The Hon. Dr Grace theu moved to amend by .j adding to the direction to the registrar to issue j a certificate of title for division 9 in the names I of persona in the fourth schedule or of any such i persons, if any, as may io the appeal from the finding of ths Royal Commission to the conrt ba declared to be entitled according to Maori customs ; any such appeal to be made within one month from the pits-dug of this act.—The amendment was inserted by 25 to 2. The Council adjourned for lunch, and on resuming at 2.30 p.m. •Clause 4 was further considered;—A new subsection was added to the clause embodying a suggestion from the commissioners that 70 acres should be taken from division 11 and added to division, 9. By another new subsection suggested by the Native Affairs Committee, the registrar was directed to issue a certificate of title for1 such part of div—on 11 to certain hapus of the Ngatiraukauri tribe. Tbe direction to Ihe. registrar to, issue a certificate of title for the residue of division 11 was struck out.. On the suggestion of the Native Affairs Committee subsection HI was ameuded.so that the certificate of title for division 12 should bs in substitution for tbe existing certificate, which was hereby cancelled. The subsection .providing for the issue of a certificate of title for division 14-, or as much as had Dot been valuably - alienated in fee simple by the nominal owner, Meiha Keeps, prior to the passing of "The Horowhenua Block Act 1895," was struck out. '. The whole clause as amended was passed by 17 toll. ' '.■■■' Clause 8, providing for the vesting of the lands after: certificates had been issued, was struck out with the exception of the proviso which was to the effect that any certificate of title to be issued for part of division 11 should be subject to the right of the Native owners of the division to fish in certain portions of Hokio Stream and Horowhenua Lake. . In clause 6, which directs the Public Trustee to institute on behalf of the original registered owners of division 14-,' iD the Supreme Court at Wellington, certain proceedings for the purpose of testing tbe validity of the alienation of any portion of dividon 14,. the Hon. J.- MacGrego- moved to include for the purpose of j such proceedings the testing- of the question | whether Meiha Keeps, was a trustee of the said < lands.—This. was lost on the voices.—Tho clause was then further amended by tbe Minister so that these proeaodinzs should,be taken within six months of the passing of this bill, and the clause as amended was then igreed to. ' ''..' Sections 7, 8, and 9, dealing with charges upon lands belonging to Meiha Keeps, and providing that these lands should be vested iv the Public Trustee as a reseive, was struck out iv accordance with the suggestion from the Native Affairs Committee. Section 14, providing that no claim on the land transfer assurance fund, nor on the Regis-trar-general of Land, should arise in respect of this act, or. out of any proceedings in tbe Supreme Court, was struck out on the recommendation of the Nativ_ Affairs Committee. -'i Suction 18,- dealing with the right of appeal from the decisions of tbe court to be set up, was postponed as bearing upon the postponed interpretation clause. After passing clause 20, progress was reported and leave given to sit again. --."•'' OAMARU HARBOUR BOARD. In Committee upon the Oamaru Harbour Board's Leasing Bill,, ' New clauses were added on the motion of the Minister.to*.he.effect the-i this bill should not come into operation before March 1897 ; that if it were made to appear to the- Governor that the bill was objected to by bondholders representing not less than one-third in value of aU bonds, the Governor might decline to bring the bill into operation, and that no person should have any claim against the Crown by reason of anything in the bill. ''■_:...- .The bill was then reported as amended. ; At 3.15 the Council adjourned,/

HOUSE" OF.EEPIIESENTATIVES,

-,'_", " :■• MONDAY,' OCTOBER 12. , Ihe House met at 2.30 p.m. OHDRK OF BUSINESS. ,The Hon. Mr SEDDON said he had intended to take: the discussion on the report of the Banking Committee that afternoon, but the evidence was not yet printed, • owing to the press of work in the printing office. It would, however, he ready that afternoon, and he proposed to take the debate on Tuesday. He had also been doing his bet-.t So have the Banking Bill ready for. bringing down that day ([ but ib had not yet received final revision -by the Cabinet.'lb would be brought' down to the House as soon as possible, and he thought one debate would suffice for the bill and the report of the committee. ■;-'.': .Captain RUgSELL aiked the Premier to j give them some idea of when the Appropriation j Bill would be brought down, so as to allow ] members to make their arrangements lor getting away. . , The Hon. Mr SEDDON; said nearly the whole of. Tuesday would probably be occupied in the disoussiou of the Banking Bill and the committee's report. He proposed to set apart Wednesday for the disposal of the remainder of the bills on the Order Paper, and he Bhould bring.: down the Supplementary Estimates on that day. The Appropriation Bill would be brought down ou Thursday, and southern members would be able to gat away from Wellington on Friday. .... :'. ,' NATIVE LAND-LAWS. ,; The Native Land Laws Amendment Bill was : further considered in Committee.' ; A lengthy discussion arose on a new clause proposed by the Pj-Emihr, referring to the annulling of the title to tbe Koparekora block.— The clause was carried by 39 to 16.—Captain Rossi-Li, proposed au amendment, to the effect that this clause should apply to any block of Native land held under land transfer certificate. He said the Committee by carrying the previous clause bad'upset the whole procedure of our land courts, and tbey bad no more right to up jet this "title, which bad' been properly granted by the Native Land. Court, than to .upset B_y"other 'title..in the colony. He agserted that the title of no person in New Zealand was .safe-if-the.--House-.were-to allow Land Transfer Act titles to be torn up in this manner on the unsupported evidence of a Maori woman. He really did not know what they were coming to, and thought there was no power of reason left to hon. members.—The Hon. Mr Seddon defended the clause, and said that as this tide had been obtained by n catch it Bhould be decided by tho Appeal Court.—Mr Allen said the Premier wis casting a slight on the courts of the colony by asserting this title was obtained by a catch, and said if this sort of doctrine were allowed no title in the colony was safe. He hoped this clause would be withdrawn. - The clause was still being debated at the 5,30 adjournment.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 in Committee on THE NATIVE LAND LAWS AMENDMENT BILL. After further lengthy debate Captain Russell withdrew his amondment, and the Hon. Mr Seddon'a new clause was added to the bill by 30 to 27. The bill was ordered to be reported with amendments. ORCHARD AND GABDBN PESTS. The Or.hird and Garden Pests Bill was committed. Clauae 2, interpretation.—Mr G. W. Russell moved to report progress on tho bill, and said it was too late in the session to procaed with it.— The motion was lost, after much discussion, on the voices. The remaining clauses passed with the amendments made by the Joint Stock Committee. A new clause providing for the compulsory dressing of fruit trees was strongly opposed, ! but the second roading was carried by 38 to 15, ' Mr Lang pointed out that it was utterly futile ■ to think that one dressing a year would destroy the codlin moth. He moved that all the words after the first word he struck out.—Mr G. W. Russell said tbe clause would lead to no end of trouble and anuoyauoe. It m.ant making billets for a large number of men as inspectors. Several other members opposed the clause and urged itß withdrawal.—Mr.TANNto. moved that .no dressing of trees should take place till the owner or occupier of the land received intimation from an inspector that disease existed in his orohard.—The Eon J. M'Kenzie said hs did not draft the clause, which was preparedly the Stock Committee, but he was prepared to accept the decision of the Committee on it.—Mr Bell pointed out that this clause wonld cause great hardship to people possessing only one or two fruit trees. He suggested that the clause should operate only outside cities. Mr Hogg suggested that only blighted or infected fruit trees should be dressed.—After further debate Mr Lang's amendment was lost by 41 to 15.. Progress was then reported to allow the Hon. Mr Siddon to lay on the table the minutes of the proceedings and evidence of the Banking Committee. The Orchard and Garden Pests Bill was then considered in Committee. Mr R. 'Thompson moved that the Chairman leave the chair on the bill.—Lost by 36 to 10, and the clause was added to the bill without ameudment. ■ The bill was ordered to be reported with amendments. HAWKEHS. The Undesirable Hawkers Bill was further considered in Committee. The Hon. Mr Seddon said the bill was simply to prevent nndesirable hunkers from going about the country destroying legitimate trade, and he hoped the Committee would pass ib. Clause 6, local licenne as hawker, was reduced from 10s to 2s 6d annually. Clause 7, local personal license and fee.— Retained n.fc 5s a year. Clause 46, exemptions from tbe act.—Mr G. W. Russell moved that per. ons selling books be exempt.—Lost.—Mr MoR-ISON moved that persons selling fish ba exempt. — Lost: —Mr Massey moved to exclude sellers of artificial manures or seeds. —Ayes, 20 ; noes, 20.—The Chairman voted with the ayes, and the amendment was carried. — Ths Hon. Mr Sedoon moved th_:t the. fee for local license for hawkers be 10s instead of 2s 6d as previously decided.— Carried—Mr Massey moved that-the fee for cities and boroughs ba 10s, and for road districts ss.—Lost on the voices. Mr M'Nab moved a new clause to prevent hawkers selling goods in large quantities in a place where they do not reside.—Carried. ' The Bill was read a third time and passed. BILLS PASSED. , The Canterbury College and Canterbury Agriculture College Bill was committed, read a third time, and passed. The Orchard and Garden Pests Bill was put through its final stages. On the motion for the third readiDg of the Native L.md Law Amendment Bill, Captain RUSSELL strongly protested against it.' He was npeakiug when the i telegraph Office closed at 2 a.m. I