GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12395, 3 July 1902, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Tlio Hon. Mr MARSHALL gavo notice of I he Addrcss-in-Rcply. IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill for £571,000 passed all stages. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WEDNESDAY, JULY 2. The House mot at 3 p.m. PETITIONS. A large number of petitions were presented praying for tlio suppression of the totalisator.. Mr COLLINS presented a petition from Mr J. H. Newlyn, of Christcliurch, urging his claims as the originator of the cheapmoney seheme. NEW" BILLS. Notice was given of the introduction of a large number of bills, among them.being Rings and Combines Supnrcßsion (Mr Homsby), Absolute Majority "(Mr M ; Nab), Coal Mines Amendment (Mr Guinness), Police Offonccs Act Amendment (Mr Willis). Elective Executivo (the Hon, W. J. Steward), Parliamentary Reform Referendum (Mr R. M'Kenzir), Smoking by Youths Suppression (Mr Field), Libel Bill (-Mr Fisher). THE SPEAKER. The SPEAKER (Sir G. M. O'Rorke) extended to tho House his sincere thanks for the extended leave of absence, that had boon granted him last session on account of illness, and expressed his appreciation of the services rendered by Messrs Guinness and Steward in his absence. ®,' r J- G. WARD expressed pleasure at •seeing Sir M. O'Rcrke amongst them again, and hoped he would have many more years in the House. • IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill- for £571,000 was introduced by Governor's Message. Sir WILLIAM RUSSELL said he could not urge the House to refuse to pass the bill, but he pointed out that the Government had three months after the end of the financial year in which it could spend ( money without authority; but session after session the Standing Orders were becoming Ntoro and more. a, farce, and the result was that the House was now in the. position of having either to consent to setting aside iOrders or to refuse to pass this bill, and thus put the country to great inconvenience. The system that was growing up of the Crown getting money from Vie House without proper explanation was against Constitutional principle, Parliament could have been called together earlier After a brief discussion, in which' Messrs Wilford,. Monk, Pirani, and Fisher took part, Sir J. G. WARD, in reply, said tho opening of Parliament hat) been delayed to suit Ihe convenience of rnprnbers under very exceptional circumstances, a;! thcro was a general desire on the part of members to be in their own localities on Coronation Itoj*. For his own part, he thought Pariiament should moot a good deal earlier tlipn had been the practice of late. There was precedent for the delay in calling members together this session, and he was sure the right course had been, adopted. The motion to suspend the Standing Orders to allow the bill to go through all its scores at on? sitting wag carriod l*v 44 to 10. the'bill' 10 mofion for t,ie fwVK ' lending of Mr.HERRIES asked for an'explanation of the sudden, discharge of m?n from public works last December. Mr ERASER asked why the bill proposed to transfer £100.000 from the consolidated tuncl to the public works fund, seeing that on tho 31st of March there was a balance ef noarly half a million, Sir J. G. WARD said the stonpage of puhho works had not been on account of the shortage of funds. Tho reason was that throughout the country there had been a great demand for the prosecution of public works during the summer months', and the Government had to bike caro that the total amount of appropriations had not been exceeded. Aij to the state of tho public works fund, members must bear in mind that the Government practically had to carry on without the authorisation "of Parliament until September next, and the amount availablo on March 31 last was required in most cases for works, buildings, etc., which wore in progress, and could not be diverted to other public works. He declared again that tho 'stoppage, in Decombcr lost was brought about solely on account of the care trikon by the Government not to exceed the total_ amount of its appropriations, and emphatically denied that political considerations. had anything to do with the treatment accorded to various districts. Tho bill then passed its final stages. Uhe House roac at 5.10. EVENING SITTING. The Houeo resumed at 7.30. THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. i; • if' T' . SlD *' Y > in moving the Addresain Reply, began by congratulating Lord and Lady Ranfurly on the extension of his Excellency s term of office, and expressing a wish that he (Mr Sidey) would prove a worthy successor to the lato Mr Morrison. Dealing with Imperial matters, lie liooed tho Corona" tmn of the King had onlv been postponed for n short time, and that his Majesty would soon bo restored to health. The enthusiasm with rospcct to sending troops to South Africa lmd been of a proper kind; it had bocfl a sustained enthusiasm. Tho colonies had all dono so much with respset to that war that the time was not far distant when some representation must be granted to tliem in the Imperial Parliament. Mr Seddon had rendered great servico to the Empire. by the lead he had given, and when tho history of the Empire builders of the present century came io be written a. place ivonlil doubtless be found for Mr Seddoii rrid his worthy lieutenant, Sir J. G. Ward. Coming to colonial matters dealt-with in •I ho Speech. Mr Sidey said that generally he approved of the' policy of tho Government. He could not give unqualified praise to the administration of tho Education Department, and complaincd of tho nogloct of the department in answering communications sent by Hie Otago Board. Ho regretted the absence from the Spccch of auy indication of local government legislation. Mr HORNSBY, in seconding tho motion, ■congratulated Mr Sidey upon his maidctf iipcech in the House, and said lie had succeeded one of the most strenuous politicians who had ever sat in tho House—a loyal, leal, hearty follow, and a consistent party mail. Turning to general matters, Mr Hornsby said what this colony wanted was Froetrade with Britain and Protection against the rest of the world, and lie hoped oomo such proposal would be tho outcome of the Premiers' Conference. Major-general Babington was-no doubt a good officer, but he thought tho Government should' have appointed a Commandant from within the colony, and not have imported another Imperial officer. If the House did «iot pass the Absolute Majority Bill, lie trusted it would agreo to a. Second Ballot Bill. The Referendum Bill, with power of initiative, ought. also to be passed, and under its provisions a referendum could be taken on Bitch questions as Bible reading in schools and prohibition. He approved of tlio State tire ir.mrav.eo seheme. and spoke approvingly of (he railway service, expressing 9 hope tha't some computation provision would be made to meet tho ease of railway hands who might ho maimed ill the execution of their duty, louohimt 011 labour ■ legislation, he appreciated the establishment of the Farmers' Uniom which was the rc-establishment of the National Association under another name. Legislation was promised to deal with combines and trusts, but 110 such logisInl.ni'.i could give satisfaction unless it dealt also with "tied houses." Ho thought too much railway construction was being under* taken, and the Midland and Otago Central lines ought to be stopped. Ho warned the Government against tlio timber syndicate, who wero endeavouring to grab tho timber of tho colony. Sooner than that, ho urged tho introduction of a Stale sawmill. Tn conclusion, he trusted tho session would bo a brief but profitable ouc. Mr WITIIEFORD congratulated Sir .T. G. Ward on his conduct, of tho business of tho House. He complained that three million acrcs of Crown lands in the North Island wore lying idle, and contended that while that state of affaire was allowed to continue it could not be said that wo wero making tho most of the resources of tho colony. Mr E. M. SMITH urged a belter ■cprj sentation of tho North Island in the Cabinet, although he had no objection to any of the nresent occupants of the Ministerial benches. He regretted the Spccch made no reference to the introduction of a Local Government Bill this session. He spoko at some length of his experiences during his rccent trip

km lo ! 1 • " iero WBre tlvonsands of skilled men the. Old Country who wore ready and willing to emigrate to New Zea. land if it were not. for the mitial cxnense. Speaking of (lie defences, ho agreed that New. Zealand could not afford to maintain ft standing army, Jjut we must ho prepared for war. Mr M'NAB,- after congratulating Mr Sidev Upon his specchi referral to the eccoiul ballot proposals, and said lie thought tho general feeing was ihat whatever schemo vas adopted it.should obvidlo the necessity of a swond election. He was prepared to * rt ,?" y '' c ® s °naVic scheme that would tin* liii 1 j result. He depreeatcd the wholesale condemnation of tho Fanners' ,V"' on ' r """ sa "l , u 'at EO far as the southern part of tho colony was eonoerned tho union ■lad given fair and loyal assistant® to tho Uoyemment of the country, in support of which ho instanced the attitude of th« southern union in regard to "The Workers"' Compensation Act, 1900,'' Referring to rail.'■^ruetioil, ho said he regarded the Wellington, to Auckland trunk line as a work of first colonial importance, and next to it ho placed the, South Island trunk lino from Picton to the Bluff. He strongly urged the Government to adopt a proper system of conservation of our forosts. The debate then closed. Mr SIDEY having briefly replied, the jitidresj-in-Reply was agreed to 011 tho voices.. •' A CABLE FROM MR SEDDON. Sir J. G. WARD announced that ho had received the' following cable from Mr Seduon"New Zealand troopers received a great reception from the English public today 111 grateful recognition of tho valuable help given, in South -Africa." THE PACIFIC CABLE, ifeir J. G. WARD also. informed the House that "tho Pacifip cable wijj now transmitting messages direct'froni Doubtless Bay (north of Auckland) to Soutliport (Queensland). Thia would greatly facilitate the handling of work 011 that cable. The Hbuso rose at 11 p.m.