HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, 18th August.

Otago Witness, Issue 1555, 27 August 1881, Page 12

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, 18th August.

RBI'LIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr Bain, The Hon. Major ATKINSON said a. measure was in coUMe of preparation providing >hat peuny postage and receipt stamps be assimilated, the same as in the United Kingdom. Replying to Mr Finn, The Hon. Mr DICK said no promise had been made to vest the various lakes, or any of them, within the electoral district of Wakatipu under the control of the Lake County Council. Replying to Mr Reid, The Hon. MrROLi.ESTON said that during the last two years no reward was offered for the discovery of new goldfields, and Government knew of no reason why the reward should now he offered. The aid hitherto given for prospecting was found to be more effective when given for the opening up of tracks, so as to enable otherwise inaccessible country to be explored. Instead of giving direct aid to prospectors, Government would propose to furnish it in the shape of diamond-drills and other appliances, and a vote for that purpose would be proposed in the Supplementary Estimates. Replying to Mr Hamlin, The Hon. Mr DICK said thaf instead of sending the agricultural analytical chemißt throughout the various districts to analyse manure in use by agriculturists, the agriculturists were in the habit of sending samples of their manure to the chemist. This was found to be more convenient, as it was hardly possible to expect that he could carry about with him all his laboratory appliances. During last year a large number of manures had been tested. Government saw no necessity for altering the system. Replying to Mr Thomson, The Hon. Mr HaLL said he could not Bee his way to provide a sum of money to complete the Catlin's River line to the mam road, South Molyneux. Replying to Mr Wakefield, The Hon. Mr ROLLESTON said the Government did intend making permanent provision for the maintenance by local bodies of botanical gardens in the four chief centres. Domains in the hands of county councils or municipalities were provided for by the Act under which these bodies operated. With respect to other domains, provision would be required to be made for them, and in any future legislation on the subject that necessity would be attended to. The motion for the second reading was lost on a division of 41 to 8, and the bill was withdrawn. PROTECTION OF CROPS BILIi. Mr SAUNDERS moved the second reading of tho Protection of Crops Bill. Carried.

GOLD DUTY. Mr REEVES moved the second reading of the Gold Duty Act Amendment Bill. Carried. The House went into Committee on the KAKANUI HARBOUR BOARD BORROWING Bit*. Mr SHRIMSKI, who was in charge of the bill, explained that the object was to enable the Board to borrow £8000. The Hon. Mr HALL stated that he had received a statement of probable income and receipts of tha harbour, which were palpably so fallacious that he was bound to oppose the bill. Mr HURST moved, with the view of throwing out (he bill, that progress be reported. Mr wAKBfjgL.D ppoiw jn favour of me wrls,

which, he said, with the outlay asked for, would nu!>e a good serviceable harbour. Mr PITT argued that they would not get the money unless the .sei-urities were ample. The Hun. Mr HALL insisted that the House > was bound to exercise vigilance over th -se applications, and in the present ca^e the security was not sufficient.

Sir G. GREY said they should either ?;ive these struggling districts local government, or else receive their appli. atioiis for borrowing powers.

Messrs HURST and WEsToN utged that the Colony would really be liable.

After further discussion the bill passed, and was reported with amendments.

On the motion for reading a third time,

The Hon. Mr HALL objected. He characterised the proposal as an improvident one, and hoped it would not be sanctioned. The House divided— ayes, 31 ; noes, 24. The bill was read a third time and passed. DRAINAGE HILL.

Mr MURRAY moved that the amendments by the Legislative Council on the Drainage Bill be agreed to.

Mr DE LAUTOUR pointed out an imperfection in the measure that would render it inoperative. To remedy this he moved that the consideration of the amendments be delayed for a week. The adjournment was agreed to. PENSIONS BILL.

Mr SHRIMSKI moved that the Pensions Bill be read a third time.

The Hon. Mr HALL said the bill would throw great obstacles in the way of the Government carrying out retrenchment by amalgamation of offices, as no retirement on pensions could be made during the recess. Mr STEVENS objected to the bill, as pensioners entering the nouse would by the bill be debarred from receiving honorarium. This would be unfair, and might deprive the country of the services of men whoi-e experience would be valuable. The Hon. Mr ROLLESTON did not think the bill as it stood was satisfactory, and ho believed that it would have to be amended at an early date.

Mr SHKEIIAN pointed out that, under the Railways Construction Act, companies would have to wait over the recess until Parliament mi-t before their claims could be finally agreed to. He did not see how Civil servants could not delay their claims in a similar way It was no more a hardship in the public service than in the other case it would be to the public. Mr WAKKFIELD moved that the bill be recommitted to reconsider clau*e 6.

The Hon. Major AT INSON eaid that he had good legal authority for saying that the bill was informal and would not accomplish its object.

Sir G. GREY complained that it was a most improper thing to make a statement of that kind and not show wherein it was, as alleged, informal. The motion for recommittal was carried.

In Committee,

Mr WHITAKER moved an addition exempting honorarium from being deemed salary within the meaning of the bill. The Committee divided— ayes, 36 ; noes, 16. The bill was reportod as amended, read a third time, and passed. Mr TOLE moved the recommittal of the ADOPTION OF CHILDREN BILL.

To reconsider clauses 5, 7, 9 and 10, Mr J. B. FISHER objected to tho bill, and moved that the Chairm in do leave the chair.

The House divided ayes, 17 ; noes, 39.

Mr PYKE pointed out that two illegitimate children, brother and sister, being adopted by different persons would be legitimatised, and in that case they might intermarry. He moved— "That progress be reported, to give time for further consideration." Negatived on the voices. The bill passed, arid was reported with amendments, and tbe amendments ordered to be considered tbis day week. Mr DE LAUTOUR moved the second reading of the

MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY PROTECTION BILL.

The motion was carried, and the bill ordered to be committed this day week. On the motion for going into Committee on the GOLD DUTY ABOLITION BILL, The Hon. Mr ROLLESTON said that a feeling prevailed that the deficiency occasioned by the passing of this bill would be made up by the Government out of some other fund. He cautioned them against entertaining an opinion of that kind, adding that this duty was the best means that could be adopted for raising the necessary funds for goldflelds, roads, &c. He wished it to be clearly understood that Government did not propose to make up the deficiency ou: of any other funds, and he supported the bill, and strongly condemned the special taxation on miners.

Mr WESTON intimated that he would not rest until he got a corresponding tax levied on wool if this taxation on gold was not removed. The Hon. Mr HALL contended that this tax was the mo-t convenient way of raising that contribution every locality had a right to contribute He hoped they would not forego that contribution until some other means had been demised for supplementing it.

Mr OISBORNE pointed out that while the contribution made by other districts had been supplemented pound for pound, this had not been the case on the goldfields. The goldfields had been dealt with exceptionally and unjustly. Mr SHEEHAN argued that the miners were much heavier taxed than other classes, while at the same time the miner created much more employment than the landholder. The tax was unjust and unfair. He believed that if this abolition was granted applications for assistance for roads, &c. would be made in another way, and Government would be entitled to tr< at such applications favourably. It would not be unfair to ask that the public finances should be redistributed and the goldfields get a full share. There was no reason why there should be separate treatment. He thought it would be wise to make the bill permissive to local bodies. The circumstances of the Northern and Southern goldfields were different, and it should be left "0 the former to say whether or not the bill would suit their purposes. In Committee he would move in that direction.

Mr SKDDuN, who was in charge of the bill, moved an amendment, as agreed to by the Goldfields Committee—"That the duty should altegether cease from January Ist, ]883 ; it being reduced in the meantime, as proposed in the original bill." After considerable discussion, a motion to report progress was lost by 28 to 15. Mr REEVES then moved as an amendment that the duty should cease from January Ist, 1882. On a division Mr Seddon's proposal for 1883 was carried by 26 to 10. Mr SHEEHAN proposed a new clause, leaving the abolition optional to local bodies. The second reading of this clause was carried by 22 to 18, and it was added to the bill by 32 to 8. The bill was reported with amendments, and at 3.20 a m. the House adjourned until 7.30 the same evening (Friday).

Friday, 19th August. Evening Sitting. The House met at 7.30 p m. PRIVILEGE.

Mr P YKE rose to a question of privilege. He wanted to know whether the Speaker had the right to alter a notice of motion given by a member. On one occasion, he said, a notice of his had been suppressed altogether. Then again, at yosterday's sitting ho gave notice to the effect that the Parliament i-hould he prorogued, so as to allow the Governor to visit the Western Pacific and members to recruit their waited energies, bodily a-, well as mentally. He had called on the Speaker in his chambers, and the Speaker had told him that he would not allow the motion to appear on the orde paper as given. He now complained of the manner in which it appeared. He was aware there was a precedent in the House of Commons for what had been done, but he contended The SPEAKER interrupted the hon. member, saying he fully understood tho point at issue, and was prepared to meet it. The first motion to which Mr Pyke referred appeared to him to be wholly irregular, and intended as a burlesque ; and as to the other he could only look upon it as couched in improper terms, and as bringing the Governor's name into question. It was for these reasons that he had acted on both occasions as he had done. Mr PYKE was about to speak, when 'I he SPEAKER said he had disposed of tho question of privilege as stated, and he would hear no more on the subject. Mr PYKE still persisted in speaking. Tho SPEAKER : I have already informed the hon. member that the question has been deposed of, and that I will hear nothing nothing further on the subject. . , Mr PYKE : I claim my right to speak. The SPEAKER : Sit down. I have told you to sit down Mr PYKE : Then am Ito understand you refuse to allow ibd to address the House as a representative of the people ? The SPEAKER ; I have already told you to sit down, and I must appeal to the House to support my authority and enforce obedience.— Tho Sergeant-at-arms will attend to receive instructions. Mr PYKE : But, Sir, I insist on my right to speak as a representative of the people. ..... The BPE.ARER} Keep silence, sir; Iwjjj} hear»o

more. I am only waiting for a formal motion being made to deal with this matter. Mr Pyke still persisted in addressing the House, when The Hon. Mr HALL said it was his painful duty to movo that the hon. gentleman, having vexatiously interrupted the orderly conduct of the business of the House, had been guilty of contempt of this House. It was not the firht time the hon. member had interrupted the proceedings and refused to obey the chair. They had seen the Speaker's authority openly and persistently disregarded. It would be his duty to move this resolution unless the Speaker thought a milder step would meet the exigencies of the case. He repeated, however, that it was absolutely necessary that the authority of the Chair should be asserted. The SPEAKER said that he would afford Mr Pyke an opportunity for tabling a motion to bring his conduct in this matter under consideration of the House. If he (Mr Pyke) would be satisfied with that course, and submit to the authority of the House, then he would allow the motion read by the Premier to be withdrawn. That was the only concession he would make, and if the hon. member would not recognise the authority of the chair on that condition, then he would proceed to put the motion and deal with the refractory member accordingly. Mr PYKE intimated that he would accept the conditions offered, and the motion was not put. At a later stage of the sitting Mr PYKE gave notice that he would move that ,day eight days that it was ultra vires of the Speaker of that House to omit or mutilate any motion tabled for the consideration of the House unless the same be of an improper nature. The SPEAKER: I would prefer that this should come on for consideration at an earlier date than this day eight days— that it should come on on Monday. Air PYKE : Very well ; Monday, kind would give offence to a large section of the community. In consideration of the respect due to the Upper House, he thought they might have passed it, but he knew it would be simply prolonging its existence for a very short time.

Mr SPEIGHT protested against the bill being; introduced, alleging that it would only be wasting the time of the House to put it on the order paper at all. ' Mr KELLY, although determinedly opposed to the principle of the bill, thought it should receive some consideration as a measure from the Upper House.

Mr BARRON thought they were quite prepared to deal with the bill, and to go to a division at once. In that case it would be wrong to waste valuable time.

Mr FULTON gave notice that he would move the first reading of the bill on Tuesday.