PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 22

PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

,THE FINAL SITTING. Wellington, August 18. The House met at 4.30 p.m. SETTLEMENT OF THE LAND. Mr Macandrew regretted he was unable' to move the resolutions he had given notice of for some weeks pastrespecting the granting of blocks of land for the relief of the unemployed. He thought if they spent a whole session in trying to solve this question it would be time well spent, as it was one of the most important questions that could be brought forward. He asked what was the value of all their legislation compared with nipping in the bud the sapling of pauperism which was now getting so general in the country. Speaking for the Otago district, he asserted that if the homestead regulations had been put in force some time ago they would not, have half the unemployed they had at present. It was utterly impossible for one man to administer the whole of the land in the colony ; and Without at all reflecting on the present Minister, he felt convinced that they required a Minister for lands for each island. He again regretted that this important question had not been brought forward before the eve of the prorogation, but he should move the resolutions in order to get them into " Hansard." He then moved his resolution. Sir R. Stout entirely demurred to the statement that this colony was exceptionally situated in respect to unemployed. He also denied that the unemployed were more numerous than they were some years ago. No settlement of the people on land would even for one moment stop pauperism in the couutry. i THE PROROGATION. A message was here received desiring the attendance of members in the Legislative Council Chamber to hear the commission of prorogation read. The members then adjourned to the Legislative Council Chamber, where Parliament was formally prorogued by commission. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. In the Legislative Council the acting Speaker (Captain Baillie) occupied the chair. The vice-regal assent to a number of bills passed by the Governor was received. The Council adjourned at 4.55 p.m., and on resuming the commissioners appointed by his Excellency the Governor — consisting of Sir F. Whitaker, the Hons. Buckley and Reynoldsprorogued Parliament in the presence of the members of the House. The commission set forth that Parliament was prorogued to December 16. This concluded the proceedings, which ended, as the session had begun, in a downpour of rain. SCHEDULE OF BUSINESS. The following is a schedule of the business of the House of Representatives and of the bills passed and lapsed in both Housss during the session : — Select committees on private bills, 4 ; standing committees, 11. " Public Bills.— Originated in the House and received a formal assent, 65; dropped or otherwise disposed of, 46. Brought from the Council and received the Royal assent, 7; dropped or otherwise disposed of, 1. Local Bills. — No. introduced, 24; passed the House of Representatives, 16; passed and assented to, 15. Bills other than bills introduced by private members, 36 ; passed the House of Representatives, T; passed and assented to, 5. Time devoted to consideration, 34J hours. Private Bills.— Originated in the House and received the Royal assent, 3; dropped, 1; brought from the Council and received the Royal assent, L

Petitions Presented. — From Europeans, 364; from Maoris, 96. Divisions in the whole, 12 ; in committee, 14. Sittings. — Days of meeting, 65 ; hours of sit476; daily average, 7 hours 19 minutes. Votes and Proceedings. — Questions asked of Ministers, 545 ; entries in journal, 1213 ; daily average, 27 ; orders or papers, 59 ; papers laid upon the table and ordered to be printed, 183 ; not ordered to be printed, 59 ; reports, trom the House Committee and Public Petitions, 185 ; Native Affairs, 132 ; Waste Lands, 47 ; Goldfields and Mines, 10; Local Bills, 24; other committees, 73. LIST OP ACTS WHICH PASSED BOTH HOUSES. Public Acts— Administration Act Extension ; Animals' Protection Act 1880 Amendment ; Apportionment; Appropriation; Beer Duty Act 1880" Amendment ; Charitable Trustee Extension ; Civil Service Reform; Coal Miners; Companies' Branch Registers ; Counties; Deceased Persons' Estates Duties Act 1881 Amendment; Bills and Instruments Registration ; Defence ; Destitute Persons Act Amendment ; District Railways Purchasing Act 1885 Extension Act Amendment; East and West Coast (Middle Island) and Nelson Railway ; Railways Construction Act Amendment ; First Offenders' Probation; Fish Auction; Friendly Societies Act 1882 Amendment ; Gisborne Public Prison ; Government Life Insurance (No. 2;; Government Loans to Local Bodies (No. 2) ; Harbours Act 1878 Amendment ; Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act 1885 Amendment ; Imprest Supply ; Imprest Supply (No. 2) ; Justices of the Peace Act 1882 Amendment ; Local Bodies' Finance and Powers Act, 18S5 Amendment; Local Bodies' Loans ; Lost Debentures ; Mining ; Mining Companies; Mortgage Debentures Act 1885 Amendment; Municipal Corporations; Native Equitable Owners; Native Land Administration ; Native Land Court ; Native Reserves Titles Grants Empowering ; New Zealand Loan; North Island Main Trunk Railway; Loan Application; Owhaoko and Kairaauawa - Oruamatua Reinvestigation of Title; Police Force; Post Office Act 1881 Amendment ; Property Assessment Act 1885 Amendment ; Property Tax (No. 2) ; Public Bodies' Leaseholds ; Public Pievenue; Public Trustees Office Act 1872 Amendment ; Public Works Appropriation ; Rabbit Nuisance Act 1882 Amendment ; Railways Authorisation and Management; Railways Construction and Land Act 1881 Amendment ; Settled Land ; Sheep Aqt 1871 Amendment; Special Powers and Contracts; Stamp Act Amendment ; and WanganuLEducation Districts. Private Acts.— Cathedral Site (Parnell) Leasing; Hutt and Petone Gas Company; New Zealand Bible, Tract, and Book Society ; Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company's Additional Capital and Debentures Validation. Local Acts. — Auckland Harbour Board Loan ; Borough of Mornington Boundaries; City of Christchurch Municipal Offices; City of Dunedin Leasing; Hakateramea Racecourse Reserve; Newmarket Reserve Act 1878 Amendment; North Timaru Cemetery Sale or Exchange; Oamaru Harbour Board Loan; One Tree Hill Reserve ; Otago Harbour Board Leasing Act 1885 Amendment ; Otago Harbour Bridge ; Port Chalmers Fire Brigade ; Waimate , Racecourse Trustees' Empowering ; Wellington | Harbour Board Leasing; Wyndham Showground Reserve. LIST OF BILLS DROPPED OB OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF. In the Legislative Council : Employment of Females and Others Act 1881 Amendment; Gold Duty Reduction , Gold Export Duty Abolition ; Government Loans to Local Bodies (No. 1) ; Limitation of Votes ; Salmon and Trout Act 1867 Amendment ; Small Birds Nuisance Act 1882 Extension. In the House of Representatives : Abolition of Provinces Act 1875 Amendment ; Alienation of Land ; Artifical Fertilisers Warranty ; Auction Chattels Securities Act 1881 Amendment; Codlin Moth Act 1884 Amendment; Contagious Diseases Act 1869 Repeal; Criminal Code; Disqualification Act 1878 Amendment; Dog Registration Act Amendment; Education Franchise; Eight Hours ; Employers' Liability Act 1882 Amendment ; Fisheries Conservation Act 1884 Amendment ; Government Life Insurance (No 1) ; Hawera Cemetery ; Hawkers and Pedlars ; Intoxicating Liquors Supply to Children; Introduction of Coloured Labourers; Land Act Remedies ; Land Association ; Land Boards ; Land for Settlement; Law Practitioners; Licensing Committees Election; Lives of Children Preservation; Magistrates' Courts; Miners' Right Fees Reduction ; Napier Oddfellows' Lodge Site ; Nelson Crcwn Tenants; Nelson Foreshore Reserve; New Plymouth Harbour Loan; New Plymouth Recreation Reserve; New Zealand Note Currency; Opunake Harbour Board ; Otago Central Railway Extension and Construction ; Property Tax (No. 2) ; Public Advances on Land ; Railways Authorisation ; Rating Act 1882 Amendment ; Reduction of Gold Export Duty ; Representation, South Island ; Native Reserves Act 1883 Amendment ; Stock Driving; Supreme Court Reporting; Tauranga Harbour Board ; Unclaimed Deposits ; Waimate Village Settlement ; Wairoa Harbour ; Wanganui Harbour; Workmen's Wages Act 1884 Extension (private bill) ; Wairau Gas Company.