N. Z. PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 22

N. Z. PARLIAMENT.

»■ <» ■ ■ Wednesday, August 21. In the Legislative Council, BILLS DEALT WITH. On the motion for the third reading of the Native Meetings Bill, The Hon. Sir G. S. WHITMORB moved that it be read this day six months, which was lost on the voices. The bill was read a third time, and passed. The Native Land Court Acts Amendment Bill was committed and reported with amendments. On the motion for agreeing to amendments by the House of Representatives in the Public Reserves Act Amendment Bill, The Hon. Mr REYNOLDS objected and called for a division. — Ayes, 14 ; noes, 10. The amendments were agreed to. The Queenstown Athensum Bill was committed and passed. In the House, In reply to Mr Fisher, The Hon. T. FERGUS Paid a Board of Officers had unanimously recommended the diS' missal of the Onehunga and Waiteinata Naval corps, which he had agreed to after some consideration. He had received numerous congratulatory telegrams on his action from volunteers in other parts of the colony. The Hon. T. W. HISLOP, replying to Mr

- Valentine, said the question of making arrangements to permit readdressed letters to be sent free* as done In Canada, would receive consideration. The Hon. G. F. RICHARDSON, replying to Mr Guinness, said the Government had power under the contract to reserve 750,000 acres for mining purposes of the land reserved for tho Midland Railway Company. The company had made no application as yet, and the time to make the reservation would be when they had [ done so. Mr GUINNESS moved the adjournment of the House and spoke at some length on the question, urging that the House should know [ what reserves the Government were about to make. Mr SEDDON also urged the Minister to | consider the question again, and to reserve land for mining on the West Coast. j Alter further discussion, the motion for adjournment was lost. ! Dr FITCHETT asked the Minister of Justice were the ordinary prison rules in respect of food, clothing, and labour departed from in favour of William Christie, who was lately sentenced to four months' imprisonment, with hard labour. If so, in what particulars and by whose authority. The Hon. T. FERGUS said no change was made except in allowing Christie to wear his own clothes, as there was no suit available which was large enough for him. Replying to Mr Taylor, The Hon. G. F. RICHARDSON said he was unable'to say whether the Union Steam Ship Company had made arrangements in Sydenham and Chriatchurch, whereby that company virtually monopolised the West Coast coal trade in that patt of the colony, as the Government were not acquainted with the business arrangements of the Union Company. ORDER OP BUSINESS. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply for passing an Imprest Supply Bill, The Hon. Mr BALLANCE asked what the Government intended doing with respect to the Property Assessment Bill, which was a long way down on the Order Paper. The House was anxious to know what was the intention of the Government with respect to it, and he should also like to know what bills the Government proposed to go on with this session. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON said the request was' not an unreasonable one, but he was not yet in a position to reply definitely. The Government proposed during the next day or two to go on with the Otago Central Bill and public works proposals. After they were disposed of, probably on Monday, he should be prepared to make a definite statement as to the csurso of business for the remainder of the session. He hoped the hon. gentleman would gee the reasonableness of this course, and he should be prepared to state on that occasion what the Government proposed with reference to the Property Assessment Bill. Replying to Dr Fitchett, The PREMIER said he should consider whether he could give the House an opportunity of discussing the desirability of taking a census of the colony before tho electoral boundaries were altered. Replying to Mr M'Kenzie (Waihemo) . The PREMIER said he should be prepared, after the census discussion, to state the name of the representation commission, and also to give information as to electoral boundaries. The House went into '-.. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY, and an Imprest Supply Bill for £200,000 waf. j passed through all its stages. TRIENNIAL LICENSING BILL. The Hon. T. FERGUS moved that the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Triennial Licensing Committee Bill be agreed to. The amendments consisted of one clause being inserted providing that the Governor may remove from office, as he may think fit, any person now or hereafter to be elected or appointed a member of a licensing committee, or I auy native assessor, elected to serve on a com- | mittee in a Native licensing district. Another clause provided that when an extraordinary vacancy occurred in any licensing committee the member resigning may continue to act until the appointment of his successor. The amendments were agreed to by 54 to 23. COMMITTEE. The Mercantile Law Act Amendment Bill passed through committee without amendment. On the motion for the committal of the Animals Protection Act Amend merit Bill, Mr M'KENZIE (Waihemo) moved that it be committed that day three mouths. He spoke strongly against the bill. After some discussion the amendment was lost by 46 to 28, and the bill was committed. Clause I— Short title. Mr M'KENZIE (Waihemo) moved that the bill come into force in the year 2800. — Lost by 33 to 13. Mr REEVES (Inangahua) moved to insert 1900. — Lost by 33 to 18, and the clause passed. Clause 5 was amended on the Hon. T. W. Hislop's motion to the effect that no person shall kill or shoot at any game or native game with any gun exceeding 101b in weight. Mr J. M'KENZIE (Waihemo) moved that the clause which prevented a man from shooting game on his own land be struck out. The Hon. T. W. HISLOP made no opposition, and the clause was struck out. Clause B—Game8 — Game or native game not to be killed between sunset and sunrise, or for more than three months — was struck out on the voices. Clause 9 — Governor may make regulations for protection of game, native 'game, &c. — was also struck out. Mr DUNCAN moved a new clause requiring every holder of a license to sell game to keep a book in which to record particulars of any game he may purchase and the district where it was shot. — Agreed to. Mr TAIPUA moved a new clause fixing the season for shooting curlew as the months of February, March, and April. The bill was reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. The Mercantile Law Amendment Bill and the Shipping apdf Seamen's Act Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. THE INSURANCE BILL. . There has been quite a flutter in insurance dovecots to-day in consequence of the alteration in the law of insurance last night by the acceptance of Mr Downie Stewart's new clause to the Fire and Marine Insurance Bill, providing that the conditions of insurance be made uniform throughout the colony, and to .be approved of by the Governor-in-Council and notified in the Gazette, any policy entered into under other conditions to be null and void. The law at present allows every company to fix its own conditions, which are printed in very small type on its policies, and probably few insurers are aware I of their stringency until after having incurred a loss they find themselves in difficulties in settling up. The proposed clause was strongly opposed last night by the Colonial Secretary, but the House apparently did not notice tho effect such a proviso would have on foreign companies doing business in the colony, and it was agreed to on the voices. To-day a deputation headed by Mr E. Pearce waited on Mr Stewart and pointed out the disastrous effect such a proviso would have on this business. The member for

Dunedin West &t once saw the force of tho arguments adduced by Mr Pearce, and admitted that he had drafted his amendment without much consideration and in order to prevent the House adopting the amendment proposed by Mr Feldwick. The deputation subsequently waited on the Hon. Mr Stevens and represented the facts to him. Mr Stevens said the Council would not consider the amendment before Tuesday, and in the meanwhile the Government Would look carefully into the matter. THE PROPERTY TAX. The Premier was a good dealed badgered this evening as to the real intentions of the Government in reference to the Property Tax Bill. He replied that he would refer to the bill when he made his general statement as to the order of business for the rest ofJthe session. " But," said, Colonel Fraser entreatingly, •• we hear the Government intend to drop the bill." " I can solemnly assure the hon. gentleman," said the Premier, " that if the Government intend to drop the bill, then the bill will be dropped," and Colonel Eraser sat back apparently satisfied that he would not be able to get any change out of the Premier. THE OTAGO CENTRAL. The adjourned debate on the motion for the second reading of the Otago Central Railway Bill will be resumed to-morrow. I understand the bill will be made the first order of the day. A rumour finds currency to the effect that the proposals of the Government in connection with the Otago Central railway and the Puhipuhi tramway are to be dependent on each another. The explanation of this canard is simply that Auckland members cannot decently vote against the Otago Central and at the same time vote for the Puhipuhi line. The proposals of Government in respect to the Puhipuhi tramway have considerably reduced the feeling of bitter antagonism on the part of Auckland members towards the Ofcago Central, and the enemies of both lines, of course, pretend to think there is now an unholy alliance between Otago and Auckland in connection with these works. THE KUMARA SLUDGE CHANNEL AGAIN. The Goldfields Committee to-day agreed to a report in connection with certain expenditure by the Mines department on the historical sludge channel at Kumaru, but the report will not be presented until to-morrow. I am informed that the report amounts to a vote of censure on the Minister for Mines for expending £6000 in defiance of the intention of Parliament, and that it will recommend that tho whole circumstances be investigated by the Public Accounts Committee. The report was ready for presentation to the House to-day, but the Minister for Mines prevailed upon the chairman to hold it back until to-morrow in order that he might prepare himself for the discussion which must almost inevitably follow the presentation of the report. A WILY MOVE. It is of course an open secret that the affirmation of the principle of the one man one vote in the Representation Bill by tb.9 Legislative Council came as a surprise to many members of the House who voted for Sir Geo. Grey's amendment in the hope that they would achieve some popularity by so doing, but in the expectation that the clause would be struck out by the Council. These members were exceedingly annoyed w hen the clause was retained by the Lords. Ever since the bill passed the Upper House they have been casting about for some means of defeating the decision come to by both Chambers in respect to the democratic principle affirmed by the passage of the bill. I now learn that within the last day or two the leader of the Opposition has been approached, and his concurrence solicited for a proposal that a new clause shall be inserted in one of the electoral bills now before the House providing that elections for members of the House shall be held on different days. It is said that if such a clause were inserted the proverbial coach and four might be easily driven through the one man one vote clause in the Representation Bill. Mr Ballance, however, declined to endorse the suggestion with bia approval unless it was made a condition that no elector's name shall appear on more than one electoral roll, and as this would defeat the purpose of the proposal it is probable we shall hear no more of it. I shall not be at all surprised, however, if some other attempt is made to defeat the principle of the one man one vote, for when angry legislators are put on their metal they are invariably found to be fertile in Parliamentary resources.