Monday, September 16.

Otago Witness, Issue 1974, 19 September 1889, Page 15

Monday, September 16.

bills disposed of. In the Legislative Council, The Requisitions Validation Bill was read a third time and passed. The amendments made by the House of Representatives in the Native Land Court Bill were considered and agreed to. The report of the free conference on the Land Transfer Bill was agreed to. It was agreed not to insist on the amendments made in the Native Land Courts Act Amendment Bill. The Public Works Appropriation Bill and the Appropriation Bill were read a first, second, and third time, and passed. Another free conference was appointed on the Land Transfer Act Amendment Bill, and the Council adjourned at 9.30 during its pleasure. At midnight the report of tbe conference agreeing to an amendment by the Minister of Public Work's was received and adopted. A message was received from his Excellency assenting to the various bills passed duriog the session.

INTERCEPTING SUPPLY, In the House of Representatives, On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr PARATA moved an amendment to the effect that it is desirable there should be a reduction of the stamp duty on Native lands from £10 per ceut. to £5 per cent. Messrs WALKER, CADMAN, and BALLANCE supported the amendment. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON regretted he could not accept the amendment, and eaid he was surprised at Mr Ballance supporting it, as the matter was simply one of revenue. The 10 per cent, at present did not cover the coat of clothing Natives with a good title. Something, however, might be done in the direction of reducing the duty on leases, and he should look into that matter during the recess. The amendment was lost by 38 to 22, and the House went into

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. The remainder of the Supplementary Estimates were passed without reduction. On the extra vote for a grant of £2000 to the late Mr Macandrew's daughters being put, Mr MONK moved that the vote be struck out. He said he did so in order to assert a principle. Sir MAURICE O'RORKE highly eulogised the services Mr Macandrew had rendered to the country, and hoped the vote would be carried without a division. The amendment was lost by 29 to 7, and the vote agreed to. Replying to Mr Hutchison, The Hon. Mr MITCHELSON said as far as he knew the Railway Commissioners had no present intention of reducing the wages of railway surfacemen, but after the dpbate that hau upt, taken place he should feel it his duty to direct the attention of the commissioners to the expression of opinion by the House against any 6uch reduction. His opinion was that if the commissioners were favourable to the Government Railway Insurance Bill being passed by tbe House it would not be possible to reduce the wages pf those men. The resolutions were reported from Committee of Supply and agreed to, and referred toa

COMMITTEE OF WAYS AND MEAKfI. In Committee of Ways and Means the amounts voted by Committee of Supply for services for the year ending March 31, 1890, were agreed to, reported to the House and agreed to ; leave beiDg si yon to the Premier and Minister of Public Works to bring in Mils togivg effect to these resolutions.

BEQUISITION VALIDATION BILL.

Mr FERGUS moved that the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Requisition Validation Bill be agreed to. — Carrisd on the voices.

NATIVE LAND COUKT BILL. j Some discussion took place respecting the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Native Land Court Bill.

Sir G. GREY and the Native members urged that consideration of the amendment be postponed till 7.30.

The Hon. E. MITCHELSON agreed to an adjournment for ah hour.

Sir G. GREY moved an amendment that an adjournment be taken till 7 30. — This was lost on the voices, and the debate adjourned for one hour ; whereupon Sir G. GREY moved that the House adjourn till 7.3o.— This was also lost on the voices.

THE APPBOPBIATION BILL.

The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON proposed that the first and second readings of the Appropriation Bill be gone on with, and he should defer the third reading till after the Native Land Bill was disposed of.

The motion for the second reading was agreed to. i

Both Appropriation Bills were then committed and passed without amendment. The Public Works Appropriation Bill was read a third time and passed. On the motion for the third reading of the Appropriation Bill, The Hon. Mr BALLANCE desired to say a very few words. It was not his intention to take in detail the course of business during the session, but to briefly refer to some of the important measures of the Government. He wished, however, to refer first to the debate that afternoon about the rumoured reduction of surfacemen's wages. Although he had never supported the appointment of the railway commissioners, he still thought they should at least have a fair trial, and he deprecated any political inter Ferense with their functions. ,If, however, the commissioners determined to make a reduction in wages 6f these men, he thought they would be entering on a political line of action that would more than anything else lead to their appointment being cancelled. He censured the Government for not having taken steps to have the boundaries of the new electoral districts arranged, and he hoped immediate steps would be taken to effect that object. It was a 3ource of great regret to him that the population was leaving our shores, and he also regretted that the Government had looked at this matter with light hearts, and had never thoroughly grappled with this question. This could be easily prevented by a liberal administration of the land laws of the colony, and this was the time when the Government should have adopted such a policy, which did not exist at present. The land laws had been made and administered for the capitalists of the country, and it was admitted on all Bides that dummyism was too prevalent. He condemned the manner in which the village settlements had been prejudiced, and said they had not had fair treatment. The Native Land Legislation this session had not been creditable to the Government, and no one knew the extent of the validating powers that were proposed to be given. They had done their best with them, however, before passing the measures, The Native Minister, he was bound to Bay, had shown a disposition to be fair, and had met objections to the bills perfectly fairly. The Premier had stated there was no sense of responsibility on the part of the Opposition, but he (Mr Ballance) thought that applied to the Government far more than the other Bide of the House. What had become of the large number of bills promised by the Government this session ? Surely there was a want of responsibility in not passing bills such as the Civil Service Bill, Bankruptcy Bill, and others which they were told were urgently required by the country. They were told also that the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill was founded on experience, yet that bill was con» damned all over the country. It was the duty of the Government to ascertain the opinion of the country, and if they did not know it they were not fit to occupy tbe Treasury benches. Tbe Government had not in any way discharged the responsibility they had assumed early in the session, and he failed to see altogether what the Government had to show for the session. He defended the action of the Opposition, especially in their efforts to maintain the purity of the administration of justice, but he thought the Minister for Justice was much more open to blame than Mr Hislop in the Ward-Hislop controversy. The Opposition, he thought, had on the whole acted in the best interests of the country. Referring to the Otago Central Bill, his opinion was that the bill was intended to be made the keystone of a new system of borrowing of the worst kind, and in stopping that the Opposition had done good service. Ho assured the Government he had not the slightest ill-feeling towards any one of its members, but he was proud of what the Opposition had done, and he was sure that the country would declare that his party had been actuated by a higher sense of responsibility than the Government possessed. Mr THOMPSON fMarsden) combatfced Mr Ballance's remarks about village settlements, and said, having visited those in his own district, he held a very different opinion as to their success from that held by Mr Ballance. There was no doubt in his mind that the whole scheme was a thorough failure, and Mr Ballance, having been the author of the scheme, must be prepared to take some of the responsibility. Mr HUMPHREYS suggested, in connection with the ocean mail service?, that when the present vote to *the San Francisco service expired, the amount should be used towards the subvention of cables and more speedy completion of a second cable across the Pacific. Referring to Mr Ballance's statement that the Government were losing ground in the couutry, he thought that his own election and that of the member for Nelson were striking examples of the incorrectness of that statement, as tbey were elected to support the present Ministry as against the extravagance of the Jate Government.

Mr HUTCHISON, while bearing testimony to the Premier' 3 bigh character as a citizen, felt that the hon gentleman had not controlled the finances of the country in a satisfactory manner. It would be absolutely incumbent on the Government to effect a saving to the extent of £200,C00 unless they were to have a large deficiency next year. Jud^d by their own standard the Government stood condemned in their general policy. A great victory had been obtained, however, as they were still in possession of the Government benches — and that covered all defeats of the sassion in their estimation. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON said Mr Ballance's speech was a short one, and he proposed, as many members were anxious to go away, to be still shorter. As to Mr Hutchison's remarks about the financies, he (the Premier) was quite prepared to let the country judge between himself and that hon. gentleman. Mr Ballance's reference to a reduction of wages showed that the Opposition considered a general election was coming on, but the workmen of the country would not be deceived by tactics of that kind. His hon. friend the Minister for Public Works

had already promised that as far as the influence of Government could go there would be no reduction in railway employes' wages, and the Government had already made very large reductions without touching those wages. Mr Ballance had also found fault with the Government for not having the boundaries of electoral districts prepared; but he would remind tbe House that he had proposed to do so, but was prevented by Mr Ballance and his party. He would ask the leader of the Opposition whether on all possible occasions this session-he had not joined every attempt to oust the Government no matter what quarter it came from, and yet he (Mr Ballanoe) declared that the Opposition had a proper sense of responsibility. Mr Ballance's statement as to the Government having lost the confidence of the country was fully met by Mr Humphreys, who had pointed out that the last elections had returned gentlemen who were etroDg supporters of the Government. He defended the action of the Government with respect to the Property Tax Assessment Bill as being brought in to afford relief where it was urgently required; but how did the Opposition meet those proposals? They met them by proposing a no - confidence motion, which they knew would have a most disastrous effect if carried by disarranging the finances of the country, and then by flooding the order paper with motions of a similar character. He twitted Mr Ballance with the extraordinary attitude he had assumed towards "the Otago Central railway, and ridiculed the statement that the Government proposals for the construction of that line meant fresh borrowing. In conclusion the Premier ventured to assert that notwithstanding the repeated attacks of the Opposition the • Government had, in his opinion, carried out in a fairly satisfactory manner the policy they had initiated of reducing the public expenditure and restoring confidence and the credit of the colony.

The motion for the third reading of the Appropriation Bill was then carried on the voices.

LAND TBANSFER.

The House adjourned for nearly two hours to receive the report of the conference on the Land Transfer Act.— Mr TAIPUA spoke at considerable length when the report was received, and he urged Government to withdraw the bill for this session. — The Hon, E. MITCHELSON interrupted him by stating that he proposed to disagree with the clause he objgpted to, and a fresh conference was appointed, on which another adjournment was taken.

A MESSAGE. The SPEAKER announced that the Governor had assented to the various bills passed during the session.

THE END. An adjournment was then taken till Friday, The Hon. Sir H, A. ATKINSON announcing that it was proposed to prorogue by proclamation, so that the House wonld not meet again.

SCHEDULE OF BUSINESS Of House of Repbesentatives, and Bills Fassed and Lapsed in Both Houses dublng the session.

Select committees on public matters, 10; on private bills, 5; standing committees, 12; do on private bills, 2. Public bills originated in the House -Received the Boval assent, 39 ; dropped or otherwise disposed of, 8 ; pending, 1. Private bills— Received the Royal assent, 4; dropped, 1.

Petitions presented— From Europeans, 406 ; from Maoris, 116.

Divisions— ln the whole House, 61 ; in Committee, 97

Sittings -Days of meeting, 53; hours of sitting before midnight, 326 ; hours of sitting after midnight) 151 ; hours daily average, nine hours. Votes and proceeding— Questions asked of Ministers, 468 ; entries in journals, 1020 ; daily average, 28 ; orders for paparß, 95.

List of Acts Passed by Both Houses.

PUBLIC AOTB.

Animals Protection Act Amendment. Appropriation. Canterbury Society of Arts Heserve. Certificates of Titles Issue Empowering. Criminals Evidence. Chattels Transfer. Chinese Immigrants Act Amendment and Continuance. Educational Endowments. Fire and Marine Insurance Compauiea. Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment. Imprest Supply (No. 2). Imprest Supply (No. 3). Karamu Reserve. Kumaia Sludge Channel. Licensing Act 1831 Amendment. Marriage Act Amendment. Mercantile Law Act Amendment. Native Land Court Aot Amendment. Native Land Frauds Prevention Acts Amendment. Naval and Military Settlers' and Volunteers' Land. New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition ( Dunedin) Publio Street Closing. Ngarara and WaipTro Furthering Investigation. North Island Main Tru^k Eailway Loan Application Aot 1886 Amendment. Offences Against the Person. Orimakatea Title Empowering. Gtago Marriages. Patents, Designs, and Trade Mark* Ac!) Amendment. Post OflSea. Poututu Jurisdiction. Property Tax. Public Reserves Act Amendment. Publio Works Acts Amendment. Publio Works Appropriation. lfegiatration of Births Extension. Representation Act Amendment. Requisitions Valldati >n. Savings Bank 1858 Amendment. Selectors' Lands Revaluation. Shipping and Seamen's Act Amendment. Town Districts Act Amendment. Triennial Licensing Committees. . Waipa Order-in-Council Validation. West Coast Settlements Reserves Act Amendment Act 1887 Suspension. Wi Pere Land.

LOCAL ACTS.

Borough of Brunner Enabling. Geraldine Publio School Site. Geraldine Bacecourße Eeserve Aot 1881 Amendment Gisborne Harbour Act 1884 Amendment. Hawera Borough Endowment. Mast erton Trust Lands, Napier Harbour Board Amendment and Further Empowering. Napier High Sohool Board Leases Validation, Nelson Foreshore Reserves. •

New Plymouth High Sohool. Queenstown Athenaeum. Kiverton Corporation Empowering. Oamaru Harbour Board Land. Timaru High Sohool Act 1878 Further Amend meat. Waimate Publio Library. Waimate Public Beserve Sale. Waimea Biver Works. Waitohihi Kiver Bed. Wellington City Empowering. PBIVATK ACTS.

Church Property Trust (Canterbury) Act Amend lent. *

Napier Oddfellows' Lodge Site. New Zealand Bank Act 1861 Amendment. Wellington and Manawatu Eailway Company's Empowering. List of Bills Dropped ob otherwise disposed

In the Legislative Council — Educational Franchise ; -Local Bodies Loans Act Amendment.

In the House of BepreEentetivea — Auckland and Onehunga Native Hostelries; Auctioneers; Bankruptcy; Bible -in- Schools ; Bush Firing; Califomiau Thistle; Cemetaries Act; 1882 Amendment ; Chrißtchureh • City Empowering ; Contagious Diseases ; Corrupt Practices; Destitute Persona; Devonport Cemetery; Distillation Act 1868 Amendmeßt; Divorce Extension and Amendment; Dog Begiltra*

tion Act Amendment (Nosi 1 and 2) ; Eight Hours; Election* of Governor; Employment of Females and other Acts Amendment; Expiring Laws Continuance ; Foul Brood among Bees; Gaming and Lotteries Acts Bepeal; Gold Duty Abolition; Government Hailway Employes Insurance; Hospitals and Charitable Aid ; Incorporated Bodies Share Begisfcer Inspection; Introduction of Labourers other than Europeans; Kuraara Sludge Channel (No, 1); Land for Settlement; Law of Libel ; Law Practitioners ; Licensing Act 1881 Amendment; Limitation oi Votes; Mining Act 1886 Amendment; Mining Companies Act Amendment; Municipal Corporations Act 1886 Amendment; Native Land Administration; Native Meetings; Normal Schools and Technical Education; Notice of Action Abolition ; Oamaru Harbour Board Loan ; Onebunga Cemetery Eeserve ; Otago Central Railway Construction; Port of Thames Definition; Private Schools j Property Assessment Acts Amendment ; Public Debts Sinking Funds Acts Amendment; Public Health .Act 1876 Amendment; Public Bevenues Act Amendment ; Public Schools ; Eating Acts Amendment (Nob. lands); Registration of Electors; Representation (No 2); Biver Boards Act 1884 Amendment; Seamen's 1 Representation; Bhop Hours; Bpecial Settlers' Belief don Esplanade ; University of Otago Council Election ; Waipau County ; Wairoa Harbour Endowment ; Waverley County; Wellington School of Design; West Coast Settlements Beaerves Act Amendment ; Westland and Grey Education Boards Act 1888 Amendment; JWestport-Ngakawa Hailway Exten-" sion ; Workmen's Wages Act 1884 Amendment. Private Bill.— Auckland Gas Company's Act 1871 Amendment.

Public Bill Pending.— Land Transfer Act 1885 Amendment.

THE MACANDREW GRANT.

Although the House unanimously agreed to the resolution moved by Mr Larnach for a grant of £2000 to the daughters of the late Mr James Macandrew, there were found a few members who thought themselves justified in opposing the formal vote which, in obedience to the wish of the House, the Government had placed on the Supplementary Estimates to give effect to the resolution. Sir M. O'Rorke, loyal and gallant gentleman that he is, had au opportunity of speaking to the question, Mr Monk having moved in committee that the vote be struck out. He paid a warm tribute to the unselfish character of the late Mr Macandrew, but of course no argument was necessary *o get the vote agreed to, as indeed was shown by the division, only six members walking into the lobby with Mr Monk, and Ihey recorded their votes with very shame-faced countenances.

EXTENDING THE DURATION OF PARLIAMENT.

The rumour is revived that next; session the Government intend to bring in a bill to extend the duration of the present Parliament till after the census is taken in 1891. North Inland members are understood to be in favour of this proposal seeing in the progress of settlement, especially in the district between Wellington and Napier, a probability of getting one or two more members for the North Island if the distribution of Beats take place on the census taken the year after next.

SIR F. WHITAKER.

It is rqpapured that Sir Frederick Whitaker will resign seat in the Cabinet soon after the prorogation of Parliament.

RAILWAY EMPLOYES.

The Railway Employes' Insurance Bill, although only introduced in order that its provisions might be made known before the bill was proceeded with next session, has met with a storm of opposition in the country ; and this morning Mr Richardson, late Minister for Public Works, drew from the Premier the statement that it was intended to make deductions from employes' salaries in order to create an insurance fund. It appDared that the insurance scheme was devised by the Railway Commissioners, and during the day, as opportunity offered, there has been violent objection to the proposal. In connection with this subject it has also been several times stated that there is an impression in the country that the Railway Commissioners intend to reduce the wages of railway employes, and the Government have been warned by Messrs Ballance, Bucbanao, Hutchison, and others that-any such attempt on the part of the commissioners will be met by strong and decisive action on the part of the House, and that Parliament would not hesitate to cancel the appointment of the commissioners even if it were necessary to pay them heavy compensation if anything of the sort were attempted. The Government are not in any way committed to the bill, and have repeatedly averred that so far as they know the Railway Commissioners have no intention of reducing the wages of railway workmen.

RAILWAY MATTERS.

Mr J. C. Brown haa had several interviews with the Railway Commissioners on the subject of having the charges made on the conveyance of mining plant reduced, pointing out that the slightest work on material of this character renders that material liable to be brought under the category of manufactured goods, and to further charges. Mr Brown also brought under the notice of the commissioners the case whero the Island Block Gold MiDiDg Company were compelled to pay 30s per ton on 1000 tons of steel pipes, whereas the charge was only 20s per ton for cast iron pipes. Another matter referred to by Mr Brown was a local grievance under which the people of Lawrence suffer. It appears that the train from Milton to Lawrence is frequently stuck up at a siding for half an hour to allow the night goods train from Balclutha to pass. Mr Brown suggested that the goods train should wait at Clarkesviile Junction until the passenger train to Lawrence shall have passed. Mr M'Kerrow has promised his consideration, and has asked Mr Brown to address a letter to the commissioners on the subjects referred to.

MR BALLANCE ON THE STUMP.

It will be remembered that at the Opposition caucus held some days ago it was decided that Mr Ballance should address political meetings in various centres of the colony. Up to the preseufc no definite programme has been arranged, but Mr Ballance informs me that be will address his own constituents at Wauganui in about a moDth's time, and after that he will hold a meeting at Napier.