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FRIDAY, JULY 4. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A PETITION.

The Public Petitions Committee brought np a report on the petition of A. Marshall, who asked for ft grant of land for old colonial service. On the recommendation of the Committee the petition was referred to the Waste Lands Committee. NEW BILLS. The Hon. B. MITCHELSON said there was, a large number of bills on the order paper. He proposed to ask the House to agree to a post-, ponement of the financial debate for a short'; time to allow these bills to bo introduced so that' they could be printed and circulated. ; The motion was agreed to, and the following •bills were introduced and read a first time:—. The Strikes and Arbitration Bill; Hospitals and Charitable Aid Act 1886, Amendments; Licensing Act 1881, Amendment; Bills of Lading Bill; Representation Acts Amendment; Private Schools BUI; Gaming and Lotteries Act 1881, Amendment Bill; Counties Act Amendment Bill; Gold Duty Abolition and Mining Property Rating Bill; Westport and Greymouth Boards Dissolution Bill ; WestportNgakamau Railway Extension Bill; Borough of Brunner Enabling Act 1889, Amendment Bill; Otago School Commissioners Empower- 1 ing Bill ; Civil Service Officers Guarantee Bill ; Juries Act Amendment Bill; Police Offences Aoc Amendment Bill; Districts Act Amendment Bill ; Census Act Amendment Bill. THE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGE BDWABDS. The Supreme Court Act Amendment Bill (which provides for the appointment of an additional judge) was introduced by message from the Governor. Mr SBDDON moved that a respectful reply be forwarded to his Excellency informing him that the circumstances of the colony and the administration of justice did not warrant the oolony going to the expense of appointing a sixth judge. He spoke strongly against Judge Edwards' appointment, and hoped his amendment would be agreed to. The Hon. Captain RUSSELL suggested that the amendment should be withdrawn, and that the bill should be allowed to be brought in, when a full discussion could be taken on the second reading in the usual way. He agreed that the bill was a most important one and the #pposition had a perfect right to challenge the action of the Government in appointing an extra judge, but he submitted that the discussion on the bill should not be taken at this stage, but at the second reading. The Hon. J. BALLANCE thought the Government should agree to have the question adjourned, as its discussion even at this stage would take up considerable time. The Government had taken a most extraordinary and unprecedented step in appointing the judge to preside over the Native Lauds Court, and the Opposition could not agree to the appointment of an extra judge, which was wholly unnecessary in the present condition of the colony. He warned the Government that if the discussion was not adjourned the Opposition would be compelled to oppose it at every stage. The Hon. T. W. HISLOP said every member of the legal profession in this part of the country knew that the appointment of an extra judge was necessary, and that the Government was losing money by the work going on as it had been. He said Mr Ballance himself had been a party to a similar appointment. The Hon. J. BALLANCE : That was only an acting judge,

Mr SCOBIB MACKENZIE could not understand the tactics pursued by the Opposition over this question. He believed the appointment was wrong; and the discussion going- on proved it to be wrong, as it showed that a judge was at the meroy of the Government of the day. The proper time for the discussion was on the second reading, and if it could then be shown that the appointment was wrong, good would come out of it ; but as it was already made, it should be validated. He advised Mr Ballance not to adopt too high a moral tone in regard bo the administration of justice, and reminded that hon. gentleman that he at one time made a proposal in this direction so radically vicious and pernicious that nothing had been heard lifce it since the time of the Stuarts—that was that every decision of a Supreme Court judge should be subject to the revision of a Parliamentary Committee. The Hon. J. BALLANCE denied this. Mr MACKENZIE then quoted from a speech made by Mr Ballance at Wanganui in March 1887 to the following effeot:— " If a judgment was delivered which violated the public conBcience, and was looked upon as a wrong judgment — perhaps not wrong, however, from any aot of the judges— the matter should be inquired into and some redress obtained. He thought, indeed, that there ought to be not only a reform of the Supreme Court procedure, but also a reform of the Supreme Court itself. There ought to be a Judicial Committee of both Houses of Parliament continually sitting, and whenever a judgment was reported which did not, in the public mind, seem right, the matter should be brought before the Legislature." When Mr Ballance made that proposal there was such a howl throughout the country that he at once dropped it. He cautioned Mr Bailance to be more mindful of things he had previously done advocated, or a fatal demon of consistency would be sure to meet him. The Hon. J. BALLANCE said that the remarks quoted by the member for Mount Ida were not a correct or full report of his speech. It frequently happened that speakers were misreported, and the hon. gentleman ought to know that. After further discussion, The Hon. Captain RUSSELL, in reply to Mr Fisher, disclaimed haying sprung any surprise on the House in the introduction of a bill, as in 99 cases out 100 there was no debate whatever on the first reading of a measure. As to Judge Edwards' appointment, the Government were of opinion that he was absolutely a judge, and when the second reading of the bill came on they would be quite prepared to prove that he was legally and constitutionally appointed. He might say that Judge Edwards would draw the salary of a judge. JUDGE BDWARDS* APPOINTMENT. Mr BRYCE did not regard the question as one of party, but it appeared to him that the appointment was perfectly just and defensible, and he could not understand what political motive the Government could possibly have had it. The Opposition, however, had approached the question with ft view of proving the Government guilty of some great iniquity. If he could beshewa that the appointment was a wrong one he should not fail to condemn it. Mr FISHER wanted to know why, if the appointment was a legal one, the bill had been introduced at all. It was unfair to Parliament and the gentleman whom it concerned that a bill should be introduced in this particular way. Moreover, with a deficiency of revenue it was the duty of the Government to place the House in possession of the information that they intended to incur a further annual expenditure of £2500. He remembered the time when there no trioks resorted to in the conduot of the business of the House. Mr SEDDON characterised the whole thing as a job, and he hoped members behind the Government would not sanction it. He would like to know out of what funds Judge Edwards' salary was being paid at present, and if the appointment was a legal one what the bill was introduced for. He was not going to allow extra taxation to be put on the people of the country for appointments of this kind. The Government were bringing the Supreme Court into contempt by appointments suoh as this. The motion for reporting progress was put and carried. BUMMYISM. The Hon. T. W. HISLOP said he wished to move a motion without notice. It would be remembered that several members during the financial debate had alluded to the existence of dummyism in Canterbury, and he therefore wished to move as f oIIowb— " That allegations having been made that dummyism has taken place in regard to the selection of land in the Canterbnry district, it be an instruction to the Waste Lands Committee to inquire into and report whether dummyism exists, and what remedy should be taken to prevent it." Mr M'KENZIE (Waihemo) moved that " other places " be inserted in the motion as well as Canterbury. The motion with this addition was agreed to. THE PROPERTY TAX. As I stated last night, a tough fight is imminent over the property tax so soon as the way is cleared by the present debate being got rid of. The Opposition are sanguine of securing a very close vote on this question with the_ aid of several Auckland members who, they think, will not venture to vote against any motion antagonistic to the obnoxious tax. On the other hand, the Ministerial party believe that even on such an issue as this the secessions from their ranks will be few, and that they will have a safe if Bmall majority. It is not yet decided in what precise form the motion shall be put. Some favour taking the fight on Mr Barron's motion for the gradual extinction of the tax, but the prevailing feeling seems on the side of a more direct and unqualified denunciation of the impost. BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS. The Bible-in-Sohools party held a meeting this morning. It was thinly attended, only 10 members being present, although others were put down as " accounted for." Mr Tanner's bill on this subject was considered and generally approved of. One or two members dislike the provision allowing comment on the portion of the Scripture read. The meeting was one of members of both branches of the Legislature, and Mr Acland, M.L.C., presided. The death of Dr Menzies, M.L.C., who had always taken a warm interest in the movement, was referred to with deep regret. I may say in passing, so far as I can learn, that this bill does not stand the remotest chance of passing even its second reading. The feeling in favour of some modification of the Education Act that should meet the views of the religious education section seemBto,,me less strong'this year than it was last year, PRIVATE SCHOOLS BILL. I see no prospect of Mr Pyke's Private Schools Bill getting through, or even getting so near a passage as it did last year. The strong political tone adopted by certain religious educational institutions has done a great deal to disenchant some who were favourable to subsidising denominational schools, and even were the state of feeling in both these respects just the reverse of what it appears to me to be, the olose proximity of a general election would probably prevent anything] being ito«e tbw flessioa in a matter p«

which the constituencies might reasonably expect to be first consulted, consequently I do not anticipate so radical a change as either of these to be seriously attempted this session. THE GOVERNMENT TAKE A STAND. I have now ascertained definitely that Mr Monk is the member who will move to reduce the first item in the Estimates by £1, as indicative that the Government should reduce the total by £50,000. lamin a position to state on authority that the Government will not agree to this, but will resist it to the uttermost, and will oppose any attempt to alter or cut down the Estimates as now presented, holding that they are just aa low as they can be having regard to the interest of the public service. MISCELLANEOUS. The Public Petitions Committee reported to-day on the petition of Alexander Marshall, of Oamaru, who alleges he and his family were induced to leave England in 1876 by a promise that they would each receive 20 acres of land in this colony ; that the land has not been granted, and the petitioner asked for an equivalent to the value of the land which was stated to be available. The committee reported that the petitioner be referred to the Waste Lands Committee. THE MAORI MEMBERS. In reviewing the recent snatch division, I mentioned that Mr Parata, the Southern Maori member, was understood to have withdrawn hia countenance from the Opposition party. Mr Parata, however, denies this, and says he intends to continue voting on that side ; in fact, the Maori members seem to recognise the desirableness of abstaining from throwing their combined weight on either side. It will be remembered that the Maori members used to vote systematically two and two until Sir George Grey •• headed " them, and then they gave him the block vote. This caused some irritation, and dissatisfaction was expressed at Ministers being kept in office or turned out by the Native vote, and the Maori members were recommended to revert to their former policy. This they have done of late, and now Messrs Carroll and Taipua vote with the Government; Taiwhanga and Parata with the Opposition. LIBRARIES. Of the various new bills circulated one, fathered by Mr Ballaoce, is to authorise the expenditure of borough funds in establishing or assisting libraries which may be wholly or partially maintained by private subscriptions, but which must have free reading rooms. TIED PUBLIC HOUSES. Mr R. Reeves is bringing in a bill to prevent any brewer or wine merchant, or any other owner or lessee, from binding the licensee to deal with such brewer or merchant. This, of course, is a blow at the " tied" system of public house working. A third bill, of which Mr S. Shrimski, M.L.0., is the parent, relieves publicans _in j boroughs from the present loathsome obligation to receive corpses for the purposes of inquests. The bill provides that bodies shall be taken to the nearest hospital, and the inquests held in the nearest courthouse. JUVENILE DEPRAVITY. The Hon. Mr Stevens' Industrial Sohools Bill enables a magistrate to commit young girls taken from houses of ill-fame, or from the control of prostitutes or drunkards, to a school to be speoially appointed for the reception of such girls, and for them to be kept there up to 17 years of age. There is provision also for the allocation of expenses of such committals.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18900710.2.49.2

Bibliographic details

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 17

Word Count
2,348

FRIDAY, JULY 4. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A PETITION. Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 17

FRIDAY, JULY 4. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A PETITION. Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 17

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