TUESDAY, AUGUST 13.

Otago Witness, Issue 2164, 15 August 1895, Page 22

TUESDAY, AUGUST 13.

In the Legislative Council this afternoon the Family Homes Piotection Bill, Mining Companies Act Amendment Bill, and Hawksbury Borough Reserves Vesting Bill were passed. The Coal Mines ' Act Amendment Bill was

(brown out.

COAL MINES BILL,

The Hon. Mr M'CULLOUGH moved the second reading of the Coal Mines Bill. There was one clause in the bill which he anticipated wonld meet with some opposition — viz., the report as to tho state cf the miners to be furnished fey mine managers.

The Hon. Dr POLLEN, as one of tho committee who recommended the passage of the present act, thought the bill unnecessary and mischievous. Ho therefore moved an amendment that the bill be read a second time that day *ix months.

The Hon. Mr JENNINGS hoped the bill would pats its second reading. Iv Committee he intended moving certain amendments which he hoped would have the effect of still farther protecting the lives of coalminers.

The Hon. Mr REYNOLDS supported the bill.

The Hon. Mr JENKINSON somewhat regretted that the wtighing clause had been introduoed into the bill, as he thought it should have bsen introduced into another industrial bill. However he trusted the bill would go into Committee where it might be amended.

The Hon. Sir G. S. WHITMORE regretted the Government had not taken up the bill. There were many objectionable features in it which would cause friotion between miners and mine managers, and would have mischievoua effects. He supported the amendment

The Hon. Mr KERR failed to see why the bill was required. The Hod. Mr PHARAZYN supported the anjcndment. 'Xh« bill was lost by 20 to 9. The following is the division list : —

Against the Amendment (9).— Messrs Kelly, Rig?, Jenkinson, Jennings, W. O. Walker, Feldvriek, M^Cullougb, Montgomery. Buckley. In Favour of the Amendment (20) — Messrs Reynolds, L. Walker, Richardson, Whitmore, Bonar, Scotland, Earaicoat, Bolt, Swanson, Shrinuki, Pharazyn, William?, Kerr, Taiaroa, MacGregor, Ac! aud, Johnston, Grace, M'Lean, Pollen.

In tbe House of Representatives this afternoon attention was called to the verdict of the jury in tbe case of the man Somerville, charged with murder, but tbe matter was postponed. A poi trait of her Majesty the Queen was received from Sir John Hall. The Local Government Bill was discharged from the Order Paper to allow of it being introduced by a melange from the Governor. The debate on the Financial Statement wa* then resumed.

THE MASTERTON TRAGEDY.

Mr W. HUTCHISON asked whether the attention of the Government had been called to the recent verdict of a jury in the charge of murder against SoraerviUe in the Wellington Supreme Court. He said that it appeared to him a serious miscarriage of justice had occurred in that case, and he would suggest to the Government that some means should be taken whereby a mistake of tbat kind should not occur in future, and that insanity Bhould be more clearly defined.

Tb» Hon. Mr SEDDON said it was « most; serious matter. The attention of the Government had nob been specially directed to the matter be> ond seeing the report of the trial in the newspapers. He asked Mr Hutchison to gi*e notice of his question, so that the Minister for Justice could make inquiries into the whole tances. t

circumsl

THE ESTATES COMPANY,

The Hon. Mr SEDDON gave notice to move on Thursday — "Tbat a select committee of six members be appointed to confer with &ny similar commit' ee appointed by the Council ; the committee to examine and report upon the Bank of New Zealand Estates Company and its relations with the Bank of New Zealand ; to .inquire how, in the colony's iutereats, the two institutions can be belt separated and how the earning power of the Bank cf New Zealand may be increased, its stability ensured, and its usefulness extended ; the committee to have power to call for persons and papers, and to report within a week ; tbe committee to consist of Captain Russell, Sir R. Stoat, the Hon. Mr Ward, the Hoa. Mr M/Kenzie, Mr Buchanan, snd the mover."

TBE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL,

The Hon. Mr SEDDON moved that the Local Government Bill be discharged from the Order Paper, as he found the bill weald have to be introduced by a message from the Governor. — Agreed to.

THE VACANT JUDGBSHIP.

On Saturday I indicated Sir P. Buckley as a f>rob-blo recipient of the coveted honour of a seat on the Supreme Court bench, and the signs are stronger now than then that he will bo induced to efface himself in a political eeme and consent to retire to tbe serene light of the Supreme Court bench In such event the reconstruction of the Cabinet will b8 a matter of concern to the Premier and hia colleagues and interest to the public. You may remember that laat session when the Cabinet difficulty was an open secret, I indicated the probability of tbe translation of Mr Qninnecs, Chairman of Committee?, to the Council ai representative of the Government, and that Mr Joyce would be likely to find himself in the chair vacated by Mr Gninness. These things eeem likely to happen Bhortly if Sir P. Buckley accepts the position of judge of the Supreme Court ; or it may be that Sir Westby Perceval will be induced to repre-

senb the Government in the Council, and that would clear the way for the advent of the Minister for Labour as Agtnt general. Very curiously the Evening Po t, the consistent friend and supporter of Sir P. Buckley for nearly a quarter of a century, in most outspoken in its opposition to the suggestion that he be appointed to the judgechip, and this evei ing ha 3an editorial on the subject, in which ib asscrte that District Judge Ward has been too long passed over, and tint it will be a public scandal if he is again ignored and tbis high office made the subject of political log-rolling.

THE ASSETS COMPANY.

Tha Premier give not'ee to-day that hi would move for a committea of six perfoin to inquire into tho position of the Bank of New Zeiland Estates Company and its relations with the bank, and as to how the two institutions an best be separated. The committee is to consist of Sir R. Stou^, Captain Rns-ell, Messrs Seddoo, Ward, M'Kenzie, and Buchanan. Tha committee from tue council will be - Messrs *Bo\/eo, Stevens, Kelly, Grace, M'Lcan, and Montgomery. By the terms of the lesolation, the committee are to report by the 23rd inst. — that is, before the report of the directors of the Bank of New Zealand is published or tho mooting of shareholders held.

THE FINANCIAL DEBATE

Mr SA.UNDERS said the model speech in the debate wa3 that of the Minister for Lands, which was not only amusing, but it gave an aooouafc of good work done by bim ia bis department, which alnioab warranted him (Mr Saunders) in saying that ib was justifiable to borrow money for the purpose. He strongly deprecated the way in which borrowed money had been continually squandered in the past. Mr-M'Kerjziebad during his speech no Ices than four time? asked tha House how else money could be obtained except by borrowing, and in reply to that he (Mr Saunders) read an exhract from a speech made by Mr Ward, in which he stated that borrowing was not necessary, and the Government had decided not to have recourse to it. He (Mr Saunders) thought there were four ways by which they could obtain mo»ey without borrowing. The first way wa<! by fiimply taking Freetrade revenue instead of Protective, duties. Auother way to get the money was by paying the sinking fund, and he should be glad to see the act repealed that gave the Government power to use this fund. Our credit would then improve, aud we should be able to borrow money much cheaper than at present. Another way of increasing our revenue would be to prevant the importation of alcohol into the colony, which would incrcs.se the revenue by £200,000 a year. He held that if a Government were iv office that would reduce the expenditure to what it was 30 years ago the colony would increase its revenue. He did not undervalue the civil service of the colony, but they were too highly paid altogether. Every Government was the earns in respect, and although we had had great hopes of the present Government, they were just the same as their predecessors, so that there must be something in the Wellington air which prevented every Ministry from practising retrenchment. He regarded the proposed tariff as a cruel one, as ib pub heavy duties on the boots of poor farmers' children, and he held thai co long as they proposed to tax coal and wheat and articles of that kind they would never be a great country. New Zealand would never be prosperous till ib was a Freetrade country. He regretted to see no reference in the Statement to the unemployed and charitable aid. What they should do in the case of people who could not help themselves (the infirm and aged) was at once to purchase large estates of 20,000 acres and put those people there, and give them moaey to build their home 3. Then they could send the unemployed to the same place and give them work, but not pay them more than they deserved. Ten thousind acres of this estate should be first-class land and 10,000 good grazing land. The land should be in the vicinity of a railway station, and there should also be a coal mine close to ib. - That would find a solution for the unemployed d'fficulty. When they found that £200,000 was proposed to be spent in support of the aged and charitable irstifcutions, they should nob objecb to starting an institution such -as he had mentioned, costing probably at first £250,000, which- he held would settle this greab question of the unemployed.