REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2250, 15 April 1897, Page 24

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

In the House replying to the Hon. Mr , Steward, • The Hon. J. M'KE^ZIE Raid he hoped | during the next eesisiou to introduce a Fair ! Rent Bill. Replying to Mr Wason. The Hon. Mr SEDDON^ said he should endeavour t) obtain the fullest information I with respoct to cstfvblishfug a first-class s^eim ' servics; between Niw Ztaland find Melbourne or Sydney and lay if* before the Hou'-e. Rpplving to Mr Wright. The Hon. Mr SEDDON said he should in no wise commit the colon} 1 in respect to the Midland Railway Company's contract., which was virtually non-existent, but his preferred not to i go into Ih^ matter of thf amauufc expended by j the Government sines the date of their leeutry. Replying to Mr R M'Kei zie, The 'Hon. Mr SEDDON siid the Government would -strictly comply with the law respecting the Midland railway contract. Rep'ving to Mr Lang. The Hon. J. M'KENZIE siid he hoped to introduce a Bretroot K'js;.'ir Bill next se;sion. Replying to Mr G. Hu'c'iisin, The ' Hoi.. Mr SEDDON siid that wha^vpr had b?(ti done re^pecUa,: tlie Bu=hy Park estate had been done with the r.pproval of the general msuager of the Asse'.f Bsard. Repljing to Mr Moor?. The Hon. T. THOMPSON said no recommendation had been made ou the qu?ttion of issuing f--ee passes on the Government railw»rs to volunteers attending comnany shotting matrhts. The decision to abolisn Ihoso !roj paeseg had been come to on th 2 advice o* rffi'jt.rs commanding the forcL-s and the Unrfer-secrfctarv for Defence, but passages would be provided for volunteers attending those matches tt very low rates. Replying to Mr Joyce, whether the Minister for Defence will discontinue issuing to volunteer corps Ne-w Zealand-made, ammunition of which the powder is of au inferior quality — povder dust as compared with explosives in Ec/ cartridges, The Hou. T. THOMPSON said it was Homemade ammunition, and instructions had been sent Home to have it relisted. Replying to Mr Wright. The Hon. Mr SEDDON s«d as soon aa the Federal Convention was ovr he should again reopen the question of allowing sOfc for r'gcicultural purposee to be admitted dv y f>-< j e Replying to Mr Taylor, whether th/± Government will, in the interests r.f pubhc morality and for the protection of investor*, 'ake steps to proaocute th-3 directors aud officials of the Colonial Bank connected with the issue of fraudulent balance bhc.et*. Th>; Hon. Mr iSBDDON said the matter was on-, for -the Supreme Court to decide aud not for ihe G-overnmen l . Replying to Mr Taylor, whether the Government, in view of the widespread dissatisfaction expressed in coimectioa with the existing adminifct'ation ot the Police Forca of the colony, will appoint a comiusnion to investigate its organisation and Rfimmistration, The Hon. T THOMPSON said he was not aware of the widespread dissatisfaction rei'eTed to, and nothing had reached him to warrant his appointing the commission asked for by the member for Chrietchurcb. Replying tn Mr Joyce, if the Government during the recess will take into consideration the advisability of offering the Bank of New Zealand in the London market for sile as a going con- em. The Hou. Mr SEDDON said he had had quite enough of the B^nk of New Zetland in the colony, but he wa3 confident the Bmk of New Z^al&r.d was prospering and was improving its posit ; ou every day. The Government had offered the position of general manager to Mr Tegetmeier, a financial auttority iv London, aud there vris every iikelihooi that he would accept it. Tuey were also endeavouri' g to obtain a first-class mau outbids both banks for the position of auditor of the bank. Replying to Mr Montgomery, The Hon. Mr SEDDON said returns would be laid on the fable respecliDg tlie realisation of the estate* of the Bank of New Zealand. The realisation made by the board had been very satisfactory so far. Replying to Mr Jovre. The Hou. ftlr KEDDON said the amendments made in the Old A^e Pensions Bill would be proposed nex'- sets6iou. and he hoped, with the assistance of the House, Buch a satufaclory measure would be passed as would commemorate her Majesty's Recsrd R,sign. Replying to Mr R. Thompson, The ' Hon. Mr /rEDDON paid ho should gladly sack the assistance of hon. gentlemen io as to bring in satisfactory legislation to prot-ct the gum-digging industry being ruined by tbeinflux of foreiguers. Replying to Mr Fiatman, Tae'Hon. J. M'KENZIE said the Government would make somi proposals next se-sion respecting further means of acquiring Und for settlement. liep'ying to Mr G J Smith, 'Ihe Hou. Mr CAD MAN said he had htfd the question of the el-.ssilication of railway employees under consideration tor the last six weeks, and he hoped tobriug down an amended bill next cession. Replying to Mr Hojrg, whether the Minister for Railways will eucourscge the establishment of meat freezing and pres'-rvijg wodca i.i country \ dii'-ricS by lvCuclug th i earrings of dead meat aud providing c;ol oar' en ,-ur railway li!^C3, ] 'XiXQ Hon. Mr CADMAN. saia there were

many applications of this kind, and he could not agree to the request. THE ADDRKSS TO THE QUEEN. The Hon. Mr SEDDON moved—" That the House concur in the report of the Joint Committee on the sixtieth year of her Majesty's reign." He admitted the address to her Majesty might ba "improved, but as the Legislative Council bad adjourned sine die he did not see how any alteration could be made. If they refused to piss the address with all its defects there would be no address at all. He felt sure if there were any defects in it they would be overlooked, inasmuch as rhe address would com-- from the New Zealand Parliament. Mr O'IiEGAN tuggest-id that, they should pass a resolution instead of an adares?, the wording of which he totally disagreed with. Sir R. STOU C said there were some p&ris of the address which certainly required alteration, and he hoped some meics would be taken to put the address in proper E'iglish. A length? discussion ar)s?. I The >no*Mi tor th-i adoption of the address ' was cair.ed by 39 to 20. j 'IIIK CODLIV MOTH. Replying to Mr Rolleston, The Hon J. M'KENZIE said a bill was being prepared foe the purpose of preventing the spread of the codliu moth. ADJOUIiVMKNT. I The Hon. Me SEDDON moved that the j House adjourn til Tuesday, at 2.30. — Agreed \ to. j The Ho.ise rose at 6.25 p.m. CLOSING SCENES OF PARLIAMENT. The busincs3 of the first sefasii v of the new Parliament was brought to a conclusion on Saturday evening. The Premier from ii sb to last engineered matters in his well-kLOwn masterly sbyle v.itu the usual result — viz , tint he got all he wanted. In matters o c . procedure ) and a minute acquaintance with a'l the rules and forms of procedure there is still no man in the Homo a match for our astute Premier. The closing seeues of Saturday's sitting wsre devoted miinly to the address to the Queen and | to personalities. | THE ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN. j After all the protestations ot loyalty and the I many high-sounding s-pjechps imde by hon. I m-mber*, it came as a surprise; that such a lame | and iaipotsut address, to say nothing of its bad i English, fhould be allowed to go forth from Parliament to the Qaeeu. A f the las', however. io beKamp simply a- queftio-i of address or do i sddress, for, the Up>er House having adjourufd, thsu 4 wa* iiu means ot conferring to atac-ud the precious product'o. 1 . that ha i bs«n prepared, tjcrugh sill were agreed that it mig \~ be vastly improved. One man suggested tua', the services of an interpreter should bs secured to get. the address done into E- g'iah, aud another that the English of the address seamed to him to be Irish. Sir Robert Siout pointed out several incongruities, and said ha coulu fully believe that, in the invent of the Stinuiug Hotni- cf tlie address in its present firm, our friends iicrcibG *ln rp-a mis;bu very well be pardoned for tMtikirg that we are all Maori?. Mr Seobie Mackenzie and one or two others .il3o &f:okf! disparagingly of the address, and then Mr Gi:o. Hu cnison rose and declared that it seemed to b3 a in'xture of Seddon and Pecksi'iff. lie iiii<ic a. ve^-y neat hit at the Preuiior ana his parry by teinim; A MODEL ADDRESS, which he thought they might vary weH send in the place of tho one prepared. Tais address ran as follows :—": — " We, fc'-ie representatives of th» co'ony that has advanced farthest and f«.st-sl; iv the race of democracy, b.g to inform >(.ur Majesty that we have lied a special f<» sLn of Parliament t» arrange for the fccc^ptance by our Premier of jour invitation tv™ the colony should bo r«j>ies'iiied on the auspicious occaaicxi of the s.ixfcii.!h anniversary of your aci ession to tho Throne. We desire i most hpartily to j -in with all the other parts ot the Empire, iv ce.ebratui^ that event, not only »s recognising in it; the triumph of constitu- ; fif»ual frteiL.m, but &,>/.) as cvHeuflinjr our Biucer- re^s.rc 1 05- tuo.-ie perronu.l qualities the iiflueuce of which has dove so much to d:stinguish tbe Victorian era. Not in disparage men fc of constitntiocal government, but in view of the historical importtr.ee of the occasion referred to, we have bsen content in I'arliatnent to waive for a time the full exereiss of our right? so that our colony nuy be tl presented at the great ingttherinp of the pfopie*; who owe a'legiaure to jou as Queen and E-upr'ss. At tbe same lima we deoiro to explain, a* wftll as mention the fact, as otherwis3 an even temporary surrender of our privileges might appear to derogate from that freedom which must remain the grandest monument ot your reign, j that wehave met and are &b~>ut to disperse under ' ooTiditions which would be intolerable if we did not believe they are ouly temporary. Fjr the purpose ul being represented in London on the 22ud of Jane wo have granted an extension of supplies upon (he appropriations of a Parliament the actions of which Jiave been largely repudiated by the results of the recent general election. -To you, as the tov»reigii most illustrious iv assisting the advancement of consti'utional government, tho meeting of Parliament tor the redress of grievances and the taking into consideration of measures lo" 1 the wfll-b i'ig of the cokmy on the date of tbe sixtieth anniversary of your acce*siou would, if apsjeiated with a suitable representation in London, bave probibly been considered Ihe j highest tribute we could pay ; but that has bfen found impracticable. One characteristic of ojr Premier and ths incapacity of his col- \ leagues huve necesiitattd th« voslponemeat of tbe regular meeting of Parliament. Tbe obscurity of our finance, the dubiousness of our administration, and the degradation of democracy iv our Government might be considered developments that threatened the subversion of Constitutional GoverLm«nt in our midst, were ! it not th*t we are persuaded that these develop- ' m^nts are only temporary i;j their operation, and th»t the prcjeafc tuspension of pirliamentary control will probably Wd to its speedy reestablishment on a firmer bjsis " The caustic references iv Mr Hutchison's production made some of the alleged Liberals on the G >vt rnment aide of tbe Houss squirm, and Mr Hogg, who was the first to gpeitk, at once became personal, suggesting that Mr Hutchison's effusion ' should bs engraved in brass, with a porlra't of the hen gentleman in his f ishionab'.e clothes put in one corner of the tablet. Mr Seduou, in reply, wax-.d very wroth, and by innuendo alfo gofc iv a personal reference to Mr Hutchisou. He threatened if there were time to move that Mr Hutc-hison'3 address be expunged from Hansard. Eventually the address to the Queen was agreed to, and it will be sent forward as printed. THE BANKS. There wa3 some preity plain talk about banking matters iv the: House, and apparently more will be heard of theai next session. On Satur- 1 day afternoon Mr Taylor asked the Government whether they would, in the interests i of public morality and f _>r the protection of , investor?, take steps to prosecute tho direc- I tors and cfficials of the Colonial Bank con- j ntcttd uith the istue of frtudulenl bxlauco , sh-bts? Iv B^evking on the question Le said tUo matter was b, public soaudul. stvod

almost oa a level with the Balfour scandal in the old country aud that of the Harper Bn s. in this There was a strong feeling amongst the people that the Government should undertake the prosecution of thofe concerned in this swindle. Mr Seddon in reply expressed regret that the hon. member should make such statements. The question was one that ought to be k-fo to all the parties to settle privately. If they were to go into questions of disputes between directors and their shareholders there would be a good many people in this country who would have to be prosecuted — a statement that evoked several •• Hear, hears " from Givornment supporters. Mr Seddon announced th^t Mr Tegetmeier wan to take the general managership ot j the Bank of New Zealand in place of I Mr Henry Mackenzie, and that Mr Butt (the auditor) was prepared to go back inti his former position in tlie bank. The intention of G u'ernuaaiit was to obbaiu, if they could, a first-class mau outside of both banks, and put him theiv as auditor for thf, colony, and he (Mr Ssddon) w.is on rhi? io'ik-ous now for such a person. Captain Rus«cll asked, "What about the president," to which Mr Sedcion replied that it was not his fault that his proposal in regard to this ma'tsr had not besn accepted by the last Parliament. That was a matter for the House to settle. THE POLICE FORCE. Mr T. E. Trtvbr, in a«king his question in regard to the appointment of a commission to investigate tho orsjanibatiou and administration of the Police Force, siid the men were in a state of rebellion against their authorities, and the tervice was honeycombed with political appointments, and there was more uudettcted crimo iv this than in any ot the other colonies. Tee Hon. Thomas Thompson svd he w.-s not aware of l.or was hts prepared to admit thai there was widespread dissatisfaction expressed in connection wi.h the existing administration of the Polios Force. He went on to refer to the case of ono Theo. Waka and his connection with the force. Mr Taylor then charged the Minis^r with trying to make capital out of tointthiug else ; thereupon there were cries of " Ordar ! " and Mr Taylor, -<iibMdtug. riiseri a laugh by remarking, "Very v\e!l, I shall have much pleabure in bringiug it up again next session." THE STEAM SERVICE TO AUSTRALIA. The Premier and some of th 1 * members of Parliament are evidently not, aatiflied with the steam seivicß between New Zealand aud Australia proviilfd by (.ho Union Company ' sud Messrs Huduart, Parker, and Cj. Ou [ Saturday afterno >n Mr Wason aakrd the Premier if he will ascertain and lay before tho House early next session the approxirna'e csb of establishing a tirst-class steam service between New Zealand aud Melbourne and Sydney. The Pronver, in leply, said he would endeavour io obtain tho iullesh informaI tioa iv reference to the mat'^r. He had no I hesitation, whatever in siying that tie steamer accommoda ion we had required improvement. He would go further. Il" tbe colony bad b.t cr communication with Australia, thousand* of pcopb would visib the colony who now thought tbe journey too long If a faster s^rvicy w t rj esiab'ished, there wer- [ great uumbtrs of people who now visited I Tasmania who would come fo Zealand i insle.id, but the 'enßth of time the voya^-3 took al,a 1 , p^estnt d^temd :henj. In regard to the Westralian service the fact appears to be, as I advised jou on Friday, that no back freight c^.ii^JsS'secur^d. TUB PETONE MURDERS. To-morrow, I under»l,tnil, the. iste of the convict Bijs'.er, condemned to . d<*a±h for tho , Petone niu-dor-, will c tn-j before the Executive I Council. Petitions invc buen received from I those who are opposed Io cipita.l punishment as I a question of principle, having for their prayer | the commutation o* the capit.il sentence.. It is j also objected to the carrying out of the aen- ' fence that the evidence adduced at thfe t'ial ; left some doubt as to fcuffieiency to support the 1 coavictioru ■ THE CHEMIR CASE. [ With regard to the othoi convict (Chemis) a ', petition has been received for hia release. Thi« petition has been largely signed, aud will be probably considered at the same meeting of the I Council to-morrow. I unders ,iud that Mr C | H. Mills, who has been an earnest woncer on j b»balf of this man Irom the date of his conviction to the present, fiuds tint the doubt which had been cterhained at first has enlarged and the petitioners for pardon become more nume- | rona. They pray that the whole ca?e ot Chemis should be reconsidered, and, further, tu&t the clemency would bo gracefully exsrcis»d on the completion of the sixtieth year of her Majesty's reign when all the subjects of her Empire are ! rejoicing. JOTTINGS. The " Daybreak " action will not after all | come n f o tbe law court;. An arrangement ; was come to at 1 p m, on Saturday by which the Ministerial journal baß to apologise, release the proprietor trom all claims they may have upon her, and pay certain costs ; iv short, the piper has had to climb down all along tha line. If the case had gone into court no doubt some j interesting facts would have been disclosed. Mr Taylor said on Saturday that Mr Chamberlain is look.id upon by many people as one ] of the greatest political traitors of the centory. Mr Wason thought the remark exceedingly ill-t'med. Mr J. W. Thomson eaya the cost of the Promier'a trip Home, taking the expenses of Parliament, &c . into consideration, will be nearer £10,000 than £1000. Mr Scobie Mackenzie thinks the trip may ultimately cost the colony £20,000. The Hod. Mr Rolleston protests against the action of the Government in postponing until the end of the year the many importaut matters, including the bank scancals, the gagging of the press, &c , which should receive the immediate attention of the House. During the debate on the desirability of extending the Premier's holiday, Mr Hogg convulsed ihe House. Speaking in the loud and dif sonant tcnes which we are obliged to listen | to so ofteD, he touched ou the advantages of i granting the Premier the longest possible time I in order (hat he might dissuss important quf-s- | tions and do all he intended. " How," ha de- | manded vociferously, " could the Premier carry . out all his plans in so limited a period as the | Opposition suggest. Would he not return as ; empty as he went ?" After the laughter had j subsided Mr Hogg explained his apparently uncomplimentary remark. He had iikened tbe Premier to a workiDg bee returning with his pollen to his hive. The mental picture of Mr Seddon'd ponly form, pollen laden, winging its ' airy fl'ght back to the hire (the House) proved i again too much for some members. j

The old Maori custom of " hahunga," or the exhurairg of bodies for scraping and tangiing, is being interfered with by the police at Kiikohe, B*y of Islands, and the Natives in that district are much incensed thereat. Four Natives have been summjned at Kaikohe for exhuming ths bones of deceased relatives without perm'ssion from the Colonial Secict&ry uudec " The Cemeteries Act. 1332."