PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1085, 3 August 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

(From Hansard.) . . . Llpel. • Mr. Reid, asked the. Minister .oft Justice, whether the Government intend takingany steps this session with the view of amending, tbe law in respect to criminal'-ancL civil actions for libel? It opinion of all newspaper -proprietors, throughout the colony that the criminal and civil law <of libel stood very- -much in need of amendment, because they could be' put to great expense and inconvenience by a plaintiff instituting proceedings in the Supreme Court, on account of any paragraph which might be injurious to his feelings^ and going no further with the lawsuit. Mr. Hall said that looking to the present state of the f Order Paper, and the period- of the session at which they had arrived, it was quite impossible for the Government to introduce any additional measures of this kind. GOVERNMENT INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. Mr., . Murray asked the Colonial Secretazy, what amount has been, and is now being paid, for the use of premises by the Government Life Assurance Department to the Government ;and what allowance, if any, is made to the? Government for the cololiial guarantee to" the ' assurers ? They have' been told told that this Government Life Assurance Department was self-supporting. The officers I of this department were allowed to occupy premises in the Government Buildings, and he thought it would be well if information were given to the .'House as to the amount of rent which had hitherto been paid for the use of the offices, and now of the buildings formerly used as. the Provincial Government offices on Lambton Quay. With regard- to the allowance made to the Government for the colonial guarantee to assurers; he had not yet sden the report of this department, but he understood . that the colony was liable to the extent of £4,000,000, and that the amount that had been accumulated was below £500,000. It was desirable to know ,what profit the colony directly received for bec'dming guarantee for aucli a large amount. , .(Major Atk.inson\sakl the department, up to .the beginning of last year, paid no rent for the offices. The late Government had taken steps to the department for stationery "and other things. Since that time £350 had been charged for rent, which had. been paid. "With regard to the guarantee to assurers, that question was settled in the House when the Act was passed. It was a matter of public policy to induce the inhabitants of New Zealand generally to insure their lives, and some twelve thousand policies were now extant. INSPECTOR OE PRISONS. Mr. Stewart asked the Minister of Justice, whether an Inspector of Prisons for the colony has been appointed ; if not, whether the Government intend to make such an appointment in Great Britain, in the present circumstances of. the colony? • The advertisement in the London Times of the 31st March, 1880, was as follows : " Inspector of Prisons, New Zealand. — The Agent- General for New Zealand will receive until the 15th April, written applications fbV (the appointment of . Inspector 'of Prisons in NeWr^ealand. The salary will not exceed £600 per annum, with the usual travelling allowances," He wished to ask the Government whether they thought it necessary to go out of the colony for the purpose of selecting an Inspector of Prisons. The practice in other colonies had been to make the appointment in the colony. The Inspector of thePentridge Gaol, who was promoted from the ranks, was a gentleman of undoubted ability, and the institution of which he had control ranked, for disciplineand good management, is one of the best in the world. Any person appointed in the Home-country would be at a disadvantage for several years in acquiring the colonial experience which persons in the colony possessed. He understood that an appointment to a prison' in Canterbury of a person from Home, which was made some time ago was not altogether satisfactory. ' Mr. JR-oll'eston-said.it was entirely satisfactbry. Mr. Stewart was glad to hear it, because he had heard that Mr. Justice Johnston refused to try a prisoner . who was sent up Mr. Rolleston must point out that the honorable gentleman was introducing debatable matter. Mr. Stewart would not say more on that point. The other branch of the question referred to whether this appointment was necessary at all, considering that Justices of the Peace visited the gaols regularly. Mr. Rolleston replied that the 1 Government had every reason to believe that by this time the appointment of ah Inspector of Prisons had been made by Sir Julius Yogel. Information had reached the colony that "applications in compliance with the advertisement had been received, and they were under the consideration of ttie ; ' - General when the Government last heard from Engr land. ■■'■'•■ ■■•}■ SCHOOLS OF AGRICULTURE, Mr. Barron asked the Government,, if there are within the colony any schools established foe giving instruction in agriculture in l'eceipt of .. j&& : . vernnient aid ; and, if so, what is the nature of such aid, whether by

endowments, grants in kind, or money; and what advantage it is . stipulated shall be placed at the disposal of fchV public .by such schools, in. consideration, tb||'eon •'„ . ;.> ?..• . v Mi\ Kolleston said the only school* of agriculture that was iv. existence in the colqrry was one which.; was established by. the Provincial Governments Jf Canterbury in the year 1873. ?A' reserve "was then made of 1.00,000 acres of land, and the school has since beeu... established at a farm a short distance from Chvistchuvch, on the line of railway. Full particulars as ttT&his -School will be found in the report of the Royal Commission that was appointed to inquire into the operations of the University of New Zealand and the secondary schools of the colony, and which had recently been laid upon the table. If the hon. member would refer to page' 28 of that report, which was contained in j Paper H. — 1, lie would find the j particulars to which he alluded. ■ Originally the endowment amounted < to about .£I,OOO a year. A farm of 500 acres of land, of vaiious qualities and adapted to different kjnds of farming, had been purchased near the railway station at Lincoln.' The .curriculum of the school was- not yet defined-.; but it was intended the instruction should extend over three years, --director pf the ; -school gave instruction iv theoretical and practical agriculture and chemistry, and there' was a chemical laboratory in connection with the school. The school was open to the whole colony ; and scholarships had been established in connection with it, which practically gave free education. Their value, including the cost of instruction, was about £65 a year.