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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7061, 22 August 1894, Page 2

sirous of getting a (Donferwnot of lb« various colonies at an early date. He thought both IVotectiooUu and Freetrader* should rally, and that mom arrangement might b* come to later oa. He wid the Hoaee woo Id be given an opportunity this seaaion to discus* the tariff question. KAILWAT ICT AMWDMIJCT. The Government Railway Act Amendment Bill w a* introduced this afternoon, and I hare after considerable difficulty been able to obtain the following forecast. The amendments made by this BUI in the prin* cipal Act are as follows :— A member of the Executive Council is appointed Minister of Railways, who by rirtae of such office becomes, without salary, Commissioner of Railways, together with three Commissioners appointed under tho principal Act, and if to preside at their meetings, and to hare an original and a casting vote at their proceedings. When only two Commissioners are present, and they differ, the question at Issue is to be deferred for another meeting. The offioe of Chief Commissioner under the principal Act is abolished, and the salaries of the thret Qosm»aaiionen are eqnaljsH, ssd fixed at not more l.han £1000. Bach Commissioner is to hold offioe daring good behaviour, for the term of their appointment, and the Government may suspend any Commissioner from ef&os., and if in the subsequent session of Parliament an address to the Governor to restore him XS office it not adopted, the Governor may confirm such suspension, and the office is vacated. In addition to the existing cases, a Commissioner who receives any feoor commission of any sort from a contractor, «tc., is to vacate hit office. The power of taking land for railways under section 24 ef the principal Act is taken away from the Commissioners and vested in the Governor or the Minister of Public Works. The power of fixing upon sites for stations, etc., nnder section 21 of that Act is transferred frem tha Commissioners u> the Minister of Railways, who tnay require a committee to suggest a scheme for reducing expenditure, and W disapproved of may propose hii own scheme, while the matter remains to be determined by the joint Commissioners. Contracts for supplies above £100 are to be open for publio trader. The estimates of expenditure are to be submitted by the Commlftionen to the Executive or Government before presentation te Parliament. Moneynappropriatodootof the Public Works fund for railway* are to be expended only under the direction of the Minister for Public Works. BeJaries exceeding £300 are not to be increased by the Commissioners without the approval of tho Governor-in-Council. The power of the Commissioner* to grant leave of absence is limited to that of granting short periods of leave only. " Appeals from the employees on important questions are to be heard within thirty days by a Board. The employees will elect one member of this Board in each Island. On resolution of either House at a fatars session thtt the Government railways should revert to the Qa«ra, the Governor may, by Order-in-Couneil, lix the day upon and from which the said resolution shall take effect. Thereupon the principal Act becomes repealed, acd the Commisstooen vacate their ofßeaa, bat are to continn* for the residue of their terms of offioe at the same salary as officers of the Qoson in the Railway Depart* ment. oouscn. busixmb. In the Co loci!, the Hon. sir Stevens moved that it be a recommendation to the Government to include in any Bill to amend the Municipal Corporations Act, provisions by which no nignatures other than those of ratepayers shall bo admitted to any petition, under section 24 of the Act of 1888. Hon. Mr lligg characterised the motion as a retrograde step, holding that householder* were .squally entitled to rote as well « as ratepayers. 4 The motion was carried by 25 to 3. The Council considered the report from the managers of the Hoaee re tbe amendments made to the Industrial Conciliation Bill, and Mr Montgomery, as representing the Government, [moved that tbe Ooanoii do not insist on i's amendment*. Hon. Mr E<owen held that the Council should insist en the amendments, providing that no Trade Union shall bold more than one acre of land. Mr Montgomery's motion was agreed to in the Council. The Siroon Act Amendment Bill was read a second time, after objection by th; Hon Stevens aid Oliver that the measure did not contain safeguards such as were piovidod in ease of Municipal and County Councils. Wbllixotoh, to-diy. LAX» fttm ftEITLEMBJtT BILL. The Land for Settlement BUI passed the third reading alter a debate lasting the whole evening, and which was simply a repetition of the arguments raised on previous stages ef tbe measure. The Minister for Lands said h« would aroepl the amendment of the House regarding the eonstito- 1 lion of tho Board of Purchase, which is the Surveyor-General, Commissioner of Taxes, and Commissioner of Lands for the district. Mr Bell's amendment to re-commit Vhe B:fia. for the purpose of limiting the operations to | one year was osgstived by 40 to 13. I jottihos. I The Premier said hs bad no farther information to give the House rt Samoa, The Groat Powers had not accepted New Zealand's overtures, sad he was very sorry for it. The number of sheep in tbe colony on April 30 was 20,122,656, being an increase of 742,187 on too ■umber of the previous year. A return was laid on tbe table, by order of the House, of the number of permits granted during tbe year nnder th« Gaming sad Lotteries Aoi. Permits granted to persons connected with religions denomioatiosj was 57. The number of permits to racing clubs for tbe totaliaator was 247, and the revenue derived £10,375. Tbe Public Petitions Committee repsrt favorably on the petition of Mr W. f. Crawford, who claims a refund of Uie rnoasy paid for stamps destroyed in the brewery fire. Nothing is yel available re tbe f'isbota* •> Courthouse tender*.