PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 14100, 13 July 1898, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

[By Telegraph.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, July 12. The debate on the second reading of the Juries Act Amendment Bill was resumed. General opposition was shown to the proviso that the Crown Prosecutor should be substituted for the Grand Jury, it being thought that there should be no intermediary between the lower and higher courts.—The Minister of Education, replying, said he would not object to an amendment in this direction, and the second reading was carried by 22 to 10 and the bill referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Mr Duthie directed attention to the Hansard report of a speech by the member for Caversham, in which that member was represented as saying that Mr Duthie, in a speech at the Theatre Royal, hud said that Mr‘T. E. Taylor had come to him and arked him to enter into a compact undrr which he (Mr Duthie) should support the temperance party and he (Mr Taylor) would help Mr Duthie to turn the Government off the benches and then they should part. Remarks by the Premier to a similar effect were quoted by Mr Duthie, who moved that as there was no foundation for the statements they constituted a breach of privilege. — The Premier said that there was really no ground for a breach of privilege. It was well known that Mr Taylor had worked for Mr Duthie at the recent Wellington election, and as to a compact Mr Duthie had said in conversation with him (the Premier) that though he did not'.remember the words ascribed to him those which had been quoted represented what was about the position.— Mr Taylor denied that there had been any compact, though be admitted he had worked against the Government candidate at the Wellington election, and had said repeatedly that the present administration was no longer entitled to the confidence of the country and should be turned off the benches.—Leave to withdraw the motion was refused, and the motion was negatived on the voices.

In reply to questions as to the purchase of Otahu estate and the fitness of the land for settlement, the Minister of Lands said he would bring down a motion to have the subject referred to the Waste Lands Committee, and if the terms of his motion did not meet with the approval of members they could then indicate their wishes in the matter.

The Public Petitions Committee recommended that Police Sergeant Scully should receive one month’s pay for each year of service.

Replying to questions.—As 'to placing settlers under the Land for Settlements Act on unequally favourablefootingfinancially as local bodies who borrow from the Government the Minister of Lands said the Government did not see its way to do so.—No committee was needed to consider the Old Age Pension Bill as the Government hoped the measure they had in hand would become law this session ; the question of charitable aid was admittedly in an unsatisfactory position.—ln reference to experimenting with the Hungarian and Russian stage system of railway traffic the Minister said he would be glad to have information on the subject.— The Premier said the Government would decline to answer any questions regarding working details of the Bank of New Zealand. —As to settlers being enabled by law to claim compensation for fire damage by railway locomotives the Minister said that all the Department could do was to use appliances and means calculated to avert 6res. In a very special case, where the damage had been traced to locomotives the Department Jiatl puial vom|o»uo<*tjvia tiv llxv I’JOOLC. oUUcontracting was in force in connection With the Auckland Exhibition buildings, where some carpenters were receiving from 6s to 7s, and a few 8s a day. The Minister of Labour was strongly of opinion that whenever grants or subsidies were given to local bodies those bodies should adhere to the customary hours of labour and rates of wages.—The Police Commission hal been entirely wring in giving Mr T. E. Taylor copies of evidence, though in doing so they did not think the concession would be used for any unwarranted purpose. Members would now be placed in possession of the evidence given to Mr Taylor. The Premier deprecated such questions as whether he were “ correctly reported in the Lyttelton Times of 22ud March last as having stated to a reporter for that paper that the Master and Apprentices Bill would be reintroduced and sent to the Upper House, and if the Council should again obstruct the measure we shall have to consider the best means of removing the obstruction.” He declined to be bound by what appeared in ; newspipers in such matters. If the Referendum Bill were not carried the Government might consider the question of the Premier being enabled to speak in boh Houses.—The Government did not think there was any present necessity for extending the time for celebrating marriages from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.—No reply had been I received to the Government’s memorandum ‘ to the Secretary of Stats as to social preI cedence in the colony.—The question of stud horses being under inspection by Goveernment veterinary surgeons, was not at present a pressing one in hue opinion of the | Minister for Agcieul ure.—Tne price of I L 24.000 for Bushy Park estate had been 1 asked by the Bank of Now Zealand before the Realisation Board came into existence, and was a book value which in that, as .in other cases, haff not been maintained by the

Realisation Board.—The Government had not yet made up its mind as to the desirableness of amending the Land and Income Assessment Act or the Government Land Valuation Act bo as to enable the department when a landholder insists that it is over-valued, to purchase such land plus 10 per cent, on the department’s valuation. Evening Sitting. The Noxious Weeds Bill was read a second time, and the Orchards and Garden Pests Bill a second time pro forma. In moving the second reading cf the Government Advances to Settlers Act Amendment Bill the Miaister of Linds said the Government had no intention of raising at once the million and a half authorised under the original Act, but to extend the time within which it might be borrowed to 1901. The object was to place the Government ip a position to raise money as it was required, so as to avoid the possibility of the money lying idle.—Mr Kolleston said it was extremely desirable that fuller information should bi supplied in reference to the real value of the securities on which money was advanced unr’er the system. It was, he bilieved, a fact that in some instances persons who borrowed money under the Act employed part of the money In paying rents and interest due by them to the State. If that was so there was obviously a grave case for enquiry and consideration. —Mr G. Hutchison directed attention to the Minister’s omission to tell the Hou e whether the Government intended to raise the money in the colony or in England. He aigued that the lending departments of the Government should extend their operations by lending to settlers and so avert the necessity for going to London. The Advances to Settlers Board had become more and more a political institution andjthe valuations were made aud money advanced accordingly.—Mr Wason cited a case to show that the Public Trustee had conducted a certain valuation with a view to curry favour with his political chief.—The Minister challenged the charge, asked for particulars of the case,and indignantly questioned the accuracy of the statement. Those who accused the Advances to Settlers Board of being a political institution did not know what they were talking about as it was constituted in the same way as the boards of the other lending departments. Advances were not made except in accordance with the law nor except on sufficient security, and as to rent and interest in arrears the department deliberately stipulated for their payment in connection with advances as a matter of common sense.— Bill read a second time. The debate on the second reading of the Municipal Franchise Bill was resumed by Mr Kelly, who thought the franchise should be confined to househollers. —Captain Russell deprecated the Government’s piecemeal efforts in the matter of local government reformjand advocated a comprehensive well considered scheme. With regard to the present measure he admitted that property might have a disproportionate share of voting power, but thought the extension of the franchise should be confined to householders. In committee he would endeavour to have the bill placed on an equitable footing.—Mr Duthie did not think they would get a better class of municipal administrators under a popular than under the property franchise. The results were likely to be populaiity-hunting and the introduction of a spirit of Tammany, but he thought the franchise should be extended to householders.—Mr Ward read a description of the municipal franchise in Glasgow to show that it was in some respects ahead of that now proposed, and said that the restrictions proposed by the leader of the Opposition would exclude woman from the municipal franchiseMrG. Hutchison pointed to municipal corruption in the United States as indicating what wai to be dreaded here from an extension of the franchise to those who were not householders.—Mr Tanner strongly supported the bill, and said the present voters were in the proportion of only one to six and half of the colony’s municipal popu ■ lation.—Mr Taylor advocated an extension of the franchise because the present one was a commercial franchise. He held that voters should have the right to vote for loans, and that municipal areas should be extended.—Mr Fraser argued that the bill , abolished the old franchisi and created a I new one on the basis of manhood and 1 womanhood, and was brought forward for popularity’s sake when the Government’s majority was waning. He would limit the extension to householders. —Mr Wilson eaid that in Wellington at least there was a demand for an extension of the municipal franchise, but he thought it should be limited to householders of six months’ residence or tenancy.—Mr Brown would vote for the second reading but would limit the franchise to householders and persons who have rented a portion of any house for a year.—Mr Meredith supported the bill and thought the powers of municipal bodies should be extended.—Mr Wason maintained bill would not lead to the social amelioration spoken of by some of itss, supporters because it. provided no machinery to that effect. Personally he would favour a reform which would compel the municipal authorities to deal with slums and other evils.—Mr Morrison held that an extension of the franchise would necessarily lead to social and sanitary improvements.— Mr Moore contended that there was a wide difference between the work which had to be done by the corporations of large towns of the Old World and the municipal bodies of this colony. What was needed was a comprehensive measure to amalgamate the local bodies and extend their powers arior to an extension of the franchise. — Mr Bollard did not favour the franchise being extended beyond householders. —Mr Buchanan characterised the bill as one of those measures dumped down on the floor of the House without having been considered by the Government. He would limit the extension to householders. —Mr Sligo said it was uncalled for.improper.and untruthful to assert that those who stood for the rights of proparty were opposed to the rights of humanity. A householdei’s qualifications should limit the franchise.—Mr Carson favoured boroughs having increased powers in preference to the proposed extension of the franchise. At 12 40 a.m the Premier rose to reply and showed that what was proposed in the bill was practically the 1 iw in Britain, which proved that there was no ground for the opposition to the bill on account of its radicalism. The bill was in fact a moderate measure of a most necessary municipal reform.—The bill was read asscond time, on a division, by 43 to 11, and the House rose at 1.15 a.m.