GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1539, 31 July 1886, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. In the Legislative Council on Wednesday. In reply to Dr Menzies, who asked if Government would consider the propriety of lighting night trains with the electric light, Mr Buckley said that the matter was under consideration by the railway authorities. The Waimate Racecourse Empowering Bill was read a second time. • The First Offenders Probation Bill w«« considered in . Committee, and progress reported at 5 p.m. After a lengthy debate the-rabtion for the ■ second reading of the. 1 Salmon and Trout Bill was negatived on the voices. ~ _ The second reading of the Sheep Act Amendment Bill and the Mining Bill were agreed to. " 1 I A. Mr Whitaker moved the second reading of the Settled Land Bill. A discussion ensued and the debate was adjourned till next day. , -- : | • Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill was further considered in Committee, and progress being reported the Council adjourned. In the Legislative Council on, Thursday, The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company's Additional .Capital Bill wag reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. . - • , ' ' The amendments proposed by 'Govern- ’ ment in the Defence Bill and-Mining Companies Bill were agreed to. The amendments of the Council in the Coal Mines Bill, which had been disagreed with by the House, were not accepted. The Native Land Administration Bill and Native Courts Bill were recommitted, and slightly amended. > The Settled Land Act Bill was read asecond time. The Government Loans to Lofcal Bodies Bill was fualber considered in Committee, and the Bill reported with amendments. The Counties Bill was recommittsd for the purpose of considering several amendments. These were agreed to, and the Bill reported. Tim First Offenders Probation Bill waa further considered id Committed. Amendments were agreed to, and the Bill reported. / The Sheep Act Amendment Bill was committed and reported with amendments, and the Civil Service Reform Bill waa . further considered in Committee. Pro* . gress was then reported, and leave given to sit again. The Mortgage Debentures Amendment Bill, and the Port Ohafoara Fife Brigade Site Bill were read a second time. A number of local Bills were also read a second time and the Council adjourned.r HOUSE OP KEPBESENTATIVES. In the Rouse ,of Representatives on Tuesday the. debate on the second reading of the Loan Bill concluded, and the division resulted in its favor—Ayes 30, . ' noes 17. Forty four members paired. In the House on Wednesday, It was resolved that for the remainder of the session Government business taka precedence on Thursdays. Replying to questions ,it was staled that steps would be taken after the session to ascertain which of the telegraph offices could be closed with advantage v during,the hours of 7 and 8 p.m; ; that engine-drivers and firemen on the New Zealand railways Were classified, end their wages increased Id 15s per day, and no further increase could be promised ; that the unemployed question was re* ceiving the serious consideration of Government ; that the practice of allowing tobacco to prisoners had been discontinued for. some time past. / ' Sir Ju’iif Vogel introduced the Government Life Insurance Bill, and the Property Tax Bill, The Gold Duty Reduction Bill was gnssed through Committee and read a third time. , . The Beer Duty Amendment Bill, on the motion of Sir Julius .Vogel, was restored to the Order Paper. The Treasurer moved the second reading of the North Island Trunk Railway Loan Application Bill, limiting the expenditure of that loan to the purposes of that railway. These were specified as cost of railway, rolling slock, etc,, and cost of acquiring native land to an amount not exceeding £IOO,OOO, 2£ ptr cent of which was to be devoted to hospital and charitable aid endowment for the North Island ; the remainder to form railway reserves.—The second reading was carried after some debate. The Loan Bill was next considered in Cnrtimittes. Replying to questions, £ir Julius Vogel said he did not think another loan would lie needed before 1888, and that the Government refused to take less than a million and a half: negotiations were already in progress with the AgentGeneral pointing to a loan of that amount being raised in October. The whole of the clauses of the Bill were passed without amendment, though not without opposition. On reaching the schedule a number of ‘ propositions to strike out different items war* tabled, and the Hems Westport-Inan* gahua line £63,000, and, . Blenheim* Tophouae £68,000, were struck out. The item £375,000 for permanent wsy, rolling stock, etc, was reduced to £326,000. In the House on Thursday, Mr Sevan called attention to .a brsach of privilege on the part of Mr Fergus, the member for .Waka.tipn, while the House waa in Committee on Thursday morning. When the railway connected, with portions of lines in hia own district were under discussion, he was assailed by Mr Fergus with some very coarse remarks, to the effect, that the Hok'tika-Greyraouth Railway was a swindle, accompanied with some very coarse adjectives and obscene -r*' epithets, which he would not repeat to the House. . ‘ . Mr Fergus explained and apologised and the subject dropped. The Deceased Persons Estate Dutiei Act Amendment Bill, and the Administration Bill were committed and passed without amendment, • The House went into Committee on Ihp Public Bodies Leasehold Bill, a few slight amendments being made in. some of the clauses.. • • ■ ■■ The House wont into Committee on the Harbor Act Amendment Bill, which passed with verbal amendments. Several new clauses wart added, which elicited lengthy discussion, . The House rose at 5.30 p.m. Oh the House resuming at 7.36 the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill|

which had been' postponed - for the consideration of new clauses, was further discussed in Committee, There was a long argument over clause 2b providing for ths represeniation on district hoards |j be proportioned to the amount of contributions thereto by the several contributors. Mr McArthur moved an addition to the clause in the direction of adjusting the representation on the united boards on the principle laid down regarding dis'rict beards.—-Agreed to. Clause Ba, directing boards to collect contributions on a uniform scale was objected to by Messrs Buchanan, Pearson end others, who drew the attention of Country members particular’y to it. An attempt was than made to strike out of the clause the words preventing the imposition. of differential rates, but it was negatived by 35 to 20. A motion that the Chairman leave the chair was slso negatived after a long discussion ami the clause carried intact by 33 to 20. A number of clauses passed /with Unimportant amendments, and the Premier in view of t\ 'ate sitting that morning, moved to i w ort progress, which waagreed to. The Bills passed through Committef that day were then dealt with in tber final stages. The Premier wished the Dog Registration Act Amendment Bill to be read a third time, but, Mr Rockland protesting, said he would not prase it and the Hons* adjourned at 12.5 a.m.