GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2252, 10 September 1891, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wellington, September 7. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Monday. LAND BILL. Sir George Whitmore resumed the debate on the motion for the second reading of the Land Bill. He characterised the penalty clauses as despotic. The perpetual lease without the power to purchase was also despotic, and would make serfs of the settlers. He objected strongly to land nationalisation as unworkable and uncalled for by the mass of the people. Mr Shrimski warmly supported the Bill. Mr Miller, Mr Bowen, Mr Stuart, Mr Acland, Mr McLean, and Dr Pollen opposed the Bill. Mr Buckley having replied, the second dreading was agreed to. The Bill was referred to the Waste Lands Committee. The Council rose at 8.15 p.m. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tues--day. The Local Bodies Bill was read a first time. ACCIDENTS AT FOOTBALL. Mr Shrimski called the attention of the Colonial Secretary to recent lamentable accidents on the football field, and asked if it was the intention of the Government to bring in a Bill this session with a view to minimising these accidents. The Colonial Secretary replied that at this late period of the session he could not bring in a measure as directed by Mr Shrimski. ELECTORAL BILL. The Colonial Secretary moved the second reading of the Electoral Bill, and in doing so explained its provisions. The second reading was agreed to on the voices, and the Bill was ordered to be committed next day. MINING BILL. The Mining Bill was committed. Clause 104 being reached, the Committee took the dinner adjournment. The Council resumed at 7.30 p.m. MINING bill. In Committee on the Mining Bill On clause 320, “ duration of hours of labor.” s Sir G. Whitmore moved —“That the first paragraph be struck out.” The Committee divided with the result that the clause (eight hours labor) was struck out by 15 to 8. The remainder of the Bill passed through Committee, with only some verbal amendments, and was reported with amendments; leave being given to sit again next day. FIRST READING, The Post Office Acts Amendment Bill ■was read a first time, the second reading being fixed for Thursday next. dentists act. The Dentists Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. SELECTORS LANDS REVALUATION. The Selectors Lands Revaluation Bill was recommitted. Several verbal amendments having been agreed to, the Bill was reported as amended, and the third reading fixed for next day. , „ Mr Shrimski asked the ruling of the Speaker whether the Bill was not a Money Bill, and therefore out of the power of the Council to amend. The Speaker said he would give his ruling next day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL. V The Colonial Secretary moved that the amendments in the Legislative Council Bill made by the House be agreed to. Sir G. Whitmore moved —“ That the amendments be not agreed with.” After debate, the amendments were put seriatim. , . , The amendment relating to 21 years of age being the minimum at which members may be appointed, the amendment relative to the term of office being reduced to seven years, the retrospective amendment, the leave of absence amendment, and the election of Speaker clause amendment, ■were all thrown out.

The new clause, “ Privileges to retiring members/’ was agreed to. Dr Pollen, Mr Miller, Sir G. Whitmore nnd Mr Stevens were appointed managers to draw up reasons for disagreeing with the amendments of the House on the questions at issue in the Bill. The Council adjourned at 10,15 p.m. till the following day.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Monday. THE FACTORIES BILL. Mr Reeves moved that the amendments Tnado by the Legislative Council in clauses 9, 13, 23, 27, 39, and 60, in the Factories Bill be agreed to, but that the other clauses, in which important alterations were made, be not agreed to, and that a Conference be appointed to confer with the Legislative Council.—The debate was adjourned till next d&y. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

The Premier moved the second reading of the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill- The Bill,, he said, had been agreed to by the late Municipal Conference at Wellington. One of the alterations made in the present Bill was that in case of a proposal for a special loan a majority of two-thirds of those actually- voting shall bs sufficient to carry the proposal. The Bill also proposed that 1 per cent, of the general rate may be applied to certain purposes, and It was also provided that the Council may transfer its powers to supply gas and electricity. Mr Fish, Mr Buckland, Mr Fisher, and Sir John Hall spoke against the Bill. Mr jDuthie, Dr Newman, Mr Moore, Mr Swan, Mr McDonald, and Mr 0. H. Mills supported the Bilk The Premier in replying said that the Bill was a very harmless one, especially as it had been recommended by the Municipal Conference. The motion for the second reading was agreed to. FUBIiIC TRUST OFFICE ACT AMENDMENT BilL.

The Premier moved the second reading of the Public Trust Office Act Amendment Bill, which he thought would place the 'Public Trust Office in a much better position than it had been in hitherto. Clause 3 provided that the Public Trustee should hold office during pleasure and good behaviour, which he thought was a very important change as well as a wise one, as ah office of this kind should be responsibly t? the Government of the day.

It was provided by the Bill that the Trustee may administer property under £250 in value without an order from the Court. He took this opportunity of stating that it was the intention of the Government to make good any losses that might have been sustained in the Public Trust Office through improper investments. The losses amounted to about £SOOO, which the Government considered that they were morally bound to pay. After a short debate the motion was agreed to, and the Bill referred to the Public Accounts Committee. NAVAL AND MILITARY SETTLERS AND VOLUNTEERS LAND BILL. Mr Seddon moved the second reading of the Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteers Land Bill, for the settlement of certain claims to land of naval and military settlers and volunteers. The motion for the second reading was agreed to. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. SECOND READINGS. The Crown Lands Restriction Bill, and the Lyttelton Harbor Board Land Bill were read a second time. LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. On the motion for the third reading of the Government Loans to Local Bodies Bill, Mr Fergus strongly protested against the measure. He said that the Government should not be allowed to spend £50,000 without some control over it by the House.

Sir John Hall said that the strongest argument in favour of this Bill was that the Government had a majority in its favour.

Mr Rhodes also condemned the Bill,and said by it the House was giving the Government unlimited power to spend this money at their own sweet will.

Mr Rolleston said that the Government professed to be a non-borrowing Government, but they brought down Bill after Bill which authorised borrowing in the most open manner. Mr Fish had full confidence in the present Minister for Lands that he would not abuse the power placed in his hands by this Bill, but at the same time he did not like the principle of it. Dr Newman, Mr Buckland, and Mr Moore opposed the Bill. Mr McKenzie said that he had only one object to serve by this Bill, and that was to open up land for settlement. He cared not where the land was, whether in Mr Buckland’s district or that of any other member of the Oppisition side of the House, so long as he opened up land for the people of the colony. The Premier said that they were told they were now asking for extraordinary power, but he held in his hand a Bill with exactly the same object brought in by the late Government, only that Bill asked for £IOO,OOO, whereas the present one provided for £50,000. He denied that the Bill was a political necessity. There never was any Bill hedged round with so many safeguards, and there could be no political patronage under it. The Government were simply exercising their Constitutional power for carrying on the colonisation of the Country, and he was surprised at the Opposition quibbling over the measure. The Bill was read a third time on the voices.

On the motion that the Bill-do pass Sir J. Hall quoted from the Financial Statement of last year to show that the Bill spoken of by the Premier was altogether different from the present one, inasmuch as there was no indication whatever in it that £IOO,OOO was to be spent without the vote of the House. The Premier still contended that last year’s Financial Statement referred to a Bill similar in principle to the present measure.

The Bill then passed, THE POST OFFICE ACT AMENDMENT BILL

Mr Ward moved the second reading of the Post Office A,cts Amendment Bill to establish a penny post for the colony. If the Bill passed it was the intention of the Government to bring it into operation on the 31st March, 1892. A clause provided for the issue of postal notes to the value of £5 with a ! currency of twelve months, and he might say that in instituting the change, New Zealand was ahead of the civilised world. The Bill also provided that engraved stamps may be used on envelopes and schedules, and reduced postage on newspapers to the Australian colonies from Id to Jd. Referring to the desirableness of establishing a penny post he quoted from figures to prove that in 1883 the excess of revenue over expenditure in the Post and Telegraph Department was only £1239, but in 1891 the excess over revenue was £72,730. Whilst there has been an extraordinary increase in the revenue during the last few years, the increase in expenditure had really been very small. During the past ten years the total increase in revenue over expenditure was £303,597. As to the contention raised that the proposed concession was no benefit td the working men, he asked whether any concession could be given to the commerical community without reflecting directly on the working class I From the returns prepared he found that domestic letters would be relieved to the extent of £13,000 by this change, which was a strong argument in favour of his contention that the workers would benefit by the reduction. After quoting largely from figures to show the enormous increase in correspondence within the colony during the last decade, he went on to remark that the general tendency all over the world was to reduce the postage fates. That being so they were not justified in this colony in keeping the present rates. He asked the House not to take a gloomy view of the matter, but to consider the great commerical, social, and political advantages which must follow.

Sir John Hall complimented Mr Ward on the great care he had exercised in presenting this question to the House. He could not agree with the proposal to reduce the postage rates contained in the Bill. The Postmaster-General had presented some! very interesting figures to the House, but those very figures had shown that the present rate was no hardship, and that it had not stood in the way of commerce of the extension of communication. As to the intimation that those who objected to the proposed reform did so became it came from the present Government, he desired to say that tliere was no such idea in his mind; at any rate there was no doubt that the proposed change affected the commerical classes more than any other section of the community.

Sir George Grey said that the proposed change was one of the wisest he had heard of for a long time as it would benefit the whole community. Mr Fergus believed that if this Bill passed the bulk of the community would not write 5 per cent more letters than they now wrote. Mr Fish asked whether it would not be wise and polite in the face of the fact that they were now entering on a new scheme of taxation to postone this postage reduction till they had seen whether or not there would be a deficit.

Mr Mitchelson regarded the present time as inopportune for this reduction. Mr J. Mills said that the Government had by their taxation proposals increased the burdens on the mercantile classes, and he looked on the present proposal as a concession to those classes.

Messrs McDonald, Saunders, Rhodes, and Dawson supported the measure, and Messrs Duthie, Fisher, Moore, and Harkness opposed it. The second reading was carried by 26 to 4. The House rose at 2 a.m. The House met at 2.30 p.m. _on Tuesday. QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr Rhodes, Mr McKenzie said it was intended to proceed this session with the Land for Settlement Bill; that he should communicate with the Railway Commissioners with a view to obtaining a reduction on the freight of wire netting suitable for rabbit fencing to the same price as ordinary fencing wire. Replying to other questions it was stated the Government valued very highly the services of Sir F. Dillon Bell as Agent-General; that during the recess the Government would consider the question of imposing a license fee on tobacconists in large centres; that it was too late in the session to appoint a Commission to inquire into the petition of Mr Justice Edwards; that a pamphlet containing the speeches of Messrs J. McKenzie, Seddon, and Ballance, coupled with a map of Sir John Hall’s property, were printed at the expense of members, and paid for by them. FACTORIES BILL. A motion that the House agrees with amendments in clauses 9, 13, 23, 27, 29, 58, 60, 72, and 80, and disagrees with the other amendments of the Legislative Council, and that Messrs Pinkerton, Tanner, and W. P. Reeves be appointed a Committee to draw up reasons for so disagreeing, was agreed to. POST OFFICE ACTS AMENDMENT. Mr Ward moved that the House go into Committee on the Post Office Acts Amendment Bill. Mr Fish proposed that the Bill should be committed that day three months, but this was not seconded, and the House went into committee on the Bill. On clause 2 Mr Fish proposed that the Act come into force on Ist July, 1893. This was. lost, and the remaining clauses passed without alteration. The Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. THE VAILE SYSTEM. On the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply, Mr Rees moved the amendment of which he had given notice, to the effect that the Vaile system of railway management should be fairly tried on the Auckland railways under the supervision of Mr Samuel Vaile before the expiration of the Government Railways Act, 1887. He spoke at some length in support of his amendment, and strongly urged the House to agree to his proposal. Mr Smith (New Plymouth) seconded the amendment, and also strongly supported the proposal to give the Vaile system a trial.

Mr Rees’s amendment was lost by 30 to 21. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.30. THE LEADER OP THE OPPOSITION. Mr Ballance congratulated Mr Rolleston on being elected leader of the Opposition, and said he could assure the hon. gentleman that the Government would render him every assistance in carrying out the arduous duties that fall to the leader of the Opposition. Mr Rolleston thanked the Premier for his kind expressions of good will, and he accepted them in the spirit in which they were offered. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. Mr Seddon laid the Public Works Statement on the table. THE ESTIMATES. The House then went into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Estimates. Postal and Telegraph Department vote, £25,500. Some discussion took place in reference to the increase of certain salaries that were reduced last year. Mr Seddon explained that the number of officers having been reduced those who remained had more work to do..—The item was passed. Postal and Telegraph salaries—£ls6,6lo. Carried,

Telegraph cable subsidies Carried. , Telegraph cable repairs Carried.

Telegraph extension—£3ooo. Carried. Conveyance of mails by sea—£29,24l. Considerable discussion took place over the vote of £15,258 for the San Francisco service, Mr Rhodes moved that the vote should be reduced £5, as an indication that, the service should not be renewed, but this was lost, and the vote passed. Conveyance of mails, inland—£2s,l9l. Carried.

Miscellaneous—£3B,soo. Carried. Department of Justice Gamed. Crown Land Offices—£2lss. Carried.

Supreme Court —£6685. Replying to Mr Rolleston Mr Reeves said the Government had made arrangements for sending the case of Mr Justice Edwards Horae to the Privy Council for its decision. Mr Scobie Mackenzie wanted to know whether the Government would acknowledge that they had made a mistake in respect of their treatment of Mr Justice Edwards. No reply was given, and the vote passed. Bankruptcy—£64l7. Carried. District, Resident Magistrates’, and Wardens’ Courts—£42,s29. [Left sitting at 2 a.m.]

Wife— 4 Mr Blower, you’ve always claimed to be a man of push, haven’t you 1, Husband ‘ That’s what I claim to de’ dearest; and I’m always ready to stand by that assertion.’ Wife —‘ Then what’s the matter withpushing this baby carraige a little, precious V