GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11568, 8 July 1899, Page 1

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW ZEALAND.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Fbiday, July 7. -The Hon. the Speaket took the chair at 2 30 p m The Immigration Restriction and Short hand Reporters' Bill were read a first time. The second reading of the Separatt Institutions Bill was agreed to withou' dot ate. The Minister for Education moved the second reading or' the Workers Compen sation for Accidents .Bill. He explained that ib was almost similar to the measure of last year, and only differed from thi Imperial Act in that it covered a widei field, by making trade risks universal. Clause 17 had, however, been re-inserted securing to the worker that the liability of "the employer thall be the security oJ any mine, or that there should be a first mortgage upon a mine to secure an injured worker his damages. Clause 20 bad been also incorporated again, defining tht compensation to coalrniners. The motion for the second reading was adjourned til) Wednesday, and the Council rose at 3 o'clock. HOUSE OF .REPRESENTATIVES. Fpiuy, July 7.— The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at 2 30 p m 1 he Wellington Electric Lighting Act Amendment Bill, enabling several suburban boroughs to introduce the electric light, was read a second time. The Lands for Settlement Act Amend- j ment Bill, the Public Works Act Amend- ■ ment Bill, and the Government Accident Insurance Act Amendment Bill were introduced by Governor's message, and read a first time. On a motion to lay certain correspond dence on the table quoted by the Minister for Marine, in his speech on the Marine Scandal, a discussion arose as to the admisEibility of only part of the corres* pondence. , Several members insisted upon the whole correspondence being placed before them, including the envelope memo. Mr Fisher contended that the Opposition wore msrely attempting to waste time by useless questions and application for papers. Mr Crowther objected that certain information had been supplied to some privileged members, while others were kept in the dark. Mr Smith moved, as an amendment, that the papers be referred back to the Minister for Marine, with a request for the production of the wholo of the papers. Mr Allen said tho administration of the Marine Department was not credit able to the Minister. Mr Seddon said it would take time to get a complete copy, as the originals would be before the Royal Commission, but he promised that when the Commission had finished with them the originals would be placed on the table. He suggested that both the. motion annadmend^ metit should be withdrawn. Mr Taylor hoped the question would go to a vote, as thij would probably be the only occasion on which the House would be able to discuss the question Mr Millar agreed tint the only ta.isfactory way was to place the whole af the papers on the table- He would oppose the application for indemnity. J\.r t irani said the only possible way of eliciting the facts of the marine scandal was to indemnify certain important witnesses that their evidence would not be used against them. Messrs Guinuessand Hawlin3 advocated the adoption of the amendment. Mr Fisher said they were merely wasting the afternoon, and one serious result was tbat <*clay was caused in the issue of the writ for the Wellington election Mr Duthie submitted that the honour and the whole of the acts of Ministers we. re at a ake in the mit er ; therefore the question w.i& i:ot « tjivLl oui. AJr G. Hutchison trusted that there would be a withdrawal of the mutilated documents), and thata complete list would be tabled. Mr f-'eddon felt quite sure that the personal honour of Ministers was quite safe in regard to the marine ecandal, and he defended the stand taken by the Minister for Marine in tabling v portion of the documents asked for during the debate. He made a statement regarding the so-called scandal, and said he did not want to prejudice any person imp.iiiated, bub as far as the Government were concerned they had nothing to fear from any enquiry that might be held. The whole facts so far elicited showed the wisdom of the Government in asking for a Royal Commission to dear the matter up. After dUcussion, the Premier agreed to the withdrawal of both motion and amendment, and promised to lay all the documents on the table at a future date. On the motion of Mr Seddon, the Speaker directed the issue of a writ for the Wellington elestion. The House rose at 5.30. On resuming ut 7.30, Mr Fisher resumed the debate on the Address-in-Reply. He defended the Minhtry for treating the amendment to the AddresB>in-Reply as a no-confidence attack, as the motion questioned the integrity of the Ministry, and no Ministry having regard to thtir self-respect, and wishing to retain the confidence of their supporters and the Liberal Party of the country, could decline to treat it in any other tnauner. He severely criticised Mr J. Hutcheson's action in connection with the scandal, twitting him wi'h breaking his pledge iv voting against the Government before resigning. Of all the scanda's originated against the Govern*, ment not one had been proved, and he was confident that when the Commissioners' report is before the country it would be seen that the Government came out of the enquiry with clean hands. Mr Massey had every confidence in the gentlemen appointed to carry out the enquiry into the Marine Scandal, but he asked who waß to be Crown Pros3cutor, and would Captains Altaian, Jones, and Von Schoen be examined, without whose evidence- the enquiry wonld be a farce He advocated tho completion of the North Island Mum Trunk Railway by the shortest route, urging a more vigorous policy in its construction. With regard to the charge made against the Opposition that they bad noipolicy to put (before the country, he enumerated a number of planks upon which they differed from the Government. If the Opposition got upon the Treasury benches they would propound a policy that would be more acceptable to the country than that carried out by the Government. Mr Seddon 3aid the policy of the Government had been to press on to better things, and that the condition of the country showed that its legislation lTaa wise and its arJmim's'.rntion pare. Referring to the Assets Realisation Board, ho defended the work done by the Board, which was in the interests of the Bank and tho colony genera' ly. He also defended the offer made of New Zealand troops for service in Samoa, as helping the Imperial authorities in case of emergency in its policy of dealing with the Pacific Inlands. He further defended the action of the Government in connection with "tho Mid* land Railway, and blamed those who had attempted to damage the credit oi the colony in connection therewith With regard to valuations in th< Hawke'e Bay district by which certair. lands had been under-valued to the ex tent of £400,000, he pointed out thai

the result was to place the burden of local taxation on small settle? s. PHPer, ring to the statement of the senior member for Dunedin that Uie country li v-ftl in a foetid political attnosphci o, Mr Seddon said that the stateni' ut was conect, but the foclid atmosphere catue from the Opposition side of tho House in the long list of fictitious scauoah thoy were continually bringing against ins Government. Speaking on the mar us scandal, he said that he believed in the hones-'y and integrity of his colleague the Minister for Marine. The Government bad done its duty on the question fear-, lessly, although personally it pained him very much in having to order a pre secu-« tiou in connection wit.h tho matter. With regard to the Civil Service, it had been stated I hat Ministers should stand by their officers in cases where errors of judgment occarred, and every man was liable to err at times. Ministers did stand by thtir officers, but where there was a doubt it was their duty to enquire into the conduct of officials. H<* did not believe for one moment that there was collusion between Captains Joues and Allman. The latter had, he believed, erred from a feeliDg of consideration for Jonts. Mr Rollestou said from the tone of tho Premier's speech the Premier evidently thought he was addresriug a bush meeting instead of a House of Parliameut. The country had beeu lately drenched with the cry o[ Liberalism, until he was sick of tho name. The fact was that the whole of the labour legislation had been initiated by the Opposition long before the present party came into power. It was monstrous the way iv which the Premier had gone about the country, and maligned certain members of the House. RegardiDg the Premier's connection with the Anglo • Continental Compauy, he condemned a member of the Cabinet holding a position ia a private compauy thai, might biiDg him into conflict with his public duty. The Premier hid asked him why he (Mr Rolleston) could, with the views he he'd, sit with the Opposition. The reason was a simple one: it was because he could trust them. He could not say as much of the Premier. Regarding the marine scandal, he said he knew of no occasion on which a Government had so debased themselves as the present Government had done in connection with the matter, nor had he known a case where a member had acted co nobly as Mr Hutcheson in severing his connect fcion with the Government Party in consequence of their action with respect to that question. Mr Kaihau thought that the Government should, instead of purchasing native lands for settlement, buy from Europeans who held large ureas. After the telegraph office closed, Messrs Kaihau and Buchanan spoke. Mr Stevens replied, after which the A ddress<4nt.Reply was agreed to. The House rose at 2 a.m.