PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2132, 27 August 1875, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(feu tbess agency.)' HOUSE OF EEPIIESENTATIVKB. Wellington, Wednesday. ■ PDDtIO OFFICES. Mr Webb moved that thero bo laid before tho-HoußO copies of nil correspond deuce and telegrams between tho Government and llio Superintendent and Provincial Executive Council of Cantor' bury relative to tho erection of Government buildings in the city of Christchureh. The lion, member said they were paying an extravagantly high rental for 'tbo accomodation aflorded m tbo General Government officos in Christ" church. Ho further detailed all " tbo arrangements which had bocn made .between tbo General Provincial .Government of Canterbury regarding thcße buildings and their site. , Mr liichardson said the question was important, and at present was in an unsatisfactory state. TJio Goneral Government were very inconveniently placed with regard to offico accommodation at Ohristchuroh. The matter, was.plaoed in a very awkward predicament by tbo action of tbo Provincial Governtaont last session, in withdrawing their' sbaro towards the. erection of suitable buildings on the plea of economy; and it was a question what expenditure tho General Government should go to to crcot upon the site now available. Ho would lay tho papers on tbo table. Tboy would also attach tho Commissioner's roport, Mr T. Kelly thought the Government should pauso before spending money in architectural adornments for any ciiy in the colony,' MISCELLANEOUS. ■ Mr .May moved that tho report of Public Works and Immigration, Commilteo on the petition of the trustees of tho Wairoa and Marailai Highway lload Boards, and others in tho province of Auckland bo printed. Agreed to. Mr Murray moved that in tho opinion of tho JJouso tho rate of freight for minerals 'On tho General Government railways should not exceed 2J per ton nor mile, of terminal charges. Ho doubted tbo wisdom of making any profits upon the carriago of coal, it'was such an indispensable clement in so many industries that tho Government might well consider tho patter and grant to tho Southern lines what had already bocn promised to tho Auckland and Mercer line. Mr Bidhardson said the lion. member ought to bo fully awaro tha't tho Government had no control over tho rates of tho Southern lines. They wore. OBked to , do what was at present impossible. Ho thought tho lion, member should with.draw his motion. Motion withdrawn. AS3BIIDLY LIBBAEY. Sir Goorgo Grey moved " That in. tho opinion of Ibis Houso it is absolutely necessary that suitable buildings should forthwith be erected for the accommodation and safe keeping oft tho valuablo library of tho General Assembly." Tho lion, gentleman, 'after paying a high

tnbuto to tho great value and exceedingly good arrangement of the library, saiif it would be unwiso to ondanger tho loss of so valuable a national property,' ■ i ' • Sir' Donald MoLean said the Government fully recognised all that fell from ithe hon. member regarding the'preservation of the ancient documents relating to the colony and to its aboriginal race. 'He might state tho Government had caused to be compiled, a thoroughly official history of the Middle Island, by Mr Alexander Maekay of Nelson, and a similar ono for the North Island would also be prepared. Mr Eicbardson pointed out .that the matter had been discus-ed tho previous session, and tho one before, and tho Government considered that under the present circumstances, namely the erection of the new buildings and the > stale of rottenness of the buildings between the House of Eepresentatives and the Legislative Council, they thought it better tp defer the matter for somo lime. At present they had two recommendations regarding the library under consideration, and by tho next session they Would bo be prepared to submit plans on the matter, Mr Andrew and Mr O'Neill warmly supported the motion of Sir Geo, Grey, the latter gentleman suggesting Ih&t a patent room should be attached, so that they could also. securo thoir, plans and specifications of railways, Mr Stafford thought tho Government might' evade all responsibility if they Minded the matter over to a commissioner,; The question had been under consideration for several years, and nothing had been done. If tho information and plans regarding a library were handed over to a commissioner, they might be left to expedite the work. • Every year the library was getting moro valuable, and if such a calamity as firo overtook tho building, money could not replaco their loss.

Mr Murray hoped tho Government would deal with tho matterat once, and see that a sufficient sum of money should be placed upon the estimates. Mr Cqrrington said it was quite miraculous that tho building thoy wero in had not beon burned over their heads. Major Atkinson said tho Government experienced & natural reluctance in the way of additional expenditure without tbo authority of the House, 'i hey had not overlooked the importance of tho matter at all, but now (bat tho House had given so decided an expression of opinion upon it they would bo nappy to confer with the hon. member for' Auckland City West upon tho mattor with a view to taking somo steps to at once securo tho safety of so valuablo a proporty. . Sir Geo. Grey said ho would accept tho suggestion of tho Treasurer, an&by tho holp of a Eoyal Commission, ft that which tho Government shrunk from without an expression of opinion from tho House. WHARVES, Mr Buokland moved:-"That in the opinion of this House, in the construction of wharves for railway purposes in the harbours of tho colony, ono uniform principle should be adhered to, and .the cost of all such works charged against loans for. railways, but if funds from that sourco aro not available, then arrangements should be mado by which the foreshore endowments should bo made to bo liable for such cost in all cases, without distinction," His object in bringing forward this motion was to have these matters dealt with upon some uniform plan, The endowments referred to by the Minister of Works as having been given to the Auckland Harbour Board had beon given to tho Provincial Government many years ago, not by the General Government as stated, and it would bo many years before the Harbour Board could recoup itself the interest it had to pay on sums for effecting necessary improvements. Mr Eichardson pointed out that many of tho harbour Works throughout the colony had no connection with tho railway system of tho colony. Some were the work of tho Provincial Government, as at Lyttelton._ Tho wharf at Wellington was an indispensablo#adjunct to the Government line here. Ho thought tho matter should be left as it Was, Mr G. McLean said tho railway wharf at Onehuuga was as-much connected with tho railway system of the colony as the Wellington wharf, and as it was in; a disgraceful state of rottenness, tho work should be commenced immediately. Mr O'Eorko also urged upon • tho Government that, if only to utilise the railway, tho Governmynt should do something towards placing tho 'wharf in connection with tho railway. : Mr Sheehan thought the answer of tho Government was insufficient. Whon they, at the request of tho province, constructed tho railway botween Onehunga and Auckland, they should have stepped , in and seen that the responsible parties, whoever they were, Provincial Council or Harbour Board, should carry out the necessary work required of them. Mr Montgomery thought the question involved interests too large to allow of its being disposed of at tho present moment. It jseemed to him that so large a question should bo discussed at a later period of the session. Mr Stafford also urged the withdrawal of tho motion. Motion accordingly withdrawn, on the understanding that it would be brought on again at some futuro day. LAND PURCHASES. - Sir D, MoLean moved that a Selcct Committee bo appointed to inquire into tho sale of tho Piako and Waikato swamps to Thomas Russell and others, The Committeo to consist of Mr Bryce, Mr Cuthbertson, Sir G. Grey, Major Jackson, Messrs Hunter, Macandrow, Ormond, Captain Kenny, Eeeves, and the mover: Sir Georgo Grey wished that his naine bo withdrawn from tbo committee. Ho pointed out that tho present motion did not meet what ho required. He wished the whole question to bo raised as' to tho Government breaking ccrtain Orders in Council; and of their intention to issue subsequent Orders in Council to legalise their lormor illegal act, Tho hon. gentleman then recited an instance of tho irregular manner in which the .Government dealt with native lands. One gentleman having come down to Wellington to see tho Government about a certain block of land, and the rights to the timber upon it, and he wrote a letter to the Government enclosing a copy of the reply the Government were to send him. He wanted the whole circumstances of thecase. Mr Eeeves asked that his name be left' out of the committee, It was a perfect farce in construction. Ho would not impute anything against the honour of the gentlemen composing the committee, but there wero what he might call three ministers and five stanch. Government supporters against three Opposition, and after the pointof inquiry bad been made a want-of-confidence motion he declined to sit upon the committee whero lie was so Tho House rose at 5.30 p.m.

TT ~ rr Thursday. il ® . ouse , Msuming last night, the debate raised in the afternoon upon the Piako swamp purohase was not continued, the House going to the Orders of the Day, which consisted solely of private business. Mr 0 Weill's Plans of Towns Eegulationsßill.was passed. The operation of the bill is confined to towns laid out on public lands. Mr T. L. Shepherd's Pollution of Streams Bill passed. In consequence of a number of bills being introduced for incorporations of Athenraums, the Government promised to consider the introduction of a general measure. 1 The House adjourned at 1.15, 8 p.m. Mr Stout, the new member for Caversham, took the oath and his seat to-day. The Abolition debate was resumed by Mr Walter Johnston, who made au exceedingly taking speech in support of the bill, lie reviewed a number of the chief points in the speech of the Superintendent of Wellington, and cited several instances of maladministration of the Provincial Government in Wellington, and considerable statistical information from the provincial proceedings, to show that there were inherent defects in provincial machinery that required remedying, and that the out-districts of Wellington had substantial ground of complaint against the provinco. He criticised very favourably the financial proposals of the Treasurer as shown in the bill, saying he saw no great difficulty opposed to the fulfilment of the promises therein. Mr Bradsliasv followed in a critical speech of the defects of the bill, though he said ho would support the second reading and endeavour to amend the bill in committeo. In any case ho must ■oppose the final passing of the bill through the House. Ho had always been in favour of a change, but ho could not agree with the mode proposed, and wished the matter submitted to the people. He defended at considerable length Provincial administration generally, and Otago particularly, and showed that the General Government were far from perfect. Amongst the notices of motion was one by Sir l)onald McLean, "to introduce a bill placing the control of the confiscated lands under tho ordinary wasto land laws. The, House rose at 5.30 p.m.-