PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2457, 30 October 1876, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

(pee press agency,) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Saturday. THE COUNTIES HILL AND THE UPPER HOUSE. The House resumed at 7.30 last night on the consideration of amendments made in the Counties Bill by the Legislative Council, Some were agreed to, others were not, and members were appointed to confer with the other House. PUBLIC WORKS BILL AMENDMENTS. The amendments made in the Public Works Bill by the Council were agreed to THE MATL SERVICE. The adjourned debate on the San Francisco service was resumed. Mr Sheehan moved to add the following to Mr Stevens' motion And in the event of the contractors electing to call at Auckland, and desiring to discontinue the'coastal service, that they be permitted to do so on making a further reduction of £5,000 from the subsidy payablo to themthe two colonies in such case undertaking to provide for that service at their joint expense," A sharp discussion took place. Mr Reynolds insisted that the company should bo bound to distribute the mails even if thsy used smaller boats, Mr Stafford agreed that the resolution, as amended, was in effect the same as tho telegram proposed by Mr Whitakcr. Mr G. McLean pointed out that tho convenience of passengers should bo considered, and that the New Zealand Government wero entitled to say to New South Wales," You must como to Auckland,"

Mr Whit-alter spolto at considerable length, defending the amendment, and denying that the amended resolution was the same as his telegram. The lion, gentleman then went ou to show tho inconvenient and unfortunate positions passengers would bo placed in if thoy wcro landed at tho Bay of Islands, That in itself was one of tho best arguments in favour of calling at Auckland, and leaving it for the Government to mako their own arrangements for distributing the mails. Ho had been told that £5,000 would not be enough to cover tho cost of distributing tho mails, but ho had tho word of the manager for tho Union Company that the mails could be distributed alongstthoWest Coast for £5,000 a year, while he said they could not be distributed on the Kast Coast for less than £12,000 a year, because there would bo insufficient employment for the steamers on that lino of traffic. His own private opinion was that unless they mado some concession tho I service would bo abandoned.

' Mr Burns said the lion, gentleman was treating the question like a special pleader, not like a Postmaster-General. If the contractors wcro to bo allowed to depart from their contract, the colony ought to be compensated. The question was then put, that tlio words proposed to bo added (Mr Sheehan's amendment) be so added, and a division was taken: ayes, 42; noes, 29. The amendment was carried, and the resolution, as amended, agreed to. disqualification act no. 2, The Disqualification Act No. 2 was brought down from the Council with the 6th section amended so that no member of either House, or Provincial Executive, could be able to take any office undor the Government. , After a good deal of objection, a division was taken and the amendment was agreed to by 31 to 26. TEE BATING BILL. The amendments made in the Eating Bill by the Legislative Council were not agreed to. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. The remainder of the sitting was occupied in discussing the Suplementary Estimates. A great many reductions wero made. All the charges on the consolidated fund, and the Auckland services, were passed. Law and justice were reduced from £19,470 to £17,970. The compensation to the Inspector of Lunatic Asylums was reduced by £1,500. Bonus to Colonial architect, £500, was struck out by 26 to 24 A long and animated discussion ensued upon the allowance to Sir Julius Yogel for services in England, £2,750. It was struck out by 29 against 21. A similar discussion ensued on a bonus to Mr Fitzgerald for drafting bills, £250. Mr Sheehan said it looked very much like bribery. The motion to strike it out was negatived. Mr Montgomery wanted it reduced by £5 to show the sense of the ■ House. This was also negatived. The Houso sat till 5.30 a.m., and met again at 11 this morning. MINISTERIAL CHANGES. In reply to Mr Murray, th>j Premier said, regarding ministerial changes during the recess, that the Native Minister and the Minister for Public Works would retire. One of-theso portfolios would be taken by Mr Ormond; who the other gentleman was had not yet been decided, SCHOOL BUILDINGS FOB THE COLONY. Beforo going into Committee of Supply Mr Montgomery moved that £50,000 should be appropriated for tho erection of | school buildings throughout the colony. Tho Premier opposed. The million was to be borrowed for certain specified purposes, and that was no time to make such a change in its application, oven if it were possible to take such a sum out of tho million. He asked that the mption stand over till next session. Mr Sheehan and Sir Geoi'go Grey supported. ■ . Tho motion was agreed to on the i voices, pbivilege. Sir George Grey raised a question of privilege, based on tho fact that the Governor's Private Secretary had informed him by letter that tho Governor would not forward any more correspondent's communications unless furnished in triplicate. He argued at considerable longth against so obsolete a rule, which he had never enforced during the 26 years he had been Governor. At the earliest possible period next session ho would bring the matter beforo tho House formally. Tho Houso adjourned for an hour at 1.15 p.m. AFTERNOON SITTISQ. Tho House resumed at 2,15 this afternoon. SUPPLEJIENTABY ESTIMATES All the remaining votes on the Supplementary Estimates were passed unaltered. APPBOPBIATION BILL! THE THAMES MOBTGAGES. The Immigration and Public Works appropriations were also passed without alteration. The House then went into Committee of the whole to consider tho introduction of a clause into the Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Bill, for the purpose of enabling the Government to hand over to the county of Thames the mortgages hold on tho Pumping Association plant. The resolution was agreed to. WAYS AND MEANS, In Committee of Ways and Means, a resolution was passed voting £2,320,286 for the purposes of Public Works and Immigration. ' _ THE BATING BILL. The Legislative Council insisting upon their amendment in tho Batiug Bill, a free conference was decided to be held between both Houses. PUBLIC WOBKS APPROPRIATION BILL. The Immigration and Publio Works Appropriation Bill was passed through all its stages. TABANAKI GBEAT SOUTH EOAD. In Committee, the item £2,500, for tho Taranaki Great South Road, was passed, and the House adjourned till 7.30 p.m. Sunday. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 1.30 this (Saturday) evening. WAYS AND MEANS. In Committee of Ways and Means, the following resolutions were agreed to: — Towards making good tho supply granted to her Majosty, £1,264;432 out of tho Consolidated Fund; £40,000 out of Ways and Means in connection with the Dofence Loan; £11,004 granted out of Ways and Means for Stato Forests to be transferred to Consolidated Fund; £304,226 to bo granted out of the Land Fund of New Zealand; £11,963 to be granted out of tho Confiscated Lands Account; £13,140 to be grauted out of Now Zealand Appropriation. The bill was rend a third time and passed. THE COUNTIES DILL. Tho confercnce of both Houses on tlio Counties Bill resulted in their being unablo to agree, and a new conference was appointed. Tho result was that tho Premier announced that they agreed on this basisTho county chairman to be elected by tho Council, and not to bo disqualified from sitting in the Houso of Representatives. The ordinary loan clauses were struck out, and special loans limited to four times the rateable property in Iho county, leaving any increase an overdraft, as provided by the Council. The other amendments were only trivial. At midnight tho Houso adjourned till 2,30 on Monday.