HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3423, 17 September 1885, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. HEPLIE3 TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr Steward whether the Government "will advise His Excellency to 1 appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into and report during the recess ns to the following matters, viz:.:— (1) The points to which it ■ is desirable to complete the various lines of 1 r.iilway already sanctioned by Parliament; ■ (2) any further railway works which it is desirable m the public interest should be undertaken ; (3) tho cost of each of such works ; (4) the order m which various works should bo undertaken ; (5) the period over which the work of constructing the same should be extended ; (6) the amount required to be expended during each year until the whole scheme is completed, the Hon. Mr Richardson said the matter would receive earnest consideration. Replying to Mr Steward whether the Government will prepare during the recess and introduce early next session a Bill to amend the Licensing' Acts, the Hon. Mr Stout said the present Act was working well, and it was not intended to amend it. Replying to Mr Barron if the Minister for Public Works has received the report on tho Caversham Bailway Station indicated m his reply to a question on the Ist inst., and ■whether ho is now prepared to make an equitable adjustment of the rates charged at th>it station, the Hon. Mr Richardson said he had received a report from Mr Himnay on the subject wluch was not favorable to making a change. Replying to Dr Newman if the Minister for | Public " Works will put new and improved cattle and sheep tracks upon the WellingtonMasterton and Foxton-New Plymouth railways, tho Hon Mr Richardson said when any new trucks were made they would be of a more suitable pattern than the present ones. Replying to Mr Seddon, the Hon. Mr Stout said the Government intended to have regulations issued for granting rewards for discovery of new goldfields. RETCKN3 AND TAPERS. Sir George Grey moved for a re turn showing the ralue of machinery imported into the colony for each year from"l 680 to 1884, both inclusive. — Agreed to. Sir George Grey moved for a return showing the various amounts voted since 1865 for the purchase by the Crown of native lands, anil showing also tlie several sums paid out of such amounts to Europeans, with tlie names and date? of each transaction, and the several sums paid to natives for the purchase of land with the names and dates of each transaction. — Agreed to. Mr Guinness moved that there be laid before this House a copy of the report of the Commissioners recently appointed to enquire into the conduct of the Kumara Hospital Committee, and tho medical otlicera of that institution. — Agreed to. BAILWA.T3 AL-THOBI3IXG BILL. The Hon. Mr Richardson moved the second reading of the Railways Authorisation Bill. Major Atkinson said as the Bill was a necessary one, he should not oppose the second reading, but some of the clauses would require very careful consideration. The motion was agreed to. The Hon. Mr Richardson asked, as a matter of urgency, that the House should allow the Biil to be committed at once. GOVBBNMENT BUSINESS. Major Atkinson asked the Premier what business the Government intended going on with this session. The Hon. Mr Stout thought they would not be able to proceed with the Criminal Code Bill, the Railways Commissioners Bill, the Prisoners Probation Bill, and the Matrimonial Causee Act Amendment Bill. The Government proposed to go on with the District Railways Purchasing Bill, the Special Powers and Contracts Bill, tho Waimea Plains Railway Rating Bill, the Railways Authorisation Bill, the Property Tax Bill, and the Appropriation Bill. He thought if reasonable progress was made the prorogation would take place tliis week. SPECIAL POWERS AND CONTBACT3 BILL. On the motion for going into Committee on the Special Power* and Contracts Bill, Sir George Grey moved that it be committed that day six months. He referred at great length to the new clause proposed to be inserted m the Bill for granting a block of land to Thomas Russell, of Auckland, m exchango for other land, on consideration that Russell paid the cost price of the land. Mr Turnbull said it was most unfair to bring down the Bill at thi3 stage of the session. The Hon. Mr Stout hoped the amendment would be withdrawn, as the new clause only dealt with one portion of tho Bill. Ho said he had gone through the whole of the papers, and ho had come to tho conclusion that as far as the 600 acres were concerned, Mr Russell had not the shadow of a claim. Ho then detailed tho whole of the circumstances connected with the case, and said if the Bill went into Committee ho should be bound to voto against Russell's claim, as he considered ho was not entitled to the land. Mr Moss opposed tho claim. Mr Rolleston thought there waa no ground for using strong language m regard to this matter. He eaid it was a simple quostion as to whether or not there was a claim, and nothing could be done -without the sanction of Parliament, no considered there was n just claim, but it would be wholly for the House to determine. Ho spoke at some length on the whole question, and said ho should do his best m Committee to show that the claim was an equitablo one. Mr J. W. Thomson thought tho Govornment should bring down a Bill next session bearing on this question. He contended that the mutter could well stand ovor another year, as he intended proposing as an addition to the clause that Russell should be compelled to settle on the land proposed to he given for six years before the grant was issued. Mr Bryce would have preferred to see the matter settled by a separate Bill, as was done before. He thought there wero great principles involved m the present Bill, and referred to several of tho cases proposed to bo dealt with under it. Mr Macandrew hoped the Bill would not be shelved for another year merely because there wero Borne objectionable clauses. Each caao should be decided on its merits. Sir Georgo Grey then withdrew his amondment. The Hon. Mr Ballanco said that from tho nature of tho Bill it must, bo brought down at n. lato period of tho session. Ho said that no Bill of this kind would ever meet with tho approval of all aido* of the House, as aomo members would naturally favor particular lines which this would reject. With respect to Russell's claim, all ho could say was that an agreement was certainly entered into with Russell that if he stood osido m regard to a certain block of land he should havo tho opportunity of selecting another block as an equivalent. Ho felt perfectly certain that if Russoll wero not known, and if tho claim were mado by a person unknown to tho House that the mutter would bo regarded as a eimplo question of justico. JJoplying to the proposal to grant 40 acres under tho Bill to To Kooti ho (Mr Ballanco) contended that tho course ho -was adopting m that respect wu a right cue.

Tho motion for tlie recommittal of the Bill was agreed to, and tho House- adjourned nt 5.30 p.m. Tho House resumed at 7.30. MINES ACT AIIBNDMENT BILL. Mr Fyko moved thut a fresh Conference bo appointed to eonsidor the Mines Act Amendment. Bill. He referred at some length to the injustice suffered by tho goldfields from successive Governments, and said tho Conference from tho other Chamber had refused to come to any compromise whatever. Sir Seddon said the Government had not given tho Conference that assistance which might be reasonably expected. Ho pointed out also that the Government had altogether fnili-d to give that justice to the goldficlds which they promised to give. Tho Hon. Mr Stout Baid it was no use denying the legislative Council the rights it possessed. So far as the gold duty abolition was concerned he had never advocated it, and he hnd told the miners bo. Ho thought somo concession should bo made as to reducing the miners rights. If a. Conference from the House were appointed ho had no doubt they would do their duty. The motion was agreed to, the Conference appointed being the Hon. Mr Stout and Messrs Bevan and Guinness. IN COMMITTEE. The House wont into Committee on the District Railways Purchasing Bill. Clause 3, providing the Governor may purchase district railways m terms of the pro visional agreements, was carried on a division by 31 to 11. Clause 24, that no new district railway is to be authorised, elicited a lengthy discussion, but was passed with an amendment that clauses 75 to 85 of tho District Railways Act 1878 shall not apply to any now railway. Clause 25, providing a guarantee for £50,600 of debentures for tlie Kaikou Valley railway was strongly opposed by Colonel Trimble and Mr Korr, Mr Montgomery, Mr Fisher and other members. Sevoral amendments were made m the clauses as to tho debentures to be issued. Colonel Trimble moved that the interest ou debentures should be four pounds per cent instead of five. The amendment was lost on a division by 32 to 19, and the clause as amended was put and carried by 33 to 18. On tho schedule being put, Mr Barron moved that the first item, Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway, be struck out. The item was retained ov a division by 38 to 19. Mr Barron moved to strike the Waimate Railway out of the schedule, and M r Buchanan entered his protest against this line being included m the Bill. He said only ten trains a week were run on the line, and he thought the House should not sanction it. The amendment was carriod by 27 to 24, and the item struck out. Mr Barron moved to strike out the Duntroon and Hakateramea line. — Lost by 33 to 24. Mr Barron moved to strike out the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway from Morrinsyille to Litchfield. Tho amendment was lost by 43 to 15. The schedule as amended was then passed. Tlie House went into Committee for the further consideration of the Waimea Plains Railway Rating Bill. The Hon. Mr Richardson moved to strike out clause 4, providing that the cost of tho railway be ascertained from time to time. — Agreed to. A lengthy discussion ensued on clause 12, providing when rates already made aro to bo payable. The clause was finally passed with several verbal amendments. A new clause proposed by Mr G. F. Richardson for excluding an area of 24,000 acres of land from the provisions of the Bill was negatived by 36 to 18. Tho Bill tlien'pnssed. The House went into Committee ou the Special Powers and Contracts Bill. Mr Rolleston moved that clause 9, providing for a grant of 40 acres of land to Te Kooti at Alexandra be struck out. The Hon. Mr Ballance defended tho clause, and hoped the House would retain it. He explained the question was ono of administration, and the Government were anxious to keep Te Kooti where be was. The Hon. Mr Stout also hoped the clause would be passed. Several members objected to the clause, on the ground that it was elevating Te Kooti into a position which it was not desirable he should occupy. [Left sitting.]