Parliamentary.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2120, 20 October 1875, Page 2

Parliamentary.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WELLINGTON.

Tuesday,

The House met at 2.30.

In reply to Mr Macandrew, Sir Donald McLean said ife was the intention of the Government to get through all the business to-morrow, but it was possible the prorogation, which was merely formal, would not take place until Thursday. They expected the business to be practically over that day.

In reply to Mr T. L. Shepherd, the Government said they would as soon as possible bring the streams at present being fouled by gold mining workings under the Fouling o£ Bivers Act.

In reply to the same gentleman, the Government could give no promise regarding the extension cf the main line from Lawrence to Roxburgh, nor until the coast lines were constructed.

Mr ft i chardsou, replying to Mr O'Neill, said the Thames water-race would be completed about the end of next month.

Mr T. Kelly asked whether any attempt had been made to connect New Plymouth by telegraph with the rest of the colony.

The Native Minister said the Governrnenfc had been fully alive to the necessity of the case, but .they had not deemed it wise to run the risk of creating a rupture amongst the nativo owners by carrying the wire over their lauds without their leave.

Mr Eeynolds, in reply to Mr O'Neill, said ho was not in a position to state when Cape Maria Van Piemen and Mokokinui lighthouses would be in working order. They had been ordered a considerable time ago, but no advices had been received of their shipment.

The report tfpon the Representation Bill was considered, and alterations were agreed to.

Before the third reading, Mr Sheehan denounced the bill as an unjust and unsatisfactory measure, and one calculated to bring great discredit upon the Ministry. It was, however, an appropriate ending to a Parliament that was initiated by a scramble for railways, and terminated with a scramble for seats.'

Mr Reid -would oppose the third reading of the Bill,'.as increasing the injustice it wa3 sought to remedy. Membets had been granted in the North and reftised in the South, where there wero more claims.

Mr Pyke would support the Bill for the same reasons as the member for Taieri opposed it. The hon. member for Auckland Citjr West had said it would be the cause of separation. He wished to heaven it would; nothing would please the South better than to get rid of the North, with her native wars, her land swindles, gold mining swindles, pakehaMaoris, and missionaries. It bad been a millstone round the neck of tho South, and tho great cause of the want of progress in the colony as a whole. He considered the Abolition Bill a great triumph for the separation party, by sweeping away the provinces as a first necessary step, and making the separation of the two islands possible, with a Federal Government to deal with national matters, such as financial, postal, and telegraph arrangements.

Sir G. Grey said that in passing this bill the Government laid the seeds of future woe and evil to the colony. The Government neglected a noble opportunity of doing lasting good to the colony

in placing its representation upon an equitable basis. It was a gross injustico to the North Island especially. The lion, gentleman proceeded to accuse the Government of so moulding the bill as to secure political support, for themselves. (Derisive laughter from the Treasurer.)

Mr Bowen defended the bill as being! as fair an arrangement, as could well be made with a measure of a temporary character.

Mr Atkinson replied to some assertions by Sir Geo. Grey regarding the Government, saying that the lion, gentleman was constantly informing the House that all the accusations he made against the Government had been substantiated, whereas if half of them had been established as true, they would not only be driven from the Government benches, but would be sent upon the roads. * The only weapon he could find with which to face the lion, gentleman was laughter, and as long as that hon. gentleman followed the course he adopted throughout the session he would meet him with laughter. He denied that they had been animated by a desire to confer representatives upon districts from which they received support, though it would be hard to'look round the colony and discover a district from which the Government did not receive support.

The bill was then read a third time, and passed on the voices. o

Mr Murray intend?, on going into Com. mittee of Supply, to move that the bill for conferring powers of local self-govern-ment be printed and circulated at least one month before the meeting of Parliament next session.