HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3799, 18 June 1880, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

AFTERNOON SITTING. Thursday, June 17. The Houae met at 2.30 p.m. NEW NATIVE BILL. Mr M'Donald gave notice that he would ask leave to introduce a Native Law Suits Bill. PETITION. Captain Russbll presented a petition from 145 peraona, members of Working Men'a Olubs, pointing out the hardahipa imposed on these institutions by the proposed Licensing Bill. Mr Lundon moved—" Thafc further leave of absence be granted for a week to Mr Sheehan." Sir W. Fox eaid thafc they were told the other night thafc certain business could nofc bo gono on with in the absence of Mr Sheehan. He thought it was wrong that fche convenience of the House should bo sacrificed to that of an individual member. Mr Lundon expreased hia belief that Mr Sheehan would in all probability be here on Tuesday. The application was granted. questions. Replying to Major Te Wheoro, The Hon J. Bbyce aaid that in June lash Government had received an application from tho native residents of Kohekohi, in the Waikato, about bringing into operation "Tho Native Licensing Act, 1878," in that diatrict. The petition, however, waa informal, inaamuch aa ifc did not comply wifch tho third eection of the Act. Government waa in favour of bringing the Act into force, but they had to be guided by tho law on the aubjecfc. Beplying to Mr Richardaon Tho Hon W. Rolleston aaid that according to tho prieon regulations, prisoners in Lyttelton Gaol, awaiting trial, were dresaed in a garb different from thafc of other priaoners. Ifc was done aa a convenience for carryirg oufc the priaon regulaliona, but it waa not compulsory. He waa afraid the noncompulsory feature of the regulation had nofc been made sufficiently known. He would take care that; it waa properly understood by prisoners in future. A prison library was provided, and priaoners before trial were ullowed to chango books once a day ; after trial, weekly. The library contained 1000 volumes. Replying to Mr Hamlin, Mr RoiiLESTON said ifc would take £8000 per annum to adopt the recommendation of tho Commission on education for conferring on the North Island a ayatem of University education of the came standard aa ia at present enjoyed by Otago and Canterbury, beaidea a sum of £25,000 for building. They could not do this in tho present financial stato of the Colony. Replying to Mr Stevens, The Hon J. Hall raid ifc would havo cosfc the Colony last year £59,000 gross for the conveyan c of maila via Suez if tho San Franci*co contract hud not beon in foroe, or £21,000 net. The San Francisco service coet £7000 net. Replying to Sir G. Grey, Tho Hon R. Oliver said Government recognised that tho request of the Thames Borough Council to hand over to that body the property known as tho Grahamstown and Tararua Tramwayiin accordance with arrangements to thafc effect entered into by a lato Superintendent of tho Province of Auckland, Mr John Williamson, with the membera of the Borough Counoi|, ought to bo carried out. Legislation would be necessary for that purpose, and atepa would be taken this session in •that direction. Replying to Mr Gisborne, Major Atkinson aaid Government had under , consideration, and ho hoped this cession tc bo able to introduce, a Bill tihat would deal with tho wholo queation of tbe more effeotive audit of ithe accounta of local bodioa. Mr Bahbon asked what -atop-* Government had taken to punish tke porson who improperly obtained from the Treasury £1000 by means of fraudulent vouchors purporting to be sinned by three native" interested in land at Waicnate, -for tho purchaso of which Government was negotiating, such natives having no interest in tho land as alleged, and not liaving received any of i;he monoy, aa provod by tiio Hoc the Native Minister and roported by thafc hon gentleman to fche Houae on June 15, aiid whothor auch person ia still in tho service of Government ? Mr Buyce replied that tho peraon referred to was atill in Government service, and no steps had been taken for his punishment. The proof of the acfc had not boon bofore him until aboufc eight daya before the session commenced, and ho did nofc think he would havo heard of the transaction at all but for tho labours of the Wosfc Coast Commission. The matter was now undor the consideration of the Government. Replying to Mr M'Caughan Mr Hall aaid thpt during tho present week

he oxpected tho report of the Civil Service Commission to be Uid before the Houae. Replying to Mr Barron Mr Bbyce aaid he would furniah a statement of the amounts charged against Patea and the dates of the vouchers for each item, as referred to by him in this House on Juno 15. Replying to Mr J. T. Fisher, Mr Hall said that in tho present state of the finances Government did not sco its way to cause the telegraph system to be extended from Christchurch to Sumner, for which purpose £750 was placed on the public works appropriation last session. Mr George asked when the system of obtaining blank vouchers from Natives, who were presumed to have interests in lands for sale, wa3 first practised by Government officials, and if they had authority from the Government of the day for so doing ? Mr Bbyce replied that the first time he heard of the ayatem was about Christmas last. Previous to that he had no coiception that such a stato of things existed. Replying to Mr Hirst, Mr Rolleston said he had not been able to get information relative to the a^egation that the Waste Lands Board of Otago had leased a run of 60,000 acrea for the sole purpoae of breeding rabbita. He aaw that aome large rutiß lately in 'he occupation of tho Hon R. Campbell had been leased, bufc for what purpose he could not cay. The law on the subject of the rabbit nuisance would, however, bo rigidly enforced Replying to Mr Seddon, Major Atkinson said that in Counties where the Road Boards had been merged they would be empowered to levy a rate up to 10 per cent, on tho annual value. DELAY IN PBINTING. Sir W. Fox alluded to the great pressure of work on the Printing Office, and stated thafc the reporfc of the Weat Coast Commisaion had been delayed. If thafc pressure could be relieved, the reporfc of thafc Commission would bo before fchem in a day or two. Mr Hall replied fchafc he would look into fche matter, and ace what could be done to meet the exigencies of the caae. LOCAL GOVEENMENT, Mr Sutton moved— "That in order to aßßure the most effective system of local government at the least cost of management, it is desirable thafc the relative positions of the i Counties and Ruad Boards should be pufc upon | a more satisfactory footing. (1.) That the Countiea Act he amended, and all Road Buard or Highway Provincial Acta repealed, and highway districts abolished (2). That each County shall be sub- divided into ridings and each riding re-constituted into a Road Board. (3.) That the Road Board shall be the only rating body and thafc its dutie3 shall be the construction and repair of the roads and drains within its borders, and the construction of all small bridgea and all other worka of a local nature. (4.) Thafc the County Conncil shall consist of the chairman of each Road Board by virtue of position. (5.) Thafc the revenue of the County Bhall be rents, licensee, fees, &c, afc present payable, and fche right to levy pro rata upon all Road Boards for such further amounts aa may be required. (6.) That fche duties of the Council shall be the construction of large bridges, assisting Road Boards by providing engineering assistance when required, to provide for local contributions to hoapitala and charitable institutions with power to alter boundaries of ridings and exercise a general supervision over the Road Boards. (7.) That Government be requested to bring iv a Bill during fche session to give effect to theae resolutions." The Hon J. Hall recognised fche importance of the subject. Government had ifc under consideration, and had a Bill in type on the subject of theae Boarda. He was afraid he would nofc be able to mako a definite suggestion on the point this session. He did nofc think fchafc it would work well to confine the local roads to Road Boarda. He did n ifc think ifc would be wise to abolish Road Boarda altogether aa had been auggeated by some speakers. Pending the discusaion on fche alteration in the local finance question, it would be uuwiso to p-esa the matter further, aa the whole queation would have an opportunity of being discussed when that part of fche question waa brought on. Captain Russell disagreed with the proposal to make the Road Boarda the only rating bodiea. Each of the bodies should have power to strike its own rate, bufc only one valuation should be made. Instead of advertising as afc present for valuators, the work should be entrusted to responsible persona at high rates of salary. This was the most important part of the work devolving on these bodies, and he was afraid its importance waa nob alwaya recognised. The question "That the debate bo adjourned for a week " waa then put and carried. NORTII OF AUCKLAND VOTE On the motion of Mr Hamlin, it waa agreed thafc a return bo laid on the table of the House, showing how the sum of £50,000 voted last session for roads and worka in the North laiand haa been oxpencled, auch returns fco name each County and Road Board to which money has been paid. SMALL SETTLEMENTS. The adjourned debate on tho question that a Select Committeo bo appointed to consider fche beat means of encouraging the settlement of the industrial classes upon the waste lands of fche Colony was returned by Mr Andrews, who spoke at considerable length. The Hon W. Rolleston said that most unfair accusations had been made againsfc him by tho member for Wanganui. The fact waa, that since he had come into office 17-1,000 acres of land had beeu brought under fche operation of tho deferred payment eyßtom. The Vesey Stewart transaction hnd been arranged by the Government ot whicli Mr Ballance wus a member, and yefc ho had statod that ho (Mr Rolleston) was favouring Mr Stewart afc the expense of tho working men of the Colony. The engagement having been initiated by his Government, ifc was most unfair to impute improper motives to him in carrying out thafc engagement. The facts were that he had little or no conversation with Mr Stewart, bufc ho considered that tho engagement •entered into with that gentleman was to the advantage of the Colony. Ho denied that he had ever been guilty of evasion. In the negotiation opened up by tho Wanganui Working Men's Club, ifc waa impossible for him to doal with a body who had no corporate existence. They asked for concessiona it was impossible for the Government to comply with. Government had given facilities to these parlies, both by steamboat and by rail, to tako upland. Then, os regards the Wellington Association, ho had givon them the beat advice he could aa to getting on fche hind und getting ifc under better conditions than those provided by the spocial settlement claims. They wero advisod that theso offers wero moro advantageous, and many of them had taken advantage of them. Tho Wanganui Association applied for a block of 2000 acres which was not in the hands of Government at all. All the correspondence on tho subject would bo laid on the table. That body was also told that Government could nofc deal wifch it until ifc became an associated body. The hon gentleman's speech throughout had been a gallery ovation directed to tho galleries for a particular purpose outside the question of settlement altogether. The debate was interrupted by tho 5.30 adjournment.