PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6310, 7 August 1888, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

■ ♦ [Per Pbesb Association.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Monday, August 6. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.80 p.m. APPOINTMENTS TO THE COUNCIL. On the motion for the House to go into Committee of Supply, Mr O'Connor moved, as an amendment, that, in the opinion of this House, no further appointments should be made to the Legislative Council until the Legislature Bhall have had an opportunity of determining upon any alteration to he made in the direction of limiting the number, altering the mode of appointment, and fixing the term for whioh such apKmtments shall he valid. He said he d moved the resolution without consultation of any kind with the Government, and he hoped the House would support it. Sir John Ham said he had done his best on Beveral occasions to effect reform in the mode of appointments to the Legislative Council, but he submitted to the House whether it was a right proceeding for a large question of this kind to be bronght forward without notice of any kind. He thought such action was quite ■unprecedented. He was not prepared, therefore, to vote for it on the present occasion. They had already had last session an intimation from the Government that they would not make any additions to the Council withont first submitting the question to the House, and he contended on that ground that Mr O'Connor's resolution was quite unnecessary. Sir H. Atkinson said that a more inopportune time for bringing forward a resolution of this kind could not well be chosen. Government had already stated that they had no intention of making further appointments to the Council, but that the whole question would have to be considered hy the House next Bession. It -would then have to be decided whether the number should be limited, and whether the two Houseß should, on disputed points, ait together on the Norwegian plan. He submitted that at this stage of the session it waa very undesirable to open up a large question of this kind. Mr O'Connor said, after the Premier's statement, he should withdraw his amendment, hut leave was refused. Sir H. Atkinson, in reply to Messrs Kerr and Ward, said Government did not intend to make any further appointments to the Counoil thia year, unless by direction of the House. Of course, ifc -might he absolutely necessary to do so to carry on the Government, but he did nob anticipate any contingency of that kind. The motion for going into Committee of Bupply was then carried on the voices, and the .amendment was lost. IN COMMITTEE OF BUPPLY. The House went into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Estimatefli Class 2.— Colonial Secretary's Department. Kegistrar-GeneraTs Department, £6552. This vote caused considerable discussion, hut passed without alteration. Lunatio Asylums, £41,496. This vote caused some discussion. Mr Qoldie moved to reduce it hy £100, as he considered the whole vote teemed With extravagance. Mx Verbah, wbb in favour of high salaries being paid, and said that the more money was paid for salaries the more money would be circulated. Mr Goldib eventually withdrew his amendment, and the vote passed. Miscellaneous, £19,715. "Dr Nb"wma*n called attention to the vote £2669, contribution towards the expenses of the protectorate over a portion of New Guinea, and asked how long that payment was to continue. The Hon T. W. Hislop said it was for the House to decide whether that payment Bhould be made. The late Government had undertaken to pay its share of the cost with the Home Government for the three years from July, 1886 ; but he thought it was a question whether the payment should he continued after the present year. He suggested that some member should move that the vote be reduced by a nominal sum, so as to indicate to the Government that the payment j should not he continued another year, unless by instructions from the House. Mr Peacock moved accordingly that the vote be reduced hy £5. Agreed to. Compilation of Maori history, £300. Mr Thompson (Marsden) moved to reduce this by £100. Mr Bruoe asked whether this Maori history would shortly he completed. Mr Goldee asked what the cost of the whole work would be. The Hon T. W. Hislop said the work had been in hand for the last ten years, bnt he could not Bay what the cost would be. Five or six out of eight volumes were now ready for the printers. He suggested thab the vote should he reduced hy £5, and he should make further enquiry into the matter. Sir H. Atkinson said no doubt the work would be a most valuable one, as preserving a record of a very interesting race. Vote reduced hy £5, and Mr Thompson withdrew his amendment. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resnmed at 7.30 p.m. IN COMMITTEE ON THB ESTIMATES. Legislative Department. — Legislative Counoil, £1495. The Hon T. W. Hislop moved that the item Clerk ofthe Council, £500, be reduced by £100, so as to bring the vote down to the same amount as originally submitted. In reply to a question, Sir H. Atkinson said the present were the Estimates sent down by the Speaker, and he was moving a reduction to bring it to the limit the Government proposed. Agreed to. ' Sir H. Atkinson moved that the item, clerk's assistant £350, be reduced by £50. Agreed to. Mr Goldie moved that the item, £200 for second clerk s assistant to the Council, be struck out. Vote retained by 36 to 30. Mr Thompson (Marsden) moved that the vote he reduced "by £50. Sir H. Atkinson, replying to Mr Peacock, said he had had no communication with the Speaker of the Council as to the employment of those officers during the recess, as was contemplated by the Government if the matter had been left in their hands. Mr Beetham pointed out that there was just as much work to do in the Legislative Counoil as in the House, only Councillors did not waste so much time in chattering as members of the Honse did. Sir H. Atkinson suggested that the vote should he passed as it stood, as the Council had no representative in the House. He agreed, however, with th c suggestion made by Dr Newman, that in order to avoid annual disputes over the salaries of Legislative officers, the amount should be brought down in a lump sum. Mr Thompson's amendment was lost on the voices. Mr Monk moved a reduction of the vote by £25. Lost by 48 to 16. Sir H. Atkinson said the Speaker of the Legislative Council proposed to reduce the item interpreter, £200, by £20. He therefore proposed a reduction of the vote to £180. Agreed to. Mr Marchant moved that the vote for contingencies, £200, be reduced by £100. Lost by 84 to 28. House of Eepresentatives, salaries and other charges, £14,530. Sir M. O'Eobkb Baid, in submitting the Estimates, he had not shut his eyes to the fact that reductions were being made in the-salaries of other officers in the Colony, and he therefore took that into consideration. He thought that tho -reductions made hy the Government in tho Legislative Department were fair ones, and that he could not do better than adopt them. He should propose that the Clerk of Parliament, £700, be reduced by £100, as intended hy the House last session. Agreed to.-

Clerk's assistant, £500, was also reduced £100. Sir M. O'Rorke proposed that the second clerk assistant, £450, be reduced by £50. Agreed to. Sir M. O'Rorke moved that the Sergeant-at-Arms, £250, be reduced by £50. Mr Fish said if they were to have this officer at all they should retain the salary at £250. Vote reduced to £200 by 34 to 30. Sir M. O'Rorke moved to reduce the item Reader £225 by £75. Mr Marchant moved to strike it out altogether. In reply to Mr Peacock, Sir M. O'Rorke Baid the duties of this officer were to see that the amendments made in Bills were properly inserted. He ; had also to prepare schedules of Bills, \ synopses, &c. j Mr Marchant's amendment was lost on < the voices, and the Speaker's agreed to. | The Speaker moved that the Record i j Clerk, £225, be reduced by £25. ] Lost by 36 to 21. I Two Interpreters at .£225 each. J Mr Fish moved that the vote be reduced ! hy £220, as he considered one Interpreter sufficient for the work. Lost by 35 to 19. Mr Peacock moved that the item Interpreters £450 be reduced by £50. The Speaker hoped this would not be agreed to, and pointed out that it was a very difficult matter to obtain interpreters. Mr Carroll also opposed the reduction, : and said no one was more qualified than : himself to judge of the arduous work per- i formed hy the interpreters. I Mr Pratt defended the vote as proposed I hy the Speaker, and hoped no reduction would be made. Lost by 26 to 23. Extra Clerks and extra Committee Re- ' porters were reduced, on the Speaker's motion, from £800 to £550. , The Speaker moved to reduce the item i Contingencies £850 by £50. Mr Fish moved that the reduction be £150. Carried by 35 to 32. Dr Hodgkinson moved to reduce Librarian £300 by £25. Lost on the voices. The Speaker moved to reduce the Assistant -Librarian by £25. Lost bn the voices. Reporters, £2400, was reduced by £50. The Speaker moved that the item, Custodian of the Parliamentary buildings, £275, he reduced by £25. Agreed to. Passages of members, £900. The Speaker moved to reduce this to £600. Mr Monk thought members should pay their own passages to and from-Wellington, and moved that the item be struck out. After some discussion, he withdrew it, and the Speaker's motion was carried. Electric Lighting, &c, reduced from £300 to £200. Item, £60 for translation of speeches of Maori members from Hansard, was struck out. The total vote, as reduced to £12,770, waß then agreed to. Crown Lands Department, £15,912. Dr Fitchett moved that the item, Secretary for Land Revenue, Christchurch, £350, be struck out. Considerable discussion followed. Mr Moss, at 1.5 a.m., moved that progress be reported, which was carried by 27 to 20. The Hou3e rose at 1.10 a.m.