House of Representatives.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4766, 5 October 1893, Page 1

House of Representatives.

AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30. CONCILIATION BILL. The Hou W. P. Beeves moved that the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill be discharged from the Order Paper. He referred to the extraordinary treatment which the Bill had received from the Legislative Council, and said there was iiot the slightest chance now o£ getting it paused in a workable form. If he were to accept the wretched abortion Bent back by the Legislative Council it would prevent any ÜBeful Bill being passed for three years, and it would be for the people to consider at the coming elections whether the people themselves should rule or whether they should be ruled by domineering nominees in the Upper Chamber. Mr Eollebton resented the remarks of the Minister for Education, and said they were opposed to every notion of propriety that he possessed. He protested against such wholesale condemnation of the Upper House by a Minister of the Crown, and said it came with very bad grace from a member of a Government which had appealed to Downing street to crowd the Legislative Council with its own nominees. . He (Mr Rolleston) felt convinced that the industrial classes of the Colony would never again allow themselves to be led by designing politicians into another etrike ; and he ohould like to know whether Mr Keeves had ever put his hand in his pocket to help the wive 3 and families of those who had been incited to strike by himself and others of his way of thinking. Mr Hogg supported the motion, and spoke strongly again3t the action of the Upper House. Mr Fish said it was greatly to be regretted that a Minister .of the Crown should degrade his high office as Mr Reeves had just done by attacking a Chamber which owned its existence to the Constitution of the Colony just as much as the Lower House. His (Mr Fish's) opinion was that the Upper House was an honour to the Colony, and had often rendered the country good service. Messrs Duthie, Mackenzie (Clutba), Buckland, Bruce and Taylor also spoke on the motion. Mr Fishee epoke at some length against the action of the Minister for Labour in making such a bitter attack on a Chamber, one-third of which had be3n appointed by the present Government. He said Mr

Eeeves did not want the Industrial Bill passed, as, if it were, the Minister for Labour would ba deprived of apolitical cry which he had used successfully in the past, and hoped to do so again. He moved as an amendment to Mr Beeves' motion that managers be appointed to consult with the Legislative Council in order to Bee if some compromise could not be arrived at. The amendment was lost on the voices, and, after further discussion, Mr Reeves' motion waß carried. GOVEENMENT LIFE INSURANCE. The Hon J. G. Ward moved the second reading of the Government Life Insurance Acts Amendment Bill, to prevent delay in dividing surplu3 profits between the policy-holders. Agreed to. COMPANIES ACT. The Hon J. G. Wabd moved the second reading of the Companies Act Amendment Bill, to enable Companies to increase tlieir capital by the iasue'of preferential Bharea not exceeding the amount pf the ordinary shares for the time being issued by the Company. The Bill had been carefully examined by a Select Committee, and had passed the other Chamber. Agreed to. LAND AND INCOME TiX. The Hon J. G. Ward moved the second reading of the Land and Income Tax Bill, to impose a Land tax and Income tax for the twelve months commencing oh April 1, 1893. He explained the Bill was the usual measure introduced year by year, and merely provided for the imposition of a tax already carried by the House. Agreed to. PUBLIC TRUST. The Hon J. G. Wabd moved the second reading of the Public. Trust Office Act Amendment Bill to facilitate the administration and avoid the expense of the Public Trust Department. The Bill was largely an amending BUI, and would afford greater advantage to those who had to use the Public Trust Department than they had before. Agreed to. . WANGASUI HARBQtTB. The Hon E. J. Seddon moved the second reading of the Wanganui Harbour Endowment Reserve Bill. Agreed to. COALMINES. The Hon E. J. Seddon moved the second reading of the Coalmines Act Amendment Bill providing that coal includes shale under the Mining Act. Agreed to. PUBLIC WORKS ACT. The Hon E. J. Seddon moved the second reading of th.9 Public Works Act Amendment Bill to amend the law relating to the working of railways over railway crossings. Agreed to. i BILLS PASSED. The Government Life Insurance Acts Amendment Bill, Companies Act Amendment Bill, Land Tax and Income Tax Bill were committed and passed without amendment. PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE. « The Public Trust Office Acts Amend jaent Bill was committed. Clause 3 was amended so as to provide that interest on mopeys , ■edvßUOed by the Public Traatee ia respect of any estate where funds are not immediately, available should not exceed 6 per cent. The remaining clauses were passed with verbal alterations, and the Bill was read a third time and pas3ed. BILLS PASSED. The Wanganui Harbour Endowment Bill, Coal Mine 3 Act Amendment Bill, Public Works Act Amendment Bill, Gimmerburn Forest Bill, Kyngdon Land Grant Bill and Maori Eeal Estate Management Bill were committed, read" a third time and passed. COLLIERY RAILWAYS. The Hon E. J. Seedon moved the second reading of the Colliery Eailway Works Vesting Bill, and said the necessity for the Bill arose from the position of the Fernhill railway and Shag Point railway. The Bill provided that the Governor-in-Coun-cil may declare colliery branch railways to be veßted in the* Companies owning the same, and this .bill proposed to ve3t the two lines referred to iv the Companies owning them. Agreed to. The Bill wai committed, read a third time and passed; « EDUCATION ACT. The Hon W. P. Eeeves moved the second reading of the Education Act Amendment Bill (2) to deal with the evil of truanoy in public schools, and to throw the onus of prosecutions for truancy on the Education Boards instead of the Committees. The Bill also provided for the appointment of truant officers for Native Schools. Agreed to, and the Bill committed. The House rose at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30, in Committee on the Education Act Amendment Bill. Clause 9, truant officer or police officer may prosecute, was struck out of the Bill by 27 to 19. Mr FiBHER moved a new clause to the effect that all scholarships should be open to children attending public and private primary schools. The clause was read a second time by 29 to 16. The following is the division list .— Ayes, 29 : Bruce, Buckland, Buick, Cadman, Carroll, Duncan, Eufcbie, Fish, Fisher, Hall-Joneß, Hogg, W. Hutchison, Joyce, J. M'Kenzie, M'Lean, C. H. Mills, O'Conor, Parata, Eeeves, Eichardson, Shera, E. M. Smith, Stout, Swan, Taylor, Ward, Willis, Wilson and Wright. Noes, 16: Allen, Buchanan, Harknesa, Kapa, Lake, Lawry, M'Gowan, Meredith, Mitchelson, Pinkerton, Ehodes, Eolleston, Sandford, Saunclera, Tanner and E. Thompson. Mr E. Thompson moved that the Chairman leave the chair. He said if the clause was added to tie Bill it meant an insidious attempt to destroy our present system of education. After some discussion, the motion for leaving the chair was lost by 32 to 13. Mr Fisher then moved to add to his clause the words, "not conduoted for purposes of profit," but afterwards withdrew them. A lengthy discussion ensued, after which The Hon E. J. .Seddon moved to report progress in order to bring up the report of the conference on the Electoral Law Amendment Bill. Agreed to. ELECTORAL LAW. Mr Seddon then brought up the report of the conference, and stated that it had removed some serious difficulties under which the seamen of the Colony laboured with respect to voting. He also said the Houee would be .glad to hear that the conference had agreed that the question of electoral rights for women should be held over till after the general election, and it could then be considered whether electoral rights should be granted to all women or only to those in certain districts. He moved that the report o£ the conference be agreed to. Carried. RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION. The Hon R. J. Seddon moved the second reading of the Railways Authorisation and Management Amendment Bill, providing that the provisions of the Eailways Authorisation Act of 1891 should include power to make part of the WellingtonNapier line a certain part of Wellington Harbour. Mr Duthie hoped that the Premier, after the opposition shown to this vote on the Estimates, would allow the matter to drop. He strongly opposed the Bill.

Messrs Buchanan, M'Lean, Richardson and Wright also spoke on the Bill. Mr Seddos defended it strongly. H« eaid if the House did not agree to it he should recommit the Estimates and strike off £8000 voted for the erection of a goods i Btation at Te Aro (Wellington) and devote the money to some other purpose. The motion for the second reading was carried by 17 to 15. The motion for the committal of the Bill was lost by 21 to 18. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The Hon E. J. Seddon moved the adoption of the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the alteration of the Public Works Statement, with the exception of the last paragraph, to the effect '•' that the Committee is of opinion that in altering the text of a Ministerial Statement after it had been laid before Parliament, and without ever informing the Minister of what he had done, Mr Blow committedagrave indiscretion. It considers that no alteration of any Parliamentary paper after it has been laid on the table of the House can properly be made without the sanction of the House." He asked Mr Eolleston to withdraw the charge that he had altered the figures secretly and surreptitiously, the Committee having shown that the charges were unfounded. Mr Blow had followed a practice which had ob ained for years. He hoped, therefore, that the House would acquit him of having altered the figures as stated by Mr Bolleaton, and that hon. gentleman, holding the position he did in the House, would withdraw the charge he bad made' against him. Mr Rolleston said it had never been the custom for the body of a document to be altered except in the case of a Financial Statement delivered by Sir J. Yogel, when the document was corrected openly in the House. He held that the Premier should have made the correction in the Public Works Statement in the most public manner, and not have allowed Mr Blow, the "Undersecretary, to be under the charge so long. He read a large portion of the evidence taken before the Committee, and said he Baw no reason to retreat from the position he had taken up over this, matter; neither did he see anything he had done to be aahamed of. He thought the House must be very careful, Beeing that Civil Servants should not be employed in connection with documents of this nature, as serious complications might arise. SUPPIiEMBNTARY ESTIMATES. . The Hon J. G. Ward moved the adjournment of the debate in order to bring down the Supplementary Estimates, which were introduced by message from the Governor. Mr Bichardson said if they agreed to the adjournment of the debate they would hear no more of it. The Hon R. J. Seddon promised that it would be the first order of the day for next day. Mr Richaedbon accepted that assurance and the debate was adjourned till next day. The House went into Committee of Supply for consideration of the Supplementary Estimates. Mr Eapa asked the Premier whether .he would Jreep the promise he had made with respect to giving information about £7000 from the Civil list for .purely Native purposes. Tne Hon B. J. Seddon said they would come to the Justice Department later on. Mr Eapa asked whether the Premier would give an assurance that no more money would be illegally taken from this amount. The Hon E. J. Seddon said that no sums had been taken illegally from it. Sir E. Stout agreed with Mr Kapa, and said it was decidedly wrong to devote this money to any other than Native purposes. Mr Kapa moved that the Chairman report progress. He explained that part of the money set apart for purely Native purposes out of the Civil list was being spent on Europeans in Auckland, and he held that if the Government were guilty of a breach of trust in this respect, the Natives could not trust it in other matters. He protested against such misappropriation of this fund,. and said they could never get any information as to how this money was misappropriated. Mr Taiptta said ou a previous occasion he had begged the Government to give them some information as to how this money was being expended, but he could get none. If the Premier gave some satisfactory explatation of this, he should be willing to- accept it. Mr EoiiiiksTON was astonished at the action of the Native Minister over this matter. Mr Seddon wan signalising his advent to tbe olSco in an extraordinary manner. Thin .£7OOO, that was voted for medical comfoit3, &c, for the Natives, was being expended in an utterly unlawful manner, and was actually being spent in payment of salaries of officers in the Justice Department. The Hon R. J. Seddon said he had already tald the Native members that several of the charges made under this vote would not be repeated. The practice had been carried oub before the present Government took office, and certain ex- i penses were incurred in looking after the money. After further discuesion the first vote. Legislative Department .£750, was put and carried after long debate. Expenses of general election (additional), £7000. Carried. Agricultural statistics (additional), £500. Carried. Miscellaneous services, £9050. Mr Earnshaw moved that the sum of £500, allowance to the Agent-General for removal from New Zealand to London, be reduced by £250. . The Hon E. J. Seddon defended the vote, and said that nearly £400 had been actually expended. The reason why the amount had not appeared on the Estimates last year was because it was an outstanding imprest. Mr Eaenshaw eventually withdrew his amendment. [Left sitting at 2 a.m.]