PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 308, 30 June 1898, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. TUESDAY. Tin: Council met at 'J.,SO p.m. NEW MEMBERS. Messrs Lee-Smith, Twoiney, and Tomoana, the recently-appointed Councillors, took the customary oath and their scats. ADDKESS-IN-KEI'I.Y. The Addrees-in-Reply was agreed to after a short debate, the motion being moved by Mr Lee-Smith and seconded by Mr Two nicy. CHAIRMAN OK COMMITTEES. (Japt. l.aillie was unanimously reelected Chairman of Committees. REFOKM BILL. A Bill for the retorm of the Legislative Council was read a first time pro forma, and the second reading made an order of the day for Friday. The Council rose at 4 \5 p.m. WEDNESDAY. ADDBES.S-IN-REI'LY. The Council met at, 2.30 p.m., and immediately adjourned for the purpose of enabling the members to accompany the Speaker to Government House, where the Adrlress-in-Reply was presented to His Excellency. On resuming, the Minister for Education moved the postponement of the hisinesa till next day, in consequence of the want-of-eonfideuce debate m the Lower House. This was agreed to and the Council adjourned at 3 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TUESDAY. Mr McNab, the newly-elected member for Mataura, took the oath and his seat. UNAUTHOHISKD EXPENDITURE. Capt. Russell gave notice to move as an amendment to the motion on the Address-iu-Reply, "That the House regrets His Excellency's advisers should have thought fit, without the authority of this House, and for a purpose not contemplated by it, to so largely exceed a specific appropriation of £7OOO, for the construction of a new library, such action being a dangerous subversion of that control over the public expenditure, which exclusively belongs to this House."

The Premier said that it would have been just as well to have waited until the Address-in-Reply was moved by the member for Mataura; therefore, he would not go on with the business until that motion was brought up, and would give the earliest opportunity for the Leader of the Opposition to move his amendment. He, therefore, asked that the orders of the day be postponed in order to enable the member for Mataura to move his motion.

It was agreed, however, to dispose of the formal business. APFOIMMKNT OF UILL-KIiADKR. The Premier announced that the Government had recommended that Mr A. F. Lowe should be appointed Billreader to the House. Capt. Russell held that officers of the House should receive their appointments as from the House, and not as Government appointees. It should, therefore, rest entirely with the Speaker, as the chief executive officer of the House. In actint! as he had done the Premier had gone back on his promises to tiie House in the matter. He (Capt. Russell) alleged th'3re had been grave scandals in connection with the appointments to the staff of the House. The Premier maintained that constitutionally the duty of making appointments rested cot with the Speaker or anybody else, but with the Government, who were responsible for the finances and administration of the country. Thb cctrol of the officers of the House, however, was another matter, and lay entirely in the hands of the Speaker. THK ADDUESS-IX-RKriA'. Mr McNab moved the Address-in-Rcply. He ridiculed the idea of basing a want-of-confidence debate on a little expenditure of money in Wellington, seeing that money was expended similarly in other parts, only on a much larger scale, and nothing was said about it. In reference to defence he said it consisted in the efficiency of the British navy, wherever located, the Baltic, Mediterranean or the Chinese Seas, and not in fortifications on the shores of the colony. He believed, however, in reorganisation and the proper treatment of the volunteers, the training of marksmen, and the encouragement of rifle clubs. In referring to the trade in frozen rabbits, he advocated that rabbits should be inspected prior to exportation. He expressed regret that the Speech disclosed no determination to extend the trade of the colony in a comprehensive manner, nor to capture passenger trade, but cargoes, by means, for instance, of l'ritish-India boats touching at Wellington, and connecting with Singapore and Calcutta. Mr O'Meara seconded the motion. Capt. Russell moved the amendment, of which he had given notice in the afternoon. In doing so, he said that the mover and seconder of the Address had damned the Government with faint praise. Speaking of defence, he said the volunteer force was in a disgraceful state of disorganisation, in consequence of the ignorance of the Defence Minister in regaidto what was essential to the efficiency of colonial forces and the defence of the colony. He ridiculed the idea of acquiring land from people who were now using it, and then disposing of it to persons in whose interests special efforts had to be made by the country to euable them to use it, and supported freehold as the best form of tenure. Coming to his own amendment, Capt. Russell dwelt on the unconstitutional action of the Government. Tney intended to commit the country to an expenditure of £40,000 or £50,000, while the House had specifically voted only £7OOO for a library. He attributed the Government's conduct in the matter in its origin to a desire to influence the Wellington by-election, and detailed the manner in which men had been employed in connection with the work as a proof of his contention. Even if a general addition to the Parliament Buildings were necessary, it should not have been undertaken until duly sanctioned by the House, as representing the people and lesponsible to them for the expenditure of public money. Mr Hall-Jbnes followed Capt. Russell and began by chaffing the Opposition on some of their party phrases and tactics, and dwelt on the anomaly of one of the chief followers of the Leader of the Opposition being a gentleman who had brought vile charges against members of the Government of which Captain Russell had been a member. As to the expenditure which formed the subject matter of the umendment, Mr Hall-Joues traced the history of the steps taken towards the erection of a fire-proof building, to provide for the safe-keeping of the colony's invaluable Parliamentary library. As far back as 1875 trie cost was estimated at £14,000, and last year £7OOO was voted, but at that time it was not known which plan would be selected by ihe Library Committee, and on December 29th be, as Minister of Public Works, was informed of the plan selected by the committee, and the plans were approved on the motion of the Hon. Mr Roileston. It was the adoption of these plaus which entailed the expenditure to which the Government stood committed, and to which the Opposition took exception.

Mr George Hutchison said that circumstances imposed upon him a silence which prevented him from dealing as he otherwise might with tlis Minister's invidious references to himself personally. As to the main question at issue he contended that the House had voted £7OOO for a specific purpose, and that had been the guiding fact before the Library Committce. The Government and the architect employed by the Government aai

the plans themselves exhibited a recognition of the £7OOO limit, for exceeding which the Government were solely responsible. Mr J. G. Ward contended that the member for I'atea had laboured to place a false issue before the country. Ministers had power to spend within any one year up to £IOO 000 of unauthorised oxpendituie, and the contention thiv the Government had acted unonstitutionally in the matter under discussion was groundless. Mr Herries moved the luljonrnmmt of the debate, and the House rose at 12.130 a.m. WEDNESDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of absence for 10 days was granted to Mr Rolleston and Kaihan, one month to Mr I'irani, Hone Heke and James Allen, and for one week to Wi I'cre. WANT OF CONFIDENCE. Mr Herries resumed the discussion on Capt. Russell's amendment. He argued that the expenditure incurred by the Government in respect to the new Parliamentary buildings was unwarranted in view of the condition of the country through losses caused by aa unpropitious season. Mr John Hutchison followed with a general commentary on the Governor's Speech. He urged the creation of an efficient naval reserve, so well organised in times of peace that it would be efficiently available from the very first approach of danger. He praised the Government Land Policy ; but with regard to the Parliamentary library, he said the House had been duped and deluded with sophistries and ambiguities. To begin with, the co-operative system brought grief afterwards in connection with the work. Still, he would vote for the Government, as being the custodiaus of a policy in keeping with the wishes of the people. Mr George Fisher was the next speaker. He said the recent byc-elec-tion in Wellington was lost by the Government through the base black treachery of a section of persons who falsely ranged themselves under the banner of Liberalism. In bis opinion the Liberal party was stronger than it had been at any time for the past six years. He supported the Government's action in the matters traversed by the amendment, and made an attack on Sir Robt. Stout's connection with the Walter Guthrie companies. Mr W. Eraser spoke in support of the amendment, as also did Mr Browne. Mr E. G. Allen spoke in approval of the Government. The House rose at .3 30. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m.

Mr Guinness continued the discussion on Capt. Russell's amendment, which, considering the comparative insignificance of the subject, exhibited the weakness of the Opposition and the absence of an occasion for serious criticism. He would therefore vote against the amendment, but having said this he went on to criticise in considerable detail the policy and administration of the Government, especially in regard to railway construction and waterworks on goldfields. He advocated a systematic and extensive expenditure on those purposes. Hon Jas. Carroll showed that in regard to the subject of the amendment, the Library Committee had selected the site now being built upon, which had rendered it necessary to remove the old, decayed, tumble-down building, and this threw on the Government the responsibility of doing what it had done in the matter. Common sense and public interest left no other course open to the Government. It under the circumstances, a phenomenally small tiling to base a no-confidence motion upon, and perhaps it was fitting and natural that the speeches in connection with th« amendment had, so far, contained no vit?l criticism on the Government's policy and administration. In referring to the recent native trouble at Ilawene, the speaker paid a high compliment to the important unci patriotic service rendsred by Mr Hone Heke and the public spirited views of the Ngapuhi. He directed attention to the Government's new native land proposals as a means likely to settle all native troubles by attaching the natives individually, as well as collectively, to the laud. He also advocated that Maori youths should be educated to follow farming and industrial occupations as a means of promoting the happiness and usefulness of the race and placing it ou evencr relations with its European fellow citizens. The military spirit and talents of the Maoris should be encouraged and utilised iu connection with the organised defence of the colony. MrT. E. Taylor expressed regret at the absence from the Governor's Speech of an adequate indication of local government reform so much needed by the colony. Comprehensive decentralisation of all functions of local government arc urgently needed. (To this the Premier interjected that a scheme with that end in view would be brought down in a few days), Mr Taylor took strong exception to the Government proposals in reference to technical education, and characterised the Ministerial attitude and programme with regard to the Legislative Council as impotent. He contended that servility and not ability was the sole means of obtaining admission to the public service, that the administration of the Government was bringing discredit on the cause of Liberalism and people who had more regard for their character than for cunning would insist on a change. He would support the amendments on the merits of the qnestion at issue apart from party. The House adjourned for supper.