FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXV, Issue 3041, 3 September 1870, Page 6

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2.

Tho Speaker took tho chair at 2 p.m. SOUTHLAND DEBT. Mr DRIVER asked the hon. the Colonial Trsasurer — Whether tho Provincial Government of the province of Southland has up to tho present time included in the statement of the liabilities of the said province the item of £2,350 43, together with interest from sth September, 18G5, duo to Campbell and Robertson, as well as any sums of money due to David M'Kellar and others, for survey fees on lands given for public works under " Tho Southland Wasto Lands Act, 1865" ? Mr YOGEL said that this amount was, he believed, included in the schedule of the liabilities of the provinco of Southlund, but he would make further enquiries. BLOCKHOUSE AT NGARUAWAniA, Colonel 11AULTA1N n sited the Hon. Defence Minister, Whether the Government intonded to complete the Blockhouse at Ngaruawabia ? Mr. M'LEAN said that it was the intention of the Government to complelo this blockhouse this spring. REPORTS OT WASTE LANDS COMMITTEE. Mr LUDLAM brought up the report of this committee on the Gisbomo Laud Act, which was read. GOLDPIELDS COMMITTEE. Mr MAIN asked leave to make a motion without leave under the following circumstances: — The House would recoiled that a report had been brought up from tho Goldfields Committee referring to tho petitions of certain inhabitants of Clyde, and managers and directors of mining companies at the Thames. It appeared that a member of tho House, acting under the misapprehension that he was a member of the committee, had attended and taken part in tho deliberations of that committee, and as there was not a quorum of the members present the proceedings were invalid, and therefore he desired to move that tho records be expunged from the journals of the Hou.«o, and the reports referred back to the committee for reconsideration. Mr SWAN said he should movo that this committee be discharged, as he held that it was of no use whatever. Mr HAUGHTON seconded the motion. Mr BRAD3HAW said that tho mistake occurred from the fact that, not being able to get a quorum, tho chairman had gone into the library and had there found tho hon. member for Newton reading, and the chairman had brought Mr Creighton in, informing him that be was a member, which mistako arose from a motion having appeared on tho Order Paper that Mr Creighton should ho appointed a member of that Com mittee. Ultimately the Speaker ruled that Mr Swan's amendment was out of order, and an amendment i l by Mr Taylor that certain documents purporting to be reports of tho Goldficlds Committee be expunged from tho journals of the House, it having been brought to the knowledge of the House that there was no quorum of tho committee, was agreed to. At a later period Mr Creighton made a personal explanation on the : matter. MESSAGE PROM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tho SPEAKER announced that ho had received a message from tho Legislative Council, informing him that the Council had passed the. Wellington Gas Company Bill with an amendment which was ordered to bo considered on the next Bitting day. SUPPLY. On tho motion of Mr Yogel, the House went into Committee of Supply on tho supplementary estimates. Tho item— Compensation to Thomas Goodison, was struck out. I CLOSE OI? THE SESSION. j Mr YOGEL said that the Government would make arrangements to huve steamers going North and South at the end of the session, and he did hope that, locking to the fact that very important ' measures were coming forvravd during the next four days whifh would, ho believed, end the session, he trusted that public duty would induce ' hon. members to remain till the end of the session. After a further discussion, in which Messrs ■ Peacock, Stafford and others took part, the matter dropped. On tho item— Compensation to John Runci- j man, £279 10s, 1 Mr WILSON objected to this being made a ' colonial charge ; if the Auckland members had ! no objection to this bi>ing made a provincial ' charge, he would say no more. Mr Dignan and Mr Cueighton strongly op- ! posed the striking out this item, a? th^y were of - opinion that the ease was one of great hardship. After some further discussion, the questiou for ( tho diminution was put and negatived on a division by thirty to eight. Mr SWAN objected to the amount of £6000 for the repairs of tho Government Buildings and erection of offices, and ho should move that tho item bo reducod by £1000. Mr HAUU-lirON said that ho hud expected to see the Government come down with a pro- ( posal to erect new Houses altogether, so that those who came after them, or if they Ciimc buck themselves, should not he subjected to sitting in ; such au unhealthy building. And further than this, the public were prevented from coming to . listen to their debates ; if they wanted to cultivate a healthy public opinion, they should allow j every facility for the public to sco or hear. i Mr MAC ANDREW snid he thought that the i Pa-liament should bo peripatetic, and hold its < sittings either in Auckland, Christchurch, or i Dunedin. He should therefore vote for tho reduction, as he thought it would bo unwise to expend money in patching up those old buildings. Mr EOX said that he could not concur with the amendments, as howovor much he would like to ; see public money suved, in this instance it could < not bo done without seriously injuring the efficient ] carrying on of tho public service. All the Go- ( vernment proposed to do was to render the Houso i lifo-safo. 1 Mr EYES deprecated any attempt at patching t up these old buildings, nnd lie thought tho com- 1 mittee should strike out tho item altogether. t Mr BUNNY did not believe in Wellington ( boing run down in the manner it had been, and i he would always stand up for Wellington while in c that Houso. Ho asserted that Wellington would, ■ i despite her pvesent position, if the schemes of the , 1 Government were not ruined by the Provincial ( element, tako her place as the true Empire city of i tho colony, a place <o which, from her geogra- 1 phical position, she was justly entitled. i Mr YOGEL said that tho Government did not 1 propose to erect new Legislative buildings, but | i simply to make tho present buildings safe, and to j ( erect some additional buiMings fur ofllcos under t the new measures. He fVlt; much impressed with t the necessity of increased accommodation for hon. members. Hon. gentlemen came up to the ses- j sion looking fresh and rosy, and went buck mero shadows of their former selves, and he thought £ that the discomfort experienced by hon. members t at tho hands of thoso who had tho letting of | j apartments in Wollington hail the effect of driving c hon. members into the House, nnd thus lengthen r tho Bession, j i Mr HALL said ho wished tho Hon. Treasurer t to inform him whether the Government intended \ to carry out the proper ventilation of the House. ] Sir D. MONRO was surprised that the Govern- t menfc had adopted the course they had in this f matter. A largo sum of money was about to bo | ( expended on patching the old building, and after f this was spent what, would they lime? why, a c

\ ricketly old building, which wonld cost a large sum of money annually to keep in repair. He ' contended that tho most economical course to be 1 pursued would be to eroct a now building altogether, and if this could bo done for £30,000 it would be money well spent by the colony. Mr Swan's amendment was then put and negatived on a division by 30 to 10. Tho item then passed as printed. Defence— £64,o47 13s 6d. On tho motion of Mr M'Leajt, tho item Officer Commanding at Marlborough, wus reduced to £200. Mr EYES moved that the item bo struck out. On a division, Mr Eyca' amendment was negatived by 18 to 10. On tho item, £7000, Clothing for Militin, Colonel HAULTAIN moved the reduction of this item by £5000. Mr KELLY moved as n, further amendment that the item be struck out. Mr MLEAN s.iid (hi) Government would consent to this eslimato being reduced by £3000. On a division, Mr Kelly's motion was negatived by 37 to 8. Colonel lIAULTAIN" accepted the reduction proposed by Mr M'Lean. Colonel HANLTAIN then moved that the item £1000 for arms to cadets be struck out, which was negatived on the voices, and tho item passed with the reduction proposed by Mr M'Lean. Confiscated lands, expenses of survey and management, £1000; land fund, £3320— 0n this item being put, Mr Brandon moved that the item of Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wellington, should be reduced by £200. A lengthy discussion ensued, Mr Ludlam supporting the reduction, and Mr BtXNNY opposing it, stating that tho officer in question was a highly efficient and valuable officer. After some further discussion, a division was taken with tho following result : — Ayes, 18; JNoes. 17. The item was therefore reduced to £350 per annum. On the item — Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mariborough, £320, Mr Eyes moved tho reduction of this item by £180. On being put, tho motion was negatived on tho voices, when Mr Eyes demanded a division, which took placo as follows: — Ayes, 13; Noss, 16. The amendment was therefore negatived. Mr Kenny then moved that the sum be reduced by £100, which was negatived on the voices. The wholo item was then agreed to. Liabilities — 18G9 70. Maintenance of native prisoners in Wellington gaol, £4125 19s 8d ; compensation to J. W. Witty, £115. On the item — £150 compensation to A. S. Dreyor, Mr Eyes objected to this being made a provincial charge-, as it was nofc the fault of tho Provincial Government officers that the petitioner suffered loss, but {hat of a General Government officer. The vote passed on tho voices as printed. The following votes were agreed to for tho service of the present year : — maintenance of native prisoners in gaol at Wellington, £120 ; fornge allowance to adjutant of Wairarnpa, £54 15s ; allowance to drill serjeant cavalry, Canterbury, £30. Unauthorised expenditure, 18G8-69— £74,G3i 13s 3d ; do 1869-70— £80,071 10s. On the latter item, Mr Hall asked tho Defence j Minister whether it was true that tho Maoris on tho lino of telegraph between Taupo mid Taurnngn, were opposing the erection of this lino. Mr M'LEAN said that thoso reports h-id been greatly exaggerated. The fact was that (he difficulty arose from some local dispute, respecting timber taken by the contractors, but, tho chief who obstructed the lino was a man of no consequence and one who had no influence whatever in the district the Government had received a telegram from a native chief in that part of the country, informing them that the account of tho obstruction had been very much exaggerated, and that there would bo no difficulty in carrying the line through. On tho item, £1462 16s lOd, Native Contingencies, Colonel HAULTAIN moved that this sum be reduced by £800, tho amount saved from tho vote on the Civil List. The amendment was agreed to. Progress was then reported, and leave obtained to sit again. MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR. The SPEAKER announced that he hud received a message from his Excellency tho Govesnor, transmitting tho additional estimates of expenditure for tho year 1870-71. SUPPLY. Tho House then again went into Committee of Supply, when the following votes were passed : — Native Contingencies, £3000; Botanic Garden, Wellington, £300; Expenditure on Goldfiolds, £12,000. CONDUCT. 1 OF BUSINESS. Mr YOGEL stated that the Government proposed that Government business should take precedence for the remainder of the session. Tho Government did not intend to press tho Bankruptcy Bill through this session, passing only a fow sections which wei-c absolutely necessary. A motion to the effect, that Government business should tako precodenco every daj', except Monday, was agreed to. { Tho House adjourned at 12.20 p.m., till 2 p.m. 3U Monday.