PARLIAMENT.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3866, 25 July 1873, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tnrj-asDAY, 24th Ju__, 1873. The Hon the Speaker took the cbair at two o'clock. PRODUCTION OP COBBBSPONDBNOE. Tho Hon Mr SEWELL moved that an ad-res* be presented to his Excellency the Govornor, requesting him to be pleased to causo to be laid upon the table of the Council • copies of any despatches, nofc already printed from his Excellency the Governor and Acting Governor fco the Secretary of State, relative to the Ministerial changes during and subsequent; , to the lasfc session of the Assembly ; and also i relative to the native meetings at Maungatau- , tari and Ngaruawahia, and the Governor's | visits fco native districts, since last session, including fchafc to Kawhia harbor ; und of all ' replies of fche Seoretary of State to suoh despatches; and of all other correspondence nofc already printed between his Excellency the Governor and the Seoretary of State, relative to the publio affairs of the colony. He ' (Mr Sewell) had been surprised afc the silence ■ whioh bad beon observed by the Government l upon the important changes which had taken • place in the Ministry during the pasfc year. : Such events form part of fche history of fche ' colony, and ib was highly desirable that fche ; Legislature of the country should be acquainted with them. The ordinary practice : appeared fco be that the Government supplied ' all papers and correspondence which they deemed necessury ; und that ifc was competent for any member of fche Legislature to move ' for such correspondence as he deemed advisablo to lay before the Parliament. He (Mr 1 Seweli) was of opinion that all official oorres--1 pondence between the Governor and the » Home Government should be printed. Ifc l was rather strange that the Home GovernL menfc should be informed upon matters oo_« ; neofced with fche colony, and the Legislature of i the colony deniod the information. There . was only one way afc present of. communicating with fche Home Office, and fchafc was through P the Governor. If Parliament were denied [ fche results of any such correspondence, the best thing to be done would be for the Parliament, itself fco have power to correspond with fche Home authorities. ' Thb Hon Br POLLEN said the motion was | rather of a sweeping character, as ifc might 1 embrace correspondence on questions still i pending, and tbe production of which might seriously hamper fche Government in dealing wifch these questions. There was no difficulty I in acceding fco the first part of the motion, bufc with regard fco fche latter portion, embracing correspondence on all the public affairs of the colony, it might be impolitic to produce them. 1 The Hon Mr SEWELL had no objection , to words to the following effect being added fco his motion : — " Thafc could be produced without inconvenience fco the publio servioe." The Hon Dr POLLEN said fche matter was one whioh he would leave entirely to the discretion of fche Council. The motion was agreed to with the addi--1 fcion of the words proposed to be added by Mr 1 Sewell. THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. The Hon Oaptain BAILLE moved thafc this Council concurs with the recommendation contained in fche report of the House Committee, presented on Tuesday, the 22nd of July, with respect fco the supply of curtains for the improvement of the aceusfcic properties of the Chamber, and the accomodation required for fcbe seating of members. The Hon Mr MANTELL thought nothing should be immediately done in the matter. The effect of hanging curtains had been tried in the other house, and was found fco be not so satisfactory as anticipated. The Hon tbe SPEAKER said that he had spoken to the reporters in the gallery of tbe Oonnoil Chamber in regard to fche acoustic properties, and tbey bad informed him that fchey could not hear more than one-half of what was said. The motion was agreed to. PUBLIC TBUST OF-TOB AOT AMENDMENT BILL The Hon Dr POLLEN said the Public Trust Offioe Acfc had been framed last session. Ifc had beon found fchafc tfae business of the office was nofc as great as might reasonably have be.n expected, but this waa owing, no doubt, to the absence from duty of fche head of tho office, wbo had been otherwise engaged. The chief object of the present bill was to give fche publio trustee the power of dealing with the powers now vested in the Curators of intestate estates. Ifc was also thought that great advantages would be derived from having one central office to deal with the property of lunatios and deceased persons. The Hon Mr SEWELL said the bill was not one amending the Publio Trust Office Act, but was merely for the purpose of abolishing the curator of intestate estates, and investi iug their power in one central offioe in Wellington. The bill seemed to be founded i entirely on misoonception. The law was, that if a man died without making a will the next of kin administered the estate. Bufc here it , was very often the case that a person died without leaving any relative in the oolony, and in fchafc case the duties of administration devolved upon the curator of intestate estates. The law creating these offioers waß passed when he (Mr Sewell) was Attorney- General, and was almost a oopy of a Victorian Act. He did not think that that Aot was a perfect model, and believed that 1 there should be some provision for looking after the curators of intestate estates The consequence of passing fche present bill would be, thafc if a man died iv Auckland or Dunedin, say, his property would be administered by a gentleman (Mr Woodward) residing in Wellington, and justice would not , likely be done in dealing with the property. He would move thafc the bill be read a seoond ' time thafc day six months. Tho Hon Mr HART pointed oufc one or two clauses in the bill which would, in a measure, meet fche objections urged by Mr Sewell. By clause _ it would be seen that it was not compulsory thafc if a man died afc a distance his property should be administered 1 in Wellington. The Hon Mr WATERHOBSE said tbat there was considerable foroe in the objections of Mr Sewell, bufc they were not sufficient fco warrant the bill being rejeoted. He thought the defects of the bill oould be remedied in committee* He was one who assisted to pass ; the Aofc now in foroe, and he looked upon it at the time in the light of an experiment. [ They should be careful in the way they proceeded in the matter, and hoped the bill ' would be thoroughly considered in committee by gentlemen well qualiQed for the task. ' Tho Hon Dr POLLEN thought the policy of appointing a public trustee had been generally recognized ; and if suoh were done, there was no reason why powers should not be given him to appoint deputies. He desired to give the Council every facility for amending the bill in committee. The bill was read a second time, and ordered to be considered in committee. THE BANK HOLIDAYS BILL was considered in committee, and progress reported. The Sheriffs' Ant Amendment Bill waß read a third time. The Council adjourned afc 3.30 p.m., until tbe following day, at 2 p.m.