PARLIAMENT.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3879, 9 August 1873, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, August sth. The Hon the Speaker took the chair at two o'clock. PETITION. A petition was received from the Hawke's Bay Provincial Council. It requested that no native lands commission should be appointed. The petition also stated that Mr Sheehan and M"r Russell had been guilty of inciting the natives to. obstruct tbe purchase of land by the Government, and influencing them to repudiate their obligations with regard to the I purchase of land. It was decided on the voices that the peti-. tion be not received. The Hon Colonel BRETT then moved that 1 as certain allegations had been made against a member of the Council inconsistent with the character of a gentlemen, the Hon the Speaker request the Hon Mr Russell to appear in the Council Chamber as soon as possible to free himself from the accusations. Several members spoke to the question, and the mover ultimately agreed to the motion being postponed till Tuesday next. NATIVE LANDS COURT. The Hon Mr HART withdrew the motion, which he had tabled, to the following effect : — " That copies be laid before the Council of all communications received from Judges of the Native Lands Court, concerning the facilities for fraud created by the law requiring that the names in Crown grants of lands belonging to numerous natives should be restricted to ten, without requiring the grantees to execute and register declarations of trust ; and of all suggestions by such Judges for remedy of the evils thence arising." He had withdrawn the motion on the understanding "that the Government would introduce a bill dealing with the question. WESTLAND RAILWAY PETITION. The Hon Mr BONAR moved that the petition of 1824 inhabitants of Westland, relating ] to the importance of connecting the East and West Coasts of the Middle Island by railway be printed, His reason was that he wished the information bearing on the subject to be made public, as the greater portion of the Middle Island was interested in the question. The Hon Mr PEACOCK objected to the printing of the report, especially as he understood that the same question was being brought forward in the House of Representatives, and that they might not have the information on the same subject printed twice. It was agreed that the petition be printed. LECKSLATIVB COUNCIL TEMPORARY APPOINTMBNTS BILTi. The Hon Mr MANTELL moved that the second reading of the Legislative Council Temporary Appointments Bill be An order of the day for that day six months. He did not think it necessary to make any remark on the motion. The Hon Mr SEWELL said he understood that the object of the motion was to give time for discussion on the bill, which was really an important one. The bill, he might say, did not commend itself to his judgment. He thought it waa the duty of the Executive Government, if they desired a change in the construction of the Council, to state what form that change should take, and not leave the Council, as was evidently the intention of the bill, to affirm a principle to extinguish itself. He would admit that he thought it necessary there should be a reconstruction of the Council, but Ije did not think the change should take the form of eleotion on the same basis as that of the House of Representatives. He thought that the best model for a second chamber for a demooratio community like this would be the Senate of America, and the nearest approach to that form would bo to allow the Provincial Councils to elect the members of the second chamber. One ehamuber for the purpose of good government would be as good as two, supposing both bodies to rest on the same basis: The Hon Dr GRACE said that it seemed to him that it was evidently the intention of the Government to treat the Council in a Cromwellian manner, and he would second the motion to have the bill read that day six months. The motion waa carried. The Counil adjourned until Tuesday rext, 2 p in.