PARLIAMENT.

Western Star, Issue 100, 9 October 1875, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

Fa id at, Get 1. .Bills passed : Railways Bill, Neglected and Criminal Act Amendment Bill, Friendly Societies Act Amendment Bill, Evidence Further Amendment Bill. Second Readings: Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Bill, Riddell Laud Grant Bill. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time: —Out ram Telegraph Station Reserves Bill (Reynolds), Dunedin Corporation Borrowing Bill (Pvke), New Zealand University Reserves Bill (Bowen), Wellington Reclamation Land.- Act (Richardson), and Lodgers Enfranchisement Bill (Wakefield). The adjourned debate on the Debtors and Creditors Bill was resumed by Mr Hunter, who hoped the House would go into Committee on the Bill, so as to make it as perfect as could be. It would bo hnpossib'e to frame any perfect measure on that question in one attempt. —Mr Curtis opposed tne committal of the Bill, as he objected,to the whole of its prin-ciples.—-Mr Wakefield thought the Bill was for creditors alone, as it was oppressive to debtors. It made no distinction between the different grades of debtors —-guilty and innocent were all treated alike. —A division was called for by Mr Murray, which resulted in the Bill being ordered.to be committed by 34 to 23. — In Committee, Mr Pyko divided the House on clause 2, which he proposed to amend by making the Act come into operation in 1975. —The amendment was

rejected by 33 to 28. The Bill progressed as far as clause 28, which was postponed. Chin e 20 was also postponed. 'i ho House rose at 5.30 p.m. On reassembling at 7.30 p.m., Progress wa« reported on the Debtors and Oredi ors Bill.

The Stamp Unties Bill was advanced as far as clause 107, and the following clauses were postponed:—From 50 to 53 inclusive, which relate tq.. 1 he• stamping of appointments; ami* clause 63, relating to bills of lading. Clause SO, relating to the stamping of mortgages,, was struck out. Cou-idi-rabie opposition.-was raised, to clause 0,5, dealing with policies of sea assurances, and if it is postponed the Government promised in the meantime to obtain all possible information as to the amount of revenue derived from this source, and stating that if they found I he tax to bo harassing and that it only realised a trifling amount, they v oulef strike it out. They however declined to strike out that and all other clauses bearing upon the matter until that information had been obtained.

The Bill of Sales Bill pass el. Mr Bowen moved the second reading of the Representation Bid in a comparatively brief speech, the burden of which was that the Government did not think it advisable at present to deal with any glaring inequalities in the representation of the colony, feeling that they could not well deal with the whole question of representation until the colony had been laid out into shires. To attempt to deal with the question now would seriously retard the next elections. The Government, however, would be prepared to consider in Committee any suggestion from members to improve the Bill, and members were requested to give eirly notice of any suggestions in that direction,. Sir George Grey took grea:. objection to the Bill as being most unfairly drawn up. Instead of attempting to give re*, presentation according to population, it was not only perpetuating old standinginjustices, but absolutely increasing them, lie objected to. Hawke’s Bay and Timaru getting increased representation, and Taranaki being allowed to retain its three members, and attributed the latter solely to that Province being well represented j on the Gov.-rmnent tenches. i

Mr Cnthbertsoii moved the adjournment cf ihe debate, and the House went into supply upon the Estimates. Clause 6. dealing with Native appropriations. After considerable discussion, a!! t be Perns under tin’s head w ere passed without reduction or alteration. The .House adjourned at 1*2.30 a.in. Mon day, Cox. 4. In the liaise of .Represent at : ve-s Mr Eoyno ds moved Hat t he House approv-d and ratified tlie joint contract entered into on the 22nd of July, IS7;j, by Bir J). Cooper, Bart., and Mr Thomas Russell, on. behalf of the Governments of New South, Wales ami New Zealand respectively,. wiali the Pacific Mail Steam-hip Company of New York (lor whom Messrs Elder and; Co., of Glasgow,,, and Mr

M'Gregor, M.P., for Leith, are sureties) for a four-weekly mail steam service between San Francisco and Sydney and between New Zealand and San Francisco. H.e'referredfion. .members to the papers already on. the table. Ever since the establishment of the mail service in 1808, the GrovernmcnL bad endeavoured to establish a service by way of San Francisco, and several attempts were made in that direction, but without success. He was now in a position to congratulate the Ho use upon entering into a contract which would prove of great advautage-to the Colony. The whole success of the scheme would depend- upon the contractors. Mr Reynolds proceeded to notice the progress of the negotiations, and to give a history oil the service hitherto.

Mr Murray moved an amendment’ “That the San Francisco mail service, being of advantage to the citizens of the United States as well as to the British Colonies of Australia, a fair proportion of the expenditure on the service should be paid bv ibeG-overnment of t he United States.”

Mr Macandrew would not give a penny for a service which did not call along the coast. He was of opinion that, from,a commercial point of view, the result of an arrangement such as that suggested would be very serious indeed.—The debate was adjourned till next day.

The House went into. Committee ou the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Amendment Bill and the Debtors and Creditors Bill. The Fraudulent Debtors’ was also committed, and largely amended. The Stamp Duties Bill was further considered in Committee, and progress reported. The Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. The Fraudulent Debtors Bill was also read a third time, and" passed. The Debtors and Creditors! Bill was recommitted, and clauses 72 and 73 struck out. The Bill was then reported to the House as further amended.

Mr. Bryce brought up a report on the 0 inemuri miners rights investigation. The report was road. 3he Speaker said ho would take care the report was printed. The adjourned debate on the Kepresenianon Bill was resumed by 'MrCnthherfsou. and maintained by Messrs M'G-il--liv ray, Swanson, O'Neill, T. Kelly, Bold, Andrew, Mcrvyn, and O'Conor, Mr Fitzherbort moved the adjourn moot of the debate, which was carried, and the House adjourned at 1.5 a.ra. Tuesday, Octodeu o.

The Council insisting on its amendment in the Gold fields Bill, No I (Mr Shepherd's), to charge compensation against the land fund instead of on the goldfields revenue. Sir D. MfLenn moved that the matter should be considered on FHclay. The Government is anxious to carry the Bill through in some shape or other this si ssiou.