Parliamentary Epitome

Western Star, Issue 376, 1 September 1880, Page 2

Parliamentary Epitome

HOHSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Friday, 27th August.

Mr Pvke gave notice that he would more the following amendment on Supply,." In the opinion of this House it in desirable the Northern and Middle Islands of New Zealand be created into two separate colonies. That with a view of effecting such separation a Commission should be appointed to consider and report .on the allocation of the Colonial debt, and the conduct of the conditions subject to which duties of customs and postal aud telegraphic charges shall be allocated to e;ich Island. That a message be sent to the Legislative Council asking their concurrence, and inviting that branch of the Legislature to appoint a committee to c<»nfer with a committee of the House thereupon.", Mr Bain gave notice that he would ask if the Government would cause to be prepared and circulated, durino- the reee-s, a bill embodying the recommendations of the joint committee reBankruptcy laws, as also any other recommendations of a practical character which may be m >de to them on the subject. ~ . , ~ : ,

Mr Pulton gave notice that he would ask the Government what course they intended to pursue in re-gi-d to local bodies who had entered into contracts for public works on the faith of a continuance of the subs-'diep.. Replying to Mr Reeves the Hon Mr Hall promised that during the reces* the Government, wou'd .take into consideration the desirability of increasing the ad valorem duties now imposed on all articles imported and which can be manufactured in the colony, with a viow of encouraging the growth of colonial industries.

Replying to Mr R-eves, the HonMr Hall s.iid it sum of money would bo placed on the Supplementary Esihmtes with a view of fostering and developing local:industries; and if it parsed the Government would consider the propriety of. allocating a porton oF it as a bonus for the first 1000 barrels of cement manufactured in the-

colony. Replving.to Mr Beetham, the Hon. Mr Oliver said attention had been directed'to tho u>e of spark-catch.-ra for locomotives. So far ss they had b en applied they had pr-irel mod'enely successful in prevwntfug conflagrations.

Replying to Mr Murray, the Hon. Mr Rolles on said the cost of primary,. 30-ondary, and university education out of the rents of res rves and p :b!ic funds in addition to votes underclause 8 of ordinary estimates, and clause!) of of the Public Works Estimates, had been £'i49;022. Replying to Mr Hirst, t <e Hon. Mr Rolleston said inquries had been nude into the truth of a paragraph iu the " New Zealand Times,'' respecting an outrage said to have been committed by Detectives Brown and Benjamin iu forcing an entrance into a. youngwoman's bedroom after a notice had been posted by one of the said officers that no persons would be admitted, a* any excitement would be dangerous- to. life, tbe result being that they found the paragraph not justified by the facts of the case.

Rcplyiag to Mr Sheehan, the Hon. Mr Rolleston said it was intended to give practical effect to the recommendation of the Colonial Industries Commission oh tho subject of the conservation of the public forests of tbe-

colony. On further consideration of the resolution about the inscription of stock, Mr Geo. M'Lean thought the matter could stand over.

Mr Beader Wood opposed th» resolutions, and on beiug- put they were negatived on the voices. The Hon. Mr Hall said he hoped the amendment of the member for Christchurch, under the circumstances, would not be pressed. Mr Reader Wood argued that inscription of stock had secured no real benefit to the colony. On the contrary, he could look upon it as nothing more than sucking the life blood of the colony in the shape of commission to stockbrokers. He thought the best thing that could be done was to accept the amendment. The Hon Mr Hall said the process of inscription would be only exercised to a limited extent, and he hoped the mover of the amendment would be content with that assurance,

Mr Stevens then consente I to withdraw the amendment, and the Chairman left the chair.

Mr Hutchison moved, on the motion for going into Committee of Supply, " That the ten per cent, reduction should not apply to salaries of £LSO and under."—Mr Bun seconded the motion, stating that when the reduction was agreed upon he understood it was to be a discriminating reduction, and that salaries only of large amounts would be affected by it. —Mr Pyke supported the motion, describing the reduction as income tax applicable to one particular class of the community. —Messrs Seddon and Murray also spoke in favour of the inotiou. —Sir G-eorge Grey said that to

impose this income tax on small in--ssares" fras to sentence persons who jiad "-one no wrong to a life of obscurity and penury. He hoped they jroiild agree to the resolution. —Mr; Saunders opposed the motion, describing it as a bid for popularity.—The lion, Mr Hall said the resolution pn ths ten per cent, reduction was quite ©solicit. It was to apply to all salaries and wages. What the Government understood by the resolu-. Jion. was tbat.-they should place these wages and salaries on a par with the •outride labour market. The amount paid as salaries aud wages under .£2OO amounted to over £600,000, and the Government could not afford to dispense with the proposed reduction. lie hoped the motion would not be carried. —Mr Moorhouse said the eirrumstattuesof the colony justified at least a third of the civil servants.being dis*misiedl To do so would entail a great amount of misery. "What he would suggest —and it was a strictly Commercial transaction —was that these ?.;eu should be put on half-pay. He Was opposed to the motion. After considerable further discussion, Mr Speight moved the adjournment of the House, so as to enable members to reply to aspersions past on thorn by the Government in the statement that" this motion was a mere attempt at courting cheap popularity.— Mr.. Siisimski seconded the motion for adjournment. —Mr Hutchison designated the statement' made the Premier as absolutely untrue. He bad introduced the motion from a sense of duty, and jet the Premier had said that he wa« in search of cheap popularity. '.......-• At 1.35 the House was still sitting. Fbiday, August 27. In committee: of supply; on the Agent-general's. Department £4OOO, Mr Header Wood proposed that the .vote be reduced by £IOOO. After discus- ion', this question was put that the vote be reduced—Ayts, 27 ; noes, 23 In reply to Mr Swanson.Mr Hall said the reduction was one of so great importance that the Government would .have to consider carefully what they would do in the circumstances —In reply to Mr Gisborue, Mr Hall said that the reduction in this case would be in additiou to the 10 per cent. —Mr Sheehan protested against the reduction. The persons who had voted against Sir Julius Vogel now had three or four years ago worshiped him, and said he was the salvation of the colony. He had done good sen ice to the Colony. —(Cries of "No,: no.")—MrSheehan said, " But yes." There were men now voting against him who had years ago sworn by him. He (Mr Sbeehan) would not be a party to jump upon a man because he was outside the House. Those that drank his champagne, and ate his dinners, were now the men to jump on him. If he came in at the door, he could imagine that their tune would be very different. With all his faults, he did good work. They wanted a first-clans man in' London, and the proristm they had made would not secure the service:-' of such a man. There were men voting against him, who, but for Sir Julius V.g I, would'never have been known. —The vote, a* reduced, was then passed. :- At 4.30 a.m. Mr Seymour left the chair, and it was taken by Mr K< lly. . .Mr Pyke, on the vote, "Pubic Buildings, Class 11," objected to the item "Furniture and fittings for the Wellington Ho pita!, £lsoo."—Mr George s id it was very plain from the state of affairs that it would be quite impossible to go on with the work. He therefore moved to report progress, aud the House divided—Aj es, 8 ; noes, 39.—Sir G. Grey moved that the chairman. leave the chair, as it was evident that at least one member was not fit to be there. It was a disgrace to the Legislature that large sums should be voted r in this way.—Mr Beeves was surprised to hear such-re-marks from the hon: member. \He could not be aware of what he /was talking about.—Sir G. the fact that such conduct had'been going on showed that.:members in fit state to "vote away large' sums of money. They had worked for 18 hours. —Mr Hall said one member C3rtainly vras not in a.'fit state, but that was no reason for saying the House was not in a fit state to go on. He objected to adjourn. —Mr Pyke said he had not obstructed the business. He was inclined to say that the Premier "had been guilty of impudence. He (Mr Pyke) had asked a question honestly, aud he had a right to ask the question. He had waited there the whole night, and he intended to remain until this vote had been struck out. He would not be told by the Premier that he was trifling with or obstructing the House. —The motion for leaving the chair was put and negatived on the voices.

Mr Pyke then moved that the item " £ISOO for "Wellington Hospital " be struck out—Ayes, 17; noes 28.—Sir G. Grey said that it was absolutely necessary to report progress. It was evident there were members who were not in a fit state to go ou.—Mr J. T. Fisher hoped they would not meet again until Monday.—Mr Luudon said there was. every prospect of a quarrel it they attempted to go on. —Mr Hall said it was disi>racef ul that nine-tenths of the members should be kept there simply to p.iss one or two things. Two. or three men were simply there to obstruct the business. —A motion for reporting progress was then put and negatived on the voices.-—After furiher discussion the vote was put and passed. .„A:number of other votes were discotiped and passed, ■-After Sir G-. Grey saying that the House was not in a lit state to proceed with the business he moved to report progress. The division resulted in the motion being negatived by a large majority. '■Purchase of waggons, £22,000, Mr Saunders said I e hoped the Government would take under their protection the witnesses who gave straightforward and manly evidence to the Civil Service Commissioners in the South Island. The Commissioners had recommended some of these men to be removed out of the way, and there was only too

much reason to suppose that if the. recommendations were given effect to not ©ne hooest man would be left on the South Island railways. The appeal was necessary, seeing that the recommendations of the Commission had not been carried out.—Mr Oliver said he would give the House an assurance that no Civil servant would suffer in consequence of evidence given before the Commission. —Mr Richardson said he was glad of the assurance just given. He had only that day received telegrams from two witnesses to the effect that they were being subjected to much persecution on account of the evidence they had given. Regarding the item—Provision for the unemployed, £75,000, Mr Oliver explained he intended to disperse these labour gangs over the colony, at such works as might be most convenient. — Mr Maeandrevv objected to'the Government having sums of money like this to spend without a definite understanding as to the works upon which they were to be expended.—Mr Adams moved that the vote he reduced by £20,000. —Mr Hall said a heavy responsibility would rest on members if they refused" the Government power to spend this money if it was required. Not one shilling of it would be spent unless it was absolutely necessary. The Government had not yet time to say where unemployed could be most advantageously employed. The remainder of the Supplementary Estimates were passed. On the motion for the adoption of the report, Sir George Grey asked leave to move to the effect that the proclamation over the Patetere block of land should not until the conditions of removal had been first submitted for approval to the House. Leave was refused.

A message was received from His Excellency the Governor announcing that the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill had been reserved by him for the assent of Her Majesty. The Property Assessment Amendments Bill,No. 2, providing for a simplified schedule was introduced and passed through all its stages. Monday, August 30. The House met at 11 a-m. Sir VV. Fox gave notice that he would move —" That it is highly expedient that the sale of intoxicating liquors on the premises of the House should be discontinued ; and that this motion be brought under the notice of the House Committee early next session, with a view of having the same abolished." ••" An amendment, was made in the Financial Arrangements Act in a message from the Governor to the effect that 20 per rent of the Land Fund should be payable to local bodies to Ist August, 1880, instead of Ist April, 1880, as originally proposed. Mr Hall said this alteration was made in accordance with what he.understood to be the general desire of members of the House. The amendment w r as agieed to. Ai the Afternoon silting, replying to Mr Bain, Mr Rolleston said that dun g the recess the Government would consider t! e whoe question of eausi g a Bankruptcy Bill to be prepared and eirculat (I before next session of Parliament, in which the various suggestions made by the Joint Committee on Bankruptcy should be incorporated, together with any oth,< r changes in the existing law which may commend themselves to the Government.

At the evening sitting the House went into Committee on the Permanent Officers Salaries Bill. The Bill provides thit tliere shdl be deducted from the salaries fixed and payable under the permanent Acts of the Assembly ten per cent, for eich month commencing Ist August, 1880, aiad ending 'with June, 1881. The Act does not apply to salaries fixed by the -G-pvermr's Salary and Allowance Act, 1873, or to Salaries of Judges of the Supreme Court, or to officers of both Houses of tho General Assembly. The Bill was read a second time. In committee Mr Richardson moved that the chairman do leave the chair which was lost on a division by 9 to 29. Mr moved as an amendment that the clause be mule to read—- " Without any exemption whatever." Motion lost on a division by 18 to 19. Mr G-isborne moved as an amendment to make the reduction apply also to the Governor's salarv, but this was lost by 19 to 11. The bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. Mr Walter Johnston desired to place on record a statement of the amoun-t of money spent by the b'oman Catholics of New Zealand in education, and the number of children attending their schools. They represented oneseventh of the community, and the 7 naturally felt very sore at the way they were treated under the existing law. Mr J. C. Brown complained that by the Eepresentation Bill two Taranaki districts which did not altogether contain as many electors as his district were to be given double representation. Mr Macandrew protested against the late hours which the House had been forced to sit, and against money being voted at such hours —Mr Montgomery gave a number of reasons for considering the result of the session as exceedingly unsatisfactory.— Messrs Brown and Thomson criticised the works of the session at some length, the former stating that barren as the results had been they would have been much more so but for the assistance given by the Opposition to pass the few measures that had gone through. —Mr Hall replied that there uever was a session when discussion for the sake of discussion was so much indulged in as the present. That was why their time had been spent needlessly. A more disorganised and disorderly set than the Opposition had never been known in that House. The Opposition itself repudiated anything like a leader, and ea<-h man appeared to lead himself. The member for the Thames was one of those singular men who could not lead and would not follow. The Opposition had tried the membt r for the Thames, the member for Port Chalmers, and as a last resource they had tried the

member for Akaroa. During the recess it would be the endeavor of the Government to remodel the Representation Bill, and base it on the soundest possible principles that could be obtained. They had fully considered the finances of the country ; they had discussed the West Coast difficulty; and they had brought a number of measures before the country, ;he effect of which would yet be felt in the legislation of the colony. At 1 a.m. the House was called, when no quorum was reported. There being no quorum, the Speaker left the chair, but will resume at 2.30 this afternoon.