Parliamentary.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 963, 24 August 1878, Page 2

Parliamentary.

: fry--' NATIVES. : .^i •'I \ ?*y — :/••/•' 'V | WEDNESDAY. The. "House/ met at halt-past two LICENSES. Mr Shrimski gave notice to ask the Government, " A hether they inteuded' to iniroU'oce a Bill this session dealing with auctioneers' licenses." NEW RAILWAY. Mr Macandrew, replied to Mr Hodgkinsou, , said there was no immediate likelihood of a survey being made for a line of railway between' Oueenstown and Cromwell. ■SETTLEEMENT TO THE NORTH OF AUCKLAND. -Mr Sheehan, iu reply to Sir 8., P.ongjas, said he would la/ on the table any papers relating to n a scheme lor settling Portuguese aßj natives of Madeira in portions. Of the northern district of Auckland. - THE JAHANESE COMMISSIONERS IX AUSTRALIA. Mr Fox asked if Government h ad received the information desired respecting Japanese Commissioners. Mr Ballance said n tdsgram had been Sent to Australia with that object, bat no reply had been re- ; ceiVed. ..;••< LICENSING. In reply to Mr Richmond^ Mr Sheehan said provisions wou' d be int rod need into the Licensing Bill to equalise the licensing fees throughout the colony. tae volunteers;. Mr Hainlin asked, " 1. If a Rifle Association were formed ou the basis of the National Rifle Association; of England, ; they would consider a proposal to hand over to sach Association the equipments hitherto used at co. lonial meetings ? 2. Whether they will place a sum of money on the Supplementary Estimates in aid of the; funds of the association ? 3. Whether they will be prapared to consider a proposal to aid such association by allowing them the use of a Government reserve, in some central part of the dolony, a few days in each year. ?" Mr Sheehan said the Government were prepared favourably to consider the first and third, question. they saw that the Association really ment business, it would be time enough to talk about subsidies. FEMALE TELEGRAPISTS. :i Mr De Lautour asked if the employmont of women in the telegraph offices of the coiony has proved satisfactory, and if any statistics will be placed before the Heose on the question ? Mr Fisher said that, as a ,whole, the system had not been satisfactory, women seldom reached to be efficient operators, tbongh being well adapted for certain kinds of clerical work. Statistics on the matter would be laid on the table. SURVEYS. j Mr Beetham moved, '« For a Select Committee to enquire into the mode of conducting; the surveys of the colony." What he'Vanted was that, prior to surveys, an engineer should lay off the roads The Hon. Mr Stout opposed the motion as one which no Government ought to submit to. It was almost equivalent to a motion of no confidence. / Mr Murray, Mr McMinn, and Mr 'Gibbs considered the question ought to bo inquired into, being exceedingly important. Negatived on the voices. Thubsday. ; The House met at 2.30, MR FOX AT WORK. Mr Fox gave notice to ask, "If Mr Macandrew used certain words attributed to him as having been used at a banquet at .Dunedin regarding a probable return to a modified form of Provincialism, and, if so, what he meant by them V IRISH EMIGRATION AGENCY. Mr McAfinn asked, »' Whether the Government would establish an emigration agency in Ireland V The Hon. R. Stout said it was under consideration, but Ireland had a far greater share in proportion to population than any country. THE LICENSING BILL. Mr Wakefield asked the Govern, ment, "When the Licensing Bill would be brought down, and whether they would make it a Government question?" Hon. X Sheehan said the Bill would be made the first or second Order of the Day lor Tuesday next, but they did not consider the measure one on which a Government ought to go in or out. MUNICIPAL OFFICERS, ETC. The Government (in reply to Mi 1 Sharp) promised return of the numl.#r of officers employed by the various Municipalities, with salaries, travelling- allowances, •^c. INSULAR SEPARATION. Mr Barton asked the Premier, " Whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce a measure for the en ahi on of two large Provincial Governments— one for each Island — the seat of Government for the South to be Christchuroh, and for the North, Auckland, the jurisdiction of these iGovernments to bo. so large that, little pr : nothing will ! be left for the General Government •

to do % The Portmast v-General, perhaps the Coimni3sionef ot Customs, and half-a-dozeu clnrks a-piee& to constitute tlio General Goveriffj; inont, and once in three years lh|| General AssembL^ is to rafot£| Whether the published st^mentg in tho Wellington ijirfss, tjpt Sfis George Grey, Mesora^ Mac^j^re\|fji Fisher, Sheehan, an^pbut art|alH§| favour of the sulieme has been author •BrJ by Gover unenb. ?" ) . „,The r Preuuer.said the.GQy.ernTpeiit had not considered the matter. He <ould not give any further information Lhau he afforded yesterday, and could 'only" add^ihat^ the statements were not authorislßd. [FROM OL'RSPRCrALCijRItKSPONDENT.j WELLINGTON, last uight. ; ..Mr Fox asked: the Minister for Public Works, to-day, whether, at a public baronet at- Dunedin, in the mouth of March last, he tnnde the following statement, as reported by ! a shorthand reporter foV ; the local Press, presen ton the o'cciiisiou : — '• I confess that la rn not. Avithout hope, that; there is now a public opinion being engendered throughout New> Zealand, which I trust may yet compel Parliament to restore those Provincial Institutions of which they have baeh deprived, not, probably, as they Were, but greatly improved, arid more adapted to the altered circumstances of the country ?". Mi- Macandrew, replied that, if Mr Fox had read the whole purport of the speech, he would have no difficulty in understanding his opinions. He could, not recollec what he said, but he had no doubt that, was the substance. of what he had said. Mr Rowe asked the Premier whether the Government intended to set aside any of the blocks of land now being acquired in the Upper Thames, for special settlement, and, if so, what blocks? . Mr Stout replied, they had now no power to create special settle-* ments, but it was the intention of the Government to open up land in the district r ,'fered to, under the deferred payment system. ' Mr Rowe also asked the Minister for ,Lands (whether Government obtained any opinion as to legality of the disposal of the. Te Aroha'.bVjk of land, iu the .Upper; Thames district, to Broomhall, and if so, whether they will lay the opinion before the House. Mr Stout replied, that the disposal was illegal. ; Mr Johnsoton asked the Premier whetker, at a public meeting in Dunedin, , in, March las£ he mac'«, as he is reported by the Press to Have made, the fol'owing statement or a statetaent to a similar effect. "For yeara they enjoyed a free and liberal constitution. No , disaster occurred in consequence,, but development of the reso.nrces of the colony, and the growth of happiness and contentment unprecedented in hiptory irv the British colonies. These institutions were swept away. He asked whether the new ones were such as became free men, or were thev likely to conduce to peace and happiness] 2. ' W;bether the Go, vernment will ; introduce measures such as in their opinion would belington correspondent. ' come free men?'" : Sir Geo. Grey replied that he did not remember whether those were his words, but he had frequently übed those expressions; and they expressed the ?iews he entertained. He wont on to say he was confirmeil in those views by Mr Johnston's expression of visws in that House, and by the conduct of his party iu grasping public lands, when tlie Speaker stopped him on a point of order in endeavoriug- to inrroiJuce debateable matter. After some discussion on this, Sir G. Grey said that to the last of the session he would devote himself to the duty named.