PARLIAMENTARY. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, PRESS ASSOCIATION ] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 7.30 Separation.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1420, 9 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, PRESS ASSOCIATION ] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 7.30 Separation.

Mr Pyko gave notice of motion that there should be a separate Legislature for each IbLxud,

Divorce ActMr Wakefield gave notice of a bill to amend the Divoice Act.

Public Works Statement. Mr Hall moved that for the remainder of the session Government business take precedences on Wednesdays. In doinsr so, he said he hoped to make his Public Works Statement to-morrow evenmjr. The Representation Bill would be ciiculated on Wednesday or Thursday, and he hoped to move the second leading' ot it on Friday. Sir George Grey suggested that the motion should not take effect until next week. Mr Hall accepted the suggestion, and the motion as> amended passed.

Supply. On the motion for going into Supply, Mr Thomson said that while not approving the uniform reduction of 10 per cent, on all salaries as earned last year, he did not think the circumstances of the colony justified iet>tonng the salaries to the old scale. He therefore moved as an amendment. " That in the opinion of this House there should be a ieduction made of 10 per cent on the aggregate or total amount of all salaries of above £200, such lednctiou to be apportioned by Government." Mr Rolleston thought the amendment had not been well considered. The Government hail, dining the recess, acted in the spirit of the resolution of last session by ve-orgamsing the whole service, so as to reduce the total cost. This had (o be carefully done, and the process was not yet complete. The Government must be trusted to make what reductions they thought fit and right. They did not pretend to say the Estimates or the service were yet in a thoroughly satisfactory condition, but Government were trying hard to make them so. Several of the higher salaries were really a saving to the country, as, if they were reduced, the holders would retire on the pensions to which they were entitled, and the country would lose their valuable services while having to pay them pensions and their successors salaries. He opposed ; the amendment as unfair to the Government, after what they had already done. Mr Pyke strongly condemned the manner m which the Government had carried out the 10 per cent, reduction of last year. Their treatment of the Police and Railway Departments showed them to be clumsy administratois. He supported Mr Thomson's amendment. Mr DeLautour said the law did not give any civil servant the right to retire on a pension at his own will, if he was capable of performing his duties, Mv Rolleston's arguments on that soore were therefore a failure. He could scarcely support the amendment, as it was generally admitted that the Estimates had been very fairly reduced as a whole. He thought they might leave the rest of the responsibility on the shoulders of'the Government. Mr Gisborne also opposed the amendment. It would act very unjustly. Mr Montgomery objected to receding from the position the House took up last session. Mr Stewart thought Government had carried oat their retrenchment in a clumsy and unjust manner. At the same time he could not support the amendment. It was not fair to visit the sins of the past mismanagement of Government on the civil servants. At considerable length he criticised the conduct of Government in the Police and Judioial Departments. Mr Bunny opposed the amendment. The real question was simply one of confidence in the Government. Mr Bryco contended that no Govern-

.inenfc could carry out retrenchment satisfactorily, unless it possessed the confidence of the House. It was not a pleasant task even then. He defended the police reductions in the cases referred to by Mr Stewart. He thought the Government deserved every confidence in its policy of retrenchment. Mr Shrimski thought the 10 per cent, should be deducted now as well as last year, as the^ colony was still in a depressed condition. He instanced the case of Mr Thompson aa an instance of unfair reduction. ~ " ' Mr Seddon opposed the amendment as he had opposed the 10 per cent, reduction last "year. He was satisfied with the

Estimates as they stood. Mr Western opposed the amendment, and also condemned the proposed deduction in the police pay. Mr Richardson thought the Government had done so much in the way of retrenchment in the past that he thought the Hoiiso might fairly trust them to make every possible saving in the future. [Left sitting.]