GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3150, 1 September 1892, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. TUESDAY. The Council met at half-past two p.m. The Select Committee recommended that the Weeleyan Methodist Church Truet Bill be allowed to proceed, and that the term of the minister's residence in one circuit be not more than five years in succession. The Council rose at ten minutes to three. WEDNESDAY. Tha Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Labour Bills Committee recommended that the Employers' Liability Bill be allowed to proceed with the amendments. The Imprest Supply Bill for £250,000 was pawed through all its stages. The Bankruptcy Bill passed through committee without material amendments, the third reading being made the order of the day for to-morrow. The Council rose at 4.45 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at half-past two. Mr C. H. Mills brought up the report of the Public Petitions Committee on the the petition of the Hon. John Bryce. The report was to the effect that, as the subject matter of the petition has been already dealt with by the House, the committee had no recommendation to make. Mr Hutchison (Waitotira) moved that the report be referred back to the committee for the purpose of nttaohing the evidence thereto, as was decided by the committee in the first instance. Mr Guinness thought the House had haa enough of this matter, and moved the adjournment of the debate. After some discussion, Mr Rolleston said he had no desire to raise another debate on this matter, but he supported the proposal to refer the report back to tho committee. His opinion was that no words could express the bitterness and want of generosity shown by tho Government ovor the whole question. _ Mr Ballance said as far as the Government were concerned they were quite willing to take a division on the main question. The Goverument did not care

whether the debate was adjourned or not but he thought the House had had quite enough of the matter. Mr Guinness' amendment was lost by 31 to 30. , . After an exhaustive debate on Mr Hutchison's motion to refer the report back to the committee, it was Inst by 33 to 19. The report was then ordered to lie on the table of the House. The Houee rose at half-past five. The House resumed at 7.30. An Imprest Supply for £258,500 passed The postponed clauses of Hie Electoral Bill were taken in committee. Clause 20. The Premier moved to strike out the words giving power to any elector to object to hi 3 name being retained on the roll, and throwing the whole responsibility on the registrar. This was negatived on the voices, and the clause was amended empowering electors to send in objections, on which the registrar would be bound to act if reasonable grounds were shown. Clauses 30, 39, deposit for costs by objector and costs at discretion of Revision Court, were struck out. Clause 88 was amended providing that polls close in town districts with under 4000 of a population at six o'clock, and uver4oooat seven o'clock. A new clause was moved by the Premier providing that females shall not have the right to vote until after the Ist June, 1893. Afterdiscussion, in which Mr Fisher opposed the clause as a further protest, it was carried by 41 to 17. Mr R. Thompson, on behalf of MiMeredith, moved a new clause closing hotels onpolling day. The Premier declined to accept the proposal, and Mr Thompson said he was willing to accep* the decision of the committee on the voices.

Mr Saunders strongly supported the pro posal as tending to purity of election. The clause was defeated by 25 to 19.

Sir John Hall's clause compelling nil publichouses within two miles of a polling booth to be closed during the hours of polling was lost by 34 to 19. Mr Mackintosh moved that country claims for enrolment be sent to the local postmaster for his approval. After some discussion, Mr Ballance said he did not think the proposal would work.

The motion was lost by 33 to 18. Clause 43 was altered to enable the Registrar to reineert on the roll up to within ten days of the day of polling, any Dames expunged or omitted iu error, or through false information. The Bill was reported to the House, and the amendments wen agreed to, the chitd reading being fixed for to-morrjw. The House rose at five minutes to one. WEDNESDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. In reply to a question put yesterday by the member for Wuitotara, Mb Ballance said the Government had not communicated by telegraph or in any other way with the Agent-General respecting the divisinu in the House last week on the subject of the correspondence between the Government and the Ministry. Replying to Mr Kolleston as to whether any correspondence had passed between

the Government an'l the Agent-General on the subject of the Government being consulted with reference to the appointment of a successor to Lord Onflow, Mr Ballauce said no correspondence had taken place on the mutter. The AgentGeneral had baen informed by the Home office that the name of the now Governor would be submitted to the Government before the appointment was finally made, but that promise had not been kept, and the first intimation the Government had of Lord Glasgow's appointment was by a Press telegram. Hβ (Mr Ballance) demurred altogether from the statement that the Government had no right to communicate with the Agent General on confidental mm. tern.

Mr fiolleston moved the adjournment of the House, and strongly protested against the action of the Government in their communication with the Agent-General. He said such conduct was calculated to have a most injurious effect on the relations between trie Mother Country and the colony. Mr Hutchison (Waitotara) rfaid there was every reason to believe that the Government had in some way communicated the result of last Tuesday's division to somebody at Home, as was evidenced by the cables since appearing in the newspapers of the colony.

Mr Ballance submitted that he bad given .a straightforward answer to the question put to him, and had not kept back anything. Hβ repeated again that the Government had neither directly nor indirectly been concerned in sending Home cablegrams as to last week's division and he believed Mr Hutchison had deliberately misread the telegrams referred to. Sir John Hall, speaking of the wish of the Government to be informed of the namo of the new Governor, asked whether it wae possible for the Ministry to take such an important step as that by private letter, which the Parliament of the colony w«s not allowed to see. Hβ was bound tn say such a proceeding was absolutely unprecedented, and that Parlia-' ment was undoubtedly entitled to be put in possession of every item of information relating to such an important step.

Sir George Grey said the clear course for Ministers to pursue with respect to the difference with the Governor was to tender their lesignations. His Excellency was clearly within his right in refusing to appoint a greater number of Legislative Councillors than he thought there was any necessity for. He thought the position of Lord Glasgow was one of great difficulty. He was absolutely in the position of having no onu to advioe him. He also considered the Government had made a mistake in asking the Agent-General to go to the Colonial Office and request that the name of the new Governor should be sent to Ministers.

Mr Seridon greatly regretted to see Sir G. Grey allied with Mr Rolleston over tliis question, and it seemed to him that it showed that the liberties of the people were in danger, He compared the present position with the position occupied by Sir G. Grey himself over a similar difference with Lord Normanby at a time, too, when no less than three no-confidence motions were on the Order Paper, and also compared (;he present position with one in 1879, when '3ir G. Grey was in a minority and did not resign, and yet the member for Newton now eaid the present Government should resign, although they possessed a latge majority. As to Sir G. Grey's statement that the Governor had no one to advise him in thia matter, be (Mr Seddon) claimed that a Government who possessed a large majority in the House and country were best able, to advise him, and His Excelleney had not complained. Ho repeated that the Premier's statement that the first suggestion that the Government should be consulted with respect to Lord Onslow's successor came from Lord Onslow himself. With respect to the cablegrams alleged to have been sent Home on last week's division, was it not likely that the telegrams were sent Home by the Press here in the same way as telegrams were forwarded to the colony from England ; in fact he was informed by a member of the House that the result of tho division was sent Home in this manner.

Sir George Grey explained that in his case hB had recommended one name to Lord Normanby, but he understood the present Government had not submitted any names to Lord Glasgow ; and, further, that Lord Normanby had told him he should appoint that one member after the want of confidence motion was decided, an" , he did so. ;

Mr Fergus said he had never been a supporter of Sir Georgß Grey, but he had never felt more proud of that hon. gentleman than that afternoon when he rose to defend a gentleman in Lord Glasgow's position against the action of the Government. He hoped that whoever 6ent Home the telegram referred to would also cable Home the fact that the foremost Liberal of New Zealand (Sir Gaorge Grey) had emphatically condemned the manner in which the present Government had tried to entrap the Governor and the Colonial Office.

Mr Ralleston having replied the motion for the adjournment of the House was lost. After a, short debate the Electoral Bill was read a third time, and on the motion that the House fro into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the estimates,

Mr Sbera moved an amendment, " That a Select Committee be appointed to whom shall be referred the question of the best method of connecting Auckland and Wellington by railway." Mr Thompson (Auckland) seconded the amendment. Hon. W. P. Reeves said the Government would not interpose any obstacle to the House expressing its opinion on this question. He believed some of his colleagues intended voting for Mr Shera's amendment. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The motion that the House go into Committee of Supply was lost on the voices. Mr Shera's amendment was then put and carried by 34 to 12. On the motion being again put that the House go into Committee of Supply, the motion was oarried, and the House went into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Estimates. Colonial Secretary's Department: Minister's salary, £400. Mr Rolleston asked for an assurance that this vote would be 1 withdrawn from the Estimates and put with the other Ministers salaries. Mr Seddon said that the Premier had promised to postpone this vote. After some, discussion, Mr Fish moved that the £400 be struck out. Mr Rees ruled this ont of order.

Several members objected to the course •proposed by the Government in respect to this vote, and Mr Rees ruled that the £400 must be taken off the Estimates, ami brought down again by a message from the Crown. , Mr Roileston said if the vote did come down again he should take care it did not pass in a hurry. Mr Fish said what he wanted to know was why after Mr Ward refused this salary last year the amount should now appear again on the estimates. Mr Seddon said when the House went into Committee of Supply he should ask the Premier to make a statement to the House with respect to the intention of the Government on this matter. Mr Fish asked how it was that .4,0,400 appeared on the estimates for Ministerial salaries when the Government were only legally entitled to pay £5000. Mr Seddon said the Audit Department would see that no amount was paid that was nob according to law. (Left eittine at midnight).