I—B

6

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Thursday, I7th August, 1893. (Hon. W. J. Stewaed, Chairman.) Mr. Geobge Feiend, Clerk of the House of Bepresentatives, examined. 1. The. Chairman (having read resolution passed at previous meeting of Committee).] Mr. .Friend I presume you have received a copy of that resolution ?—Yes. 2 Have you prepared the prScis there referred to?—I have prepared a short one, such as the limited time at my disposal would permit me. It includes everything referring to the matter, but does not go into the details, which will be found in the printed papers. I have not made extracts, because they are so voluminous, and would take up so much time. I have a statement here referring to the appointments, and so on, from the first sitting of the General Assembly. 3. It would be better, as Mr. Friend knows the scope of the inquiry, that he should detail the various steps that have been taken, from his own experience. Hon Mr. Bollcston: Giving us the different steps and the different phases of the matter. Mr 'Friend : I have made notes of the different appointments, and when the various disputes arose in their successive stages. I have prepared a short statement of the facts, and show where the details can be found in the various blue-books. I have made a note from the beginning, when the first Clerk of the House, Major Campbell, was appointed in 1854 by the Governor, on the recommendation of the Speaker. The second Clerk of the House of Bepresentatives, Mr. Friend was appointed in October, 1889, by the Governor, on the recommendation of the Speaker. Ihe nrst Clerk-Assistant, Mr. Cumin, was appointed in 1856 by the Governor, on the recommendation of Mr. Clifford, I understand, who was then Speaker. The second appointment of Clerk-Assistant, that of Mr. Tyler, was made by the Governor, on the recommendation of the Clerk of the House. That'is referred to in the correspondence which took place in 1862. The next Clerk-Assistant Mr. Friend was appointed in 1864 by the Governor, on the recommendation of the Chairman of Committees. That is the first occasion when a dispute as to the right of appointment arose. The appointment did not take place until 1864, owing to the dispute not being settled until the session 4 Hon Mr Bolleston ] Do you mean that communication was made directly with the Governor, and not through Ministers ?—Through the Premier. There is no communication direct with the Governor. The letters appointing officers come from the Government, and say, " The Governor has been pleased to appoint." Hon Mr Seddon: In the last case it was the Chairman of Committees. Mr Friend: The next Clerk-Assistant, Mr. Otterson, was appointed in 1889 on the recommendation of the Speaker and the Chairman of Committees. The Speaker forwarded both letters to the Government; and recommended the appointment to be made Mr. Otterson the first Second Clerk-Assistant, was appointed in 1875 on the recommendation of the Speaker and Mr. Eutherfurd was appointed Second Clerk-Assistant m 1889, also on the recommendation of the Speaker Mr Eutherfurd was appointed in 1879, on the recommendation of the Speaker as Eecord Clerk and Clerk of Bills and Papers, &c, and Mr. O'Eorke was appointed Header on the recommendation of the Speaker, and that office is now merged in the Eecord Clerk's office, to which Mr 0 Borke was appointed in 1889. In the case of Mr. Friend, recommended for appointment as Clerk-Assistant by Sir David Monro in 1862, there was a correspondence between the Speaker and the Premier on the subject of appointment of Legislative officers. (Vide Appendix, 1862, D.-19, containing alsoletters showing practice in other colonies.) This correspondence was referred to the House in the session of 1862, and settled by resolution. (Vide Journals, 1862, page 115.) The resolution reads— " Eesolved, That the clerks and other officers of the House of Eepresentatives should be appointed by the Executive on the recommendation of the Speaker, with the exception of the iirst Clerk-Assistant, who, acting as the Clerk of Committees, should be similarly appointed on the recommendation of the Chairman of Committees." That is the course which has been followed since After that there was a very long correspondence on the subject of making statutory provision for salaries, and also for appointment and control of Legislative officers, which took place in 1867 between Sir David Monro and the Hon. Mr. Stafford. That is to be found in the Appendix for 1867 D -12 Mr Stafford and Sir David Monro were unable to agree, and the whole thing resulted'in the passing of " The Legislative Officers' Salaries Act, 1867," but the question of appointment was left untouched, as they could not agree. 5 Hon Mr Bolleston.] What happened at that date?-Mr. Stafford offered that the appointment of all the officers of the House should remain in the recommendation of the Speaker except the Clerk of the House, but Sir David Monro said the House would not entertain such a proposal. 6 Mr Stafford contended that the appointment of Clerk of the House should be made by someone outside the House ?—Yes. I think that would be the tenor. That was the view Sir David Monro took of it by refusing to entertain such a proposal. There is another letter from bir David Monro to the Hon. Mr. Stafford on the subject of making legal provision for appointments, dated sth June, 1868, and Mr. Stafford's reply dated 19th June, 1868. (Tide Appendix, 18b8, D.-2, page 4 ) The next step appears to me to have been made in 1886, when a Committee sat on the general question of Legislative expenditure and other matters, and brought up a report, with evidence taken, to the House. (Vide Appendix, 1886, 1.-10.) That report was presented and a resolution was proposed to the House and negatived. It was on a motion for going into Committee of Supply. It referred simply to one portion of the report. Mr. O'Conor moved a resolution on the motion lor going into Committee of Supply that the Government should be directly responsible for all parliamentary expenditure, and that all officers should be under the direct control of the Government.