ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 64, 18 July 1874, Page 8

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Thursday, July 9. In the Legislative Council Mr Waterhouse moved : " That in the opinion of this Council the mode of selling and disposing of lands under the New Zealand Settlements Act be regulated by an Act of the General Assembly, and not, as at present, by regulations made at the will of the Government of the day." The motion was agreed to. Mr Waterhouse moved, without remark, that copies of all correspondence and telegrams which passed between the Government and Judge Ward, and in reference to Judge Chapman, be laid on the table. The Colonial Secretary said the Government had no objection. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time : — A Bill to Amend the Conveyancing Ordinance ; Bill to Amend the Canterbury Domains Act, 1872 j Bill to extend the time for registration of births in certain eases j Bill to Amend the Marlborough Waste Lands Act, 1867. Mr "Vakefield's motion for a r9turn of the cost of producing the Handbook of New Zealand, was lost by a majority of 18. During the •debate Mr Vogel explained that the trouble and labor entailed by the production of the workwas such, that had ha been aware of it beforehand, he should not have undertaken it. On the motion of Mr-Gillies for the production of correspondence relatiag to Judges Chapman and Ward, the Premier hoped the matter would he allowed to pass into oblivion, and did not think it advisable it should be printed. He would, however, lay the necessary papers upon the table for the use of members only. The Nelson Loan Bill was read a first time. The Imprest Supply Bill for £250,000 went through the first stage. Drafts of the following Bills were sent down by message from the Governor and reported to the House : — A Bill to amend the Supreme Court Judges Act, 1858 ; a Bill to make provision for the establishment of State forests, and the application of the revenue derivable therefrom ; a Bill to amend the law relating to the Civil Service Act, 1873 ; an Act for amending the Post Office Savings Banks Act, 1867 j an Act to repeal the New Zealand University Act, 1870. Tho House then adjourned. Fbidat, July 10. The House went into Committee to consider a resolution for an Imprest Supply of £250,000, payment of salaries for carrying on the work of the Government. In moving the second reading of the Electric Telegraph Bill, the Premier said, " The most important part of the Bill was in regard to calling for telegrams for the purpose of inspection. The Act provides that telegrams should be producible only on the consent of the sender or receiver, with the exception of general cases, where telegrams shall be producible on the decision of the Commissioner of Telegraphs." There was great difficulty in bringing forward such a measure, because it had been tound unnecessary to do so in other countries. Unfortunately a practice had been indulged in this Colony of attempting to make the Telegraph Office a medium for hunting up legal evidence, and -but a short time since a' Judge of the Supreme Court had given an order to inspect all telegrams, without the particular ones being specified. The judges in the Home country had determinedly set-their facesjagainst such a course of procedure. He considered it unsafe to allow the matter to rest in its present uasatisfactory state. Mr Fox would move an amendment with a view to preserve the inviolability of tegrams, " that the Government should endeavor to devise some means by which the. primary offender, in divulging telegrams, should be forced even to indemnify the party giving such information, as was done by the commissioners appointed to inquire into the trade union affairs at Sheffield." The House then adjourned. Tuesday, July 14th. Mr Waterhouse, in speaking t j the motion of which he had given notice, regretted the increase in the indebtedness of the Colony. When the Premier initiated the public works of the Colony, he announced tjiat L 8,500,000 were to be spent in ten years, or, including immigra tion, something like L 9,500,000. This was to have been met, how ever, by the sale of land to the amount of L 3,500,000. In the face of these promises, expenditure to the amount of L 9,816,000 had been authorised, with only 1000 miles of railway to show for it. This would make the total liability of the Colony equal to L 17,000,000. We were apt at tho present time to under estimate the extent of our liabilities, and the feeling arose from three causes : 1. The unprecedented prosperity prevailing. 2. The full burden of interest was not yet felt, in consequence of the interest charge being deferred till railway lines were completed. 3. We were not paying the first burden imposed upon the Colony in consequence of native troubles. Dr. Pollen said that if he were to follow Mr Waterhouse through his arguments, he would be obliged to disclose the financial policy of tho Government, which would be more properly dene in the other House in a day or two. — Colonel Kenny opposed, and Mr Campbell supported the amendment for tho previous question, Which was put and carried. Dr. Pollen laid on the table all papers relating to Judges Ward and Chapman. The Regulation of Machinery Bill, Offdnces Against Amendment Bill, and Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill were read a second time. The Council adjourned. In the House of the Premier moved the second reading of the Westland Loan Bill. He said it need cause no apprehension among hou. members, as it was of a very harmless character The Bill was ordered to be committed the following day. Mr Vogel. in moving the sneond reading of the Supreme Court Judges Bill, >aid ie had been introdued chiefly through the projected retirement ol :he present Chitf Justice. He then referred to the highly satisf, ctory manner in which he had, through a long series of years, performed his duties, and the very great estimation in which h, «n held. Bill read a second time.