PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1024, 17 August 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, August 16. BANKRUPTCY BILL. The Council spent the whole afternoon in considering the Bankruptcy Bill in Committee, in which no important alterations were made. An amendment was made at the Hon Mr Wilson’s instance, providing that where a bankrupt, before adjudication, paid a sum to a lawyer to put him through the Court, the money should be recovered in a summary way from the lawyer. The Bill was reported at 5 p.m., and notice given for its recommittal. The Council then rose. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, August 16. The.Bouse met at 2.30. EDUCATION. A number of petitions were presented from different parts of the colony praying that the present system of education be not interfered with. DIRECT STEAM. The report of the Joint Direct Steam Service Committee was brought up and read. It stated that they had adopted the following resolu ions:— That no contract for a direct steam service should be entered into before the next session of the General Assembly. (2.) That in the meantime the Government should make such arrangements consistent with efficiency as will be least burdensome on the public revenue. (3.) That in making such arrangements due regard should be paid to the claim which the New Zealand Shipping Company by its enterprise has upon the colony. (4.) That having regard to the safety and comfort of passengers the Government should give the preference to unsinkable ships. (5.) That the Bluff should be included in the ports of arrival and departure, which shall be optional for steamers under agreement with Government.

Mr Driver. moved that the report lie on the table, and be referred to the Government for consideration.

Mr Hubst moved that the report and evidence be printed. He pointed out that the Austral was deemed an trnsinkable ship. Mr Turnbull said that they might just well have left the matter as it was. This recommendation was just what the Government proposed doing. Mr Fish concurred in that opinion, and insisted that the proper way was to have the report brought.* up on a distinct motion, so that they might have an opportunity of giving some distinct instruction on the point. Mr Pykb was in favor of getting the whole evidence reported. He wanted to see what an unsinkable ship was. He believed such a thing impossible. Mr Macandrew said that an unsinkable ship was a fact that could be realised. There were plans and models :of such a vessel in one of the Committee rooms. He had had communication with maritime men who fully concurred in the opinion that such ships could be constructed as prepared by a Port Chalmers shipwright. .

Mr Swanson said there could be no such thing as an unsinkable ship, Lut ships might be constructed in a way to prevent them going down for a length of time.

Mr Montgomery wanted to know what the Government proposed to do with this report. He thought the proper way was to allow the report to lie on the table for a few days, and then it should be brought upfordiscussion. With that view he moved the adjournment of the debate.

The Hon Mr R®lleston said he would assure the House that the Government would do |its best to carry out the suggest tions of the Committee in the best way possible. He understood the Oommifctee were of opinion that the contract recently proposed by them should not be concluded, nor any other contract entered into for a year, but that they should do their best from time to time as to the conveyance of freight and passengers, so as to get full data to lay before the House next session. The Government were prepared to loyally carry out this view, and would also direct the Agent-General’s attention to Isbister’s designs for unsinkable ships. , The motion for the adjournment was withdrawn, and the motion for the report lying on the table for the Government’s consideration was put and carried, with the addition as proposed by Mr Hurst. ROADS AND BRIDGES. The Chairman of the Roads and Bridges Construction Committee applied for ten days extension of time. Mr Seddon movea as an amendment, that five days extension be granted. The motion for ten days was carried on the voices. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, Ministers said : —That irregularities in the transmission of telegrams through defective transcription, when brought under the notice, of the department, were carefully looked into, and where c .relessnees was discovered adequate punishment was. inflicted.—That the Government would be prepared to offer a bonus for the manufacture of Portland cement.—That the Consular reports on New Zealand, made by (Mr Griffin, the United States Consul, would be published for general informa-. tion.—That the Government did not intend giving facilities for establishing distilleries in the colony by making reductions in duty on colonial made spirits as agairst the imported.—That 1 facilities would be given for assays of gold taken from any of the goldfields in the colony, with a view of ascertaining their relative values.—That if an enquiry took place into the management of the Lyttelton Gaol, the propriety of opening it to the press would be recommended.

BILLS. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time :—To provide for the appointment of a new Board of Governors for the Canterbury College (Mr J. B. Brown); to amend the Counties Act, 1876 (Major Atkinson). LAND TAX. On the motion forgoing into Committee of Supply, Mr Smith moved, with the permission of Sir George Grey, who had given notice of a similar motion —“That, in the opinion of this Honse, it is necessary to impose a land tax on all lands in the colony.” Interrupted by the 6.30 adjournment.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Smith continued the debate on the land tax motion. Out of Hawke’s Bay alone an annual income was drawn by absentee landlords amounting to not less than L 150,000 per annum. In the past too much capital had been invested in land not for improvement purposes, but simply to lie idle for hi.-her rates. The result of this was that the Banks having made heavy advances on land their capital had been diverted from more legitim mate channels. The property tax scarcely touched land. Nearly three-fourths of the lax was derived from buildings and improvements. Mr Levestam considered that the next session was the proper time to bring this motion forward in favor of a land tax. He would vote against the proposal at present as simply a waste of time. Sir G. Grev said that the possession of large tracts of land meant the monopoly of legislation and influence generally., Every day’s delay in bringing in the land tax entailed more and more difficulty. He compared the amount of taxation raised in New Zealand in proportion to the population with that of Great Britain, and he said the amount to be raised in Great Britain would be L 271,000,000 per annum. The taxation of the colony, he con ended, was unfairly allocated, and pressed injuriously on the poor. The only way to put an end to these abuses was to put on a land tax. The thing would not bo easily done. Those who attempted the work would have great difficulties to encounter. However, the time would come whan justice would be done. He hoped they would recognise the urgency of the requirement, and not delay the imposition of this tax one day longer. Mr Steward spoke strongly in favor of a land tax.

Mr M. W. Green spoke in favor of a progressive land tax, but could not support the amendment under the circumstances. Mr Fish supported the amendment. Mr Moss supported the principle of a land tax, but complained that the amendment as tabled was too vague and indefinite to disclose what was meant. Mr J. W. Thompson thought they would soon have to face the larger question of the nationalisation of the land. Mr Ivess warmly supported the amendment. The House divided on the question of going into Supply.—Ayes, 42 ; noes, 28. IN SUPPLY. In Committee of Supply, Minister for Public Works—Harbor works, L 21,066; item, Westport harbor, L 5,000. Mr Montgomery moved that it be reduced to L 3,499. The Committee divided—Ayes, 15 ; noes, 39.

The motion for the reduction was lost, and the vote as printed, passed. Class 12—Charges aid expenses of raising loans, L 28,600, passed. Glass 6—Roads, L 310,436 ; item, roads north of Auckland, L95,80p. . ' . Mr Fish moved a reduction of L15,0Q0. Ayes, 16 ; noes, 35. The amendment' was lost and the vote passed. ■. J :

Vote—Unexpended balances , of pre-

vious grants L 115,603, was then die* cussed and passed. The following votes in Class 6 were passed : —Roads to open up lands before sale, Auckland, L 67.657; Taranaki, L 10.078 ; Hawkes’ Bay, L 12.029 ; Wellington, L 31,143; Nelson, L 23.382; Marlborough, L 5,243 : Westland, L 22.302 • Canterbury, L 25.296 ; Otago, L 44.309 ; Southland, L 16.593; sundry roads, L 1,038. The total vote, L267,415,0f which L 48,052 is required for the current year was passed.

Vote roads through lands recently purchased, L9Bl. This finished the Public Works Estimate, and the ordinary estimates was then taken.

Class 6—Commissioner of Trade and Customs. Vote Customs L 42.373, passed. Vote.— Marine and Harbors L 56,427, passed.

Vote—Miscellaneous; Hinemoa, LBOOO. Messrs |J. McKenzie and Watt objected, and urged she should be sold. The Hon Major Atkinson said the steamer was only used when realty necessary. He consented to reduce the vote by L 2,000. Mr McKenzie would strike it out altogether. . • r; Lost on the voices, and the vote as reduced was passed. . i Class 7—Commissioner of Stamp Department, 16,291; Land and Deeds Registry, LlB 860; and . miscellaneous, L 707 were passed. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 2.35. .