PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1283, 18 June 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

I LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. * j Tuesday, June 17. J I MINISTERIAL announcement. ! J The Hon Me Oliver made a similar announcement to that of the Premier in j the House. j BILLS DISCHARGED. I ■ The Criminal Code Bill and Land TransI fer Bill were discharged and all other j business postponed. I ADDRESS IN REPLY. Sir G. Whitmore withdrew his atnendI ment to make the Address only formal, and the debate on it was then continued by The Hon Mr Scotland, who said I nothing new. J The Hon Mr Hart 'supported the proI posed Native Lands Bill, j The Hon Mr Miller said the rabbit I question was really the moat important in j (he colony. The loss by the pest was one j million to one million and a half a year. I This was a chief cause of the present I depression. Wool from South America I and wheat from India keep down I the prices of those commodities, so no renewal of prosperity could be expected I from them. They should get rid of the rabbits and stop borrowing—a little time I to breathe. He would not have spent a sixpence in the South for years past. I The North Island trunk lioe should for I many reasons be made. He opposed the Otago Central and the East and West I Coast lines most emphatically. Borrowing another five millions would ruin the colony for a time. He hoped and believed the meat industry would help the country, [ for wheat growing was really gambling, there not being one good harvest in five. He paid eight times as much under the property tax as under the land tax, but he did not advocate the latter. would stop the San Francisco mail service, and give the subsidy to the direct steamers. It was many years too soon for Federation. Ho supported the new Native land j policy. Tne Hon Mr Chamberlin supported the - making of the Northern Trank lino. He c accused Mr Waterhouse of barefaced im- 1 (

pudence in opposing it, seeing he had lifted it formerly.

The Speaker called him to order for this expression. The Address was then passed, and the Council rose at 4 30.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

foESDAY, Joke 17. The House met at 7-30. RAILWAY MANAGEMENT. Mr Whitaker gave notice that he would move that the control of the New Zealand railways be vested in a Board of a non-political character. QUESTION. In reply to a question put by Mr Smith, The Hon Major Atkinson said that the Government would not go on with the appointment of Committees. They had some days ago desired te do so, in order that business of local pressing importance might proceed, but the proposal was negatived by the Opposition. A DISSOLUTION GRAN TED. The Hon Major Atkinson said that Government, after the vote carried on Thursday, waited upon the Governor, and under the circumstances of the case ■ Ministers deemed it their duty to advise the Governor to grant a dissolution. His Excellency had been pleased to accept of that advice, and a dissolution would be granted. The Government had, therefore, nothing more now to do but to ask the House for the necessary supplies. On Thursday evening he wou)d be prepared to bring down the necessary proposals and make a short Financial Statement. In the circumstances, there was no reason why they should prolong the session beyond Thursday next, He proposed to ask supplies up to about the end of August, believing that the new elections could be got through if the House be called together again about the 28th of that month. He moved the adjournment till Thursday evening, at 7-30. Mr Smith moved as an amendment that they adjourn till to-morrow at 2.30 with the view of enabling them to go on with private work. Mr Fish spoke in strong terim of the unconstituti «nal nature of the course adopted by the Government. After the vote on Thursday it was their duty to resign and throw the onus on the Opposition of forming a Government. Ha believed that the finances of the colony were in such a frightful state that the Qov»ca. meat was actually afraid to give any one an opportunity of inquiring into them. He was borne out in ihit opinion by the fact that not one-third of last year’s appropriations for Otago had been ,speat. He denounced the proceeding on the part of the Governor as most unconstitutional, and with great regret be said that His Excellency had laid himself open to the serious imputation of acting the part of a political partisan. The position was such that he believed that the Opposition would be justified in stopping supplies. He would not advocate or support that extreme course, however, although he felt that it might be justified. He alluded to the conduct of George Thorne, jun., in directing the sub-agent Mackay to dog the footsteps of the Australian Mutual Insurance Agent, and make misrepresentations as to the state of the colony. With facts like these before them, it must be obvious at a glance that the Government should not be allowed to keep their seats one moment longer than they could be got rid of.

Mr Dargavillb suggested that the Government should consent to an adjournment till 7-30 this evening, so as to enable the Opposition to consider what course they should follow in the circumstances. The Hon Major Atkinson said‘ that if they took up the time in the debate, he could not possibly prepare his statement Mr Macandrew suggested they should agree to the Treasurer’s proposal to allow them to get away as soon as possible. Mr J. W. Thomson presumed the Government had some correspondence with the Governor on the subject of the dissolution. He asked that such correspondence might be forthcoming. The Hon Major Atkinson said no correspondence had taken place. Mr Smith withdrew his amendment. Sir George Grey contended that although no correspondence had taken place, they should be informed as to the nature of the conversation with the Governor re a dissolution. False representations might have been made to his Excellency. The Hon Major Atkinson said he had narrated all that took place. Mr Seddon formally moved the" adjournment till 7.30 to-night. He did so to give the Opposition an opportunity for considering the present turn events had taken. Mr Bracken also denounced the Government for the coarse it had taken. There was no necessity for a dissolution, as the Opposition could well form a Ministry. The amendment for the adjournment till 7 30 was put and negatived. On the original motion for adjournment till Thursday evening, Sir George Grey said that the course taken was a most irregular one. He could not credit what the Premier stated as to what took place between Ministers and the Governor. He believed that a represe itaiion had been made to the Governor that the Opposition desired a dissolution. Be would ask the mover of the adverse amendment to follow up his action by some such motion as this—“ That this House earnestly solicit' the Governor to call to his counsel advisers possessing the confidence of this House.” That was the course he thought should be taken. He had no confidence in the Government, who had threatened that three seats would be taken in Auckland from members who had gone against them. Such conduct was moat irregular, and should not be tolerated. He then recited at great length a number of abuses in the matter of land regulations. Mr Turnbull concurred in the conclusions drawn by the previous speaker. They had all along been ta anted by the Premier that they could not form a Government, and here when they were ready to do it, the Treasurer himself took steps to prevent their doing so. ivlr Steward alluded to the case of a man named Walker at Waimate, where the case detailed by Sir George Grey occurred, and that he (Mr Steward) had taken up the man’s case, and he was bound to say that whatever the hardship of the case was the Minister of Lands was not to blame. Mr Montgomery objected to the length of time asked by the Treasurer. Alluding to the course pursued by Sir George Grey in 187?, he read an extract from “Hansrrd ” giving an assurance that a dissolution would take place within two days after prorogation, and the writs be made, returnable within thirty days thereafter. The Treasurer now asked for sixty days, and he hoped that would not be agreed to. The Hon. Major Atkinson pointed out that in 1879 the elections did not take place all in the one day. The conditions were otherwise altered. Consequently he could not take upon himself to carry out the elections in less than the time asked for. The adjournment to Thursday was put anl carried on the voices. The House adjourned at 450 till Thursday at 7 30.