EVENING SITTING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1396, 1 November 1884, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7-30. p,nb - GOVERNMENT RUBINKBS. The Hon. Mr That the House) at its rising to-day, to-morrow, at 11a.m., for of Government business only. "-r-AgreedL-to. - .a-;..-FIRST READINGS, The following Bills were intmdtieedand read - a ; first time :—The Property Ta* Bill and the New Zealand LoausßiU. r..:x , WABEANUL ; v. th The Hon. Mr Ballancb informed the/ House that it was proposed that Wahanui should be heard at the bar of the House to-morrow, at eleven o’clock. ~ BEETROOT BILL. The Beetroot Sugar Bill was read a third time and passed. ■ ■ WESTLAND EDUCATION BILL.' The Westland Education District Sab-. Division Bill was read a third Cinie, on a: division —Ayes, 35 ; Noes, 24. . CONSOLIDATED STOCK BILL.' Sir Julius Vogel moved the second reading of the Consolidated .Stock Bill He said the object of the Bill wat. explained in the Financial Statement The Bill has been framed to give relief .to-the consolidated revenue. It was alseintended that the conversion of stock .should be carried on in the most beneficitl manner possible. He explained that the operation of the Bill was to suspend the prmeire of the sinking fund, and to convert _ the loans outstanding on the 31st March into inscribed stock. After deUailin& the pro- . visions of the Bill, he said the 'Govern! ment tlo*irncl to to thwopinions expressed by several members of the House on the previous'oocasipn. * Major Atkinson criticised the Bill adversely, and said he hoped the House would reject it, because he thought it was the Greatest blow that had ever bean- . aimed at the credit of New Zealand. He moved that he Bill be read that day six, months. Mr Moss objected to the 8.1 l before the House, and criticised its provisions at some length, " Sir Julius Vogel denied that the Bill proposed to seize the sinking fund. - Ha alsol combatted the assertion that the Bill authorised borrowing to payi the debt. ;. The motto of the member for Egmont appeared to be to wait till something turned up, but he thought they need not wait. It was perfectly right to convert the an- i crued fund as it was accruing, as there was not a single colony that, foul paid off its debt. There was nothing in the argument that the credit of New Zeeland would sutler by the proposal of the BilL. As regarded the absolute liabilities which the Government had to deal with, the aa» thority of them rested with the late Government. Their obligations amounted to ten millions more or less. He refereed

in detail to the arguments adduced against the Bill, and sa ; d it was impossible under this Bill that the public debt would be increased, except in clause 4, which related to the guaranteed loans. If it were thought desirable he would not object to ' the Governor in Council being inserted in clause 10 instead of the Colonial Treasurer, to issue the seven years’ debentures. There would also be no objection if the Bill want into Committee to limit the power of the Colonial Treasurer under the Bill to any amount that the House might think fit. He trusted iSe second reading of the Bill would be carried.

Mr Barron could not vote for the t amendment, but he reserved to himself the right to criticise the Bill in Committee. t Mr Montgomery spoke to the same , effect. t The motion for the second reading was i then pat and carried. t Ayes, 48 ; noes, 15. , TIMBER FLOATING BILL. 1 This B>H passed through Committee ; with verbal amendments. [ OTHER BILLS. , The Impounding Bill was further con* sidered. , _ In clause 43 providing a penalty for , illegally impounding cattle, ( The Hon Mr Stout moved to strike , out the words relating to imprisonment - for six months.—Agreed to. In clause 46, penalty for lesser offences. The Hon Mr tout moved to strike out “penalty not exceeding L 5,” with a view of inserting “ penalty not exceeding LIO,” and to omit the portion of the clause relating to imprisonment for one month.—'Agreed to. In clause 48, party using cattle with* out consent of owners, to insert the" words “ while impounded. "—Agreed to. A new clause was added to the Bill pro* yidiug that sections 5 and 6 no damages in respect of unfenced lauds, and oooupier of fenced land may sue for trespass rates or actual damages—shall not have open* tibu within the districts of Nelson, Marlborough, Otago, and Westland. Special provisions were inserted for those districts. The Bill was reported with amendments. The House went into Committee on the River Boards Bill. Progress was reported. The House rose at 1.26 a. to. I [by teleora «.] Wellington, To-day. The House oat at 11 a. m. NATIVE LAN!) BILLwas heard (at the bar of the Home ox the IfcUve lands Sotttoneat

Bill. The chief's speech was to the’effect that the native lands on which no man ? had setfoot should be administered by nativea themselves, and he characterised the Bill as dangerous, “ with teeth in its head and* sting to its tail/’ for the destruction of the land. The Native Ministbb expressed adulation of Wabanai’s address, which he said wasso evidently friendly an S given with a desire to meet the House in framing laws beneficial to the natives, while not Injurious to the Colony. He explained the provisions Of the Bill, of which he ,moved the weend re-dLj, and which he ■aid was inCiaJC.il .0 |be jony temporary. He intCnded that the Bill should be so altered in Committee as to have clauses providing that the machinery for dealing with the lands should be struck out, and have ln only those prohibiting private individuals dealing with them. In answer to Colonel Fbassb, the Hon. Mr Ballanob said that no existing , rights would be prejudiced. Mr Pbbc suggested a scheme for the administration of lands by Boards of three, two to be appointed by the natives, and - one by the Government He asked that . ■ the second reading should be adjourned 1 Tuesday, so as to allow of an alteration in the meantime to contain only prohibition clauses.... Mr Tk Ao followed, and advocated cer- * tun alterations being made in the measure. 1'