PARLIAMENTARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1553, 15 July 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE OvJUNOIL. Tctesdat, July 14 The Council met at 2.30 p.m. BILL PASSED. The St. Mary’s Convent Property Leases Bill was read a third time and passed.

| FIRST READING. The Adoption of Children’s Act Amendment Bill was renewed from the Lower House, and read a first time. SECOND BEADING. The Hon the Colonial Secretary moved the second reading of the Postal Notes Bill.—Agreed to. ADJOURNMENT. The Council adjourned at 3.55 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. —mmmm Tuesday, July 14. The House met at 2.30 p.m. NEW MEMBER. Mr Ivess, Member for Wakanul, took the oath and bis seat. NOMINATED IMMIGRATION. Mr Pyke gave notice that on going into Committee of Supply he would move that it is desirable and necessary that the nominated system of immigration be resumed without delay. QUESTIONSReplying to questions. Ministers said— It was proposed to ask the House to grant a sufficient sum to employ shorthand writers in the Supreme and District Courts.—Ammunition would be renewed and supplied to RiSe Club* at wit ptioe, 1

—immediate steps would be taken to include “ Bough on Bata” under section 3 of the Poisons Act, 187 L m BILLS. The following Bills were introduced The Westland and Grey Education Boards Rill (Hon Mr Stont), a Bill to Validate * the Sydenham Municipal OonneQ Pnblio Works Loan (Mr W. White), the Coroners' Jurieal Act Amendment Bin (Hon Mr Tole). XHB SAN OTLAKCISCO HAIL SttVlCB. «. , The Hon Sir Jalina Vogel gave notice to more on Wednesday that the House go into Committee to consider resolution— 1 * That the Government be requested to arrange a fresh service between Ban Francisco and Auckland, Cur five years, at a cost not exceeding L 30,000 a j year.” «■-> LOCAL BODIES AND TOT ABC* FOWXBB BILL. • Major Atkinson resumed the debate on t the second reeding of the Looal Bodlee " Finance and Powers Bill He said it wee greatly to be regretted that the Government had made this a Ministerial mea- , sore, as if there was one Bill more ' another that should be free from party bias, it was the present one, andltwonfci -a-. require all their combined wisdom to it an acceptable measure. Having crlti- , oised the measure at length Major Atkinson concluded by stating that he thought, . that instead .of thrnstmg the measure ’ upon an unwilling Bouse some temporary arrangements should be made for thia year, and tbe whole matter should be considered further during the rcoesa. The Hon Mr Stout said he was glad to hear the leader of tbe Opposition was wil-, ling to consider tbe Bill free from party spirit, bnt he was sorry that thehon member, for the sake of a temporary victory, had departed from this line daring the tariff He contended that the hon member by bisspeech had practically given np the principle of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act which he had formerly advocated. Mr Beetbam wonld be glad if they could approach thia important question ; free from party lines. j Mr G. F. nichardson thought s proper system should be adapted whereby the local bodies would supply correct figures, so as to ensure a fair distribution to those bodies

Mr Lance said the local body which he represented was strongly in favor of the measure under discussion. ; k Mr Gore said the Bill would not fulfil what was expected of it Mr Lake considered the Bill was tread from its most objectionable feature by its borrowing power being eliminated. Mr Buchanan thought the House had wisely determined to approach the subject from a non-party point of view. ADJOURNMENT. The House rose at 5.30 p m., and resumed at 7.30. Mr Hurst thought fthe Government should have managed to place the local Bills before the country previous to the meeting cf Parliament, fie felt it waa part of the general scheme of local government. Mr Oowan looked upon the Bill as the fulfulment of a promise made by tbeOovernment, and be felt It was the doty of every member of tbe House to do his utmost to make tbe Bill acceptable to the requirements of the country. Dr Newman thought the city members . had good grounds for complaint against the Bill, as it meant the raising of a special - rate for the city of Wellington. Mr Walker said the question of local finance had for eoms years been one of difficulty in dealing with local Government. He thought the proposals of the Government in regard to hospitals end charitable* aid deserved the earnest bon- ■' sideration of the House, as they seemed to him to be framed with a dealt* to ap- < proach the subject la a fair and impaitial manner. The old principle of devoting a certain percentage of the land* land to , opening up settlement was the most factory one they had yet had, and. the;/ proposal to pay the subsidies out of the consolidated revenue was only an act of justice 10 the local bodies. He hoped the Government would pay due regard to districts where Road Boards and County Councils were in operation, and also trusted no opportunity would be lost la endeavoring to induce the Bead: Boards and County Councils to amalgamate.; Mr Pyse said the Bill had been so v purged by the Government that it had now become almost a harmless measure. Mr Fisher hoped the system of subsidies w uld not come into force in the colony again. Mr W. F. Bnokland contended that - outlying districts wanted the same encouragement as other districts, but he thought they would not benefit largely under this Bill. Mr Joyce said the time waa approaching when they must cut the “Gordian kfaot,*' and establish something like stabillty tn their finance Mr Hurst ho use held that so longasthe colony waa pledged to the English moneylender, for the construction of roads, the outlying districts had a fair claim for some of the expenditure. Mr Holmes said the object of tha Bill waa tu give assistance to tbe poorer districts, so that if they allowed the poorer districts to tax themselves they would not receive half what waa now proposed. He said it was a vicious system that the money for roads and bridges should be borrowed. Mr Menteath said when he beard the Government were about to deal with the question of local finance he hailed it with great satisfaction, bat he was altogether disappointed with the BUI brought dotih. v Mr Dodson said that any scheme > .S^” to be successful should give aid to oatlying districts. Mr Duncan said as the colony could not carry ont a five yean 'guarantee of local finance it was quite impossible they could do so for 25 years. Mr Montgomery said he intended voting ■ ' for the Bill, as the most important fea- 1P tures had been taken ont of it. Mr Ivess said the country had been clamoring for local government for many years, and he tboaght the present Bill s very acceptable schema. There wen oh- ' j actions against it, but he thought they might be got over in Committee.' He hoped under tbe Bill that the ■ yearly scramble for money for roads and bridges would be a thing of the put. He thought it would be more becoming on the part of members who had attacked the measure to have.suggested some improvements in it, and to reader the Government every assistance in making It an acceptable mea- ■. aura

Colonel Trimble said the Bill would ensure that the system of favoritism would be in force the same aa under the BHs and Bridges Construction Bill. Mr W. White expressed bim—H M greatly disappointed with the Bill. air Hobbs said the Bill did not at at| suit the district whioh he represented. Mr Bagron said the Bill did not contain one solitary provision that com- ' mended Itself to him with the exception of the repeal of that obnoxious measure the RoadsTand Bridges Construction BilL Mr 'Filfcherbeit said he had always looked upon the County system as the ■ J worst thaS could be conceived by aayaan. The Eton Sir Julius Vogel, iu reply, said the Ball was distinctly a Government measure, i The House was light In considering the Bill aa one of very great importance. |He contended the member for . Sgmont b!ad failed altogether in local. ...... government. The other colonies ware., borrowlngl largely for the prosecntion ol public wochs and other purposes, and, this colony should not remain undovaloprf., Did anyone think that the main lines of railways would never be constructed I He considered! New Zealand would be “ Th* Qae«u of ?scifo.” II fet -

msot proposide were carried, they woulq have the effect of drawing the towns and the country districts closer together. He VM fl|d to find the Bill had met with tosh a great amount of support from the Hons* * The motion for the Becondtasdinc; of the Bill was then pat and carried . n the voices, and the House rose at 1.15 am.