PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1295, 22 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. | Wednesday, July 21. The Council met at 2 30 p.m. BILLS The Hutt and Potone Gas Bill, and First Offenders’ Probation Bill wore read a first time. The Counties Bill w»s fur her considered in Committee. Clause 167, dealing with special rates, was amended, ao as to provide th it special rates shall not exceed three-farthings in the pound on the capital value. A number of clauses were agreed to, and the Council took the dinner adjournment at 6 o’clock. The Council resumed ac 7 30 p m. In Committee on the Counties Bill Mr bhrimski moved that clause 289, providing for the maintenance of agricultural schools from county funds, be struck out. On a division the clause was eliminated Clause 201, providing that county councils may support public libraries was struck out. ! Progress was reported, and the Council adjourned at 9 30 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday July 21, The House met at 2.30 p.m QUESTIONS. Replying to questions Ministers stated that the long service medals for volunteers would shortly be presented that Government could not introduce any legislation for the application of the unuted surplus of the Kaitangata relief fund to relieving sufferers by the volcanic eruption, as it was not right that Parl'ament should interfere with money subscribed by charitable persons ; that Hansard could not be sent bayoi d New Zealand like newspapers, as every copy wonld result in a loss to the colony of three pence ; that no Bill would be brought in this session for abodshiag grand juries. THE EOXOKUA RELIEF FUND 1 Some discussion ensued on the question of granting permission to held a conversazione in the Parliament buildings on Saturday week for organising a fund for the relief of the sufferers by the volcanic eruptions. Several members objected to the p arliament buildings being used for that purpose. The Speaker eventuily put the motion for permission to grant the use of the buildings, which was carried on the voices. PUBLIC WORKS POLICY. Mr Macartbur resumed the debate on the public works policy. He or t cised the statement in detail, and, referring to the North Island Trunk Line, said it would take ten or twenty years to complete at the present iste of progress Regarding the much discussed question of liabilities, it was not creditable to any Government, that pretended to have a master of finance in the Cabinet, Ministers were at variance as to the actual amount cf money available.

Mr Monteath thought that, though the Government policy did not carry nut their T ews as originally expressed, still it met the wishes of the great mass of the people. Borrowing should be continued, because the great mass of the electors felt the benefit of that course. The proposals this year were in the direction of economy, bat we should have to go through a great deal of financial trouble before Government recognised the neces sity of reorganising their local government scheme. Mr J. W. Thomson contended that

the Government policy was m .re accept* able than it wonld have been, simply because, during the recess, the country had been frightened at the magnitude of the proposals they were led to expect Ministers had been going about the country preaching all sorts of doctrines, including protection. He proceeded to review the preseseionai speeches of members of the Government, and was still speaking at the 5 30 p m. adjournment.

EVENING SiITING. The House resumed at 7.30 p tru Mr Thomson continued by saying that he was sorry to sea Mr Kichardson begining to show an aptitude for ingenious arrangement of figures. The Treasurer had got the credit for writing that part o' it referring to the liabilities. They ought to have more information about the lines on which it was proposed to spend money. In his opinion a million would befquite sufficient this year. He wanted to know whether another loan would be wanted next year, for the money In hand would not last two years. If they had to face another loan they ought to know now.

Mr Smith said Mr Ormond had complained of Government not poshing on the Hawke’s Bay lines, but it was owing to the action of Mr Ormond himself, and Captain Bussell that contracts bad not been let a year ago. Members might complain about lines not being completed, bat they very well that if an attempt were made to push on any one line, there would be an outcry from the rest of the colony, He traversed Mr Ormond’s statements, and criticised his votes daring the last two years. Government bad only to bring in a small Bill of two clauses to obtain that gentleman’s support—one releasing his property from taxation, and the other allowing him to bay native laud at his own price without restriction. Mr Whyte said that Mr Smith seemed to think hip epacial mission in the House was to pitch into Mr Ormond, and they were getting tired of it. In etimmiug up j the nett result of what they had heapd about the financial p '-ntend d It amounted to thi loan was already half anticipated, and the North Island Trank Loan heavily mortgaged. Mr Ivess sa<d that the Minister for Public Works had not effected the reform expected of him. He quoted statistics comparing oijp railways with those of other colonies, showing that the rates were much cheaper in the latter. The same evils existed as In years gone by,' and It was time for an alteration. He regretted that the Minister had not executed a promise to introduce boards of management. He supported the Loan 1 Bill.

Mr W 1 Pere daniad that Dr Bailer had influenced his vote. Mr Scoble Mackenzie considered that the Treasurer had done damage to the credit of the colony. He had deliberately set himself during the recess to instil the idea into people’s minds that prosperity was only to be restored by a gigantic loan. Ha stigmatised this as an atrocious doctrine. A new system of public works had been entered on, and lines ware put on the sohednle now that they had once never dreamed of making, to the disadvantage of railways like the Otago Central, which had been commenced eight years ago, and was still lingering on. Mr Peacock favored moderate borrowing, but objected to the manner in which It was proposed to expend the money. Mr Bruce said we wasted a good deal of money, but he was not in favor alto-

gether of stopping borrowing. He ob j acted, however, to the vast sohem

shadowed out in the recess by the Colonial Treasurer, though be gave him credit for being anxious to promote the

welfare of the colony. He defended Mr Byroe from the accusation of distortion

and discolouration by the Hon Mr Ballance. He advised the people of the colony to put their shoulders to the wheel themselves instead of looking to the

House for help. Mr Levestam stigmatised Mr Biuce’s arguments as contradictory, and said the reason that Mr Mackenzie assailed the

Government was because the Ob.ge

Central was not pushed on, Mr Russell said he was still of opit lon

w«« inexpedient to lavishly spend large

sum* of borriwtd money He disliked the way iu which ihe new Joan was to be appropriated. Speaking generally, he believed no one, minister, member, or the pub Ic knew how tbe money went. Wo did not get more than JOs worth for every pound expended Tne returns se»med to show that the more public wo'ks they uuderto- k, the less the return was. Ho contended that the public works policy bad broken down and the day would come wfceu it would be almost impossible to pay interest iu full. Mr Fuhoa moved the adjournment of the debate till .Friday, and the House rose at 12 50 a m.