The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1886. The Loan BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1301, 29 July 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1886. The Loan BILL.

The debate which preceded the second reading of the New Zealand Loan Bill yesterday morning was an entirely useless display of personal and party feeling. No one seriously regarded Mr G. F, Richardson’s amendment as a motion of no confidence, and not even the most sanguine Oppositionist can have expected that it iwould have been adopted by the House. But it afforded to many members a welcomed opportunity to air their particular views upon the financial condition of the colony, and to address their constituents in anticicipation of the approaching general election. It would be difficult to imagine a more puerile discussion, and it is to be regretted that the Government did not save much valuable time by forcing the House to a division on Saturday morning. Sir George Grey’s appeal for an adjournment, in order that he might be reported in Hansard, was, when we examine the speech he ultimately delivered, absolutely ludicrous, and Mr Rolles on’s complaints against the “ suppression of free speech” were equally amusing. The fact is, Government was altogether too indulgent to the garrulous members ol the Opposition, and is largely responsible for the waste of time which followed. The discussion which took place in Committee last night on the same Bill was of a much more practical character. Either the absence of the reporters or the consciousness of guilt in connection with the recent waste of time, probably the former, induced members to apply themselves to the business of the country in real earnestness. The proceedings in Committee are reported in our Parliamentary columns, and it is unnecessary to refer to them at any length here. We may, however, note that the schedule of the Bill underwent considerable amendment. The items, railway Westport to Inangahua, ,£63,000, and Blenheim to Tophouse, £68,000, were struck out, and the Colonial Treasurer consented to a reduction of £44,000 upon the proposed vote lor rolling stock, &c. These items represent a total deletion of £175,000, and it may be hoped that in re-allotting this sum the Treasurer will not overlook the claims of this part of the colony. As the Bill originally stood, what Mr Holmes terms “ the magnificent sum of £8000” was set down for Canterbury ; the only work proposed was the extension of the railway to Mount Somers ; and it would not be too much, under the cir:umstances, to ask that the vote should je so enlarged as to allow the ex tendon of that line to Springburn at east. We have no doubt the matter is eceiving the zealous attention of the nember for Ashburton

The annual sheep returns for the colony were presented to Parliament last night The following are the Chief Inspector’s remarks upon the returns;—Tim clssdfcation of sheep can be approxim i e y isMmated as follows Merino ma ea 3,165,711, females, 4,067.754 ; longwoo males, 457,061; females, 869,644 ; crossbred, males, 2,678,833; fema1e5,3,807,798.

Tt l, males, 5,802,380; females, | 8,744,441. Grand total, 14 546 801 j On reference to tha returns of the past

two years it will be observed that a steady decrease in merino sheep is taking 1 place, and that at the same time the do-1 hcioncy with the whole annual Increase I is made np in the longwool and crossbred I classes, the latter being in excess of the I j former returns by over 700,000 sheep for I I the year. As more land comes under j cultivation, so does the demand for this I I class of sheep increase, they being 1 { especially adapted for both butchers’ use j I and freezing purposes. It Js satisfactory 1 to again be ab'e to report an Increase in j the frozen meat trade, 574,192 carcases 1 having been exported this year, an in-1 1 crease of 83,126 over the previous sea--1 son. Altogether 7579 sheep have been J used at the preserving works, or a dej crease of 2911; 63,214 wtra boiled down, lor an increase of 17,000 ; 3004 were exI ported alive (these, with the exception of I twenty, were all shipped to the South Sea 1 Islands), and 496 were Imported from Aua--1 tralia and Tasmania.

In the House of Representatives last j night Mr Taylor asked the Government If 1 they will, daring this session, amend the I Stamp Act in the direction of increasing I the stamp composition paid by the banks I doing business in the colony for the privl- J lege of issuing bank notea from 2 per [ cent to 4 per cent; (2) if no amendment | can be made during this session will the Government consider the question during I the recess, with the object of introducing I an amendment on the Bill next session.— t The Colonial Treasurer replied that the I question would receive attention during I the recess.