PARLIAMENTARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1318, 18 August 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

LETTS! ATIVE COUNCIL.

Tuesday, August 10,

The Council met at 10.30, and after agreeing to some amendments in the Rabbit Bill, proposed by the Government, adjourned at 10.35.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tne House met at 12 o’clock. Mr Ballanca said the amendments made by the Council In the Special Poweu and Contracts Bill were very numerous and largely affected its character. He strongly protested a’ainst I the alterations, but, as to disagree with them would be no use, he preferred to accept the Bill as it wn. Mr Bryce agreed as to the usefulness of the measure, but considered the abuse of it would lead to Its dircontinnauce altogether. It had grown too big. Major Atkinson thought Mr Balance's | course wr i right: He could not see any ] guiding principle in the actionof the Conn- : cil. Ha regretted the Bill could not be brought in to rectify the question of leases, ] as that wr - an important matter. M- Hamlin took exception to t’*e action of the Council. Mr Hursthouse moved that the House disagree with the Councils amendments; Lost by 34 to 11. In Committee of Ways and Means, the Public Works Fund and Consolidated Fuad Appropriation bills were introduced, and the House adjourned till 3 p.m. The House resumed at 3pm., and adopted the report of the Joint Library Commi'toe, after some opposition from Mr Macandrewand Major Atkinson, who urged that members ought to have the use of books during the recess. The Public Works Appropriation BUI was passed through all its stages. The Appropriation Bill was passed through Committee. On the motion for the third reading Major Atkin eon said he hoped that the Premier would pluck op courage, and when 1 e said he w: s In favor of limited boi.'owing to stick tj it, end not let the Treasurer interpret his words fir him. He reminded the House that the Treasurer, after taking office, had promised to make great revelations about the finances of the country, and that nothing should remove him from the Government benches but physical force until he had done so. Sir Julius Vogel corrected him. What he ( 4 ir Julias) had said was that they would announce their policy. Major Atkinson—“ Well, you haven’t announced it ytt, though certainly you have not left those benches.” Ho continued quoting from speeches of Sir Julius Vogel and the Premier, to show that they had promised great reductions which had not be on carried out. The Premier interjected that the war scare had swallowed up the savings they had made. Major Atkinson said that they ought to have taken that into account. Any prudent man could have foresee it. His Government had men in training for big guns when they left office, ministers had increased the ordinary estimates by £27,000, after making every allowance for shiuuken railway returns and the natural increase in the education vote. Deapitethe Treasurer's assurance, the permanent charges had been increased by no lees than £123,000. Instead of relieving he had really added to our burden, and from the nature of the inscription operations, they must increase every year. Vv hat had become of the promise to abolish the Property Tax, which the Treasurer had told them w a crushing down industry ? la fact it had been increased-, not d’ininished, and they bad been rsked to increase the Customs duties as well. The Treasurer had brought into force the first poor law they had known in New Zealand. The Local Government Bills were in all ef-en‘ial points drawn up on the Hms of the Roads ard Bridges Construction Act. The c~unti j wes going on in the same way as it was in 1883. Bat it was on entirely distinct grounds that the Government took office in 1884. They had not iu any one respect carried out the pledges made when they assumed the reins. As to the prospects of the future, they had entered into engagements for which they had got no money. The estimates voted would swallow more than they had at oov. -nand, aod unless public works were to bo totally stopped, next year there would have to be another loan. He distrusted the Midland Railway contract. and felt sure it would not do the good Canterbury expected. Yet it wes dangling this railway before the eyes of Canterbury members which bad kept the Goven ment In office. He ventured to say that within a few months of the company beginning work there would be no more unpopular man in Canterbury than the Treasurer. He referred briefly to other points in which the Government proceeiinga had not secured bis approbation. He had said enough to have upset any Government in the good old days, but the House had got into an extraordinary wty to taking all their blunders for granted, ff was all owing to that Midland Railway. He begged the Government to seriously conside- the position of the colony. They had entered this session Into farther borrowing engagements, and he appealed ; to the Premier to put his foot down and begin tapering iff. i The Premier said that Major Atkinson j bad devoted more to last session than th-a, and it apparently took him a year to get up a speech. He p aised the Opposition for their non-obstructive behavior this session, but said that leaving votes I of want of confidence to leaser lights was an -'iconvenient practice, which he hoped they would abandon. The leader of the Opposition had mentioned scandals. To whU did he refer ? Major Atkinson said, to the Stark purchase, Major Steward’s case, and the purchase of Government Insurance sites. He held the Government responsible when sc ndals arose in their departments nntil they discovered and punished the guilty person’.

The Premier denied that these were scandals at all. If there were any guilty persona in Stark’s purchase, they were outsido the Government officials, for It had been shown that they were not to blame. The evidence In the other cases equally cleared the Government. He denied that they had been extravagant. On the coot rat/, they had made savings despite heavy defence charges and increase of population, in the working expenses of railways, stamps, justice, and other ways. The Poor Law was one of the Hall Ministry’s pot measures, but they had never dared to boldly face the question, for when the voices ware raised against it, it wes quietly shelved. His own Government had come to the conclusion that it

was hopeless to st‘empt to do anything with the question in Wellngton, and had resolved to throw the reap' risibility on local districts. They knew it to be un-

popular, but had the courage to face the position. He laughed at the idea of Major Atkinson objecting to Canterbury members supporting the Govei ament in preference to accepting hia (Major Atkinson's) idea of constructing the line grodurlly as be had p.oposed. If Major Atkinson really did intend to construct the line, why had not he supported the Government In the propos:' to make It last year T As to borrowing, the first thing, in order to taper off, war to make the

country districts understand that they must piovido funds for roads, etc., themselves. They had not much oa the estimates for roads. If the House were

to become a huge board of works they could not expecl good government and good law*. YfbV.9 memli came up

clamoring for what they coo'd gft tbev

omld not expect economy. A. ep : rit t 1 self sacrifice meat be infused Into district a before expenditure could be reduced or Parliament fnel from the confl'ct o i petty local interests. The House adjourned at 5 30 p m.On resuming at 7.30 p.m. Mr Moas ■aid be had received a telegram from Auckland urging him to get some assurance from the Premier as to the course he intended pursuing in regard to the Stark purchase. The Premier said that the Cabinet ha I not yet considered whether farther enquiries should be made. Mr Moss went on to refer to some of the previous remarks of the Premier concerning him, and objected to be cilled an

irreconcilable. What had the Premier done for the colony that he should take such a tone towardi members? The* Premier could not point to a single

liberal measure which ha had voted against. He asked how the Government had kept their promise abont the property

tax, the encouragement of native industries, and taveral other matters. When he saw three Ministers voting against the Premier he gave op ail hopes of a sound policy b-Jng carried out. The North Island members would not be doing their duty unless they insisted next session on the Representation Bill being passed before any other business w; * done. M- Hurethoose took exception to the Premier's remarks about great reductions in the Railway Department. It was only a favored few who were relieved by the policy they proposed, which would bring the railways to a paying point. Be warned the Premier that if he persisted in forcing the Representation Bill on a population basis, he would be unable to ' carry it. Sir Julias Vogel said that Major Atkinson was always harping on the alleged differences between himself and bis colleagues, and on the Government not having fulfilled their promises. He pointei out that they ha I had many difficulties to contend wilt in falling revenue and depression of trade. With regard to the Properly Tax they had tried to free it of some of its objectionable features by exempting improvements, bat it wrs the member foe Egmont and bis friends who defeated it. He dented that they had framed their local goven mmt tnep urea on the Roads and Bridges 0 instruction Act. Oa the contrary they differed altogether from that mer ure. He refene lat some 1 ngth to the Midland F'.ilway and asserted that the arrangement proposed with Meiggs and Go. wr i better for the colony than the present one. He had been informed by Me Fell himself, a relation £f Major Atkinson's, that Mr Meiggs was prepared to have carried it ou f . To show that Gsvernment had done good work this session he mentioned a number of measures passed, such as the Native Bills, Mining Biila, etc, which would effect much good. The Government did not look on the railways t , a taxing machine as the 1c t min ;- »t'y had. They had not songht to use them to make op deficiencies from other sources. He believed there ware mm? local industries I languishing for want of encouragement ’ from Government. It was a dol'cate subject for any Government to handle, and if it were done it would have to be on a ' comprehensive scale. His Government ’ had always kept the fostering of such Indos'ries In view, but they had not been | able to deal with it, and he admitted that the position of the aiLisan classes w: ■ in consequence not so satisfactory : j ha ' could wish. Settlement, hiwjver had 1 progressed as well as could be desired, * Oa the whole he had no rer-on lo be \ dissatisfied. and hoped that Government : won’d be as successful in the future as in the past The Bill was read a third time. 1 On the motion that it do pass, Mr 1 Wakefield remaked that Sir Julius ’ Vogel’s speech, like a scorpion, had its 1 sting in the tail He bad certainly con- ‘ fessed that the salient point i f their future ’ policy was to ha a thoroughly protective 1 policy. (Sir Julius Vogel: I dont say so.) ’ Mr Wakefield said that the Trr .surer did not say it iu so many words ; the inference 1 was clear. Be would tell him that both the House and the country wonld defeat such a policy. New Zealand as a mat time colony, was utterly unfitted for protection. 1 Ho proceeded to dieenss at length the pros and cons of protection and freetrade, to the disadvantage of the former. The Treasurer's principles were quid pro quo. If Ire gave a district anything, he expected payment in the shape of political support. No man of late years had had such a chance as Sir Jnlins Vogel when he returned here in 1884. and admitting bis great abilities, what had been the result I The colony was as sound now as It was then, but in spita of Sic Julius Vogel, and because of a deteron~ied opposition to the policy he had tried to foist on them. He twitted the Treasurer with the Beet Root Bill and the allusions to the Arafon Sea. He had sunk to the lowest position any Minister had ever held Ip his recollection. As to the Premier, tbongh opposed lo him on many grounds, he recognised his great qualities, and it wex perfectly open to members of opposition to adptire the man aprrt from his Government

Mr Bryce expressed disappointment at the speeches from the Government benchea No one had done mote to destroy party lines than the Premier wh- se Government

ilaelf was a violation of all patty linea. Tet the Premier deprecated the deatraction of party Issues. Sir JuUoa Vogel's defend of the Meigga contract was an instance of his extreme audacity. He was not at all satisfied with the position of the Hr presentation Bill, or the Premier’s action there-n, and took exception to the Tr.aaarer’a claim for the nature of this session’s Rather he thought they shonld apologise in sack cloth and ashes for it.

Sir Julius Vogel said Mr Bryce’s remarks wo - e merely opinions. As to Mr Wakefield, he could not go into a financial debate at the hoar.

The Bill then pr'sed. The Premier moved that the House do adjourn till 4 30 next day, Mr expressed regret that no attempt bad been made to deal with the South Island Native Reserves Act Amendment Bill, or the question of privilege as to the rejection of the Gold Duty Abolition Bills by the Upper House. A discussion then took place as to giving Mr Maeandrsw an opportunity t > bring on a motion which was down on the Order Paper relative to the unemployed, but no decision was come tp.

A message was recs’vad from the Council returning the Appropriation Bill. The Premier said the prorogation would he taken at five p.m. to-moi-ow. The motion was carried, and the House at 11.15 pm.