HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1570, 28 May 1887, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p. tn. -t« :^ Fbiday, Mat 27. DEl'flAT 61 THR GOVKKNMBNT. Sir Juliua Yogel resumed the debate on Ms joe Atkinson's Amendment, and said that little of the latter's speech had anything to do with the real objeok of the amendment, or with the financial proposals of the Government, fie main* Utned that the absolute defioit was only £92,000. He contended that a number of real savings had been made on lalarlety etc. He detailed at length the saviugi •• effected this year as compared with pre« vloua years, principally In the Treasury,* Native, and other departments. Refet* ' ring to Mr Montgomery's speech of the w previous night, he said it wai one agalnit progress, and it was an open question whether Akaroa should be represented by a gentleman so opposed to the beak interests of the colony. The reduotlons m the Oivll Service had been made with great regret, and after oarefnl considera-, - tloo the Government came to the conclusion that it was the most considerate course to adopt to make temporary reductions. There was nothing to justify voting for the amendment, ai all the " g Government had done was to raise the ; . duties to what they had been before. He > , defended the special settlement aenemtf and, as to the Government proposals In v regard to the Property-Tax, he denied , . that they wonld create distrust, and •ald i;;r . that no difficulty would arise from the; % modifisaUona-auggeßted by the Govern* men', When addressing his bon'stltflents-f*? the Member for Egmont said that the revision of the tariff was nedfssary, yet he now moved an amendment that wonld shot out such action. He d*elt at length on the question of Yroteoiioa versui Tree* trade, and avgued that the carrying •( the amendment would build up misery. A number of men were being driven out t of the colony through negleot to give sima protection to Industrie*. He claimed that (ha Government had accomplished as much ns conld be ezpeoted of .them In the period since they took, office, and he enumerated several important measures which had been passed during their administration. The Government had also pacified the Natives, and Initiated the Nott'i Island Trunk Railway. Referring to the Representation Bill, he , said that the experience of this session had shown them that it conld not have been passed last year owing to difficulties ,ar- to the percentage of population of country districts. He considered it the duty of the , member for Egmont, when moving the amendment, to propound a policy, and to enlighten the country as to his own opinion, but nothing of the kind had bean done, and he ooald not see for what ' reason the amendment had been brought down, Mr Orraond considered that Sir Julius Vogel'a speech waß disappointing! and contained nothing new beyond announcing the faot that the Government.- was*. Proteotlonint Government. The Treasurer should, he thought, have referred to the earnest speeches made by several hon members on the question of retrench, ment aud increased taxation. Wheq^ lieteoing to the Treasurer recounting' the groat deeds done by the Qovernmtnt tye could not help thinking of the adr«nfc./>f that hon gentleman m 1884, wfafto he had the audacity to express the' opinion that he was amszjd to find public men unable to grapple with the difficulties ot. the cauntry. Bub to-day he had to acknowledge that he had absolute!} failed to effect an improvement. On the contrary" there was a large defioit, and increased taxation was necessary la every direction. Government had brought down measure after measure and withdrawn them, aud he was surprised to hear the Treasurer refer to the District Railways Bill as a claim t3 their confidence. He thought all connected with that measure would be glad to forget it. He could tell the House that the majority was determined to re* slat additional taxation until appreciable retranohment had been made. The Government, he contended, were wanting In their duty until they introduced a thorough scheme of retrenchment. Instead of lm» posing an Income Tax on the Oivll Servants they should ooaatueaee with the highest person m the land, and he thought the House and the country would demand reduotlon In the Governor's salary and allowances. Ministerial allowanou were also too large, and should be reduced, He condemned the land policy of the Government, and attributed the depression to it. The Government had wholly Ignored the settlement of the land by freehold and merely gave effect to theif own fads. Referring to the Sttrlc parchase, Government insurance inquiries, and also those on other maters, be said they were nuffiolent to shake oonfidenoe m any Government, and there was great discontent at the management of the railways. If the vote were carried, the Government had a perfect right to go to the country, bnt the eleotion should be under the new Act. It wai a highly un« constitutional proceeding , for a, Ministry to hold the Treasury benches when they had forfeited all their political principles, and he hoped the electors would pronounce a. decided opinion on the extravagsnoe of tho Government, also on the absurd fads of the Minister of Lands. Mr Seddon opposed the amendment. The debate was interrupted by j the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at 730 p.m. < ..% Mr Seddon continued. He noeusedMi Ormond of being m no hurry for re* trenchtnent as far as his own district was concerned. He defended the administration of the Government, and contended that their propooalo wore m favor of the farmers and. manufacturer* of tha country. He traversed the argument! of previons speakers on tho Opposition tide, both against Proteotion and against the Uovernment. .-i } / Mr Wi Katene said that the' only reason he rose to speak was thojcdnfmlon oreated m his mind , by members asking him to vote on one side or another. Ho wished to support the Government If h* could, but the tariff would pre a heavily on the Natives as well as Europeans, and he thought the beßti way out of the diffi* cuity was a dissolution, even if it should result m the return of Sydney Talwhanga qb the colleague of the Colonial Treasurer, Jf he voted at all it would be for the amendment. Mr Scobie McKenzle objeoted to the taofclos shown by the Government In prolongirg the debate. He qunslders4 the financial proposal! portentous of evil to the country. The amendment was framed Id very mild language compared with the terms that might have been used. He proceeded to critlolae the items of the Finanoioal Statement with the object of showing that last year the surplus wai a bogus one pilfered from the sinking fund. He pointed out that stamp dutlee, which were the real Index of tbo,bu*ine«s of the country, had fallen off greatly, and owing to accidental circumstances were In reality heavier thau could ba expeoted thl» year, when he calculated that the defioit on that oho item would reagb, £59.0C0. He obj toted to tha Treasure's blaming the spread of temperance for the) falling off In every braucS of the revenue, The tariff he went through item by Item, urging that most of the fnQreajej won|^

fall heavily on the poorer daises. The real cure for the country was a radioal system of retrenchment, which would leave New Zealand on a permanently lower bull of expenditure. When the people were brought face to faoe with the reality of the position they would originate retrenchment thembelvea, and the sooner the better. The Tariff Bill he regarded as » donble barrelled fraud, for it Imposed burdens on the people, and would not give protebtlon to local industries. He quoted passages from a pamphlet by the Premier exposing proteotlon. Those were the Premier's real opinions before hl« Individuality was merged la that of the Treasurer. He intended to support the Amendment, and did not see how anyone who desired the welfare of the country could do otherwUe. Mr Menteath Intended to vote for the Government, though he felt bound to condemn them In some particulars. The working classes would have to bear the mail of taxation, and what benefit wore they going to get from a protective tariff. It waa absurd to hold np Victoria as a model, because that colony produced aa tnnch gold as the rest put together. Mr Pearson said he had come to the Houie really unpledged to support any Government. He had recently told his constituents he would not support the Ministry if they had refused to go m for ft system of retrenchment. He Baw no itgns of this, and thought the beat thing was to let the constituents give their volees on the question. He was not afraid of the imrae, though he said with no uncertain sound that he intended to vote igalntt the Government. Their proposals were contemptible. The Native Department and the Portfolio of Mines he held could -be abolished.

Mr Oo wan said he coald not support the financial proposals of Government, as they prfgfed«aaduly upon themasß of the people. THE DIVISION. The Speaker then pat the question, and the seoond reading of the Bill was rejected by 42 to 38. Major* Atkinson's amendment, that the financial proposals of the Government are unsatisfactory, was then pat ; Ayers 42 ; Noes, 38. (Cheers.) The following is the division list :— Ayes 42.— Allwrlght. Atkinson, Barrnn, Beetham, Bruce, Buchanan, W. F. Buckland, Oonolly, Dodaon, Fergus, Fiaher, Fulton, Hamliß, Hint, Hislop, Hobbß, Hnrsthonie, Lake, Looke, Macarthur, Mackenzie, Mltchelson, Moat, Monk, Montgomery, Newman, Orraond, Peacock, Rene, G. F. Rlohardaon, Rolleston, Ross, Rnuell, Setter, Talapna, T. Thompson, J. W. Thompson , Trimble, Wakefield, Whyte, Wilson, Katene, Noel 88.— Ballanoe, Bevan, OadmaD, Cowan, Dnnoan, F. H. Fraser, W. Fraaer, Garrick, Grace, Guinness, Ivbbb, Jones, Joyce, Ketr, Lance. Larnach, Leveetaro, J. McKenzle, McMillan, Menteath, Mobb, O'Callaghan, O'Connor, Pere, Pratt, Richardson, Samuel, Seddon, Smith, W, J Steward, W. D. Stewart, Stout Taylor, Tole, Turnbull, Yogel, Walker. Pairs.

For.— J. 0. Buckland, Bryce, Mills. Pearson, Grey, Pyke. Against.— Hatch, Fitzherbert, Bracken, Beid, Gore, Dnrgtvllle. [We pnbllih the numbers an telegraphed In of, bat the addition makes Noes 37. We bare no means of ohecktng the Oamei.]

ADJOUBRMENT. On the motion of the Premier, the Eouie adjourned at 12.55 a.m.