LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1715, 19 November 1887, Page 3

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

FBCDAT, JSOVBMBBB 18.

The Council met at 2 30 p.m. PROPOSED TOTALIBaTOB TAX. Mr Hart moved '- That, m vie* of the financial position of the colony and the necessity for general retrenchment disclosed m the late Financial Statement of the Colonial Treasurer, this Couucil is of opinion that the revenue of the colony should be aided by a tax on the proceeds •rising from the nee of totafisators at race meetings." The hon gentleman, m bringing forwßrd his motion, referred to the general depression existing m tbe colony, and to the facilities with which Banking and other Corporations had m the pait granted loans to individuals, whfcb had a demoralising effect npon •II daises of the community. The hon gentleman at some length took tbe opportunity of reviewing the Financial Statement. It might be urged, he said, that to tax the totallsator might be evidence that the State sanctioned gambling bat this was not so. He thonght, and In support, he quoted a work by Sir G. O. Trevelyan on the justice 0? taxing opium. Recently be (Mr Uart) visited Wanganuf, and on reading a iooal paper saw that it contained four columns of advertisements relative to racing matters. This he thought WM a bad ilgn of tbe morality of any commodity. "With the object of correcting th!i evil he had brought forward his motion, The Attorney-General said that there eottld be little doubt that Mr Bart's motion was a well-intended one, but he was not aware that legal gambling waa allowed m any English community. He, personally, should oppcsa tbe motion, which was not, he considered, called for. Mr Shrimski favored theidea of taxing the totalieator if the Legislature made tbe t»x payable to Charitable Institutions. The Oounoil divided with the following remit, ayes, 13 ; noes, 16. The motion was carried. miscellaneous: The Wesleyan Methodist Trust Bill was read a first time. The Gioborne High Pchool Bill parsed through Committee and final stages. The Council at 3.30 adjourned to Taesd»* next.