HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1719, 25 November 1887, Page 2

HOUSE OF REP RESENTATIVES.

Thuksdat— Notemibb 24. The House mot at 2 30 p id. OATHOLIO 80 H OL PETITIONS. The Speaker atated that the total Dumber of signatures of. Catholics asking for aid for their schools was 15,987. MELBOURNE EXHIBITION. I la answer to M.v Taylor the Colonial Secretary aald that Gorernmont proposed to pat a vote on the estimates for the representation of New Zealand at the Melbourne Exhibition. REVISION OF THE TARIFF. Tr.o Premier gave n tioe to move the following resolution : — " That the imperative dumai-d by the colony thit thn publio expenditure should be brought withia the rove ue, and. the n resßity, m order to prevent soviuua embarrassment, that that bjei:t should i>e effe ted without delay, reuders it the first duty of the G vernment to press o n the necessary fina*>ci'tl measures ; that the time to be devo'ed to these measures renders it impracticable to give sufficient consideration m the present soHsion to such, although revision of the Customs tariff is requ red, and therefore revision (should not be now attempted but should be undertaken during the recess, and submitted to Parliament at the beginning of next session ." THE MIDLAND RAILWAY The Premier maved that the House agree wi h the report on the Midland Kail way. The Committee had gone to much trouble m an endeavor to put the contract into a reasonable form. He did not propose to go into (he general ques tion now, but would remaric that there were two points ti> which ho might direct their attention. The comp my asked for a guarantee of £1,250 000, or that a guarantee should be given that the Und would be worth that sum. The Committee reported that that guarantee should bo allowed within the area, but not outside of it. As to gold mining rights, the Go verciment had thought 750,0U0 acres, out of authorised area for gold mining purposes, should bo allowed If the House agreed to the report Government would endeavor to get the contract made out and signed betore tho House rose, but if not he proposed that Government should be authorised to eater into negotiations with the company tor a revised contract. Mr Stewart suggested that provision should be inserted confining the Cjmpaoy to the authorised area In selecting land. Mr Ward would like to nee a clause inserted bo that In no olroumataaoes should the aam of £1,250,000 be made up by the colony if tho land B did not reach that value. The Premier, m reply to a question, ■aid he did not propose to take the clauses vßer'atlm. A long dieoucsion ensued upon this point, some of the speakers contending that the contract could only be ptoperly considered m that way, and others holding that, as tho work had been specially relegated to a Committee, they should ony now consider tho general principle. Mr Samuel spuko strongly against going into Committee. Though hitherto opposed to th work he believed it would be a calamity to the colony if tho railway were not now proceeded with. Major Steward raised a question as to whether any time would be fixed for the completion of the whole work. The Premier Bald that the time for finishing the wi>rk would be embodied m the new contract. He moved that the contract be conoidored paragraph by paragraph. St George Grey moved as an amend-m-nt that the contract be considered m C mmlttee of the Whole They onght to treat it aa a Bill, and there should be no hurrying on lv a matter bffeotinn the tirthcighi. of cv ry peison m the colony, Dr (Ne« man expressed eurpiiße at the effir s o force this matter through. He I* slated th.it thpy were leally £omg to (jive a <*ay nearly 5 ol<o,ooo of acre*. Mr Keev^K (ox> Albnus) twittei Sir Gcur^o Grey with having looked up a large part of the *v uth Island by hia land regulations of 18. '3, and with now 6ndeavouriug to prevent the rest being opened up. The honorable gentleman weß the irreconcilable, emmy of this railway, and had admitted that he hoped to see it thrown up. Ho deprecated going into Committee aa it would lead to Interminable diaausslou and perhaps m spoiling the contract altogether. Mr Seddon considered that mining interests were not sufficiently conserved under the proposed contract. The debate was kept up to 5,30 p.m , at which time Mr Withey, MrHudtflngaon Mr Marohant, Mr Stewart, Mr Fulton, Mr Monk, Mr Moss, Mr Taiwhanga, Mr falwhnnga, Mr Grimmond, Mr Guinness, and Mr Allan had spoken, the last named la strong opp isitlon to ocoopting without alterations the oontraot drawn by the Committee. < The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Allen continued hia speech) He contended that it was still doubttul from clause 3 whether the colony would not be liable to make up any deficiency m the value of the land by a monetary payment, and if that doubt was not removed he would bo compelled to oppoao the whole scheme. He quottd tho opinion of the Solicitor-General In favor of his oontention. Sic Julius Yogel pointed out that both the past and present Governments were agreed upon the necessity of bringing this question to a satisfactory conclusion, and he thought it had better be dealt with by the fall House. Be complimented Mr Allen on his attack 00 tho railway, wherein he had made the most of a bad oa.ee. He detailed the v/holo history of tho undertaking to show that the con cessions proposed were reasonable, and that there waa nothing to fear on behalf of the colony. Neither m law nor m equity would the company have a claim 011 the colony. Mr Ward said that the company were getting half a million acres more land* 10 select from. He thought they had better drop the disoaeslon and get on with the clauses of the contract. Mr Leveßtam corrected tho Btatemont of Mr Allen aa to their being a ?rade of one m forty at the Nelson end. Mr Blair's report distinctly said that tho wurat grade was one m fifty. It was then decided on the voices to take the contract clause by olauße. Mr Allen propcaed to alter oiaase 2, Bub-seotion O, so - that 750,000 acres of land along the railway should be set opirt ior tho colony. The Premier hoped they would leave the olaußß as it Biood, which was alrea y ' Biiffioiently explicit on the pmnfc. Tho ] matter had ahe^dy bean foughc -out m 1 Committee • ' j Mr Allen withdrew hi) amendment. At Mr Suddon'a inatance the Premier ' protu'sid to embody In 'the ooutract the I dti'sor btioDjpf "niiairg huo," »a dotjucd 1 by UuJ MipTs At|£ • J

The olaueo then passed , Clause 3— Company inoy select farther land if original aroa does not oome up to the value of £1,250,000. Several members contended that tho olause did not provide against the colony being called on to make good any deficiency In money, and Mr Stewart moved an amendment m that direction, Mr Allen Bald that the SolloltorGeneral's opinion was that the clause as It stood did not render the colony safe, and they nncht to acoe t the amendment. The Pomier opposed the amendment, A long debate followed. Mr Kubbbll moved that the minutes of the Committee's proceedings He on the table. The motion was lost by 5< to 29. Toe Premier Bald that at this ianotara he wished to move that private business. take precedence next day, He also ttated that he proposed nexc day to ask the House (o sit on Saturday for the purpose of considering the motion related to thi tariff whioh ha had given notice of. After some disonaston the motion wm agreed to on the voices. Consideration of the Midland Bsilway question was then Keaumed. The Premier stated that tbe opinion of the Attorney-General was that the clause was sufficient to prevent thi company making any money claim on the oolony. The House divided. Ayes 34, noti 37« Me Stewart's amendment was therefore lost. A further amendment to restrict thai selection by the company to the extent " only " of snoh land then remaining, was lost by 48 to 28, and the olauie w«s pasted as draf cd. Olaasea down to 12 were passed without amendment. Clause 13, providing that the company should enter into contracts of not leii than £60,000 at each end of the line. Mr A.lleo moved an amendment to omit the contract at the . Nelson end. He urged that it was better that, the company should be allowed to oonoantrate Its energies at first on tbe line connecting the Kaat and Weat Coast. The Premier asked them to pass the clause as printed. Mr Russell thought the SpringfieldBrunnerton section should be pushed along as fast as poisible. The amendment was rej soled by 60 to 16, and tho clause then passed. No further amendments were made fa the contract, but several were suggested relative to the conservation of mining righto, etc., which the Premier promised to take into consideration. The report of the Committee as a whole was put and agreed to. and the Home adjourned at 12.45 a.m.