EVENING SITTING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1881, 30 June 1888, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

TheHonse resumed at 7.80 p.m. CUSTOM? DUTIES BILL. The report on the Customs Duties Bill waa postponed til! Tuesday on the motion of the Premier, who said the BUI had not been reprinted. He proposed to go on with the Estimates that night. COMMITTEE OF STTPPLY. * The Premier imved to go into Committee of Supply to consider the Estimates. Government were anxious not to leave them to be rushed through m the laat hoar of the sessiou. They had gone vary oarefolly through the various divisions of the Civil Service, and reduced all salaries they considered over p*id. In some oases, especially thß Post Office, they had made Bmair inerenießr^~The question of classification had been discussed, and he hoped to bring In a Bill dealing vrlth It, but the subject was beset with difficulties. Adverting to the views held by oertain members as to the possibility of further redactions, he Bald he was prepared to consider any proposition made on that head, but he believed Government bad already gone as far as the Houso would desire. As a speoimen of the Bort of criticism to which Government had been aubj >oted he quoted a report forwarded to the Governor and the Ministry by the Auckland Political Reform AwaoQlatlon, which bristled with mlaatatementa. They had named a number of departments the coet of which they estimated should be reduced to £726,000 per annum, while as a matter of faot they did actually coat £704.000. Mr Monk moved, an amendment, that legislation should be introduced dealing with the legislative officers and AuditorGeneral's salaries, whloh he considered could be reduced with benefit to the country. Mr Fleh protested against going on with the Estimates. Members had been bo busy with the tariff that they had not had time to work out the details of the Estimates. Mr Walker also hoped Government would not press the estimates that night. He thanked the Premier foe his exposition of the uselesanesv of figures regarding the coat of administration which had been published m the returns some time ago. He assured the Premier he had no wish to consider tbo Estimates m anything like a hostile spirit, but be though It would be best to withdraw the Estimates for that night, and until the third readlng.of the Tariff Bill had been carried. Mr Mobs said retrenchment alone would not get the country oat of Its difficulty. It was the enormous amount of money that had been sent oat of the ooantry whloh caused' our embarrassment Sir 3. Hall complained that Mr" Monk had given no faetß to support his amendment. He presumed that gentleman was tbo mouthpleoe of a oommlttqa which had been privately considering the estimates, and annpnuoed that they s«.w their way to a reduction of some £40,000 a year. But was it likely, he asked, that they know more about the subject than the Government who had been going carefully Into the matter i'o* months ? He ventured to say that the Civil Service was worse paid than In any other colony. The only way In which considerable saving coald be effected waa to dlspenije with •' 3 m ', n i H _ trative luxuries. w~uid they qQ San Francisco mail service or some of our dally laailu sor Inufaace 'i -• «• '■'■ " Me Seddoil moved the adjournment of thedabate. ; ! The adjournment was agreed to by 43 to 34, and the debate was postponed till Tuesday. • MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. The Premie^ th .en rooved the adioarnment of the House. "5 Mr Turnbull strongly objected to these surprises, and if members of hia aide were gqing to apt that way without oonsuiting all the party they wonld soon find all his allegiance gone, Dr Fitohett Bald he had voted against the Government, bcoause he, like others, felt it was not B&ie to proceed with the estimates until the Tariff Bill waa out of the wood. He hoped Government would take the hint, Mr Seddon reminded the Bouse that they had passed ' a/ resolution of the Premier's giving the Tariff Bill precedence of all other business. ' '• Me Reeves (St Albans) said for his par 1 , he had vo^ed a.galngt the QovernrneijS beoauee ho felt that the Hoqae oogKt to transact wha bn.inoas it liked, and not be driven. Mr Bruce sui, although he voted for the adjournment, Le would Bay, now the tariff question waa settled, that he for one did hot want to see Governmept leavt the j bemhfli- |

The Premier siid the division showed that there was a large number of member! <vho had supported the Tariff Bill, who iow doubted his word; The turn affairs taken had certainly altered his position, and Government had a right to say business Bhould be done on Government dayo, and no other member should dictate to them He would now place the eatinaitea on the Order Paper for Taeeday, *nd insist on their being gone on with. Than ha would see whether the economists "ere to have their way, and of course if It was ao Government would consider the position. The House adjourned at 10 p,m,