HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Tuesday, July 10. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Hamlln, m the absence of the Speaker, took the chair. •JUBSTIONS. Replying to queatlons, it was stated that it waa intended to oharge loosl bodies fot the audit of their aoooants ; that the Agnews had beeo dealt with very liberally, and had no claim whatever against the oolony ; that the question of appointing a dlstrtot tribunal to determlce appeal* against tbe decisions of Native Land Courta was under consideration. ; that i i£ definite information were not received shortly from the Midland Railway Company, Government wonld take steps to define the time m whloh the oontraot shonld be algned ; that the total cost for the new, survey for the North Island Trunk Railway now being made would not ezoeed £8500, and that the amount was taken out of the allocation for new lines m the Loan Act, and' under the authority given foe the survey of new linea. TRAMWAYS ACT AMENDMENT ACT. ■-' The Premier moved the aeoood rea'dlng of the Tramways Act 1872 Amendment Bill, providing a penalty for runnlag vehicles fur hire on the raili of a tramway without a license. Tbe motion was agreed to* LAND ACT AMENDMENT 'BILL. Mr Richardson moved the seoond reading of the Land Aot Amendment Bill. He said that the Bill did not propose to alter the present land laws of the oolony, but was brought In mainly to daal with pastoral leases whloh fell m 1890, as well as with a few other points that required amending. The Bill aleo provided for the powers of Land Boards being vested la the Oommiseio .cis of Grown Lands In the various districts. He thought that wold be more satisfactory than the present system. He said that 720,000 acres had ; been brought under the Aot of lant year, and that the result of sales had been so , far satisfactory. Mr Ballanoe said that the Treasurer would have to readjust the finanoes. ai the revenue from land sales was lower lower now than It had been for many years past. He approved of the proposals for clrasflylng pastoral lands, but thonght that the House should have an opportunity of reviewing the whole position respecting those leases befoie anything was done .m that direction. With respect to Land Boards ho differed altogether from the Minister of Lands when he said that tbe functions of those Boards had ceased. Mr Baetbam approved of the Bill as a whole^ but objected to the olaase ptopoi* '. ing to abolish Land Boards, ', Mr McKonzle (Walhemo) agreed with I Mr Ballanoa that before pastoral leases were dealt with they should have a map ahowing what was really pastoral and \ agricultural land. He asserted that the , Land BUI of last year did more to create monopoly m land than any Bill whloh had . been before Parliament for fourteen yean past. He opposed the abolition of Land Boards. Mr Oowau was not afraid of dummylsm and thought that settlers would find relief from tbe Bill, though It would have been better if the same provisions had been embodied In the Fair Rent BUI. He objeoted to the abolition of Boards, Mr Hobbe did not wonder at members of Land Boards opposing tho BUI. He took exception to one or two minor points In the Bill, but otherwise he heartily supported It. Mr Pyke characterised it as a very ; dangerous Bill with one or two good pro visions . He doubted if the Minister really know what he was trying to do, Mr Marohant pleaded tbe oause of the bush settlors, who deserved the utmost consideration from Government and the Land Boards- He thought that nothing but a judioious hnd poltoy would lift the oolony from the slough of despond, v He waa strongly m favor of Land Boards. Mr Kerr took a similar view to Me Pyke'a. He objected to oentrallslng the land business In Wellington, People wore satisfied with fhe bostrda, and would distrust the commissioners. Sir George Grey hoped to see a great scheme of land settlement suggested by Government, whloh would restore vitality to the country. Be laughed at the idea of settling 593 on 9500 acres, while two and a half million aorea were given away for nothing to a railway syndicate. That area would have absorbed 15 000 people at the same rate. He adversely orltitised the whole system of, the land laws exUtiog at present. Ha twitted the Minister with having adopted In the BUI a number q7 propositions whloh ho (Sir George Qrey) had brought forward year after year without success. ' - , r Dr Newman gave predlt to Mr Ballanpq for opening, up a largp a.rea for setyle-* ment. Enormous tracts still romalnad, towards the opening up of whloh nothing was being done. Mr Turnbull thought that this would be a very different Bill when it came back from the W«ta Lands Committee He understood that Government did not Intend to subdivide the runs In the Maokenzle Country, when leases fell tn m 1890, and thia waa a great mistake. Nothing hindered the progress of the country mor6 than theao huge estates, moat of them heavily mortgaged, Oantar* bury had to find a million of money every year for Interest. 'He 'dfd'not 'expflbt Government to deal with the question of breaking up big runs. It was more than their seats were worth. Major Steward said the most important part of the Bill was the portion dealing; with the Canterbury leases, and on the mariner m" vrhioh tijoso leases were' dealt with'woiild undoubtedly depend' the prosperity of that dintriot • Ho wns not clear," ljowevpr, whether th.c Bill pjrovidejj for that difficulty satisfactorily. JJe held that it waa the duty of the Minister for Lands, who, ho felt Bure was sincerely desirous of adcainietering the lands of ihe Oolony m a fair manner, to see that those runs were dealt with m such a way as would promote the settlement of the Colony, Several other members spoke, and Mr Rphardpon replied . ''The Sill' wafl road a epcond lime without division,' anVi Syria referred to the^Wast© Lands Committee. : r '' ' ' '• * « | ' OALIfORtjIAN THISTLB BlLfc. The OaKfornjar* Thistle gradation gill wqB committed, but aftpr an hour and $ quarter's discussion go progress was made, The Houao adjourned at 1.20 a.m.
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1890, 11 July 1888, Page 2
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1,046HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1890, 11 July 1888, Page 2
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