HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3133, 13 July 1881, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday. The House met at 2.30 NOTICES OE MOTION. Mr McDonald gave notice of a motion to abolish all Waste Lands Boards, and hand over the powers to County Councils. Mr Bain gave notice to ask if the Government intended to make provision for the resumption of nominated immigrants. Mr Andrews gave notice to move that the next session of Parliament should be held in Christchurch, and that an address to the Governor asking for a vote of money for the purpose be agreed to. THE MAOEI PETSONEBS. Mr Hall laid on the table certain despatches relative to the detention of the Maori prisoners. One despatch on the subject was not, he stated, laid on the table, as the Government considered its present publication would be detrimental to the public interest. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, steps had been taken to dispose of the Otaria block, a portion on the deferred payment system at 30s upset price, and the remainder for cash payments, but the land could not be opened for sale for three months ; the Government intended to equalise the salaries of goal officials throughout the colony according to rank; in the present state of matters the Government considered it would be unwise to reduce the price of rural lands on the West Coast as recommended by tho Waste Lands Board of Westland, or otherwise unduly stimulate the disposal of lands in a possibly auriferous country; the Government had not paid the whole of the cost of the Wellington hospital, and with regard to maintenance, that institution had been placed on the same footing as most of the other hospitals in the colony, since the Buspension of the subsidies; although not prepared to give a definite answer, the Government had no doubt that satisfactory arrangements would be made authorising railway guards on the Nelson line to issue passenger tickets available for the whole of the intended journey; the Moeraki bush reserves had been granted to certain halfcastes in virtue of the Middle Island Halfoaste Land Grant Act; so far as the Government were aware the claims of census enumerators in the Waitaki had been paid. PIBST EEADINGS. The following bills were introduced and read a first time :—Reduction of Miners Rights Charges Bill: Bill to Amend the Land Act, 1877 (Pyke) ; bill for the establishment and management of a High School at Eangiora (Bowen) ; bill for the establishment and management of a High School at Akaroa (Montgomery) ; bill to extend the franchise to women (Wallis) ; Armed Constabulary Act 1867 Amendment Bill (De Lautour) ; Gisborno Harbor Board Bill (M'Donald); Waimakariri Harbor Loan Bill (Bowen). LICENSING BILL. The Licensing Bill was recommitted for the consideration of a number of clauses. Clause 12. —An amendment to make the election of the licensing committee triennial instead of annual was rejected by 39 to 34. The clause was then amended to make the cost of the elections chargeable to the district. Clause 28.—Preventing any licensee having an interest in more that one license, was amended so as not to apply to firms (on a division by 46 to 20), and was then struck out altogether. Clause 29. —Captain Russell moved the omission of the club license. The motion was lost on a division by 37 to 18. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30. THE LICENSING BILL. Progress was reported on the Licensing Bill. LOCAL GOYEBNMENT. Major Atkinson moved the second reading of the Native and Crown Lands Rating Bill, taking advantage of the occasion to explain the views of the Government on local governmant, a question which he thought ■was exciting more attention in the House than in the country, yet no two members seemed agreed what local government was. One "wanted to restore provincialism, another to create sovereign states with federal government and so on. He held that the people already had real local government, and they meant to keep what they had. Counties and road boards would remain the local government of the country. All that was wanted was enlarged powers, and the means to carry them out, together with a simplification of machinery. He denied that everything was being centralized, on the contrary, tho Government had decentralised administration to the utmost. fie quoted the various administrative acts in force, showing that of twenty-nine there were twenty admistered centrally, two jointly, and five by local bodies. Of the twenty at least thirteen must of necessity be administered by the Government. As for there being no redress of grievances, that House was the proper place for that, and it could not abrogate its functions. He ndmitted that waste land boards were not of much use, and it was intended to abolish them, and consiilt the county councils on all land administration within the counties. The other local governing bodies or boards were, however, all necessary and useful. As to counties and road boards great diversity of opinion existed as to their respective duties, but in no case had any desire been shown to amalgamate the counties. They all wanted more money, and failed to realise the stern fact that money was only to be had out of the pockets of the taxpayers. The Government financial proposals local finance were based on the broad principle that the land fund should be spent on the lands. The Government proposed to give facilities for the merging of road boards in counties, and power to counties, at the request of road boards, to levy rates for themj and if

desired expend the same on specified works. Power also would be given to counties to fix road boai'd boundaries, and until the property tax assessment rolls were available the present rolls, with annual additions, would be allowed to be used, so as to save the cost of annual valuation. A simpler form of elective machinery would also be pi-ovided, but its adoption would be optional. No part of a county should be outside of a road board, and the road board districts should form the electoral divisions of counties. In addition to the existing local bodies, the proposed charitable aid board would be also established. These practical proposals would, he contended, give full local self-government, and leave the people full power to choose how they should be locally governed. Sir George Grey declared the Government proposals a lame and impotent conclusion. The only good point in them they had stolen from him, the rating of native and Crown lands. His Local Government Bill was in the printer's hands, and would soon be distributed. Real local government was impossible while the preponderance of the voting power was given to property instead of to the people. A very short measure wotxld give the people what they wanted, regard being had to geographical circumstances. Local governing bodies should be created with full power to determine the form of their own institutions ; power to make bye-laws on all subjects on which the provinces used to legislate should be given them ; they should not deal with external defence, but the volunteers should be Under their control; they should not interfere with telegraphs, but they should have power to constitute courts for the redress of grievances, with large powers, though inferior to the Supreme Court, and with judges elected by the people, thus bringing justice to every man's door, and avoiding men with strong party feelings sitting on the bench as was the case now. They could find money without taking it from the people's pockets. Let them acknowledge the Legislative Council to be a redundant blessing with which they could dispense. Reduce that House and the whole cost of central government one-half, and there would be money for the local bodies, who ought also to impose rates on native and Crown lands the same as on other property, and enjoy the proceeds. These local bodies should also be largely endowed with Crown lands, which should be inalienable, and in time the rents would provide for, all requirements without taxation at all. This was the true remedy for the grievous evils the people now groped under. Mr M'Lean suggested the adjournment of the debate, to enable them to have time to consider the rival schemes propounded. Mr Hall agreed, and the debate was adjourned to Tuesday next. LICENSING BILL. _ The consideration of the Licensing Bill was resumed. A proposal to restore the bottle license was lost on a division by 38 to 31. A proposal to strike out the New Zealand wine license was lost by 33 to 32. On Mr Stewart's motion the following was inserted on a division of 36 to 25 :— ■■ Bottle licenses may be issued in'districts in which such licenses at present exist." A proposal to make the hour for extending closing 11 instead of 10 was lost on the voices. In clause 32 the strength of proof spirit on New Zealand wines was reduced from 30 to 20 per cent. A proposal to abolish the fee for the 12 o'clock extension, and to reduce it to £2, was negatived. A proposal to strike out tho additional fee for extra bars was negatived on a division by 33 to 26. In clause 63 provision was made for seven days notice of objections. In clause 80, sub-sections 4, the reference to places of worship, schools, and hospitals, was struck out. Progress was then reported, and the House rose at 12.55.