HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3740, 11 July 1883, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tuesday. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE NATIVE LAND COMPANIES BILL, Mr Bryce presented a petition from 151 East Coast natives complainiug of tho dealings of tho Native Land Company, and opposing tho bill noAV before Parliament. Mr DeLautour said that, with-' tho approval of the Government, he would movo that the report of tho Standing Orders Committee on the Now Zealand Native Land Company's Bill be "agreed to. Tho company did not want the power to acquire lands by purchase, and the clause objected to giving that poAvcr had crept in by accident. The company invited the most thorough criticism of their proceedings, especially after such allegations as made in the petition just presorted, Avhich really cminatcd, not from Maoris, but frpin tho swarm of land-buying agents, Major Atkinson concurred in the motion, pointing out that the bill would' then go before the Committee on Bills to have it determined Avhother it was a private bill or not. Mr Hurst objected to tho Standing Orders being dispensed with in the slightest degree. He wanted to know hoAV many members of the House had a direct personal interest in the bill. Mr Moss said he had been connected with the company in tho earlier stages of- its existence, but the original plan had been departed from. He quoted minutes from an extraordinary meeting of shareholders to show that it was deliberately decided to try and obtain the poAvcr to purchase. If tho IaAV en the subject was to be amended, it should be amended generally, and not for tho benefit of ono great company alone. •Mr Bryce and Mr MacandrcAv supported the course proposed, which was agreed to. The bill Avas then read a first time, and referred to tho Committee on Bills to determine Avhpther it was a private or public bill' ' " ' FIRST READINGS. The Guardian Trust and Executors Bill Avas read a first time, and also the city of Auckland Additional Loan Bill. QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, Ministers said tho Government Avere considering a plan for compulsory assurances amongst railway employes, and when the • proposal for tho classification of the Civil Service was made he Avould state his scheme; it Avas hoped the surveys of all tho North Island trunk routes would-be made before next session— "the surveys had not commenced earlier, as the Native Minister had not thought it

prudent to attempt them sooner; the accommodation at the Napier lunatic asylum was very bad, and it might soon be found desirable to provide better accommodation in Wellington and remove the pationts there —in tho meantime a padded room would be provided ; probably a bill would be introduced to relievo local bodies of tho cost of obtaining conveyances of land taken for roads and streets; it was intended to consider the propriety of abolishing the postal chargo on delayed telegrams ; the question of cstablishingareformatoryas recommended by Captain Hume would be considered during the recess. DEFICIENCY BILLS. In Committee of Supply a resolution was passed authorising the issue of £100,000 of deficiency bills. IMPOUNDING HILL. The Impounding Bill was partially considered in committee. ANOTHER NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION. Sir George Grey gave notice to move on going into Committee of Supply, "That this House regrets that the Government has expressed its intention not to mako any proposals to deal with lands benefited or advantaged by tho construction of railways in so far as such benefits or advantages havo accrued in the past, as in tho opinion of this House the principle of taxing all property increased in value by the construction with public money of railways, roads, bridges, harbors, and other works, is just." The House adjourned and resumed at 7.30. LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Mr Montgomery moved his anti-central resolutions. He reviewed the course of events since 1874 to show how tho people had been deluded with abolition, and how tho successive promises by which it was secured had been broken. As to what had resulted from abolition the general discontent existing with the present system of contial administration was, he contended, notorious. AVhat he advocated was arcturn to something like provincial institutions. He saw no difficulty in completely separating local and general finance. Ho would divide tho colony into districts having community of interests. Otago, Canterbury, and Westland would be ono. Nelson and Marlborough might be included, or, if they preferred it, joined with Wellington and 'Taranaki as a second district. Hawke's Bay was a difficulty, as it might not like being joined to Auckland, and he would not coerce it. Auckland would bo another district. In each of these districts ho would havo a local body charged with restrictive legislative powers, hut administering education, lands, police, gaols, railways, and having large powers of self-taxation. Tho General Assembly should only deal with large questions, make the land ancl education laws, and administer customs, posts telegraphs, defence, justice, etc. Such a system, he contended, would meet tho requirements and command the acceptance of the country. Major Atkinson followed Mr Montgomery through his sketch of events sinco 1874, showing that many of tho alleged promises were avowedly only temporary experiments, and that substantially everything promised had been fulfilled. He denied the existence of general discontent in tho country, and ridiculed the schemo set up by Mr Montgomery. The only discontent was about want of money, ancl Mr Montgomery had not shown how that was to be met. The idea of there being community of interest between Stewart's Island and Hokitika greater than between those places and the rest of the colony was absurd. They could both bo governed as well from AVellington as from Dunedin. The whole tendency at present was to split up into smaller governing bodies, not to unite in large ones, and if such a scheme as proposed was carried every county would want its Legislature. Railways and police could not be managed as proposed. He contended that the country enjoyed a full measure of local self-government, and was fairly satisfied. Sir George Grey said great discontent did prevail, for the people had been plundered by governing families and other friends, who had unjustly acquired largo estates and great wealth at the expense of tho people. He denied that the Parliament whioh carried abolition represented the people, as it was elected on an unfair distribution of representation. Ho defended Sir Arthur Gordon and Mr Rusdon from tho charges made against them in tho press, and called on the Government to correct the abuses in the Native Land Courts without delay.

Mr Turnbull had supported abolition, but now saw it was a mistake. It had failed to realise what was expected, and had intensified the evils it was intended to cure. Somo chango was absolutely necessary to avert a serious crisis arising. Mr J. AY. Thompson movocl tho adjournment of tho debate till Thursday. Major Atkinson objected, and moved AVedncsday, as the debato had really become one of noconfidence.

Mr Joyce said the discussion was quite useless. The result had been determined by the compact entered into with tho Canterbury members about the railway. He declined to even discuss the revival of provincialiim.

Mr Levastam hoped the debato would be carried on, so as to get out the facts of the compact, which hacl been mado in defiance of what had been promised in the Public Works Statement.

Tho debato was adjourned to AVediiesday and tho House rose at 12 o'clock.