THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3270, 13 August 1873, Page 3

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Electric Telegraph.]

Wellington, August 12. In the House to-day, Mr Vogel announced that the Government would withdraw the Electoral Bills, and next session bring in others abolishing the miner’s right qualifications, and substituting manhood suffrage ■with registration and education qualification, , _ T . In reply to Mr M'Glasban, tlie Native Minister said that the delay in the issue of Crown Grants in Otago was caused by the grantees and local officers, who have orders to issue notices to parties interested. In reply to Mr Mervyn, the Minister of Works said it was not the intention of the Government to recommend the construction of branch railways from Lawrence to Roxburgh, and Palmerston to Waihemo. In the House to-day, the following Bills were read a first time :—Greymouth Harbor Board, Wanganui, Rangitikei, and Patea Shires Bill, Hail way Reserves Bill, Provincial Loans Empowering Bill, and Bill for the change of Westland into a Province.

In reply to Mr Bradshaw, the Minister of Justice said that the Government intended to obtain an opinion from the AttorneyGeneral as to whether the requirements of the New Zealand University Act, 1870, are complied with, and whether the University of Otago can be considered the New Zealand University under the Act of 1870.

Mr Vogel moved the second reading of tte Tariff Bill. Hg said that under the new tariff he believed there would be an additional revenue of L 50.000. A misconception existed throughout the country regarding the effect of the new tariff, especially regarding hardware. The Government did not propose to interfere with sheet iron. The duty on carriages and carts would be increased from five to ten per cent, to secure an uniform tariff. The Government would ask the House to sanction an uniform ad valorem tariff of ten per cent., and to pass the Bill to-night. The Government proposed to exempt certain articles which affected local industry, such as lead, copper, brass, iron in pigs and bars, sheet-iron, and writing paper, that is, less than demy size in original wrappers and unent. It was proposed to tax boiled sugar and sugar candy at twopence per pound ; other sorts of confectionery at ten per cent. Mr Kolleston expressed satisfaction that the Government had adopted his resolution in favor of encouraging local industry either by admitting articles required for the development of local industries free, or at lower rates than those proposed ; but it was questionable whether ten per cent, ad valorem duties would be advantageous. Mr Gillies criticised the statement ma le by the Treasurer in his Financial Statement, that the new tariff would not increase taxation. The ad valorem system would offer encouragement to fraud. Time should be given to consider the new proposal. Mr Stafford said there was nothing in either the measurement or the ad valorem system necessarily involving injustice. The measurement system provided for classification. In reply to the Treasurer’s argument, that ad valorem duties would promote reciprocity, he said that New South Wales was about to introduce the measurement system. Victoria had also a large free list. Here every article of consumption would be taxed. Some articles under the new tariff would pay ten times more than now. He instanced bob nails. The House was not in possession of the necessary information to Judge of the different values of the old and new systems. The ad valorem system tended to encourage the importation of inferior goods. It was remarkable that the Commissioner of Customs remained silent, leaving the work to his overweighted colleague. On several articles they should impose a maximum rate lower than ten per cent., or place on the free list industries which should not be overburdened. Several agricultural implements have to pay four or five times more than under the old system. Such a thing would be unwise. Mr Reynolds said he would be prepared to explain the tariff in Committee, He had been very much astonished to see large importing houses, even in Duriedin, state that the new tariff would produce a very large increase. Almost all the respectable firms in the Colony were mistaken in their calculations regarding the new tariff. There might be evils in the ad valorem system ; but there were evils in the measurement system also. Consumers would prevent large importations of inferior goods. Major Atkinson asked what actual difference there was between the proposed ad valorem system and the present ten per cent, system ? Mr Reynolds replied that under the present proposals there would be from ten to twelve thousand pounds of an increase in revenue.

Mr Pearce suggested delay, for the consideration of the new proposal. The proposed duties would tax boots and shoes 150 per cent, above the present taxation. There should be two classes—one at ten per cent, and another at five per cent. The increase on china would be large; on saddlery, more than double. He would ask the Commissioner whether, by his instructions, the new duties were being collected on goods on which sight entries had been passed ? Mr Reynolds replied in the affirmative. The new duty was only upon goods not delivered at the time the tariff resolutions were passed. He urged that the Bill should be passed to-night, as otherwise advantage might be taken of the knowledge of the intentions of the Government.

Mr Stafford asked how could advantage be taken when the proposal was to lower the duties ?

]y!r Header Wood said that the Commissioner of Customs was entirely ignorant of t{ie probable operation of this tariff. Tie could not even tell the House what, under present circumstances, would be the difference in the yield under the new tariff as compared with the measurement system. The House was indebted to the Press for calculations to guide them. The Commissioner of Customs had not disproved those calculations. The House was left entirely in the dark ; the Government did not understand their own tariff. The Government merely guessed at ,20 per cent., but being corrected by the House and the Press, they then guessed that 10 per cent, would be sufficient. The Government had no reliable information. Nobody appeared to know whether the revenue would be more or Jess.

He referred to the statement of the firm of Messrs Ireland, in Auckland, that the increase on the grindery business would be 500 to 000 par cent. ; and also the statement of (.'lark and Sons, that they would have to pay double the former duties on a shipment just arrived. Ho strongly urged the postponement of the Bill.—Sir J. Cracroft Wilson referred to the statements of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, showing the duties to be nearly doubled under the new tariff. Even under the measurement system there were considerable importations of inferior articles.

Mr Hunter said that under the measurement system no attention was paid to valuations. It was therefore impossible to calculate revenue in nine cases as compared with the other. The most satisfactory system would be to place the tariff on a few simple articles, admitting others free. He hoped that five and ten per cent, duties would be established in Committee. Trade had been much paralysed since the new duties were mooted, and the sooner they were settled the better.

Mr T. L. Shepherd said that all objections to the tariff had come from traders, and not from consumers. He advocated that for the encouragement of local industries the tariff should be removed off raw material. Local manufactories should be stimulated, and the Colony rendered independent of foreign importations. He supported the proposed tariff.

Mr Backhand said [that the policy of the country would necessitate increased taxation, and in a few years an income tax. He supported the tariff. Mr Swanson combatted the arguments of Mr Shepherd, that raw material should be imported free. What was raw material to one was manufactured material to another. What was the object of an alteration of the tariff if it were not to increase revenue ?

The debate was adjourned. In the Upper House, a communication was read from the Governor, stating that he did not believe that MrLahman, in the Westland case, had been guilty of an intentional error. —A longdiscussion took place on a motion by Captain Fraser, for the appointment of an Inspector of Lunatic Asylums. The motion was carried —Dr Menzies, for not attending the call of the Council, was adjudged guilty of contempt, and ordered to be censured by the Speaker. Taiaroa has asked, “What steps should be taken by a British subject attainted for treason in New Zealand, entailing by such attaint forfeiture of estate, to obtain for himself or his heirs the reversal of the attainder.”

August 13.

lu the House last night, Mr Fitzherbert spoke for four hours on the Financial statement. He said the apathy of the House, which was willing to bear and suffer all things, made the discussion of the Government proposals difficult. Speaking without previous caucases, and as a free lance, he would enjoy the luxury of speaking his ra nd. He was not hostile to Ministers, and believed none in the House wished to take their seats. He spoke simply as a representative of the people, and characterised the Financial Statement as so chaotic, that it was as impossible to codify as to reduce it to any syslem of political opinions. It was impossible to do otherwise than to compare the Statement with itself. He ridiculed the flowery language used in parts of the Statement, after reading which the people felt inclined to say “Buncombe.” The Government had nob shewn by one single action a desire to give effect to the beautiful sentiments contained in the Statement. The Premier took credit for the order pervading the Treasury audit and control, but forgot that the labors of the Finance Committee last session brought that about. Ho regretted that no such committee was appointed now, as nothing but hostile motions could throw light on sundry matters, except such a committee. Raising loans at four per cent, was not necessarily economy, as when the minimum price realised is LOO 10s, the Colony really pays L4,H3a lOiJd per cent, per annum. Had the debentures been fixed at four and a-half, a better bargain would have been made. He considered putting the loans on the New Zealand and Australian markets a mistake, as is was calculated to frighten the Home capitalists, who think we are borrowing all round large and small sums from anyone, and at any price. It was also hard to say to the Provinces “You shall only borrow in the Colonies,” and then spoil their chance by flooding those markets with Colonial debentures. The Treasurer said he put by 1,800,000 of undeniable paper for a rainy day ; but if so, why bad he rushed a paltry L20l),000 into the market. It looked as if he was hard up, He found fault with the mode in which the liability of the Colony was stated as one sum, and the contingent liability on account of the Provinces to one another both made the one liability of the Colony. The policy of the Government—- “ The search after the equilibrium”—he ridiculed as simply meaning having no mind or opinion of its own. This was shown plainly in the Statement. Therein a different policy to that of 1871 was announced, but the internal evidence convinced him that there was no sincerity in it • while saying the Colony would do Colonial works, and the Provinces Provincial works, the Treasurer proposes to deal with such real Provincial works as Road Boards. Mr Fitzberbert proved the fallacy of speaking of the Imperial Government as the undisclosed guarantor of the Colonial loans, and dwelt on the absurdity of applying the term to the Colonial Government when referring to the Provinces. The proposals for the Provinces to borrow for Provincial works were coupled with such conditions that no Province could borrow, except ruinously. The theory and practice of log-rolling were perfectly described, as by a master in the art, in the Statement; in fact, he was convinced that the Treasurer did not wish to give effect to Jjis beautiful sentipients. Regarding public works, the Colony received but little for its expenditure. The proposals amounted to f ‘ grab all the land.” The provisions that the Middle Island should give land to double the amount as security Jor railways, a,1( l two-thirds of the land in the North Island should be taken for the same purpose was alarming. They would look it up from settlement, it was a wholesale and daring ignoiing of the policy held by the Colony for seventeen years, that the land should be localised. It was remarkable that the Statement contained but one short paragraph on immigration, and that the coldest platitude, only fit for a vice-regal speech. The evidence before Parliament showed that the Government had utterly failed in the work of settlement. It had taken the work out of the hands of the Provinces, and failed to show it could do it better. All that had been done had been at the instigation of Provinces. The policy touched briefly on the tariff, and said that Ministers might make a trunk line of railway, but if their policy were carried, there would be no local works, no roads, bridges, or settlement, and without them the Colony would be dead. The Premier briefly replied. The honorable member’s real objection to the policy seemed to be that he could not get his L 210,000. There was no difficulty in the Provinces borrowing in the Australian markets. Such operations should not clash with Home transactions. He regretted he could not alter the policy for the lion, member. When he (Mr JTittfherhert) was in office, he did not appear so anxious for settlement. Wellington had no right to complain of the General Government, That

Province had learnt all its log-rolling from the hon. member for the Hutt. The policy of the Government was to establish trunk lines, and leave local works to the Provinces. He then replied to the hon. member's remarks on the tariff, and rallied Mr Rollestou as coming out in the new character of the poor man’s friend. Mr Pearce asked whether the House was to understand that the Government would not consider the question of the reduction of the duty to five per cent, on certain articles ? The Premier said he would not say the Government would not consider the proposals, but he thought the tariff should be uniform.

The motion that the House go into Commifctce, in order that the tariff question might be advanced a formal stage, was carried.