THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3285, 30 August 1873, Page 3

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[Bt Electric TeLeGraph.]

Wellington, August 29,

The charge against the Wairarapa magistrate of having adjourned a case in consequence of information received from the Executive, was again before the House. -

Mr Bunny moved for an inqu'ry, but the motion was withdrawn on Mr Bathgate say ing that the papers would be laid before the House.

The debate on the Provincial Loans Bill was resumed by Mr Gillies. He said the indebtedness of the Colony would be seventeen millions when the authorised works were completed. Even this will not complete the trunk line, portions of which have not even been authorised. An indebtedness of seventeen millions means an annual charge of one million. He then dwelt on the financial condition of the various Provinces, The ordinary revenue of Auckland was not sufficient to meet expenses of gaols, hospitals, he. The change of policy in regard to capitation allowance he touched on, and said that having deprived the Provinces of revenue, the Colonial Treasurer now sought to throw back on them a portion of the public works scheme; and besides, when the Colonial scheme of Railways was completed they were to be Provincially charged, and thus the Colony was to be released of the burden Yet this was what the Treasurer called a Colonial policy. While ta’king of the grand policy, the Colonial Treasurer borrowed money to give to Road Boards. That surely was not a Colonial policy. It was the same as the policy of 1870, namely, distributing gifts to purchas? votes. Another change of policy was made last night, in obedience to the wishes of Canterbury and Otago. The Government, in fact, had no policy beyond yielding to pressure. “The search after equilibrium of votes” was its true name. He was an opponent of Provincial borrowing. The proposal to spend I 5 0,000 on land in the North Island was little, while the restriction in the price of land would prevent sales. The provision that land was to be given as security for works would prevent the works being done in the North, as there was no land to give. Referring to immigration, he said the Government had promised to relieve the Provinces of the work ; but they wore not doing so.—Mr Reader Wood said tho proposals for Provincial borrowing were new, and so wrapped up with tho proposal to borrow L500,00f), to obtain a land fund, that members could not consider them. The scheme was utterly bad. Pro vincialism in the North had done its work, and should not now be kept alive by bor rowing.

August 30. Last night the debate on the Provincial Loans Bill was continued by Mr J. L. Gillies, who argued that, in former yearswhen the Provinces competed for loans, they paid heavily, and would r’o bo again. He agreed with borrowing for public works, but thought it should be done through the General Government. He objected to the Colony buying a landed estate for the North Island to raise money on. The policy of the Government was borrowing for any emergency, and trimming their aails. The wealthy Pro vipers would be left without population and without mean* to induce it. The Government was afraid to tackle the land question. The proposals of the Government were unsound, and the House and country would admit this before long. The idea that the Colony would divest itself of responsibility for Provincial loans wai untenable.—Mr Webster desired to record his solemn protest against the re-initiation of the system stopped years ago, and against which Mr Yogel was the most earnest and able opponent. He admired the audacity of the Premier in bringing down a Bill totally opposed to his formerly expressed opinions. The jt'roVinoeß were to borrow for themselves, and in their agony and starvation would sell theirdebonturcs for anything, and the Colony would have to pay them. The Premier was a juggler who had raised spirits, and could not control them ; while to satisfy the do mands of those threatening he had tiro wo everything to them. The policy was gone, and but the veriest shred of this Bill was before the House, and of that it should be ashamed. The land fund should be revenue, apd unlegs the Government would introduce a comprehensive measure on the subject he would assist the Middle Island Provinces to keep it. The Premier wanted back bone ; he had no policy.—Mr Thomson (Clutha) opposed the Bill.—Mr Seymour (Marlborough) did not wish to oppose the Bill, but it should bo greatly amended in Committee.—Mr Stafford said that a deep fundamental principle underlay the Bill. The Premiei Lad made a most able speech, and deserved the highest credit for the manner in which he had eaten the leek of his own planting, watering, and tending. No one knew better than the Premier that the Bill was sweeping away the last shred of his original policy. The Premier should giyo tone to the House, but did not. The Hpuse did nojs dessryp hjg condemnation with regard to log-rolling, The majority in the House was prepared to speak on great questions uninfluenced by lobbying. Meetings of a few Canterbury and Otago members had been held, but the majority at the meeting did not speak. A Committee had been appointed, which, however, had done nothing, and no second meeting had been held. The proposals of the Government were unwise, and would place some of the Provinces in exceptional positions, that would render harmonious action on great impossible- The proposition to (lelegatp impprtaut works po was also unwise, With small revenues and efiffioulty in borrowing, it was just those outlying works most necessary that would not be done. With our magnificent seaboard and steam communication, what were called branch railway roads, bridges, and harbor works, were more absolutely necessary than trunk lines. The Premier had apfilled to the House for protection rom the Provinces, forgetting that the Provinces meant the people. In reality it had come to his appealing to the House against the pressure of the people. He had givep Ypgpl his support in carrying out bis policy, and sympathised with him ip the failure of that policy, which had resulted in in nothing but the wretcl e I proposals now before the House, and in the still more wretched Bill that bad been abandoned. The Premier had travelled in a circle. He had started the policy and come to fear the praying of all sides for tbp borrowing of whjch he had been warned. If it was good to borrow, then borrow at the cheapest rate, for whether the Provinces or the Colony borrow, the people pay. The Loan Bill meant that if a Province wants money it shall pay ten instead of four and a-half per cent, for it, and greater difficulty even then. It meant this or nothing. If we were ever to see the Colony in the happy prosperous condition so glowingly described by Mr Vogel, the manacles must be struck off, funds must be obtained in the cheapest market, and the action and the proposals of the Premier made him think that the Premier felt the scarcity of money, else why rush into the Australian market with one-fifth of his loan’ It looked like an attempt to provide funds to tide over a periodical panic. The works authorised and contracted for would exhaust the old loan and the new issue, except L 300,000, and yet gaps in the communication would still remain. He sympathised with Mr Vogel, who was tortured by grave • thoughts as to obtaining mono/ to complete

his railway scheme. The Minister of Justico sketched the action of the Assembly prior to the restriction being placed on Provincial borrowing, and he condemned that restric tion, which had landed the Provinces in an impecunious position in the interval between the years 1864 and 1869, when Mr Stafford was in power. At length new men, with new plans, came forward—society began to recover, and all this was owing to the fertile brain of the Treasurer, in whose elaborately worked out plan it was impossible to find a blot. Throughout the Colony enterprising companies were being floated, industries established, and the value of land had been increased. Many objected to the policy, but none brought forward proposals in its place. The Provinces, independent; of Government, could borrow ju«t as easily as municipalities had. '1 he trunk lines must be done. Capital was accumulating at such a gate that money would be available for all legitimate works. —Mr Sheehan said Mr Bathgate ha i just delivered the most extraordinary speech he ever listened to. He had referred to the revocation of the power of Provinces to borrow, but had forgotten to say it remained for the present Ministry to deprive them of revenue. He referred sarcastically to the praises sung by Mr Bathgate of his colleagues, Mr Vogel, who had given birth to the Works Policy. Mr Bathgate was not its sponsor, for when first in the House he opposed it thoroughly. The argument that money was plentiful if true, removed every objection to the Colony borrowing for the Provinces, ff the measure before the House were passed, the Provinces would not get land for a long while. The land will no longer be bought at the low rates obtained hitherto, except that not worth having. The Colony not having been able to borrow well in Australia proved that the Provinces cannot attempt to set up. The principle that the Colony was not liable for Provincial debts was futile. Provincialist, as he was, ho felt that in a few years Provincialism would have passed away, and then the Colony must take over the liabilities ef Provinces. The Government proposals appeared to be suggested by a desire to drive the last nail in the Provinces c ffin. The Premier’s changes of policy had been sessional. Charges of log rolling came with a bad grace front Mr Vogel. If the Provinces could only be kept alive by the Government proposals, better let them die. The proposed apportionment of the proposed ToOO.OO) loan was unfair.—(Cheers.) —At this point the House wanted to adjourn. Ministers opposed, and on a division the adjournment was negatived by 27 to 26. ' r Murray (Bruce) then spoke for more than an hour, and asked if Ministers would then adjourn ? —Mr M‘Lean said “Yes,”—Mr Murray replied, that he had gained his end, and sat down,—The debate was adjourned till Monday. (FROM OUR special correspondent.) The Government tried last night to push the Provincial Loans Bill through the House. A thorough and determined opposit on was shown to their so doing. There is a thorough ferment and discontent through the whole House, There is no organised opposition; hence no opinion.