GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3560, 21 July 1874, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[Br Telegraph.]

(From our own Correspondent.)

July 18.

The debate on the distillation question was warm and vigorous, lasting till near midnight Mr Macaudrew at the onset proposed that the matter be referrel to a -Select Committee. - Mr Vogel opposed this, saying an endeavor was being made to mix up private interests with public questions. The former might be propiriy dealt with in committee, but nob t e la;ter. Tho rcsponsibilitv of spending mom y belonged to the Government, and members should V>e content to follow the lead of the Government in such matter-. A -Select committee might consider the question of compensation, but they hid better follow the advice of the Attorney-General, While there was a substantial agreement with the oiLtdiers, it was not such as it was usual to give compensation for. The Distillation Act was a mistake : it was passed with the excellent intention of fostering the agricultural interest, but it was doubtful if it had done or was lively to do so. A great deal of the grain consumed in distilling was imported from outside tha Colony. The question was worth consideration as to the desirability of abo i-hing the whoD thing. A select committee might consider if a moderate sum, which would be recouped to the revenue in two or three years, would induce the parties interested to give up distilling, and whether such payment wvs desirable. 1 here was not only a considerable loss of revenue, but the departmental expenditure amounted to over LI,OOO, spent iu looking after the distilleries —Mr Fyke proposed that the matter bn referred to a select committee.—Mr Maeandrew believed if a seiect committee was appointed, sat sfactory evidence would be obtained that if the Government proposal was carried the distil leries would suffer great injury and a pecuniary loss He read as follows from a letter accompanying the Dunedin Distillery petition:—“We have not mentioned the subj-ct of compen-ation, but can tell you we shall be glad to shut up the concern and accept fair compensation, aud we fully authorise you to say so. The stock of spirits now on hand will last over two years.

I he cost was 6s per gallon, and the selling price for wholesale qu ntitias 7s, leaving a margin of Is, out of which travelling expenses and bad debts have ro he deducted. It Is is added to the duty in 1873, we shall be left with a stock to be sold at an absolute loss, and if. wiL take three years before we can possibly expect to be in a position to stand an increase, and then it must be on a very gradually increasing scale. Unless this is done the bu-dness must be abandoned to a certainty.” A mistake was made in refusing to fix a time when the differential duty would be modified. He (Mr Mscaudrew) based his amendment on the assumption that ten , ears was the proper time, ft was a popular fallacy to suppose the distilleries were paying; it was quite o herwiso.—Mr Pyke withdrew his amendment on its being shown that the effect of carrying it would be to prevent the • overnment resolutions being brought ou again this session,—Mr Reynolds, in moving nhe resolutions, showed that before the licenses were granted the distilleries had clear imimation that they must not understand comp ns tion would be granted, if it was thought a 'visahle at any future time to recommend i aiiumeut that the excise duty should be increased.

In addition to the statistics given in our report of the proceedings in the House, Mr rleyuolds said the Huuedin I dstiliary petition stated they expected this year to use 70 000 bushels of grain—equal to a loss of 1.42,000 t> the revenue.—Mr Reynolds's figuies were questioned by Messrs Macandrew, Stafford, Brown, and Thomson. Mr Stafford said it was implied that the engagement with the di .tillers should not be summarily broken. The Act had done a great deal towards putting down illicit distillation A motion to report progress was negatived Ayes, 24 : Messrs Bradshaw, J. C Brown, Sunny, Cuthbercsoo, I itzherbert, Gibbs, J. L. Gillies, Harrison, Inglis, W. Kelly, May, M’Giliivray, Mervyn, Murray, u’.\ eiil, Pyke, Reid, Sheehan, Stafford, Steward) Swanson Taiaroa, Maeaudiew, Thomson, ''ioes, 31 : Messrs Andrew. Atkinson, Bell, Pox, Hunter, Bluett, tirandon, Bryce, Carrington, Curtis, ivi ‘Glashan, Montgomery, /Connor, < rmond, C’Rorke. C. arker, (4. B. Parker, Pierce, Reynolds, Richardson, Richmond, Shepherd, tstqdholme, Vogel, Wales, Webb, Williams, Wilson, V. ood, Kelly, and Reeves. The resolution was carried that a select committee be at once appointed.

in moving the second reading of the Life Assurance Bill, Mr Vogel said there would be a through acturiat valuation every five years. a part of the profits would be set aside as a reserve fund, and the rest divided in additions to policies or in auuual pieuiiums. It was non desirable to use, as a source of revenue, an institution of which the Colony might be proud. In committee on the Civil Service Bill Mr Vogel moved, as an amendment, the repeal of the second clause of the_ 19 th section of the former Act.—Mr Swanson severely attacked the Civil Service, saying the members of it were too much banded together, and that they were pampered above any o;her set of men.—Mr Vogel and Sir F. D. Bell strongly defended the servics. In answer to Mr Steward, Mr Eichardson said the delay in calling tenders for laying the permanent way of the Uamaru-Waitaki section of railway was owing to the difficulty in obtaining s eepers. He hoped to be able to do so in a month, and in that, ease the line would be ready for traffic shortly afterwards. The Oamaru-Otepopo and Otepopo--Vioeraki sections would be completed within the contract time —viz., January 19, 1875.