THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3911, 6 September 1875, Page 3

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Telegraph,]

Wellington, September 4. On the House resuming at 7.30 p.m. on Fridav.

Mr Wood continued his speech, arguing that the action of the House in its endeavors to secure a land fund for Auckland practically admitted that she had been unjustly treated. This year she was to Jiave L 45,000 towards a land fund, but in this the Government were only hoodwinking the House - the thing could not be done. In 1873 Dr Pollen told the Council that the total indebtedness of the Colony, when all the loans were borrowed and when 760 miles of railway was constructed and equipped, would be L 14,000,000, while the fact was that the Colony was L 17,000,000 in debt, and we had but 336 miles of railways. Every penny in connection with the great Public Works Scheme had been spent, or was covered by liabilities, excepting LG61,0()0, and of that about L 120,000 remained on account of land purchases. Other sums applicable for defence purposes brought the sum down to 1400,000, and who knew whether the whole of that would not be absorbed before the works now in hand were finished? Practically their money was all gone, and they could not go into the market to borrow for two years, and then they would not be able to get into the market _te borrow. The hon. gentleman went into a long array of figures to prove that the Treasurer’s statement regarding the land fund was altogether erroneous, and alleged that the Colony was unmistakeably bankrupt. He made a bitter retaliation upon Mr JBuckland in self-defence, and said the hon. member sanctimoniously turned up the whites of his eyes, and, with a Chadband expression and with a Wesleyan whine, threw out an inuendo against him which he knew to be false. [The Speaker here called the Iron, member to order, saying such expressions were not allowed.] Mr Wood then went on to explain how he had not been actuated by office-seeking motives, having refused office several times, and concluded his speech by a bitter denunciation of the borrowing propensities of the Colony, Mr T. L. Shepherd rose to point out a mistake of L 28,060 in one item alone, winch the hon. gentleman made in his figures, and asked who could trust his finance after that. Mr Brown (Otago) moved that the debate be adjourned till the Government brought down their Board of Works Bill.

The debate was then kept up until two o’clock without a single Ministerialist getting up, Messrs Stout, Takamoana, Sheehan, Reid, Fitzherberß White, and Murray spoke. Repeated. applications for an adjournment were made by the Opposition, but they were always answered by cries of “ Divide.” The House at length divided, fifteen voting for Mr Brown’s amendment, and thirty-seven against it. The Bill was ordered to be committed on Tuesday next.