THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3925, 23 September 1875, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Telegraph ]

Wellington, September 23, evening * r ° Useof Representatives on Tuesday George Greu in replying to the Trea surer s statement that the miner would not be benefited by the repeal of the gold duty, said each miner would be reliev-d to the extent of rourpence per day, which meant a loaf of bread to each miner and miner’s child. The whole world never heard of anything so shocking as continuing that taxation when we could do without it. Ho would like to see telegraphed next day that so shameful a tax was swept <way. The Treasurer cbrractcrised such talk as pure onnkum~it wasattiibutingto him language he fewer used The tax id not, affect the m nei individually; companies and banks it did a little. A long discussion followed, in the course of *bicu Sir George Grey was twitted with wanting to bring down an amendment affecting the whole mining population, and that without

consulting them or even Laving it upon the notice paper, it w M raising a false issue. His called unstatesmanlike, «tump oratory, and mere party action. nn 7 den i*d that if the clause were fhJ ™.TJ ♦* WoU \ d intro,luce ft BiU to repeal tenure to quart miners. He was acting indeES y * old y beca «»* the tax wis ob-

bir George Grey's amendment was negatived by thirty-nine to twenty-two, and Mr T L bhepbrrd s amendment was negatived by fortynine to fourteen. The clause passed as previously amended * Clause 16 Mr Reeves proposed to amend bo as to make the Colonial Treasurer pay to each Board one-fourth (groHs) of its land revenue for carrying on public works. This was the very pith of the i imaru and Gladstone Board of Works.

The Treasurer said if the amendment aff. cted Canterbury only he would agree to it. ihe amendment would be unfair in its action. Mr Montgomery adduv-ed a long array of figures to show thnt the Government intended only taking from one Province to give to another, as /Vuckland and the West Coast had no land fund.

Ihe Treasurer denied this, and said the Government were asked to put L 150.000 additional on the consolidated revenue, which meant additional taxation of 15s per head. Ihe liabilities must be met either in the form of land revenue or increased taxation. Mr Reeves said if the amendment was rejected, the Southern Provinces could rest assured their land fund was irretrievably gone. Mr Bowen said they were not taking a penny. 'lhe hon. member (Mr Reeves) wanted* Canterbury to fcave more than the law allowed.

Mr Wood said the Bill altered the whole law on our finance. It was really only introduced to cover a deficiency in the finances. The Treasurer Baid if Mr Wood knew anything of finance he would know that what he said was not true, and challenged both Mr Wood and Sir George Grey to ask for any return they liked, to show what state the finances of the Colony were in, and it would be immediately produced. The Treasurer in the strongest terms defied Mr Wood to prove that there was no surplus this year. Mr Wood replied that the returns produced were not to be relied upen, and characterised one (the Canterbury return) as scandalously false.

Mr Bowen s*id it was absolutely correct. Mr Rolleston pointed out that the difference of dates caused the discrepancy. Mr Wood regretted, in the heat of debate, using such language, but the return deceived him, not containing the information asked for. Sir George Grey maintained that the surplus referred to was manufactured, and the financial statement was fallacious. Instead of a .surplus there was a large deficiency, which in fairness to the Colony ought to have been openly stated.

•he Treasurer said such sentiments were absolutely contrary tt) fact. Me srs Keid and Montgomery wanted more time to discuss the matter, and moved an adjournment.

Mr Pyke Raid if eight weeks were not enough time two centuries would nor. be. The Treasurer agreed to adjourn if the first sub-section passed. Mr Murray npoke for upwards of an hour. Mr Heeveß a amendment was then put, and negatived by 31 to 14. Mr Wood moved that the land fund be appropriated annually, which was negatived on the voices.

Mr Montgomery moved that to the end of the first Bub-section be added " provided that m such debts and Habilaeß the railways constructed out of (Colonial funds are not included," but this was negatived by 30 to 12. The clause as amended by th« Government, lines forty-five to forty-seven boing struck out, was then passed The House adjourned at 3.15 a.m.

On the House resuming at 2.3(1 yesterday, Sir Geo. Grey gave notice of his iutention to mtrodHco a Mill to repeal the Gold Duties -ct. Questions : Mr Rolleston to ask the Government whether they have any further information than has already been laid before this House in refe ence t 0 t ; -e charge of venality brought by Sir J. Vogel against the immigration officers acting under the Board of Trade as referred to in Lord Carnarvon's Mespatch of tie 20th October. 1874 (Parliamentary papers, A2, page 10); also, whether the names of the officers and the grounds *nd authority upon which the charge founded have been iurnished as requested in that despatch, and whether the charge has been substantiated or withdrawn.-Mr J. E. Brown to ask the Minister for I üblic Works if he has any objection to lay before this House a petition of 200 and more residents of Oxford, asking for an extension of the and Oxford Railway a distance of four miles. - -Mr J. E. Brown to ask the Minister for Public Works when the railway will be opened tojßlencairn and Amberley respectively.—Mr Basstian to ask the Minister for Public Works when the section of the rai way fmm Wmton to Klbow, on the Bluff .»nd Kingston Jine, will be open for traffic —■ Mr O'Neill to ask the Commissioner of Customs whether the Government will have any objection to lay before this House any papers in connection with the investigation of the collision of the barque Jane Spiers and the schooner Young Dick.—Mr Murray t© ask what will be the total amount of honorarium which Sir J. Vogel has ordered to be paid to Messrs Julyan and Sargeant for the negotiation of the L 4.000,000 loan. In answer the Government said J(l) there was no further information in the hands of the Government beyond the despatch by the Governor covering a letter from Sir Julius Vogel in answer to one from Earl Carnarvon. Sir Julius Vogel had in his possession all .papers relating to the matter, which must stand over until his return, when he would, in accordance with his promise, either substantiate the charges he made or withdraw them. (2) The line would be ready for opening as far as Blencairn in a fortnight, and the Provincial authorities had intimated their intention to work the line about the middle of October. He could give no definite answer as to when the line would be open to Amberley. It was simply a question of a few hundred sleepers or* more, which were rather difficult to get, but no unnecessary delay would be allowed to take place. (3 ) One section of the line would be open as soon as locomotive power was available; but it would be sixmouths before the line was open to Elbow. (4.) Papers should b* laid on the table when ■eceived. (5) 'he amount paid was L 3.333 u v l * a PP ears to have been the custom, which he believed was initiated by the member for the Hutt, though Mr Reynolds was not very clear about it, to give Crown Agents an honorarium for extra trouble in raising p loan at the rate of one and an eighth of a penny per cent.

I he following "Bills were read a first time : A Bill to Provide for the Education and ment of ertain Keaerves in the Town of On»-hunga; Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Bill; Publics "ebts Sinking lUi'.idß Act Amendment Bill This last Hill makes the Public Trustee one of the Public Debts Commissioners.

. before going into Committee on the Aboliturn Bill, Sir George Grey said the responsibility of the measure must rest on the Government ; but the t 'pposition would do everything in their power to pass it through Without delay*. Ho hoped the Bill would pass throug Thursday, find 1< riday be given up to private niembeiu’ bu ines, and that hereafter Wednesdays and Thursday wou.d be similarly devoted, ftir Donald M*Lean replied Friday or Monday— the rest could be taken or private business—but the Government could not pledge themselves to give up two days a week afterwards. They wau‘d give members every reasonable opportunity of passing their business through. In Committee on THE ABOLITION BILL. On clause 17th, Mr George M‘ can moved, after the words “ and raided ” in line 3, page 6, insertion of “to advance,” and at the ud of the clause the following “from Consolidated Fund as a loan to such district ” .M r holies ton condemed the clause as the most vicious in the Bill, and intimated his intention of dividing the t 'ommittee if he himself was the only voice in the negative. Major Atkinson said he could not accept {he amendment, The Government would not issue

Treasury Bills if anything would be taken from Consolidated Revenue. Last y*ar they had authority to raise LBO.OOO by the Treasury by way of an advance, but had not exercised that power. Still, there might be a falling off, and if the House sanctioned the scheme, the Government should be given the power of carrying it out.

Mr Fitzherbert said they were in reality now going to discount the land jevenuo of the Colony year by year. If this power was to be exercised, surely it eughfc only t® be exceptional when the land revenue fell off, but they were providing yearly for the permanent diminution of the land fund.

Major Atkinson was agreeable to amend the clause by making it provide that net more than LIOO.OOO shall be in circulation at one time.

Mr Montgomery objected to the clause and the amendment. The clause as amended was passed. Clause 18.—The Treasurer moved an unimportant amendment, which was agreed to. Mr Macandrew moved an amendment, and supported the same by warning those who were supporting these sweeping changes. The Provincial Grovernment bad executed public works, such as roads and bridges, &c, which were not within the compass of the action of Road Boards. Out of the L 230,000 spent in the Province not more tran LIO,OOO had been spent in the City of Dunedin. The hon. member believed that no real local Government would emanate from this House. It must come from the Provincial Councils.

Sir F. I). Bell said he could not support the clause, and would support Mr Macandrew's Amendment.

Mr Biown, of Ashley, objected to charging immigration against Provincial districts, and moved an amendment to that effect.

Major Atkinson said it was clear that the land land should be applied to the introduction of immigrants. Government would not accept either amendment in any shape or form. Although the Government in view of the Act passing this session had agreed that Boards of Works should be established, still in the view of the postponement of the matter, he absolutey declined to do that, or in any way meddle with the clause in that direction for a couple of sessions. The Bill must be of a tentative character until that time had passed. The system of Colonial finance and administration could not he thoroughly established, and such a thing as formality could noV; be anticipated. Mr Stafford commented on the fact that the early system of fijoance, that expenditure for immigration and poiblic works in various districts should be borne by the land funds of the respective districts,, would be unfair, because of the inequality of the land funds. He supported the clause as it stood.

Mr M'Gillivray opposed the amendment. Mr Shepherd opposed both amendments. Mr Montgomery supported Mr Macandrew's amendment, and that by Mr Brown, to relieve Provincial districts of th e charge of immigration.

Mr Sheehan wanted to know if the Government intended to carry through their Local Government Bill; if not he would support the amendment of the member for Port Chalmers.

Major Atkinson said the Government intended to go on with the Local Government Bill, but did not think it probable that it would pass through this session. The debate was interrupted by the dinner hour.

On the House re-assembling at 7.30, Major Atkinson said that, an the feeling of the blouse seemed to bt strongly in favor of MiBrown's amendment, the Government would accept it.