Parliamentary Notes

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 6, 24 June 1884, Page 2

Parliamentary Notes

■» -■ On the House going into '.Coffin? jftee of Supply Mr Montgomery Said the Government began the year with ,a balancer of £3500, and their expenditure bjtil Exceeded their income by £187,000..; %h6 low price of wool and of grain was'attributed as the reason for this 'failure in the revenue,, bnt at the time the^ eaii Wtes were made the price of both of; these commodities was low; r Such. being the case he could not claim that* as a Reason for the overstatement. Five years ego when the Government took office, ijley ; were pledged to economy, and this was the outcome of it. Mr Montgomery said that the Treasurer must- feel that his day for doing good had passed. Mr Holmes described the Statement 'as a Chinese puzzle, which no doubt it was to him. Mr Shepherd 'reviewed the question of taxation. He did hol^ 'consider the. financial condition of the colony so bad as some people supposed it. Mr Montgomery • sought an assurance- from the Premier that no political < appointments to the Legislative CounpiljWould be made during ihe recess. Inijtgply Major Atkinson said he would oensult his collegues. Thia means neither' more nor less than that one or tw6' more political pensioners are to be foisted onto the people. In replying . to some edinments on his figures Major Atkinson said he could easily have so arranged tbe accountsjto make the figures -of the deficit look less, but he desired them to show the plain truth. Sir. George Grey took prompt advantage oi this foolish admission, and said ho declined to consider the details of accounts, which the Treasurer admitted he oould have cooked if he wished. Sir George ascribed the depression to undue competition *dn deferred payment land, owing to the blocks being too small.: Mr Turnbull 'argued that annual Parliaments -were the *ohly things to safe the eOuntvy, after, this the ' Honse adjourned until llf o'clock yesterday morning.- - • : On the flonselneeting at 11 a.m. yesterday, Mr Con'olljsaidin, reply to Mr Feldyrick, that no prison warden had ever been dismissed from prison service at Auckland for refusing to jflog a prisoner. Mr Moss protested against wardens being compelled to do sueh work. Mr Most eonsidered that the Judge,' MagQtv^te.or even the \ Miaister of Justice vwitl'the proper person te-do U. • Mr'-donolly said, in England' and the eolpnies, the punishment Was imvariably administered by wardens. The alternative proposition was to appoint a public flagelator, and he confessed that suoh a proposition had never entered into his head. Sir George Grey inveighed against the inju itlte done to the warders. :Mr Bolleston withdrew his statement that the gum digging leases were provided by Sir Georde Grey as superintendent of Auckland, still he held to the fact that tbey- were provided for, by an officer m ler the control of Sir Greorge. Mr Locke, the new* teem ber loy the Kast Coast was sworn in and took iis seat. Mr McDonald prod aeed sarnies of .totara ank; jarrah submergjedt for li_e rent periods, sho wing the former to tie much more durable. . Mr Hurxthonra wnsideipd the Australian .timber »np«mr 'orrailway purposes. ... M . . „,