PARLIAMENTARY.

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 132, 7 June 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

1 *EB UNITED PBEBS ASSOCIATION, j ....... Wellington, June 5. In the Legislative Council, ■': Mr Oliver moved his motion that the school age be raised to six years. £23,000 a year would be saved if the motion was earned. June 6. Mr Barnicoat resumed the debate on Mr Oliver's motion, which was carried by 13 to 7. .'■-'■■■ . WitiutfOToir, June 5. In the House of Representatives, Most of the afternoon and. evening sittings were taken up in discussing Mr Ormond's motion ( f) that the school age be raised to six 'years? (2) that subsidies to local bodies be no longer paid ; (3) that the proposed primage tax be abolised, and last year's deficit be funded. The Government opposed the motion. Ultimately a division was taken, That the Speaker leave the chair, which was tantamount to shelving Mr Ormond's motion, and was earned by 53 to 22, Messrs Macarthur, Wilson, and Bruce voting against the motion. _ . June 6. . The Premier, in moving the second reading of the Customs and Excise Bill, said it would be unnecessary for him to make a speech on thejoccasion. He trusted, however, that hon. members would approach the question in a fair spint. A long debate followed, in which ! Messrs Cowan, Hobbs, Taylor, Pyke, Hodgkinson, Hutehison, Hon. Fergus, W. P. Beeves, and Stewart supported the second reading.: . , Messrs Smith, Dr Newman, Menteath, Grimmond, and Buchanan opposed the Bill. . ••* ■■ • Mr Macarthur was of opinion that . retrenchment could haveibeen effected to a much greater extent than had been done. He accused the Government of deserting their party and throwing themselves into the arms of the Opposition. He justified his stand as a Freetrader by objecting ; to any taxation for Protection purposes, and said that the present tariff would create political influence through many industries. He deprecated voting ST 3 ™?* T 1 ! 88 railwa JB, and said that although there was a railway in his district which he believed to be one of the motf justifiable in the ooU ony, he would voto against expenditure on it, thongh it cost him hia ©lection, if he thought that doing so' would be for the good of the colony. Me knew of cases in which that duty would cause exceptional harlship, and instanced one case in which a company - which had ordered £22,000 of machinery would have to pay £4000 op £sooo w^ ich wo "te iave the effect of killing the company concerned. That was encouraging local industry A Protective-tariff would fall with undue ' weight on country settlers. He should vote against the motion for second reading, (Cheers.) .. On the motion otM* AUen k the debate was adjourned. * ■