PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 18, 21 July 1893, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

£ hWse of Representatives. (PFB pISEBS ASSOCIATION.) WEtLiyoTON, July 20. Replying to questions, it was stated Government could not give a pledge to afford facilities for discussing a motion for purchase of the Wellington- Manawatu railway, but any hon. member could take his own opportunity to bring such motion forward; that the period of granting a bonus for the exportation of fish had been extended for five years. Mt Allen 'resiinTOd^thedebtCtepmf the Financial Statement. Referring to Mr Meredith's speech the previous evening he said that the Hon. gentleman bad placed a value on the Cheviot estate nearly 60 per esnfriHPrtfrtfaw^Jfrorerflmftnt gave for it. In heartily congratulating the House on the reappearance of Sir Robert Stout amongst them, he pointed out Sir Robert Stout's speech the previous night was a strong, criticism ot the Government^policy and in \niany points was in support of the arguments used by the Opposition. After referring to the administration under the Grey Goveminent, of which Stout waß a member. and defending the Atkinson Administration, he went on to say he agreed with the removal of taxation from improvements, but he could not look upon the increase of the graduated tax n the same light. He criticised Stout's exposition of the doctrine- of new' Liberalism, and said it appeared to bint to be a sort of socialism that could not be worked out He ' thought '(h& lease in perpetuity was a disgrace, to the colony, and he believed the co-opera- - tive system of labor was doing harm to the country instead of relieving the unemployed difficulty. , The estimates of the present year were higher than they had ever been, and so far from saving £53,000, there was an increase of £'134,000. The Premier's claim to have reduced the public debt of the colony was a sham* as it- had been actually increased by more than half a million. He criticised at some length the public works policy of Government, which he thought could not fail to end in disaster. Summed up, his opinion was the Financial Statement showed nothing but a hand to mouth policy from beginning to end. . Mr Fisher complained strongly of the action of Government in opposing several returns he had moved for giving information of interest to tho public on various subjects. : The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. : EVENING SITTING. The Houseresumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Fisher continued his remarks. Referring to Sir Eobert Stout's speech of tho previous night, he said that the hon. gentleman in that speech had op* poaed the Graduated Tax of the present Government, the exemption of improve* ments, and what he called the eternal lease of the Ministry. That proved to him (Mr Fisher) that tbere were going to be two Kings of Brentford, and that during the coming election Sir Eobert Stout would endeavour to detach members from the Government party. He then referred to the policy of the Minis- ' try, and condemned them for their interminable interference with everybody in the name of democracy. Mr McLean followed Mr Fisher, and spoke for over two hours, warmly defending the Government administration. Mr Wilson, in a calmly critical speech, carried the debate on till 12.5 a.m., when the House rose..