HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 71, 20 September 1895, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met afc 2.30. The Native Land Laws Amendment Bill (Hon Mr Seddon) was read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Native Affairs Com mittee. The House went into committee on the Customs and Excise Duties BiM. Clause f>, decision of disputes as to exemption of shirtings to be final on tbe part of tho Committee, was postponed till tbe schedule was passed, it bein# pointed out that considerable alterations ■would probably be made in the schedule. Clause 7, annual fee of £2 paj r able by licensed agents. Several members thought this fee too high. The Hon. Mr Ward said this was not a matter of income, but it was meant to ensure the proper administration of the Customs Department. Eventually Mr Ward accepted a reduction to Jt'l, which was agreed to. | Objection was taken to tbe fee being made an annual one, but the motion to make it a fixed fee was lost by 42 to 15, and the clause passed at £1 by 40 to 14. Clause 9, provision as to manufacture of articles of which spirit is a necessary ingredient. Messrs Stewart and McKcnzie said the Tariil Commissioner found that this duty was absolutely necessary. Hon. Ward said he proposed that the duty on tins article should bo imposed at the end of February. This was to enable existing stocks to be put out. Mr Button moved that the duty on perfumed spirit be reduced to 10s per liquid gallon instead of 20. — Lost by 31 to 28, and 20s retained. Several othci" reductions in the clause were proposed but rejected. Although several amendments were moved the only alteration made in the clause was the reduction of duty from 4£d to 3d on all such pharinacopoea tinctures, essences, extracts, and medicinal spirits as contain loss than fifty per cent of proof spirit. On tbe motion of Mr Ward it was decided that the duty on perfumed spirit and culinary aud flavoring essences shall not come into force until Ist February, J896. — The clause was passed as amended. On clause 14, operating of the act, Mr Ward stated iv reply to Mr Earnshaw, that no refund on duties already paid would he made and no one who had paid duty at reduced rates would be asked to refuud. Mr G. W. Russell moved a new clause to prohibit the importation of prison made goods into the colony. Mr Ward said a duty of 20 per cent ad valorem above ordinary duty was proposed by the Government. The difficulty in the matter was to ascertain when goods were prison made. If the goods were made prohibitory he thought greater efforts would be made to deceive authorities than if the duty proposed by the Government were adopted. After a long discussion the clause was rejected by 40 to 21. During the discussion of the schedule, Mr R. MoKenzie was warned under Standing Order 170, which provides for the suspension of an3 r member who is guilty of persistent obstruction or disorderly conduct. Mr t. McKenzie moved to strike off the duty of a penny per lb on fresh fruit viz, apples, pears, plums, cherries, nectaries, medlars, apricots, quinces and tomatoes. Mr Seddon pointed out this was only an extra duty of a half-penny. Captain Russell said this was Protection of the lightest character, and Protection on every article that should be free. He contended the tax really meant a duty of 100 per cent on imported fruit. The motion by Mr McKenzie to strike off tho proposed increase of half-penny on Australian fruit, was after a long discussion, lost by 30 to 24. The proposal to omit raspberries from the duty of a half-penny per pound was lost by 9 to 25. Progress was then reported, and the House rose at 2.30.