THE LAND BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1903, 12 October 1906, Page 3

THE LAND BILL.

GOVERNMENT BACKS DOWN FOR SESSION. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. f l tl rRKSS ASSOCIATION Wolllogton, last night,

In tho Houao of Rspresentntivoa the Hon. the Premior said that during his Bpceoh on tho Booond reading of tho Lind Bill ho had int'mated that Govcrnmnt inlondad to put tho Bill through before the Eshibiiion if tho Houao would assist thorn Since thr.t statement ropreeontation had been made to tha Government by hon. j members , who favored tho Bill that they * thought it beat to consult their conalN tuonts, and lot tho Bill bo oonsidored , duringtho reooaa by the country. Iu tho light of this ho deernsd it his duty to iu form the Houso that ho oonsidored tho request reasonable. There would not bo timo to put tbo Bill through by tho 30tb of tho current m.nth. Tho seooud reading debsto would not take loss than 14 day a. whioh would bring them to tho ond cf iho month. As tho Ltud Oom uittso had oat aont tho Bill b<ok to tha H mm nndrr four weeks it was ovideDt that tho Hou-o would tako much !oogo r . The question th t fare arose whether as an ilornaivo it would not bo well to got tho House io loSurn later and finish tho Bill before Ch istraas Tho session began very 1 to this year, Ii would bo needless for butt) diegu'sn tho fact that there ivas no possibility cf g' t-

»ing tha Bill through b the 20 h Oo;obor, and that a !a:go tumbii* ot ninn bore worn vary uni oh nvemi to a srsiion. Ho had hoped that h ’n. iu uiuer* would bavo been induced by tho hbarality of tho uusneiKO to help to pu* :■ j

through, but ii wjs not pusiblo !o oontiouo iu tba‘ hop.’. &f f 1 '*’• representations that had been made to him Government had come to the con elusion, therefore, on tiro whole that it would be bettor to submit the Hill to the country during the roccss. He felt confident that after full explanation by tho Minister and members and full consideration on the part of tho country would result in tho general acceptance of the measure. Ho had certainly hoped that tho alteration made in tho Bill by tho Lands Committee would have facilitated tho passage of the measure, but that hope had proved vain. Common sense had made the Government realise that iu tho face of the number of the members who wanted to speak, and tho other difficulties, the better course was the postponement of tho Bill. The Government were not relinquishing their; determination to put on the Statute Book a thorough measure for the much needed reform of tho land laws, and hoped the Houso would understand that he would on Tuesday next take an opportunity of announcing what Bills tho Government proposed to go on with. The Public Works Statement will bo down soon after. The Government hoped to finish the session by Saturday, October 27th, or by tho following Monday at the latest. Mr Massey expressed his surprise at tho announcement. He would not express any opinion on the course adopted, except that the responsibility must rest on the Government of any course they may ejjiooso to adopt.

ABANDONED FOR THIS SESSION A COMPLETE BACK DOWN. HM9 STATEMENT BY SIR JO3EPH WARD

(Special to Gisborne Times.) Wellington, last night. Prom the day of the introduction of the Land Bill, notwithstanding all the prophesies of the ardent leaseholders that it would go through this sossioo, I have held to the opinion that the Government would not sucored in placing it even in its amended form on the Statute Book this session, and the forecasts I have seDt you from time to time have reoaived confirmation to-day. Yon would gather from last night’s telegram that the fate of the BUI was already practically settled. To day a rumor flew through the lobbies that at meeting of Cabinet, held this mcrniog, it r bad been deoided to abandon the Bill, and that the Government would Dot even persevere with the seooDd roading debate. The leaseholders were naturally very downoast at this neW3, especially after all the talk about tho Government “ stand- . iDg or falliog by the Bill,” ” pushing it through this session,” “ corniDg back after the Eshibiton if necessary," and that •i a [tat the Bill was introduced ell other business would be left in the background until it waa passed.” The leaseholders think the Government have pi yj 1 into the bands of the enemy, eepminlly ns during tbe recess tho waverers in tho country party will bo hardened up against tho Bill. Tho Government, however, it is quite evident, oould net trust their own party. This is clear frem the fact that they have not dared to call a canous to dirouss eitheethe Bill or the position ihat has arisen since its introduction When the House met ibis afternoon there was a pvrticu'a ly largs attendance of members, who mu-t have seen that coming events were casting their shadows before, for there was an air of gloom and dejeotion about the Ministerial benches. Mr MoNab espeoially seemod / M if he were brooding ovor tbe premature demise of his firet-born child, Some uninteresting business took up an hour or bo, aDd then the Piemier rose iu bis place to make a statement regarding tho Land Bill. Sir Joseph Ward said he had informed the House on the second reading of the Bill that tho Government intended to put it tbiougb this session if it received the assistance of hon. members to enable It to do so. Since ho made that statement ropreeentotions had been made by beta and others In regard to the Bill. it had been pointed out that iD consrquenoe i of the important issues raised in the moasuco, while members were anxious to assist the Government which they had been returned to support, as a matter of fairness to them aud their ocnitituents they should be allowed an opportunity u explaining tho provisions of the B 11 ant consulting their constituents cpm the proposals. In tbe light of these represen. lations be felt it his duty to straightforwardly and candidly inform the House of the position. He admitted tbe reasonableness of tbe oonlentkn The House Would recognise that it would not be possible for members who desired to do so to oonsult tbeir oonstiluents while the House was silting, nor was the necessary time to enable them to P uS tbo Bill through beforo Monday, October IJ o. That dato or at the latest, Tuesday, the 80th, wan the last day to which tho presint session could be extended, _ From information which had been furnshed to him, he was satisfied that tho erc;nd reading debate would not ho finished for fourteen days, and possibly not then. (Cf ,os ■> hear, hear.") If they took next Monday and nil succeeding woo d take them up to tho end of the month to get the second reading through. Turn fh! committee siege would take some W eek —• It had trk.n four weeks to got Tbe Bill back to the House from tho Land Oorrmtteo on which tboro wore o y rnrmherp Tho question arose fourteen members. abou |d thou whether or not the House eboum as an a'ternative meet after » adjourned for the oponmg day of the International Exhibits. It must be remembered that tbe presenti session commenced much later m t o y. usuel. The question was who ho mom bers should bo forced back 0 ’): r *“® ' hibition, or whether tome otbor cou.so should be taken. It was needless for him to di»eaise tbs fnos tb&fc og # Jengtb’of time that would bo b * the second reading and tho crunmt M stages there was no of et. g the Bill through beforo ebo 29iJ 00-OD He had beon infomcod that membsrs wsfary strongly opposed to coming: oack after the exhibition to go on w-th no , audit they did so tnoy woulu „ ■ “ri. tbe end of “££„ S 1 December. (Hear, hear.) Ho hadlbop-a fcho 3 members would have been ahto to assist ii to pass this ecaaicn, but t- *• - not expected that it would taka four we-ks In the Waste Lands Committee. Hop. ss* 1™ IT s»l *»•'. had to be faoed in connection wUh tho matter as it now presen,ed ;jq Government, la considering a

circumstances tho Government had oomo to tho conclusion that it was not possible to pass tho rue anno this sossion, nor uia it appear to bo possible, in view of tho opinions of meiubor.-’, to forco thorn back again nftor (ho opening of tho Inter" national Exhibition. Under all tho ciroum stanoos tho oonulusion arrivod at by tho Government was Hint it was bettor to submit the- moostiro to tho oountry during tho rrooss and havo it folly befuro them noxt session. (Hoar, boat.) 'lois oourso would givo that opportunity which had boon urged, sud would enable the people of tho colony to thoroughly review tho monsuro. Ho was omtidont that full explanations of tho Bill by Ministers and motubors and an examination into it by tho peoplo of tho oountry would strengthen tho position of tho measure, and ho hoped it would pul mombers into the position of carrying it through to n suco-i’ssful issue uexi session. Ho had rfoognised during Ibo last day or t.vo, particularly from tho vnrol i f rma'ion that had ocme to him in c inneo: o i with such au important imt-ovb i eh • t'rm at tho disposal of tho Uousi', al.n.-ugh ha had thought it might havo hcou evoiouuo, and in view of tho important am'tidmonts for tho improve' Lumt of tho Bill that had boon mado at the instigation of tho Govornmeur, would nut bo sufficient for them to get tho Bi 1 through, If they wore to take overy day hour now on, including Mondays, they won d ba at t-ha very most thirteen or fourteen days over tint measure, rind in view of tho possibility of two spec oho* ficm members on nnreudmonts ho realised ;bst it was net pesjihlo for tho Governiuhvb to at'ompt to fjios tho B: I tbv.mgb with the lim :;d rime .a: t :eie diaposa l . Mr Bollard: You would not ho able to put it through before Christmas. Sir Joseph Ward : Well, the Hon gentleman, is sneaking 1 presume for tho Opposition wiii see tiro wisdom of tho course L am suggesting, because \vc would nil like to sco Mr Bollard having his Christmas dinner at homo. (Laughter). The position had, ho thought, been, stated by him frankly to lion, members and lie hoped no one, not even the Leader of tho Opposition, would twit tho Government with attempting to recede from tho position thoy had taken up with regard to tho Bills Tho Government had not relinquished their efforts one iota to try and put the Bill on tho Statute Book in tho intorests of tho colony. Ho recognised ! fully tho position as to tho limitation of time and tho difficulty of attempting too bring back hon. members after once adjourning, and hon members would, he thought, realise that he was following under the circumstances what was tho best possible course. Ho hoped early next week to intimate to hon members what Bills the Government was anxious to ask them to pass this session. Tho Public Works Statement would bo brought down noxt work, and if hen m rnbors would givo reasonable ois stance to she Government, be expressed the opinion vhat during tbo short time availab'o for ibo work that was to be done, good and useful woik would yet be pus upon the Statute Bjok. The Government proposed tbat tbo House should rise on Srturday, Ootober 27*b, and if members assisted they would bo able to do so. If not then on Monday, ‘29Sb inst, at the latest. He merely indicated this to hon. members so that they might apply themselves systematically to the work that remained' with a view to putting through legislation aSeoting the different interest in the ooun try. (Hoar, hear), Mr Massey said tho statement of the Premier must havo oomo as a very great surprise to the majority of members of the House, He did not intend to oritioiae the p'oposa! made by tho Government, nor at prerent to express any opinion regarding it. He would simply say it was for the Government to manage their policy meamres io their own way, Tbo responsibility was theirs .in answering to the oountry iu regard to any course they choose to adopt. " Call on the next order of the day,” said Mr Speaker, and the House at onoe almost emptied itself into the lobby, and less than a bore quorum remained to deal with the B lls on the order paper. All interest had gone out of polities for the remainder of the session.