GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1063, 23 November 1877, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Telegeaph.] [pee peess agency.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thtjesday, Novembeb 22. The House met at 2.30. Leave of absence for ten days was granted to Mr Lusk. (QUESTIONS. In reply to Mr Woolcock, Sir G-. G-eky said it was intended to appoint a Royal Commission on Jackson's Bay special settlement. In reply to Mr Tawiti, Mr SheehAN said the island Opao, on which a lighthouse was being erected at North. Cape, was purchased from the Natives by the Rev. Mr Taylor many years ago, and belonged to the class of what was termed surplus land. In reply to Mr Wood, Mr Macandeew said the Government had not consented to the sale of the site of the Mataura Paper Mills. Replying to Mr Reynolds, Sir G. G-iiey said the Q-overnment would not object to the House sitting on Saturday next to dispose of private business. „ NEW BILLS. Bill to endow Waikato harbor with 50,000 acres of laud (Douglas) ; Gisborne Harbor Board Bill (Morris). IMI'EEST SUPPLY. The Imprest Supply Bill No. 7 was received by message from the Governor. In Committee of Supply, resolutions granting the £IOO,OOO asked for were passed, and afterwards the Bill passed through all its stages. TJtK ViNANCTAL DEBATE. Mr Rojleston said the financial policy was so inconsistent in itself, and the proposals so extraordinary from the quarter they came, that no one could understand it. He wanted to know when the Bills embodying it would be bi-ought down. Mr Sheehan said they were being prepared. Before they were introduced, however, the Government desired to know the opinions of the House on the policy. Mr Stevens reviewed the legislation of the past year in regard to the land revenue. • This he admitted to have been fur from satisfactory. At some length he also reviewed the financial statements of Major Atkinson and Mr Larnach on matters of account. Allowing for everything, it seemed that there was a deficit of about £200,000 to bo met on the ordinary account. He believed that the late Government, although proposing to take a certain sum from land fund to keep things square, really kept promises as far as possible. Regarding localisation of that fund, a fairer way, he thought, would have been to have altered the legislation of 1870 about the moiety of stamp duties. The interest on cost of railways might then have been capitalised instead of being cast on revenue. The present Government proposed to sweep away the whole land fund in a comprehensive manner. It would have been better if the Government had offered the country the alternative of bearing additional taxation. The country should have been given time to consider the necessities of the case, and have chosen two plans. They might then have more favorably regarded taking the Land Fund than they now wore likely to do. The present Government exaggerated the necessity of treating provincial liabilities as if they were an annually recurring liability, instead of one to be extinguished once for all. They should not be treated as ordinary current expenditure, or treated as affording grounds for seizing the Land Fund. No doubt there were, however, many other reasons to be urged in favor of generalising tho Land Fund. The opinion of tho people should, however, have been taken on the point. He also denied that tho debt to L'ublie Works account was a liability. It. was "flv 'in advance in Hultcipation of revenue A serious error was proposed in excluding larg« centres oi population from participation in land revenue. He thought

the policy would prove very heavy on Canterbury if brought iato immediate operation. The provincial liabilities should have been localised as a charge on local revenues. It would have been a better proposal than the p esent one had the Government proposed to take so much per acre for every acre sold over the whole colony, leaving the balance, whatever the price, to the localities. He did t-xpect much good from the proposed classification of lands. He defended the conduct of the late Government in borrowing money from banks. The House had authorised the expenditure and left the Government to find the money as best it could. He thought the inscription of stock would prove most valuable, as releasing a large amount accrued from trust funds. Aft or such an authoritative statement of almost insolvency as the Treasurer had made, he feared it would not be easy to borrow money at Home. He urged this statement should to some extent at least be noticed before the session ended.

Mr Bo wen spoil e of the importance of the Inscription of Stock Bill, and Sir J. Vogel's services in relation to it. He condemned strongly such radical change in the finances being made, as taking the land fund without notice to the people. A fortnight ago no one expected anything of the kind this session. So far as the North Island went, it would be found that it would gain nothing from the L:rnd Fund being generalised. As for Canterbury, with its free selection, it might be victimised, and the whole of its revenue might be taken and it made to bear the whole burden. There were no guarantees to either North or South in the proposals—not even that the promise of spending a portion of the purchase money in opening up the land sold would be kept. Under the proposals of the late Government Canterbury would have had £380,000 more for local purposes than under those of the present Government. The whole of this might be squandered on ordinary purposes of government. The land fund should not have been dealt with till after next general election. Canterbury would feel a gross injustice was done it. He strongly condemned the scrambling going on in the House to secure land endowments and reserves. He denied the necessity for making land fund colonial revenue, and did not think the general revenue would benefit by it. It was also a scheme for postponing taxation on large estates. Mr Gisboene said his opposition to the Ministry was owing to the belief that their policy would be a standing menace to the unity of the colony. If this was a mistake, it was founded on an honest belief, and when the foundation was withdrawn, so would his opposition be. He found in the Financial Statement what he regarded as a pledge to maintain the unity of the colony, and, while they adhered to that, he would support them. He approved generally of Mr Larnach's statement, especially that part which provided for real localisation of a portion of the Land Fund for legitimate purposes. He was surprised that those who had desired to effect abolition without reference to the people now urged that the people of the colony should be heard on this question. He condemned Major Atkinson's attack on Sir G. Grey for matters prior to 1854 as most unfair. The circumstances had been entirely misrepresented by Major Atkinson. He quoted addresses presented to Sir G. Grey at that time by the people of different parts of the colony as showing the high opinion then entertainad of his services to the colony. These far out-weighed what Major Atkinson had quoted. He did not think that there was any truth in the aspersions cast on public officers of obstructing Ministers or withholding information from them. He knew the officers of the service well, and did not believe they could act so. He thought the estimates of receipts under the new system of finance should have been given in the statement. He approved generally of the principles, but reserved the right to criticise the details of Bills when they were brought down.

Mr Button thought the proposal to localise a portion of the land fund one of the most objectionable features of the policy. If the land fund were colonialised, it should all be taken. The land fund should be all taken, and local bodies be left to raise funds by the taxation of property. The whole policy of the Government seemed a strong centralising one, and neglected altogether doing anything to place the local government of the country on a better footing. Mr Eeid thought the statement of the present Treasurer the best answer to the false accusations which had so freely been used for a purpose against the late Government. As a sample of these he quoted from a correspondent's letter in the " Otago Times" of 25th October, and the "Witness" of the 17th November. He challenged the present Government to make the dreadful disclosures about the proceedings of the late Government about which so much had been said both in the Press and in the House. They could not do so, for there was nothing to disclose. He defendedjhis own consistency and the conduct of the late Government at great length. He described Mr Larnach as croning a desponding dirge over an imaginary deplenished and empty Treasury. Mr Eeid said the statement of Mr Larnach was a complete vindication of the late Government from charges of corruption made in the House and through the Press. He challenged Mil listers to substantiate the charges made. They could not, for there was nothing to to disclose. He attacked Mr Larnach for deserting the late Government, and said the reasons publicly assigned were insufficient to account for the change. It would be interesting to know the real secret reasons. Mr Eeid was speaking when the dinner time arrived.

[from the correspondent of the pbess.] Wellington, Nov. 22.

It is rumoured that Mr Larnach will retire after the session, and Mr Montgomery will become Treasurer, but, this is impossible. It is also said that Mr J. E. Brown is to become Minister for Public Works —save the murk !

This afternoon Mr Gisbome announced his intention of supporting the Government financial proposals, but left it open to change coat a once more d ur i ug the session by saj ing that he would consider himself free to vote as he liked when the Government Bills would bo brought down. The debate dragged very much to-day, the only speech worthy of remark being that of itr Stevens, who'carefully and moderately wont into Mr Lamaeh'e figures. Most of the speeches were a protest against taking the land fund. Mr Kcid is riill speaking. It is understood that Mr Stafford is lo speak during the evening; ami !.l at l.bo debase will finish to-mghf. There is no doubt novrof the Government retaining office.