GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1077, 10 December 1877, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[By Telegraph.] [pee peess agency.] HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Saturday, December 8. The House met at 2.30 p.m. THE APPROPRIATION BILES. On going into committee on the Appropriation Bills, Sir Q-. Grey said he wished to make a few remarks at the close of the longest session ever held in New Zealand, to point out the important results achieved. He desired to thank the House for the large support given to the Financial Arrangements Bill, which was a measure of great importance to the future finance of the country. The Government would do its utmost to use the Act beneficially for the interests of the country and to show that the confidence of the House was not misplaced. He thanked the House for the liberal funds placed at the disposal of the Government. They would most carefully use the large discretion left in their hands by exercising the utmost economy and frugality. He thought of a sentiment which had been urged last night that certain outpost settlements would be be better broken up than maintained at a large cost. This was a great fallacy. In the circumstances of this colony such settlements must be maintained. Settlers must not be allowed to leave them, but must be generously and sympathetically sssisted. He regretted the absence of defined parties in New Zealand politics, as such associations were essential to good Government. Next year he would try to remedy this by bringing forward great and important measures, which must create public opinion. One of the first would be a Representation Bill which would enable the will of the majority of the people to be really and fully felt. The Government would also revise taxation so that every man should contribute to the revenue in proportion to the advantages he derived. In doing this certain burdens might be taken off the people. Another thing would be such a system of land laws as would enable every one who desired it to obtain with facility a freehold for himself and his family while any Crown lands existed. Such reforms as he pointed out wore easier to make here than in a country like England, wherein, by a State Church and other ways, the Crown exercised great checks on Parliament. Here these checks did not exist and were not required. All that the Crown here wanted was to retain the affections of the people, and that they should cherish the feeling of being part of a great empire. There was complete liberty here for the most liberal institutions, and in aiming at them no obstruction was to bo expected from the Crown. In attaining these institutions he relied on the support of the House of Representatives. Major Atkinson said it dampened the satisfaction with which such high aims would otherwise have been heard to know that Sir G. Grey had entertained them for thirty years, and when the aims he professed were compared with what he had done. He was rather given to abstract theories than to practical legislation. He (Major Atkinson) did not think it was possible at present to create two great permanent parties. Certainly none of the points Sir G. Grey mentioned would create them. Good Government might be easier with two parties, but was not impossible without them, and they should not wait for it until they had such parties. He would look back and see what Sir G. Grey had already done since lie had been in office. Sir G. Grey had professed a desire to immediately cease the system of hand to mouth finance, and to put it on a sound basis. How far had Sir G. Grey done this since he took office ? They had heard two months ago of a complete scheme to give security to the public creditors, to render taxation satisfactory, and to establish peace and prosperity. All this was, they were told, intercepted by a vote of want of confidence, yet since they had only had a Financial Statement which was absolutely inaccurate in its figures, calculated to blast the credit of the colony if true, and which had since been abandoned in almost every point by its authors. Even with the Land Fund as a common revenue the Government would not simplify the public accounts further than he had himself done. He had shown that to equalise revenue and expenditure £167,000 was required. and this he had intended to take from the Otago and Canterbury land funds. Hie proposals were sufficient to meet all claims of the year. His Supplementary Estimates would not have been above £60,000, and he would then have had a sufficient margin. He reviewed the objections taken to bis proposals, and then contrasted these with

the proposals of the present Government. They showed a deficiency in June next of £138,000, without £124,000 Supplementary Estimates being provided for. There was no provision for this £246,000 either by taxation or any other way. This was what Sir G. Grey, no doubt, [thought putting on a thoroughly sound and satisfactory basis. He did not see where this money was to come from. Even if, as was possible, they spent £IOO,OOO less than was voted, there would be a large deficit, and if the revenue fell off at all, cither payment would be stopped or Parliament would have to be called together. This was a poor beginning in the way of reform. He regretted that the Government had not gone on with the Public Revenues Bill prepared. What they had produced, even as amended, was far an inferior one, and if introduced it would have caused serious disaster. The Government were really in a almost hopeless confusion on the subject of finance. He urged them still to consider whether they had a sufficient margin to meet the liabilities of current year. The responsibility would at any rate be oft his shoulders when he drew attention to the matter before the Appropriation Bill passed. They had really asked for less money for provincial liabilities than he thought absolutely necessary. Instead of the £600,000 at first spoken of they had only taken £327,000. Almost all the measures of the late Government had been taken up and carried without material alteration. The Inscription of Stock Bill, the Land Bill, the Education Bill, and other measures, had been taken up and carried through. The only great change in policy had been in finance, and that was to create a deficit of £247,000, for which no provision was made. If Sir G. Grey meant, by taking off burdens next year to remove the tea and sngar duties, the deficit next year would be far greater. No property tax could make up the half-million which would be required if these duties were taken off. A property tax of Is in the £ would only yield about £138,000 a year. Sacrificing the land was the only way of getting revenue, and he did not suppose Sir G. Grey would propose this. He wished Sir G. Grey would deal more with practical matters instead of indulging in disquisitions on things in general—the whole human race and what posterity would think of us. He urged even yet making provision for the deficit he had pointed out, and which would be largely increased if a bad harvest reduced the spending power of the people. Sir G. Grey replied that he had been accused of having done nothing in thirty years. Had he not constructed what Major Atkinson and his friends had destroyed—a constitution the freest which any country had ever possessed. Who here in Wellington had commenced the reclamation of land, opened up the Wairarapa and West Coast, and induced the Natives to devote themselves to road making ? Yet he was here accused of never having done anything. If he had not done much since he was in office what opportunity had ho. Had not Major Atkinson constantly attacked and threatened him, while even outside he was denied the assistance he had a right to expect, and was refused the right to appeal to the verdict of the people. This, however, would not last much longer. If he had not obtained sufficient means to meet the provincial liabilities it was because he could not get more, and that was owing to Major Atkinson’s own opposition. If more was found necessary he knew, however, that it would have to be voted hereafter. If they asked for more Major Atkinson would be the first to refuse. He declared that the present Government found the country in a state of financial darkness. They were only yet groping in it. Neither he nor any one had yet fully mastered it. He and his colleagues had done their best to do this, but it would still take months to do so. The apparent deficit [would [probably be reduced or done away with by the exercise of the discretion placed in the hands of the Government, not to expend votes for certain works unless the money was available. In the face of great difficulties the present Ministry had done the utmost it could. He maintained that even in the Bills of the late Government which the present one had taken up, great changes had been made to approve and render them safe. The Executive Bill had been completely altered, so as to free it from the deformities it was full of, and to render it true, fair, and useful. The Inscription of Stock "Bill he had carried through in deference to the wishes of others, although not himself altogether approving of it. It was a concession to the wishes of his party and his colleagues, and involved no sacrifice of principle. The finance of the future would rest with the people to determine. It would be for them to say what the policy of the future should be. If the duties on tea and sugar were removed, the Government would only be following the example of the greatest statesmen of England, not making revolutionary progress, at which Major Atkinson seemed so shocked. Ho was quite aware that such a proposal as equalising taxation, would meet with strong opposition from the great and wealthy, of whom Major Atkinson was the leader, but he relied on the sympathy and support of the people, and he knew he had a strong and generous following. He hoped to steadily and steadfastly pursue his ends until success was achieved, despite all opposition. The Bills were then committed and read a third time. The Council’s amendment in the Disqualification Bill were ordered to bo considered this day week. The House rose at 4.30 p.m. to meet again at 8 p.m. Evening Sitting. The House sat intermittently up to 0.20, waiting for the Appropriation Bill and the Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Bill to come back from the Council. r jphis they did with a message, pointing out that certain clauses in the latter were in the nay of an attach to a Supply Bill, and therefore a violation of the Council’s privileges ; but, believing it to be au inadvertent error, they had passed the Bill. The House then adjourned to 2.15 p.m. on Monday for prorogation. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Saturday, December 8. The Hon. Colonel Whitmore read a letter from Dr. Campbell, justifying himself from attacks on bis professional character made in the Council by the Hon. Colonel Brett and the Hon. Mr Buckley. After a lengthy discussion it was decided to place the letter in the custody of the Hon. the Speaker, with the view of giving it publicity in “ Hansard,” but not to be printed as a paper of the House,