GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1405, 16 August 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[per press aqenoy.J LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, August 15, THE GOVERNOR’S DESPATCHES. On the motion of Dr. Pollen Colonel Whitmore promised to move the Governor to allow all despatches from the Secretary of State, which have any public interest, to be laid on the table. RETURNS. On the motion of Mr Hall returns of lands required by the Government, and of land and goldfields revenue were ordered to bo printed. BILLS ADVANCED. The Reprint of Statutes Bill was read a third time. The Literary Institutions and Public Libraries Bill was considered in committee, and adjourned till to-morrow. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, August 15. The House met at 2 30. RAILWAY MATERIAL. Mr J, E. Brown asked why certain sleepers and fencing wire obtained for the Western District railway wore sold ; what was the first cost, and what was the price realised P Mr Macandrew explained that some of the material was retained by the Government, and some sold on the advice of the engineer-in-chief and inspector. The first cost of the material ho did not know, but it was sold for about £9OOO, chielly because it was too light. Ho believed it would take about £12,000 to replace the material. HOLIDAYS TO RAILWAY OFFICIALS. In reply to Mr Manders, Mr Macandrew said some railway officials were allowed the usual holidays ; others, such as engine drivers, were not allowed any, but were paid overtime instead, and Government did not intend to change the system. PENALTIES ON CONTRACTS. In reply to Mr Ormond, Mr Macandrew I;said a return would be prepared showing the contracts for public works in which penalties had been enforced since the commencement of the public works policy, together with a return of the contracts on which penalties had accrued but were not enforced. LAND ON DEFERRED PAYMENT. Mr Ormond asked if the Government would extend the operation of clause 59 of tho Land Act, 1877, which gives one-third of the price of blocks of land purchased on deferred payments for roads within such districts to tho case of blocks taken upon deferred payments prior to the passing of that Act, but for which payment has been made since the passing of the Act, or has yet to be made, Mr Stout said the Land Act was not retrospective, and they did not intend to make it so, They must draw tho line somewhere. Mr Ormond asked if the Government would amend the present Land Act, so as to enable associations to take up blocks of land on the deferred payment system, in the manner formerly provided for by tho Wellington and Hawke’s Bay Special Settlements Act ? Mr Stout said those interested in the matter should apply to the Government. No applications of tho kind had yet been made to them. CHARITABLE AID. In reply to Mr Fox, Mr Ballancb said the report would shortly be laid on the table upon tho question of the charitable relief and systems adopted in other countries and colonics. LETTER FROM EEWI. Mr Fox asked whether the Government had received any letters from Rewi Maniopoto, commenting on tho debate in the House.

Mr Sheehan said a letter had been received from Rewi in reference to the speech in the address in reply by the lion, member. The letter was written on behalf of Rewi by Dr. O’Carroll,! and in that letter Rewi said why did not Mr Sheehan tell them that “ I represented all the Waikato chiefs,” and added that he was glad to see by the papers that Government was not in danger of being turned out, and therefore ho would return to Waikato. The letter was laid on the table. NATIVE AFFAIRS. Mr Sheehan laid the first batch of papers relating to the Waitara meeting on the table ; also the reports of the officers in the Native districts. the easteen question. Sir G. Grev laid on the table all the papers connected with the inquiries made by the Government regarding the Eastern question. CENSUS EKTUENS. Mr Moeris asked when last February’s census returns would be available. Mr Stout said they were in preparation, and would be got ready as soon as possible. NATIVE LANDS BILL. In reply to Mr Russell, Mr Sheehan said a clause was contained in the Native Lands Bill to enable the lessee of land held by the Natives to pay the rents as they fall duo to any two grantees to be chosen by the remainder, or some officer of the Crown in eases where lessors cannot agree as to the division of the rent. PRIVATE BILLS, Several private Bills were read a first time. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. Mr Woolcock moved “That in the opinion of this Honse the Government should this session bring in a Bill dealing with the question of the payment of members.” The hon. gentleman argued at some length to show that the payment of members should be fixed by statute, and that it was high time the Government took the matter in hand and disposed of the question finally. Until that was done they would have the time of the House taken up every year over discussions on this question, Mr Stout objected to pressure being put upon the Government in this way. The Government might possibly bo able to face the question next year. They certainly could not deal with the matter this session, as they had their hands full with more important measures. Mr Delatour moved the previous question, which was carried on the voices. WATTLE BARK, Mr Moss moved—“ That an address be presented to his Excellency to place a sum upon the estimates to encourage the production of wattle bark in the colony.” Agreed to. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, Mr Bastings moved—“Thatin the opinion of the House the Government should cause a geological survey of New Zealand, and a topographical map of the same, to be prepared.” He did not expect Government to undertake this work at once and complete it off hand, but they had a staff that quite enabled them to doit in parts. It was due to the mining interest that this work should be done, because Professor Ulrich and gentlemen like him could not possibly form an opinion as to the prospects of certain tracts of country without such data to go upon as he was asking for. The hon. member quoted statistics to show the exceedingly large amount of money invested in gold mining. Mr Stout said that to do what the hon. member proposed would not cost less than £IOO,OOO, but they intended to employ Professor Ulrich during a certain portion of the year in collecting geological and topographical information, in the same way as he had already collected similar information for Southland. In the meantime Dr. Hector, assisted by Mr Cox, had been and was still engaged upon a geological survey of the colony. Agreed to. COMMISSION CHARGES. In reply t o Sir R. Douglas, the Government promised to furnish a return showing all sums paid as commission on the purchase or sale of any property on behalf of the Government for the past financial year, and to whom, and whether such had been the result of tender or private arrangement. CORRESPONDENCE RE DUNEDIN HARBOR BOARD. The Government promised to furnish all the correspondence between the Government and the Dunedin Harbor Board, Dunedin Corporation, and Dunedin Chamber of Com-

merce, with respect to the reclamation of the Dunedin Harbor Railway station, Dunedin, with a lot of other correspondence bearing upon the same subject. COMMISSIONER BOOTH. Mr Fox asked for the report and evidence in the inquiry into the conduct of Commissioner Booth to be laid on the table. Agreed to. GOVERNMENT ADVERTISEMENTS. The interrupted debate on Mr Fox’s motion for a return regarding the Government advertisements was resumed, and Mr Fox having replied, the motion was agreed to. DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUM. Mr Rolleston moved —“That the House is of opinion that the time has arrived when the Colonial Government should establish an asylum for the deaf and dumb in the colony.” The hon. gentleman quoted returns showing the number of male and female deaf and dumb patients in the colony, which made it imperative on the Government to establish such an institution. It was not right that a prosperous colony like this should have to take advantage of the charity of a neighboring colony (Victoria) by sending many of their cases there. Ho thought the Government had a fine opportunity before them of devising some scheme by which they could group certain charitable institutions so that the work of inspection and management might be more concentrated. He suggested that the Government should take a vote this session for the purpose, not necessarily to go on with it at once, but to consider at their leisure as to the exact shape in which they would carry out what was required. Mr Stout said he did not believe there were more than fifty in the colony altogether —of deaf and dumb and blind, and owing to the configuration of the colony it would bo rather hard, especially on young patients, to remove them, say from Otago to Auckland. In Victoria the institution for deaf and dumb was eonvenient to the very largest population in the colony. All ho could promise then was that during the recess the Government would ascertain all the information as to the cost of establishing and maintaining such an institution. The House could then see how far they were prepared to go, Mr Green expressed regret that Government could not see their way to place a sum on the estimates this year. He entirely disagreed with the Attorney-General’s estimate of the unfortunate class under notice. The number must be nearer a hundred, but all that was wanted was that the Government should send for experts to show how the work would be carried out. Sir G. Grey said that Government would see that a sum of money would be placed on the supplementary estimates for the purpose. The motion was agreed to. The business was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30. KAIAPOI DOMAIN. On the motion of Mr Bowen it was ordered that all correspondence between the Kaiapoi Domain Board and the Government, relative to the division of the Domain Grant bo laid before this House. GOLD DUTY ABOLITION. Mr George moved the second reading of the Gold Duty Abolition Bill, Ho considered the duty, small as it was, essentially a class tax and most unjust, inasmuch as the gold miner was exceptionally taxed as compared with other classes. Besides the gold duty, the miner had to pay extra if ho took out a lease or built a battery, as well as his miner’s right fee. Often the gold tax and others represented the profits on mining undertakings. It was especially unfair when it was remembered that Government had announced in the Financial Statement that still another tax was to bo placed upon Joint Stock Companies, that is a tax for the privilege of commencing to mine and a tax upon any profits the miner might make. Mr Gisbohne seconded. Ho opposed the tax on the ground of political economy, that it was inadvisable to put a tax on any of the industrial exports of the colony. The cheaper they could produce gold the more they could get in exchange for it. The time had passed when exceptional charges were entailed upon the Government by new mining communities starting into existence. At present they had become settled down and become stable communities, and therefore required no more special expenditure than any other class amongst the people of the colony. Still he thought the tax might be made permissive, so that if any particular mining community did not wish to abolish the tax, they might retain it.

Mr Stout said this was asking the House to vote away iithe funds of localities. He looked at it more in the light of a royalty than a tax. Of course it rested with counties what action should be taken. He thought a clause might be introduced in the Bill when in committee, making it optional with counties whether they abolished the tax or not. Mr Manders would have to oppose the Bill, inasmuch as it was not shown how counties were going to recoup themselves if they abolished this tax. There could be no doubt the tax was unjust and unfair. Messrs Joyce and Brown supported the Bill.

Mr Pyke would support the Bill if ho felt certain that the minor would get any benefit from the abolition at all, but ho would not. It would only bo the companies and the Banks who would reap the benefit of abolishing the tax. They must bear this in mind, that a compact had been made between the Government and the counties in this matter, and, if this tax was abolished, a tax would have to be imposed on mining machinery. It was manifestly better to tax productive capital than unproductive. Practically, he maintained that the gold duty was already abolished, and the tax under consideration was merely imposed to reach a class who could not be reached in any other way. He had asked his own constituents if they washed the tax removed, but they were perfectly apathetic over the matter. It was said wool was not taxed, but the wool grower would bo quite satisfied to pay a tax on wool, provided his property remained untaxed, as with the miner.

Mr Barff strongly supported the Bill, and argued at some length to show the injustice of this special tax, Mr Woolcock supported the Bill. He pointed out what a great deal gold mining had done for the colony as a whole, arguing therefrom that it was to the interest of the colony to foster so beneficial an industry. Mr Rowe asked how the miners wore to be made to contribute to the cost of maintaining roads in mining districts if the tax were abolished. The roads were made for and used by the miners and them only. The duty on gold was the only thing they had to depend upon for the public works of the district in which he came from. In fact without these roads the quartz mines would be shut up, and industry would cease. He moved that the Bill be read that day six months. Mr Saunders opposed the Bill. To abolish the tax they must impose another, which in all probability would entail a cost of 40 or 50 per cent collection. Mr De Lautour thought the aim of the House ought to be to dispecialise the mining interests. Miners should be placed on precisely the same footing as any other class, trade, or calling in the colony. It ivas the constant efforts of goldfields’ members in endeavouring to obtain special privileges for miners that excited the jealousy of people other than miners. Mr George having replied,

Mr Wuitakeb jimnted out that when the flllly wan i»npOBOll it WUB laid 110-nn ip Rating Act that mining machinery and other kinds of plant were exempt, and if the duty was now abolished and miners were to bo rated then the Rating Act would require to be amended.

A division taken, and the Bill was thrown out by 35 to 34.

Mr Pyke voted for the Bill. ELECTORAL DISABILITIES OF WOMEN,

Mr Feldwick moved the previous ques,ion.

The Speaker then put to the House—“ The question is, that the question be now put.” Result being —Noes, 44; ayes, 8. The debate was thus stopped, and the question shelved.