HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1873, 6 August 1874, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

At the evening sitting, Mr Reid opposed the second reading of the Forests Bill, deprecating making it a question as between the Provinces arid, the Colony. He condemned the measure; as unsuitable and uncalled for. The coutrol of the foresfcs'had better be left in the hands of the Provinces, which could effect the object more economically. He hoped the BiU'would be withdrawn. " Mr Yogel, in replying, commented very severely upon the Superintendent \> of Wellington, who practised "ways that are dark and tricks that are vain." Whatever land was proposed to be taken from Wellington would be considerably less than that Province had been voluntarily presented with by the Colony ; some time ago all Wellington seemed to care about was to get into as much debt as possible, and then come to the General Government for assistance. It was better for the Colonial Government to play the constable than the detective ; better to administer the affairs of the Province at once than be obliged to be a watch^ dog over it. The Bill was misunderstood. He did not want to interfere with existing forest interests, and as for the Government interfering with private interests, it was quite the reverse. He did not want to strip the Provinces of the best of their land. He only wanted rocky and sandy places for planting forest's. He touched Mr Sheehan sarcastically, by showing that owing to the bad way Auckland timber had been shipped to Victoria, Baltic pine commanded a higher price than, kauri, and a company was actually being; got up in Melbourne to export Auckland timber, and send it into the market in a superior condition to the way it was ex-: ported from Auckland. He contrasted; Messrs Gillies and Stafford, as leaders of the Opposition, and said the former cojuld see no good in anything proposed by his political opponents. He looked upon the : speech of Mr Fitzherbert as remarkably; impudent, considering that the General Government had spent nearly LBO,OOO in Wellington during the last five years, while the amount raised by the Province was only 15,600 during three years. It was better they should take charge of the Province at once. Taking the whole of the North Island, the General Government had spent nearly three millions and a-half in it during the last five years, and nearty two millions and a-half in the last three years, while all the Provinces of that island raised only L 448,000. What answer could they give : but that they should all be swept away, owing to the large expenditure in the S"orth Island of Government money. They were obliged, to spend large sums in the Middle Island, which properly, should have been paid by the Provinces. If the: Government had too much to do it was; looking after the Provinces that could riot look after themselves. It was monstrous that the Colony should not have the assistance of the land revenue of the Colony. Three per cent, of the lands >■ should not interfere in any way with private enterprise. He proposed, however, to reduce -the clauses of the Bill to 12, and to introduce a clause by which ithe Provinces should be invited volun-, tarily to hand over to the Colony, certain, lands for State forest purposes. : He could see bow, without 1 tJie measure, public works' could be converted into a curse, rather than a blessing. ff-. The Bill was read a v secottd : time, and; br"dered J to be corivmitted 7 on : Friday. The New Zealand University Bill .was' reported witli amendments; •«•' >a,i j j^. iiThe: Merchant Shippings Ac^ Adoption •Bill Was.-paased.i'.'jii oviial ;>w.-.;.fif Uw i iThe jßepond. reading , ;U pf Harbor iWo'rks jßill was -pppofted, !and ( ad jqurned. The;> JSavah ,', Schoo,ls /: j Estab^ lishment Billwafi^jajad a second tirae. v;f - " MrT. B. Gillies seconded the measure,

as very good and exceedingly well drawn up. Mr T. L. Shepherd moved the second reading of the Gold-fields 1866 Amendment Bill. To show the importance of the mining interest in the Colony the hon. member quoted figures to the effect' that the total value of water-races, tailraces, dams, and mining machinery in the Colony amounted to L 1,663,181., 663, 181. He, wished to place it out of the power of any iridividual to arrest such an important industry in stopping tail-race water from flowing over his land, and instanced a; case in point, the case now pending be- 1 tween a squatter and miners at Mare-i whenua. The industry which exported more value than all the rest in the Colony: deserved more consideration. The second j clause of the bill gave miners a right tp get rid of their tail-water by fouling streams. : ! The Premier could riot possibly agree with the second clause, which was. dealing with a question now before the Law Courts. He would not object to the second reading, if the hon. member would withdraw for the present the second clause. '.■-■-{ Mr T. L. Shepherd declined in the in^terests of the of (the Colony. This was a battle to be foright, and the sooner the better. Were they to arrest au industry which had ■ exported about L 28,000,000 sterling during the.last eight years, because some squatter wanted tp dip a few sheep ? He would divide the Honse, if he should do so alone. ■' \ The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Gold-fields' Committee. ■ ;