GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1881, 15 August 1874, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. [Anglo-australian press telegraph AGENCY.] Wellinton, Aug. 14. The Premier made a statement regarding a Bill to increase the excise duties, the substance being that the Duhedin Distillery be allowed to distill up to the end of June a quantity not exceeding twenty thousand gallons, and to receive L 20,000 (?) out of the payments to be made. The Auckland Distilley to receive L 750 and be allowed to distill a certain quantity to exhaust materials. The increase in the excise duties to be one shilling per gallon this year, another shilling next year, and an extra shilling the third year. • A long discussion took place during the afternoon on the report of the Speaker of the House with reference to the Manawatu and Rangitiki claims. A recommendation was made in the report that a sum be placed on the estimates for the Province of Wellington, but the Premier strongly opposed the views of the Speaker, and denied that that Province had any claim upon the Colony for compensation in regard to the award of the Hon. D. M'Lean in the Manawatu dispute ; that there was no ground whatever for any claims for constructive damages, either legally or equitably, that, in fact, Mr M'Lean's awards enabled the Provinces to obtain possession of lands they otherwise would not have yet, and that instead of the award having been a loss to the Province, it had actually made large profit already. He was prepared, however, if the House agreed, to bring down a resolution allowing the} Wellington loan to be increased by the amount of the award, th<j interest and sinking fund to be paid by Province. Mr Fitzherbert admitted that legally the Province had no leg to stand upon, but contended that equitably it had. Mr Fox went into the history of the whole question of the' Manawatu disputes, to show that the Province could have no possible claim upon the Colony. The very reverse rather was the case, for through the exertions of the General Government, and especially the Native Minister, the Province had obtained peaceable possession of 220,000 acres of it, of which they sold LIOO,OOO worth, thereby making a 3plendid nest egg to keep them going ever since. Altogether the claim made was a piece of gross ingratitude, and indicative of the most disgusting greediness and grasping avarice he had ever seen. Mr T. B. Gillies considered the House was bound in honor to carry out the recommendation of the Speaker, although not legally bound to do. Sir Cracroft Wilson and Mr Rolleston also supported this view of it on the ground that the House was obliged in honor to give effect to the recommendation of the Speaker. Mr M'Lean moved an adjournment of debate.