GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Kumara Times, Issue 2567, 13 September 1884, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[united press association.]

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, September 11. . The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. GOLD DUTY ABOLITION BILL. Mr J. C. Brown moved the second reading of the Gold Duty Abolition Bill. Mr O’Connor spoke strongly in its favor. The Premier asked the House when discussing the measure to consider how the sum of £25,000, which would be lost to the revenue if the gold duty was abolished, was recouped. If this amount could be made up in any other way he would gladly support the bill. Messrs Seddon and M. J. S. M'Kenzie supported the bill.

Mr Bevan favored abolishing the immigration vote and devoting half of amount to goldfields, and this would attract hundreds to the country and do away with all unnecessary votes (especially by agent of the Government office at home), support the goldfields, and desirous colonists would come in sufficient numbers, so that we should never have to pay another shilling finimmigration. He denied that the gold duty was a royalty. It was a decided impost of taxation. The growing interests of mining industry showed that it required tu bw established on a

more satisfactory basis. The kauri gum industry was making rapid strides, and why they had not to pay duty on what was taken from the earth he could not see. Mr W. H. Buckland apposed the Bill and thought the gold duty was necesrary for local works. He moved that the Bill be read that day six months, Mr Pyke characterised the duty as unequal and unjust, and he would vote for its being abolished. The motion for the second reading was then put, and on a division was carried by 40 to 28. The following is the division list: — Ayes, 40. Ballance M'Kenzie, J. Bevan (teller) Menteath Bradshaw Montgomery Brown, J, 0. (teller) Moss Bruce O’Callaghan Cadman, J. O’Conor Cowan Pyke Duncan Reese Fergus Richardson, E, Fraser Ross Gillies Samuel Gore Seddon Grey Smith Hursthouse Steward, W. J. Joyce Taiaroa Lamach Te Ao Levestam Thomson, J. W. Locke Tole Macandrew Turnbull Mackenzie, M. J. S. Wakefield Noes, 28. Atkinson Lance Beetham Macarthur Bryce M‘Millan Buchanan, W. C. Moat Buckland, W. F. Newman (teller) Ormond Grigg Peacock Hamlin Pearson Harper Richardson, G. F. Hatch (teller) Hirst, H. Rolleston Hobbs Sutter Hurst, W. J. Thompson, T. Johnston Trimble Lake Wilson Colonel Fraser explained that although a number of mining members of the North Island voted for the second reading, they did not agree with the abolition of gold duty in the North Island, and they understood that before the Bill was introduced that it was to be permissive so far as the North was concerned. The Drainage of Mines Bill and Mining Companies Act (1872) Amendment Bill was read a second time.