POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 872, 30 July 1910, Page 3

POLITICAL.

NO-CONFIDENCE AMENDMENT.

RESUET OF THE DIVISION

The debate upon the amendment concluded on Thursday night, and the House divided. The motion before the House was ‘ ‘ that the House go into Committee of Supply,” on which the leader of the Opposition had moved the following amendment:— As the prosperity of this country depends so much on the settlement of land, in the opinion of this House the Legislature should make provision this session for additional facilities for the occupation and most profitable use of the lands of the Crown.

(a) By extending the optional system both to Crown lands and land for settlement land by removing every hindrance to the exercise of the option which enables settlers to take up Crown land on the system of occupation with the right of purchase. (b) By providing that all lessees under the lease iu perpetuity system should have the right to purchase the freehold at the original value by instalments or otherwise, but where they have been paying 4 per cent, they shall iu addition pay such an amount as will make their payment equivalent to what they would have paid had they held their leases on a 5 per cent, basis. (c) By securing the limitation of area of freehold so acquired. (d) By utilising the moneys derived from the sale of freehold for the acquisition of future lands for settlement.

(e). By providing for the speedier opening up of the surplus native lands for settlement purposes, thereby making such lands contribute their fair share to the general and local taxation of the country. The division resulted as follows :

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT —4 1

Arnold, Brown, Buddo, Buxton, Carroll, Clark, Colvin, Craigie, Davey, T. Duncan, EH, Forbes, Fowlds, Glover, Graham, Greenslade, Hall, Hanan, Hogg, Eawry, Laurenson, Macdonald, R. McKenzie, T. Mackenzie, Millar, Myers, Ngata, Parata, Poland, Poole, Raugihiroa, Reed, Russell, Seddou, Smith, Stallworthy, Steward, E. H. Taylor, T, E. Taylor, Ward, Witty. EOR THE AMENDMENT —31. Allen, Anderson, Bollard, Buchanan, Buick, Dillon, Dive, J. Duncan, Field, Fisher, Fraser, Guthrie, Hardy, Herdman, Kerries, Hiue, Jennings, Eaug, Malcolm, Mander, Massey, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Phillips, Rhodes, Ross, Scott, G. M. Thomson, J. C. Thomson, Wright. ABSENT MEMBERS. Hogan, Kaihau, Euke, McEaren, Newman, Sidey, Wilford. It is stated in the lobbies that there is no doubt that five out of the seven absentees Messrs Hogan, Euke, McEaren, Sidey, and Wilford —would have voted against the amendment had they been present. Speaking to a Dominion reporter with regard to the result of the want-of-coufidence motion, Mr Massey, Deader of the Opposition, said: —‘‘I am perfectly satisfied with the division. I moved the amendment not in the hope or with the idea of defeating the Government, but on account of the fact that the Government so far have been unable to place a land policy before the country. I felt it to be my duty to make our position perfectly clear. I am speaking of the Opposition Members, and I am proud of the fact that every member of my party voted with me and for a progressive land policy. I hope that the debate and the division taken together will have the effect of showing the Government that the country expects the party in power to put forward a definite laud policy, dealing with both Crown and Native lands, and stand by such policy. lam quite sure that what has taken place will do a great deal of good. At all events, it will show the people that the really progressive party in Parliament is on the Opposition side of the House.”