THE ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 51, 26 June 1880, Page 2

THE ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

<ehs iro-coKMDiiroi dbbitb. ■ who violently att^eo^tKei^Gtovernmenfc pxbpoiali. .; ;:;; • rf!ifc'Qrmosx* then addressed the House, and made speoiaL reference to the speech of Mr; Reader Wood, saying ;he;,was sorry to. find that gentleman had denounced m the : wayAe had. dope the laUiildnMtrf and-tha present condition "of the colony. Mr. Gii- ' , borne proceeded to speak at r length of, Mr. Wood's, fojsmer connection with the Ncr Zealand Military, and theparthehadtakeq , in j9°]9 dtt S tin 6jW» •£^<* the, colony. Ha . c^ d r -T 6^ sf*JWJ Jh? speech , of tha hori. member for Waitemata,:and said thai; he wm afraid if Mr. Wo,od> nrpnples were. earned, put that Jthay would «put down tom&itriprfgetfceiv 3^!^ifiafiitained thafc^ the BubHo Wojks Policy had been Vf measure which had resulted ia great benefit^ to the colony, and committed generally the arguments used bjrMr. Wood: He maintained that the Publio Works JPolipy of 1870, whatever mistakes might Jiave attended the. carryinfroUt'of Its^d'ettils, was a great; and stejjesmansUke po^eyV which had advanced New Zealand by a generation. (Cries of « Haar r hea», !i and i? No, no.??) The colony was A sound at heAr|, and. would, yet riw superior 11 to te&po^ry difficulties. Mr. Gisborne then proceeded to eijiieise the proposal* of the Government as contained %, the; Financial Statement. With regard to the consolidation of the floating debt, he did not think it would be appMTed of by . the London money 'market. ?He made, special reference to a property and income, tax, tjnd ;i tirid that the Gteyerntnent m itt proppsali ho,d[ altogether deviated from tha proposals of the Gorernment m 1877. . ;S peakmg ; of »tf ffl#tjc tix ''"ify 4peakec maintained that the pop? man would be the -greate»t :: su£Eer*r_bj,it, : .-At~ the same time be admitted that a > tax oa the rich must rew'ssarUyafferttha-pQor. He maintained, hj| the property taxTwaa one of f amort inquisitorial character, and X« denounced it at opiuiderablei length.-. Speaking generally of the financial Statement, the bon. member maintained that if it were carried but- id 'wbiild intolfe the": colony ; in still deeper .din^culties than that wh^oh e^itfd^ at present; (Appjbttue.) * " 'v. •.■'■•.• Mr. Mvftnix said that thequiuitiofl which, the. House htd to deal with was a'rery diffih cult one", an'd 'it was.no use trying to ihift, the responsibility ef the position from one! partj to another. He eontended'that thera, was io such thing as^ree education m New. Zealand, as all the people were taxed for it. He regretted.? that principle of school fees, had been maintained, as it waajt great succeM, m -OtagP mdr other" parts «£ thei colony, Wjith regard to tli'e ( Financial Statement, he heartily .agrMd witlithf ): b,tfiJf tax, but regretted that the tea and sugar dutie*; had b f een remitted. He. was. strongly m, favor of a portion of the American taxation, which; as a principle; was unOoubtedly good.' (The boa. gentleman lead from a book ex-1 .tracts as to the character of this taxation.X Jf they could adopt the of- free trad* iy all meant let them do so. The hon. gentleman rpferiiid at some t length to thai system of -railways, kntfeXplainediv the best method, by which, acooj.<ling to his" opinion, they,, could be mad? to. pay. He hoped tha) members would uaite. to, place the flnanoea, of the colony on a sbnnd'MSM. " ! Mr. ; MQjrrooMMtT regretted tha, Public Works Statement was not before, them, and: said the answer, giren that after.^oon as to.whea ijb be dejiwrec!, waa, not of a satisfactory cbaraoter. Healtpre-. gretted there was, no, statement from tba. Natira Minister, whioh they had a right toj. expect. - -Without- those^-two- -sUtementa before the ( House, they wei-e not properly in^ a position to, consider the proposals of tha. .^GoTernment. T^ith.i^gard hi* hoped that the qoettion now, before thai House w^dHbb dMcussed witbbut pwty feeling, aad without bi?M question, was whether the pvesent Ministers should . continue to occuj)T the 6t>Te. ament Benches, or not, and he should gite hi* reasons why h«C- supporbed tie -atatodment of no confidence. _ .The hon. member, then proceeded, tq speak on the^subject of the financial condition of ttia.; colony, m$ mauijtaped that the promises made by the Goloniat'Treaßare?. lait Tear bad not been carried out by him, and to out this statement he read por-' tions of the; Financial Statement delirered; last seisiotf.i He" wished to draw the attention of the House and the country to tha. fact tlfa.t the promises made m that statement bad, notbeen fulfilled. ;He c^isidered the statement' thatT 'there had- Veenalarga, saving made-by the Hon. the Colonutt Treasurer! was entirely, fallacious,-, and he. proceeded to "explain, to, tSa JSpuse] how, m, bis opinion, this was to. 'Brefy inemjje/.of^ the Ho^use, ha.said^ shpul^^jnsist^updn immediate l-etvencjiifent, for nothing else. wo^ld,-s^sjy. 'tha? House. ;Heeiitered m." detss \a%d th*. Various a portiona . of ihe^ i Fiflanoial .Statement,,; and; critwijed rery. • sererely' the.: measures m conaection witb^ /the. lpcal,public works/ HewaJ.jn faror. of taxing iinpi-OTejtnent* of (land, and ajsoi,, what was called the .unearned lncremeltT • He objected .tb7the,p^roperto j^ax, and main-, tamed that there' should'be.a'p iapome tar, whiohlwonld affect those whom the property, tax did. not. tax.?i Speaking of the beer. tax, heba^TpJed^agaJnstittwo years ago, anct he would i Vote ajgainst ; itnow, eaLbeing a, tax, on local industries. 'Tha amount', was excessiTe, aadhe.shouldnp^ rote.for it unless! hesawTery conside'rabla, reductions m thai Tarious ; depsjrtment» qfjthe.colgny^ Memhere of the House should lay aside party. feeling.Brand do all t)iey v *pj)s%ibjy. could to. help Ministers bu,t of tbeir present difficulties. (HeaPf hear.) He next referred; to. the land revenue, and\ said that. tha. cp^py^had laid tha. golden egg. We had been^drunk with prosperitj, but those, days hadspne by^andthe, most rigid : economy would be necessary to. keep, things straight. And nothing Hut tha. action of that House couM'brlng. about this state pf things. (Hear, hear.) If the House. ..carried out that-actiion as they> ought to clo and asskted Ministers, they woujd. yet pull the^coui^ry^hrough i^mWtipe, and makex thinjjs oomft.&mS right?- At l^ke. same time, | when, it came. to a. Tofcehe.should feel bennd . ito give his rota for" the amendment. Tha.. Colonial Treasurer had .never yet made tha. two' end^meetpand-did not propose to do . so now. He (Mr. Montgomery) hoped ; that j|he Howe iWbuldj,, insist upon a strict •^^S^PS^^i (Applause.) Mr. Huebt contended that, m the critideJL opndition of 7 the. oplony, ,the members, of the House should rise" superior to al party They had a mot seriour stkwWaffsaM to deal with, and ha. trusted they would do so aibeoametne^ poiitioa aj reprtM«^iP| tbt CBBBfe^ &%

Loped they would forego the recrimination of the past, and address themselves to the - -Iriturel -'ThSfPp'r&aint; 1 •aiMSmty a:^M^fe^r •kittle/ if anything, con&iecied/ with j ttoe publio works scheme. The present'^depres>ion arose; from «oth*er ' eficumstanoes. > For. two years running . tfiey had experienced a diminished harvest and a diminished eiport ■ fit wjpol«^i^pjthißn^f^n<wjiiatllfe •mount of immigration which they had hadi ,of people who could get no employment on> theoblorf^ - (fiekr^KeaV.) Ti^ere. s imw no doubtUthat; thesa -varitjusCoauses' would, greatly diminish the arai>unt ©f revenue to be derived during the next yesir. Speakmg"of the property tar i Mr. Hunt ;saW he; didl nofelSslieve^here were 20,00a people m the. c^onj^w ho would jiave to pay it.^V At^tUe^^e^me_it.-.^usf|,b4 adr. jnitted tHafcthe incomejtax was of a far more Inquisitorulr character. $ fiHe»,yhear.) speaking. of the tax generally, he did not ..see .that; it :w«i. of, sucb^an obnoxious cha--'^^itcteip'as^om»~'of^tlirfaemb5 eY3'W-t >IneOpposi^on1 neOpposi^on had tried to- xnjake Lout. He i felt jquite sure that there was. a greater depression m. store rfdrnia lihh\ie future, tha^i we \had yet undergone, and he trusted > the; .House would, make uj>, i|s uSbdjfc face it. If "tbey 5 did .go, .Zealand .wourd] yeb come out as- one ,o^ England's, premier jd jlbnies: (ApjaaaVe ). ; Soi •.lojnig as the;Go r vernment cavrieii forward measures -in 1 : » shwghtforwatd 'minner for' the'gpo'd of. " Ifche^couiifcryi they^'woiklU'^bd m him a ihostt i»rdentsuppo^r>:^i^piarisft) ' J i "' Mr; SAirNDrßi-fregVeKea't'lVat tW Rebate abould iave tbeen, bvduglit" fe>r%a^d h m L ah jnanner calculated to change -the personnel j|jL the GoTernment benches. (No.no:) yTvith i^gardHoHthe iGovermnent prop(fsaj3 ! ibewjinot altogfljer satisfied with tliem, l»d Bt tbe stme ti.ne.he, t.hougljt-t'aat tlie •uppprters of tiiej ; aai|ent{me i nt origlit|tb| te}l : the House what pnnciplest'a'eyjpiwijpbsed to adopt i»vplace^ of those 1 wliicji.tliejff we>«[ pow, endeavoring I ( s|<4'u))Wtl i 'He nid tie greatest respect for the Colonial Trej^arep,j "but, he could pot saj as mucb witlj i regard J to -one or twp;em6ry.j TfVajiiJi^rs they had m r the House, notably tlie hoiViTmeuiijei' for Akapo«,- r wlio He was glad tb fiiid tdat ■ n^ght :■■■• had veVy soon Ijft': 6S ; talk;Hg • figui-esi \ At tbe . same time,' he ' was not going" "wa^ree jpll . the p;vpO3al« ;pf the. hon; iheiniemberfor Mount Egmqnt< . Jt;'was. Isomiewhat, un-;-/;&i^cna^;^>at^ntle^^n.wMiflzed:-in't'Wel- • lington,^ as; tliat xl 'plapß; Itras:1 tras: Jby. no means a " i^!.) l 9 u^h^^i?'^i»* ! ft bplding^ his, > jpdsitibn. He"was,n6t ma* position |<j meet tbe situation \'" J with^ '*" Wiat cbld-;bio^dira-was iirabsolutely'4'^nece3s>ry, cbnridering the. present condition of ! the colonyVv^be^ty-ofibe House was pkin. nofc to vote more than a certain;: •urn, ' and it should be the duty of the Goyernmen{^lig; eip*3*tKiit : amount tp jthe-; best advantage., so far as the Civil Seifriee .^■r«scongern'ed: ia When the Colonial Ti-ea- . __ s)ur»Ejnefuse(l-last--year to-take"6iT£ ! b"e"tak on *£TicuU|iral implements he-fell vervHow m.. aius^tKi splaker's)^ estfm'atioli, iiid fallen much lower this jea.? when he pro-Po^Ml'^-JPff-^i.felilon the accumulated evidence of wealth. (Hear, hekrj) 7&* '*as; ■■ of opin,isft that it was a great tnistiake to introduce any new machiner? in^tbe rsnafcter bf Additional taiftion^-Witll re^avdJ to the Property-Tax it could not be denied tbat it was ,open ( tq c f saud r ub same ■:■ ragAfcfo'Sfci&bfW m favor of. an, |ncpme and l^nd<«x i-atbes' • pi^pe^rty titx! J TbVion. fentlem^ pro--ceeded to critjoise the speech of the hon. $}l»mbjr;fpi',Totai»;( t M:t. GiabbKaW at con-, >i*Bwble leagth. : oiWith regard to our loans, he hoped they had borrowed jthe last: B^^g rs*i 'they Jwould^ erer'boi'rbSf. For. •:£i«"dw?T^art lie should always m .thefutu'p vote against the raising of another . I<W. y '^'^"JfHg to the jjaxJon sbipping;lie said be. cbiild not imagine-. a tax more inju.l'bus, or wliich would do moi:a to injure t;bercoJony. . Tbelleaat inju«)ouß fcoi-in We ' colbny wo'iild* be a laud' tax,- which s'apnld touch-la.id ■ ipeculafcpra as inudi as pbssible/biifc should touch improved lands as little as possible. AgainVvtheyCsbbuldHjailluxiiHes, but iiot that niacliine-y which produced those luiculies. Tiiey could tax tea add 'sugar, for he looked upon them n* f luxu.«ies. They could ♦oo tax lawyers aad and withsregard o doctqq,. be,b.el' e « d t'«ey would! be fetter witlfout tI»A (Laugh tfllr.) „, £ % JtyfKfpM; *' >le ? m«*t all agree tbat xthe couniry Wks m vei-y sti-aitened circumstances, aud ljb? waai^for tlie House to sar Whetber tbe scheme proposed by. the Go-" ■T??!°™«n fc vf" »;soupd one. , He did not .*ltmk#irjA;arfd'He'wdulcl fieU' favor o? a |and and income tax, and increased Customs ■■*° t s.^ e ,V t^^W--JW»Mi?y t«. He froali prefer-to seii ttfe tea and sugar duties w-mtrpducad. rat^ep thap. to (seethe pro'perfcyVtai ißaTriea "intd'effeeti (I^o.) His pwa ppmjW-was-tbat-the's.ubjet^ h^3 not been treated iq>hat $vm i apd seatesmanlike A aray that ii'-ougnt'tp"have"'been B/i6heMHpn. • the Colonel Ti'eatsure-A He did noli s agree, Jith the * reduction' of Ministers' salarii, ut he was 'of opinion that there miglitibe 'a considerable > eduction 4n j connection Jwith "th* J Legislative qonnpjl. ' The paymentjof membtrs of tliat body was a g/eat afistaL9>n(t pqgiit:tbibe:r»bolisJied/- °With re-" gard (otbe Lower House there should be a medium stvuck and no move paid tlian Would suffice to cover members' expenses. The time wo^uld come when: New Zealand yrouldtake^vec its>wn debt. If it did 1 so' ;25t^?- a -^- % ■<fr-i'**& *m?pnt oigood/ 1 IThe bon. . gsnl lemim exfjainetl tb e, grouiids '■' M 5H r wh!iph*he l'troMemned 't'Sjs , pa-opertf f tax. 'Jfa the report'bf the Civil Service iCpinnlU•ion, be said he qon.sidened Lhat it was -of so serious that it ought to be fol-:i lowed upby the Gorei-nineht.: Tlie r reports Pf "•? ' o^F nojoubt, place- a "tegeamount of valuable information l&s%£ * h 5 Js°«^' 1 ?« reTiewed's'omejof fne speeches made the Ministerial aide, Wd concluded -By ■ diiag/eeing with some a sectioulof. "the Prei«; who liaS cbamcteiised fcbe*pee'ch • :Pf tD »<bpM'Vmemb^: %ri;Waitom J aiea 5 (Mr. Wood) afljhe imo^i telling speephtbe debate. He considered tliat aW fpee^rfi^mithat^entlenVan 1 / b'bwever^fluent' delivery, would -not influence auv honest Pf"&?r^ !94{c«l»d(*lie Jdea>?of tHat irentlftntn givmg a certificate of chamier to the member fPlf the Tlrames, ot the member for Port Chalmers... Uudertbe nvotect- < t&% ; ; wing fit tl^e 6ne J he (Mr. WbbiiVhnd ser 5 curedhis ieitf-in ifie Hbuie'. '! o 'nlr six> : , montHs agdithe^O^p-ysiftpni udcleVtlfeVdyice of that, same gdntlemau, appointed Mrr jltacandww their leader. Tbe latter gentiemtnXwdsitbe^ aaeofdmg -tcf M:'. Wopd's •• "he "Was the Wirerse; .'^t was unfo.-tunate \°S ty'JS&Z&tty timeth^t L in selecting Mr. tfac«ndttw ; as tfieir general, t hey choje s. Mr - Wood as l>is.JlMt lieuteuant.- When the 'party Kadf buckled on their politiojil armour,; and- were, earnest m the figbr, the" said i lieut^tniofc; if]j& non-Cbdmi's-•toned officei*s, by pre-a-rrangemeift, stepped ' un ? hea *«dithejr p.^puejaFswOTds, anci scabbed tbeLp comrades from behind. (A.bptause.) ."• f