HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 278, 23 November 1877, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

: WellinotoS, Thursday, i The House met at 2-30 this afternoon. Leave of absence for ten days was granted Mr Lusk.

Replying to questions Ministers said:— ,(1.) They intended to appoint a Royal Commission on the Jackson's Bay Settlement (2.) The Island of Opas where a lighthouse was being erected, at the North Cape, was termed surplus land purchased from the natives long ago by the Rev Mr Taylor. (3.) i The Government had nat assented to the saie of the site of the Mataura paper mills (4 ) They would not object to the House sitting on Saturday for business.

The following new Bills were introduced: Bill to endow the Waikato Harbor Board with sOno acres of land (Sir R. Douglas), and the Gisborne Harbor Bill (Mr Morris). The Imprest Supply Bill, No. 7, for .£IO,OOO passed through all its stages. The debate was resumed on the Financial btatement by Mr Stevens, who at considerable length reviewed the Financial Statements of the late and the present Government. He very strongly condemned the generalisation of the land fund as verv unfair to Canterbury, and a chauge which should not be made : without first appealing to the country aud . giging the people a choice between such a proposal and increased taxation. It was a mistake to treat provincial liabilities as a recurring liability, or to advance this as a i ground for seizing the land fund. If Mr : Larnach desired to iuspire confidence in the •' mouey market he should, before the session ended, retract his authoritative declaration : of the almost insolvency of the colony. Mr Boweu strongly condemned the radical '■ and sudden change of policy involved iu: seizing the hind revenue without taking the opinions of the people. Neither the North nor the South had any guarantee under this policy. Canterbury would lose £380,000 this year as between the proposals of the late aud the present Government. Mr Gisborne said he had opposed the present Government because he thought from their autecedents thai their retention of office was a standing menace to the unity of the colony. He found in the Financial Statement a pledge to maintain the unity of the colony, and while they adhered to this policy he would support them. He approved generally of the policy of Mr Larnach's statement, especially of the real localisation of a portion of the land fund. He defended Sir G. Grey from Major Atkinson's attack in regard to events prior to 1854. Mr Sutfcon condemned the whole policy of the Government as essentially centralising Nothing was done to improve local Goverment. He strongly opposed the localising of any portion of land fund. The whoie should be taken. :

Mr Reid was speaking jwhen the hour of adjournment arrived.

' Friday. Mr Reid strongly condemned the seizure of the Land Fund, and expressed his want of confidence in Mr Larnach on account of his Squatting connections.^ It, was because , of hisr refusal to-.agree to the extension of the tenure of Southland lands that Mr Larnach ceased to support the late Government. Mr Stout replied at length to the varions Opposition speeches, and ridiculed the idea of the Opposition making the Ministerial policy an open question. He declared Major Atkinson's figures incorrect, and reviewed the finance of the late Ministry to show its unreliable character, shifting from year to year to catch vp,te3. If 0 tago now suffered it was owing to Mr Reid deserting'his' party He denied the statements of Mr Reid about Mr Larnach, and said that; his party were the real favorites of the squatters. The settlement of the land was more important than the land fund.

„Mr .Montgomery detfrefi to see the Government bills before making mind ■ fully on their policy.; Canterbury shoilld v msi3t if therland fund waijto be colonised on having one land law and a. uniform price for lan,d throughout the colony. The bold policy ' •of the present Government wm preferable to the petty pilfering policy of- the -late one,but he would nofe pladge himself to it till he' knew the details. , He .urged direct taxation , of property as the only means of really preserving a.sqund economical finance, and urged that even this session & tax, say, of halfpenny in the.£, like the Wellington educa- . {aoii rate, Should be imposed. He had sqme confidence 1 in the present, but none in' 6he> late Ministry. He thought tha proposed loan " was raiher too large. j Mr Ormond oonsidered a uniform' priqe^ for land utterly impossible. He declared that the so-called provincial liabilities and 1 supplementary estimates foundry the prese n£ "• 'Government were only pched'ules prepared to be considered by the late Ministry. He would strongly oppose most of the former' being carried oa and public money being, wasted on them. They were chiefly bogus' 1 esiamates from Ofcago. jHa woald ;a!so"oppose a four million loan as unnecessary, and only to be obtained at a sacrifice of millions. He referred to Sir George Grey's reference in his first speech after taking office, to the* £170,000 claims outstanding v by contractors' 1 aud which Sir George Grey aaid would prd-\ bably be found due, and said th^at moat q£ these were attempts on Mrßrogden's part tb< take advantage of the terms of She contracts to make the colony pay for work never done These claims were . simply monstrous, and.ifc was a significant fact that Brogdena' firm were strenuous supporters of the present Ministry, and were mainly instrumental in putting them on the Treasury benches. Sir G. 'Grey said that .was utterly falsa. I Mr Ormoud repeated the statement. Sir G. Grey he would ask fora Committee to investigate the charge, and moved that the wbrds be taken down.. . .After some altercation Mr Ormond admitted She words used and Continued that he was justified ia using them. He then withdrew.

; Mr Stout moved that the words were derogatory to the privileges of the Hause, as implying a charge that members' rotea were influenced by contractors, and thafc Mr Ormond be required to apologise. Nearly two hours of very warm and rather disorderly discussion ensued, the Speaker Several times appealing to the House to preserve order, and at last to let the affair drop.

Sir G. Grey denied having had any communications with Brogdens about their claims, and said he thought their firm was hostile to him upon Cap6. Holt's former connection with it.

Several resolutions and amendments were proposed, and ultimately all were \?ithdrawn in favor of one by Mr Stafford, expressing regret that Mr Ormond had ased such words and asking him to withdraw them. ! On entering the House Mr Ormond comIplied with this request, and continued his speech. He strongly supported generalising the land fund now that ifc could be done without endangering the unity of the colony. He ; would support the present Ministry in taking he land fund, and then do his best; to put in another Ministry to administer it. The motion for going into supply waa then agreed to, and the vote for the Legislative departments passed. Progress was reported and the House rose at 1-30 a.m.