HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 185, 4 September 1878, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellixoton, Tuesday night. In the House this afternoon before taking the business on the paper, Mr Sheehan announced that he would not make his Native statemeut to-night, nor until such time as the debate on the Land Tax Bill was concluded would they take any other business. In reply to Mr Murray, Mr Macandrew, said the reason Newcastle coal was used on the Otago railways in preference to Kaitangata was because the latter caused clinkers, and otherwise had been found not so suitable for the railway. The adjourned debate on the Land Tax Bill was resumed by Mr Gisborne, who severely criticised several of the proposals, especially the Beer and Joint Stock Companies Tax. He heartily approved of the Land Tax principle, though he did not quite agree with the way it was put in practice, and if the Government insisted upon carrying their proposals as a whole, he would be reluctantly compelled to support them inorder to preserve the Land Tax. Mr Rowe regretted having to oppose all the proposals. Mr Kelly criticised all in detail and at considerable length. The Land Tax he considered so objectionable that he must oppose it, and if the Government insisted upon it, he would have to consider what course he would adopt. Mr Thomson confined his remarks mainly to the Land Tax to which he objected on several grounds. The debate was interrupted by 5.30. Wednesday. On the House resuming at 7*30, Major Atkinson resumed the debate in a speech of two hours, in the course of whicb he endeavored to show the House that the imputations made last session by the Premier as to the way the accounts of the late Government were kept were all unfounded, that the present Government accepted all the figures of their predecessors, and that instead of the Premier saving £100,000 on their estimates as he had promised, he had actually expended £7000 more than they asked for, and this year their estimates were £17,000 more than last year. He then criticised in detail all the financial proposals of the Government, alleging that the proposed taxes were unequal, unfair, and not what the country required; that the Government had not kept a single promise made last year. He referred to the stories about the intentions of the Government regarding separation,and said be would believe it until such time as he got a distinct denial from the AttorneyGeneral and Minister for Works. He said he conld not vote for the amendment, and was uncertain whether to vote for tbe Bill. Mr Stout replied to the arguments of the last speaker at considerable length. As to the separation rumor he said the only ground there was for making such a charge was that some members of the Government were avowed Separationists. The real reason for raising that cry was that the member for Egmont was afraid to meet the Government with a vote of no-confidence, and so he tried to weaken the influence of Ministers by leading the House to believe there was some sinister design to bring about separation. If the member for Egmont thought the Government policy a sham, as he said, let him defeat them on it, and let them go to the county uu it. After defending oil the prooosals of the Government he said no other Government ever proposed so many radical reforms in one session, and they had made up their minds that on these measures they would stand or fall. Messrs Gibbs and Hursthouse having adversely criticised the proposals, the House adjourned at 1*25 a.m.