PARLIAMENTARY. HOUSE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 279, 5 December 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY. HOUSE.

Wellington-, Thursday night. The report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the Government producing certain telegrams sent to and by the members of the late Government on electioneering matters was brought up. Seven telegrams, the report said, ought not to have been laid od the table. Five messages were originally paid for by the seeder and forwarded through by the department to Ministers, and two were sent through mistake of the Telegraph Office. Seventy six telegrams had been sent and received by the Government on election subjects. No blame was imputed to anyone. Mr Montgomery asked that the evidence be read, but the motion wa9 withdrawn in favor of one to print the same, after which, the subject to be discussed by the House. The Premier opposed the "reading of any part of the report, as the proper course was to have the whole of the minutes printed. Ultimately the question to read the minutes of the previous day's sitting of the Committee waa negatived by 41 to 32. During the debate the allegation was made that the draft report of the Committee wa3 submitted to the Government prior to being laid before the House. Mr Tole moved as an amendment that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the allegation that the Government had been made aware of the contents of the report. Mr VVakefield said that he drew up the report, and assured the House that not a soul knew anything of the contents, whereupon Mr Tole withdrew his amendment. Mr Sheehan said the House was to be asked to condone a felony, and the culprits finding out their mistake had caused the telegrams to be sealed up, but he knew of a power higher than the House, and he should use that power to find out who took these telegrama from the office, and were the means of their publication in more than one paper in the colony. The debate was kept up with considerable warmth until it was interrupted by 5.30. Friday. I Ail last night was occupied over the Property Tax Assessment Bill. Major Atkinson moved the second reading, | and justified its provisions at some length.

He objected tc tbe imposition of a land tax ?.ud denied tha the speculator could be kept out of the market by such means. He alio denied that land should he the ouly form of property that should be appealed to to create revenue. The Bill was prepared somewhat hastily, hut as hon members r/ci-e grossing for it, the Government thought it better to bring it down containing the main principles they wished to hit ro luce. There were some matters not quite clear that the Government would be willing to have amended in Committee. He explained the proposed working of the Act, showing that there would be no unnecessary or impertinent prying into persons' private affairs, and the administration would he with the people, independent of and without the influence of tho Govern ment. It was absolutely necessary to have some tax ou which tliey could always re ly to meet their engagements with outside creditors, and such a tax as that now proposed would effect this. He said the House would meet again iu .May, when it would he quite competent to reduce the taxation as was thought necessary. It was possible the loan would uot bo floitcd till next March, aud if they were to show that they had provided hy lu-creascct taxation for all contingencies, the mouey would he far more easily obtained. He thought by such a tax they would inflict no unbearable burden on the settlers, and at the same time would provide funds aud secure the credit of the colony. Major Atkinson was loudly cheered on corcludiug. Mr Ballance followed in a speech of 1 [. hours. He said that both sides admitted the necessity of extra taxation, but he questioned the estimates of the Treasurer as containing a lot of hi'guß items, Hepointel out that the Government had come round altogether from what they had gone for at the beginning of the session. He proceeded to showthat the proposed tax would fall unequally. He denied that the credit of the Colony depended on one tax, but on the whole scheme of taxation. He compared the land tax with the Bill under discussion very un favorably to the latter, and urged that an income tax would be far more equitable, as under the scheme proposed professional incomes would be exemnted altogether, which he deemed most unfair. He denied that the amount was wanted and alleged that a crushing taxation was being imposed. The lalliug off in the revenue was altogether beyond the control of any Government, for it was the land revenue only that had fallen so far | short of their expectations, and that had also occurred in other Colonies, so there was nothing that could be attributed to the action of the Government. He blamed the present Government for having obstructed the Loan Bill till the most favorable opportunity that had occurred in the money market for many years had passed away. He made a vigorous attack on the estimates made by the Treasurer, and showed that he had made a number of miscalculations, principally through changing the financial year so as to end on the 31st March. In the land tax alone there was a wrong estimate of £50,000 out of the £147,000. The Atkinson Government in 18"7 had absorbed all the money supposed to be available to their successors, aud which formed au incumbrance on them during the following year. He denied that the hon. member * for Port Chalmers was resnonsible for the expenditure of the £2,000,000, of which the Government had made so much, and showed from a former statement of the present Treasurer that the money was spent before the Grey Government came into office. Kegardiug the land fund he showed that although the hon. gentleman had accused them of liviug on the land fund, he himself had lived on it to a farther extent and had converted it into general revenue, and had thus made it available for what he considered improper purposes. After criticising the estimates to the mit.utest details, Mr Ballance sat down amidst loud cheers. A somewhat spiritless discussion followed till 2.45 a.m., when the Bill was read the second time, and the House adjourned. The following is the division list : — Ayes 24 : Atkinson, Bain, Bowen. Dick, Gibbs, Hall, Hirst, Hnsthourse, Kelly, Pitt, Kenny, McLean, Murray, Seymour, Shanks, Richardson, Bolleston, Saunders, Studholme, Stevens, Sutton, Swanson, Trimble, Wright — Noes 14 : Andrews, Barron, Delatour, J. T. Fisher, George, Gisborne, Harris, Steward, Hislop, Speight, Tole, Seddon, Shephard, Moss.