PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1122, 22 November 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

"VVkllixoton", September 21. In the Legislative Council to-day, The Oamaru il arbor Board Bill was .reatLa third time and.p;issed.. . . '/'At'tlie pverring sitting•,tlia Qualifi&ition Bill passed the second 'reading oji the The Miners' Rights Fees Reduction Bill was "thrown out.by £4 to 10/

In the House or "Representatives today, ' ..-i;- : Jc: - On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr. Pyke said that in the County of Vincent arrangements had been made extending the expenditure over a period of years. At present the county was committed to contracts amounting to LIiOjOOO, and if subsidies were " discontinued, where was the guarantee that they would be provided with funds ? The Act provided that these Bi;bqidie3 were to extend over a period of five and 011 that understanding heavy obligations had been contracted for. Subsidies worp not the best way for providing for the wants of counties. A better mode would be to set asido the land fund for the purpose. Bo that as it might, some provision would have to be made, and it was for the House to insist on a definite assurance being given. The counties should have had at least twelve months' notice of the proposal. He denied the right of the late Government to take the land fund and appropriate it as consolidated revenue. He then movad to an amendment to.the motion for going into Committee of Supply, " That the proposal of the Colonial Treasurer be not assented to re removal of subsidies to local boards, until an assurance is given that provision will be made for an equivalent to subsidies proposed to be taken'away." Sir George Grey defended the late Government in having appropriated the land fund for the purposes of revenue. The Government did not sell land in the proper sense of the word. In parting with the laud they did it according to the usual acceptation of tho word —only settled population upon it—a population by which means of bearing the burdens of the biate would bo provided. The amendment was thou carried. Mr. Stewart moved a further amendment to the effect that this House, considering the circumstances under which the Government took office, refuses to grant supplies until the Government give a distinct pledge that they will, during the present session., bring down a Redistribution of Seats Bill. He argued that the Regulation of Elections Bill passed by the House without a redistribution measure placed the Colony in a more illiberal condition than it had previously been in. The amendment was lost on the voices. The motion for going into Committee of Supply waa then put and carried, and the Estimates were brought on for consideration. Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs, the first item, was being put, when Mr. Montgomery moved that progress be reported, and objected to the passing of the Estimates with the meagre information tliev had.

Mr. Shephard pointed out that the salaries proposed in the Postal Department excess of those paid last year. In the present state of the finances, he thought that it was a mistake. Mr. Hall replied, and in doing so pointed out iiiat the work had increased verv considerably, mid 10 was only fair that increased remuneration should be paid.

Mr. J. T. Fisher said the increase had been proposed bv the late Government, and was one which, considering the importance of the department, was both fair and reasonable. Mr. Ballance denied that these were the Estimates prepared bj' the late Government, If he was rightly informed, the Estimates now submitted had been carefully concealed in the Cabinet. They were only departmental, ami no attempt had been made to ascertain how far they fitted in with the general finance of the Colony. The increase proposed in this one department was LoO.OOO. A proposal of that kind could only be j-u.iHed by most exceptional circumstances, and no such circumstances had heen shown, In that case he would support the views of Mr. Montgomery, that the consideration of the Estimates should be postponed till they had the detailed particulars of the financial proposals before them. He had been told the Land and Property Tax Bill was prepared. Why was it kept back ? It was obsolutelv necessary they shot.ld have that measure before them before taking up the Estimates.

Mr. Turnbull said he felt it his duty to propose a reduction of the salary proposals before thcip. He found tlin-t there was paid, or proposed to be paid, in salaries over L2OO per annum, the amount of L-10,000, Tho time had now arrived when it would bo nocessary to out down all departmental salaries, from the highest down to the very lowest. Meantime it would be much more advisable to adopt the motion for the postponement till the financial proposals were before them. The Educational Department was anothor department that would have to be cut down. It was impossible that the Colony could go on. p.-tying these large sums year after 3'ear. Mr! SppigUS spulye in support of the amendment for postponing .consideration of the Estimates, Mr. Swanson thought the Estimates might be very woll reduced by L 50,000. He was on a Committee that day in which an expose of the rotten state of tho public service took place. It was shown that a number of highly-paid Civil servants were not only useless but absolutely mischievous. He warned new members, from past experience, tifat there was not the slightest possibility of Tflakifig any considerable reduction unless the Estimates were sent back for reconstruction by the Government.

Mr. Hall said it was the extravagant demands of the public which necessitated a large Civil service. He complained that a post-office was demanded here, a telegraph oiKce there, and so on. That was the way the service had become so very large. It was not tlie doing of Ministers. It was a' thing for which the fcztrovagant demands of the public wpre solely responsible, Mr. Adams was inclined to support the proposal that the Government should take back the Estimates and make considerable reductions. Mr. Hutchinson submitted that they might fairly increase the salaries paid, and reduc.e the number of employes. There were a whole host of Resident Magistrates, for example, Now a good deal of work done by them might be undertaken by J.P's. There was a Government officer for every 19 inhabitants of the Colony, man, woman, and child. They ought to set their faces against the appointnjenj; of an official everywhere. He supported tlie amendment. It was wrong to discuss the Estimates'until'they had the whole financial scheme before them,