PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1296, 2 June 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, June 1. In the Legislative Council to-day, The Address in Reply was brought up by Committee and read. It was merely formal. Dr. Grace gave notice to move its adop? tion next day. One Sessional Committee was appointed, and notice given for several others. The Council adjourned at 2.45.

In the House of Representatives today. Mr. Pyke gave notice that he would ask the Government whether it was their intention to bring in a Bill to prohibit religious and party processions. Mr. Hunt gave notice that he would ask what steps the Government inieuded taking to prevent the spread of pleuropneumonia from the North to the South Islands.

A new Licensing Bill was introduced by a message from the Governor, and read a first time.

The following Bills were introduced and read a first time :—•Regulation of Elections Bill, Corrupt Practices Prevention Bill, Election Petitions Bill, Native Reserves Bill, Native Lands Contracts Yaluation Bill, Tauranga Land Bill, Bill to Amend the Several Acts Relating to Municipal Corporations. After discussion, Mr. Hall's motion that the General Committee should not exceed ten members was agreed to. Notice was then given of the appointment of Sessional Committees.

Colonel Trimble moved the Address in Reply. He referred to the allusion in the Speech to the monetary pressure lately experienced throughout the whole colony. The late plentiful harvest would, he apprehended, have the effect of alleviating the pressure. It was to this source, as well as the probable increase in the price of wool, that he looked for a complete revival of commerce, and not to any further loan operations on the part of the colony. He referred to the deficiency in the colonial revenue. The estimate by the Colonial Treasurer was that the deficiency would be about one-eighth of the revenue. The change in the financial year caused the term to be shorter than it would otherwise have been, and yet the deficir ency during that time had actually beer; a million of money, or in other words, a sum in excess of the estimated deficiency. The proposal made by the late Government to make up the defi-

ciency by taxing coioaial 'bondholders to the extent of 3d in the £ ho strongly reprobated at "the time.; The present proposal was by far the most honest, it was that they should tax themselves. The property tax had been mentioned as inquisitorial, but he contended that ; suchwas not the case \ the fact was that this tax touches the population in a way to which they had not been accustomed ; it was the difference between direct and indirect .taxation, which created the difficulty with the taxpayer. ■ He, however, contended that direct taxation was by far the least Expensive of the two modes. He thought that-the exemption clause should be reconsidered, and if deemed necessary, to provide an exemption which- would be merely a nominal one. He thought they: should be very careful before in any way interfering with the present system of education. If a charge of lQs per head werp to be made upon every child, the amount wauid not exceed L 28,000 per annum, and then it would be the means of at least one-third of the present number being withdrawn from school.. He hoped that the present system of free education would be carefully maintained. He defended the appointment of commissions a,s a means of gaining information, on which the Government could act; if for the purpose of ; shirking responsibility, then it would be the abuse of the system. After reviewing the purposes of the various commissions, he spoke at some length regarding the interim report presented by the Native Commission. It had been stated that after its recommendations were carried but, there would be 110 land left for European settlement. His communication was that the report recommended that 100,000 acres should be given to the natives, which would leave 300,000 for settlements -Great advantage, however, would be taken of the satisfactory solution of ' native diff[ca(ty i wtych would mark a new era of progress and prosperity in the history of the Colony. Whatever they might otherwise thiuk of Te Whiti, they must always bear in mind that he had all along preached peace, and to that fact they were no doubt indebted for the good order that had pre- • vailed.

Captain Russell seconded the motion. Mr- Macandrew said that if the address had any faults at all, they were signs of omission, not of commission. He thought it would have been well had they been told that it was the intention of the Government to repeal the property tax. ,He knew for a fact'that, in view of its imposition, many valuable colonists were gathering up all they could preparatory to leaving the Colony. . He .had not much hope of "any good resulting, from the labors of the Local Industries Commission. The best part of the address, to his mind, was that which promised them a short session. They had had too much time spent in useless legislation, to the detriment of their administration. He hoped they were about turning over a new leaf in that respect. He suggested that''the Assembly should meet in the morning, and the committees in the evening, he thought, would tend to the despatch of business. His object in rising was to support the motion.

Dr. Wallis described the Speech as one of the worst he had ever listened to. He would undertake to prove that the present Qovernment had made more errors, faults, apd blunders in their eight months of office than their predecessors had in their two years. He reviewed at considerable length. the constitution of the Government, and its unfulfilled promises, which were legion. The motion was then put and carried without dissent.

A committee was appointed, who brought up the Address in Reply. On the motion for the second reading, Major Wheoro and Tawhio both spoke, remarking on the reference in the Address to the native question, and expressing approval of Colonel Trimble's remarks about Te Whiti.

Sir G. Grey said the true cause of the depression in New Zealand was the pre* sent Ministry. The fault was both real and apparent. The Treasurer's alarming statement must have been prejudicial to the Colony. The public works should not have been stopped as they were. The effect of these proceedings have been to create a panic. It was not the proper time to reduce wages. It would have been much wiser to proceed vigorously with public works, and curtail their proceedings in that way when flourishing times again came round. The Premier stated in his speech to his constituents that the burden of taxation would fall on tKe wealthier classes. The fact was that the burden of taxation "fell or> the poor classes ; that is, classes who were not worth L 50 0; the tax would eventually fall on the retail dealer, consequently the tax would fall on the population at large. The sooner a tax of this kind was swept away the bptter ; and he advjsed Ministers to get it repealed,' as being unfair in principle. It was bad, it held put inducements for the dishonest to make false returns, \yith the yiew of bplsterjng up their credit. He earnestly appealed to Ministers to repeal the tax. Mr. Hall said the advice of the previous speaker about getting rid of the property tax bad not been accompanied by any suggestion of a mode in which they were to provide for the large deficit created by the Government of which he (Sir George Grey) was the head. He understood that an income tax was what was hiuted at. Now that would surely be a tax which would fall on the general public, in accordance with the theory expounded by tlie preyious speaker. The prqposal made by Sir George Grey to tax the outside bondholder was in reality a proposal to break faith with him, inasmuch as they had made a bargain with him to give certain interest for money he had lent. The depression was in the Colony before the Government took office, consequently the Government could not possibly be responsible for it. No doubt the disclosures of the Treasurer were taken serious notice of, but it was absolutely necessary that these disclosures should be made, otherwise both the credit and the administration of the Colony would have been completely ruined, The faGfc was that the rate of expenditure during the 'last nine months would be greater than could be possible during the next niue months. He had been challenged to state the policy of the Government. It was this : To amend its laws, reform its administration, and place its finances on a sound basis.

Mr. Pyke referred to the inquisitorial character of the property tax. He criticised the Railway Commission, contending that its inspection of the district to which he belonged was utterly worthless, having been nothing morp than a flying visit. The motion for a second reading was then put and carried without dissent. The House rose at 9.35.