PARLIAMENTARY.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 143, 23 August 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

| [per press .agency.]!,,, i HOUSE OF. REPRESENTATIVES.- . ! . ; ' Wellington,' August 19. 1 : The’ IfoUise resumed at half-past seven;. fest‘evening,'when;, ;Mr Curtis took dp’the adjourned debate’ on the Gouhties Bill. While supporting the second reading, he said he considered the’ Bill a ! powerful machinery for doing very little. '.The scope of the operations-of the local .bccbss^ should , be. enlarged,-so-as; to indhoe'abler men to conie forward;-and-' take part in public affairs. County Conn-' tils should be enffustied with all thedocal administration in the same way as in'Eng-land!-G Ho’lipped tq See all sorts of Boards'; Absorbed in Counties. |Mr Rolleston-opposed the,Bill as unsuit--able and unnecessary—a' cumbrous and unfit substitute for: Provincialism; leading; toinextrieable cpnfqsion between-Co.unties, \ Road-.Boards, , and... the ; Governor. ~ Tim." substantial. revenue, .he ,doubted, and' the borrowing powers were .a sham.- It was ,amissing 5 link - between Road Boards and'the.' general Gdverhmeht, but; it began' at-, the” wrong end.- l,t ‘ ji,r ’-■• '■ ’’ ■ 1 ’ I Mr Donald Reid said the provinces, would ie;:abolished'Qn the. 30th;September, apd,pnless the Bill i passed; the^whole, colony; Would,, be, thrown anjl. the i( iri jury/would’Re .serious.;' H-e.,v/ould\nbt' be 'acting justly thbis/^bnstitilhnts : ,if : he’ were • a ■’partyßo bHrig v -ab'6ut B,uch , ’ : a’ :, 9tate of things ; While' ' he''- supported the second reading, he-firmly believed that dfter,-a.shojttrial T of / Counties they, would be'glad tb revert tq 'tlie province's. 1 Mr Montgomery entirely agreed with the last-speaker,' : and suggested that Canterbury liemut up into’ not more. than.three counties , (asiMr Reid vyished Otago,to be),-and the. people consulted as to the boundaries.. He dbj ectcd^tpJhe of , jubsidiesj aA defnicibusr" ‘ : ■! Mr Waspn- supported thq ;Bill { ’ ; / '/ r ’ | Dr’ Uodgkinfcdn would riof vote for the Bill- lh : i ! Mr. Gibbs 3irpportew.the Bill in the hope, of seeing important 'amendments; Mr llurns was/utterly; opposed to the Bill in'every way. ; , -

Mr Stout opposed ■■■.the Bill in a long speech, attacking it on many grounds—the rating, die bounilftriea, its tendency to' create jealousy and discontent between the towns and the country The Bill was all for property and property holders, and must throw the legislation dial land fund into their hands. The thirty-hind counties would be a source of greater wrangling' than was ever known before. Sir H. t.toiiglas supported the Bill,- as it would enable the people of his district to/ spend their own money. Mr Lumsden disapproved of a great deal in the Bill, but ■under,-,the,peculiar jaccutnstances of the case he would support the second reading.:? I, ( .'/ t T] [ '"Mr Lusk regarded’the" Bill as/a flimsy * d©l ttSlOnrr^^vrs^ss-r- -‘Wa «a- 1 "zratt urauae aswuus .' Mr Thompson opposed the Bill generally. - 1 - ..i! 1 T f ■']} >: A I>iA.i L A.ilgtiaL22. The! Btofuse iriet-at-2.30.- - Leave [of absence., giyqn-j.tq Messrs and' Larpach.p, ~ J’ The' adjourned;.-debate on ,tfiq County Coqnmls‘Balt with' ‘iesu'rde'd by BoWe/whb supported the‘Bill/ though he said it would require' a great deal* Of alteration to make it-suitable foe the; wantsi of -all'iparts-of the colony.- 1 :iftm ■ b. - t ■ . ■ -,- Mr Macandrew,- Who’ followed,-, spoke vehemently. Against* the, j Bill,, though he' said’it being permissive, It 1 Was not likely to be taken advantage' of, at any rate in Otagbi . It ! was- the 1 coolestupieco .of effrontery he; ever .heard of, to tell people south of Waitaki, riVer,- that .Abolition was* for their benefit, arid lie' macm Sure the' people would not stand;, it.- ‘The moment Abolition became law,- that moment would be the'' death: knell of the'' unity, of the' colony." ' - .-f --- - • • Mr W. Wobdhaving oppbsed the Bill, -Sir George Grey’s-amendments wc". put ; and-lost on the Voices. 1 , . • \ . ; The ( Secbnd,reading; moved; by Prp- \ mier . who, , a moment or so before, appeared ias if going t,o speak was’not in his'seaf, and, [ second reading wais agre'ed to offtlie voices' • without any reply from; the‘mover. ; The 1 femaindef of the , afternoon' the ; House waS in Committee' on the Municipal ■ Corporations Bill. ’ ,■ ? . j 1 Gn resuming; at 7.30/ .the; House.will ‘ consider the composition of the Committee I to- decide, ab: to. the: boundaries of counties ;in the'SouthTsland. c ' The' f oflowing is the precis of a statement •;by‘ Sir; Donkld M'Lcan of land I 'purchase ; during' 1875-6’t— 1 After referring to* former difficulties the ..- Government f bad*; to’;; cbhteifd I With in acquiring native- Jahd/ cettse'^ferjt;oni the'- ■ superior, ■ advantages offered by. capitalists.and he said-that during the; past yeat Government agents- had hot been ; less ekpbsed hi the'same. BiflKulties; ‘ 1 I Ta the north of Anfckland/M8,85G acrea’ [have been acquired [or 2s per acre. Surveyors report it! well adapted for settlement,i-ahd appeals have' been’made, by natiyes to’.-haye these lands 1 peopled by Enropeahh;- Of the above purchases- 229,557 .acres Were handedto the' province of Auckland, to be'dealt with 1 by tlmhprpvince:unaer t existing,.larid, laws.(The- Ghv'erhmbnt'doubt’if it be’desirable’ to abquire'morfe land after present negotiations are completed. * ....... * > In? Gorohiandel' and!,Tham&s^'.districts 5 some 119,000 acres were' purchased, on 1 which payinfentsi have been made, .nearly of £I6;OO0, 'at the urgent reqtrest of the' Superintendent,'in thte T belief that the land 1 , was auriferohs. The total-area in l thfe (Thames’ district was-' J45[444- acres,at a,cost of £23;231." ~, . .- : About 200,000 acres im Upper Thames 1 .and Piakb districts under hegociation.

’ Qwiiig' to’ difficulties 1 raised 1 by certain? Sections of the Arawa tribes,> larif! pur- - ichases have been discontinued at th.e Bay' Plerity'district' ; ' ■ Ire tbte" Tatipb 'about R)0,000' acres have been purchased’-' at a 1 cost off :£l4-j2ssbr about 2s lOd per acre. - , x 1 On 1 the East Coast,' very few purchases* are completed;, .’/ ' .[/. . • \ iWthe Upper Wairoa, 146,000 acres have;; been* acquired,, the" late/-hostile Uriwera’ tribe joining’iri fiie‘sale... 7 The total pdrcba&esf, in the Province of Auckland since' June, r 'ss&,■' ate 335,369 4 acres.; The total since' 1872 amobnt to" 1 at ~a tdtifl''dt)st of, , lor an a¥ef a&e'pWce' df'2siss| pbr adra. ; Theßotal purchases in+Wei-Jingtbn Pro-’ vineri sincb to’’ 58; : 425: acres.Theiotal phrchksesfare 440*927 acres,-at a> fii> Taranaki, ppr<?|hasos are completed of, 82,38i‘ acfesjoraafahga totalfor Taranaki'of 252,880''’acres/ at a'cbs't' of about 2s 1 10jd‘ per acffc;- Large 1 blocks are now under' negotiation. ,The’ tbtal'.purchases: completed’ North IslaM ate 1,769,972 acres the toiM ; incompleted 7 f acree.- r ; ■ j ■ ■■, : r ■ J ni