PARLIAMENTARY UNION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 264, 18 October 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY UNION.

The promoters of the Gisborne Parliamentary Union have every reason to be satisfied with the success which has so far attended their efforts. About 80 members have already paid subscriptions, 64 of whom were present last evening at Macfarlane’s Hall, in addition to nearly 200 visiting gentlemen and a gallery full of ladies. Parliament was opened by Commission. The Commissioners having entered and taken their seats, and other details being concluded, Mr. H. E. Kenny said : His Excellency the Governor, not thinking fit to be present here this day, hath been pleased, in order to the opening and holding of this Parliament, to cause letters patent to be passed under the seal of the colony, constituting us the several honorable members therein named his Commission, to do all things in His Excellency’s name and on his part necessary to be performed in this Parliament. In particular, His Excellency desires us to express his satisfaction at the choice of your Speaker-elect, who he is pleased to confirm in his appointment, and to whom on your behalf he is pleased to grant all your ancient rights and liberties. The Clerk of the House then read the Letters Patent. The Commissioner continued : Bis Excel lency has further empowered us to communicate to you his reasons for calling this Parliament together. The Governor’s Speech was read. The Commissioners afterwards retired, and the Speaker (Mr. Warren) took the chair. Mr. Speaker then asked the usual questions. He then announced a message from the Governor, as follows :— Governor's Message. His Excellency transmits to the House of Representatives the following Bills and recommends that they be passed into law. 1. A Bill to make provision for the Resumption of Native Lands upon certain conditions. 2. A Bill to make provision for the Resumption of Unimproved Land held in areas of over one square mile. 3. A Bill to authorise certain railways to be constructed. 4. A Bill to abolish the Property Tax. 5. A Bill to provide for the differential rating of unimproved lands in municipalities. 6. An Act to provide for the appointment of Parliamentary draftsmen, and to amend the practice of passing Bills through Committee of the whole House. 7. A Bill to establish a Secondary School at Gisborne. The bills were read a first time, and the second reading appointed for the next sitting da . Mr. DeLautour laid on the table a Bill to Abolish the Codlin Moth. On the motion for second reading of the “ Repeal of the Property Tax Act.”

Mr. Tharatt moved as an amendment “ That the bill be not read a second time until the Government bring down a bill to substitute some other tax,” The Premier pointed out that it was ’fit privilege of Government to tlx the oxdtX paper as they pleased. The amendment was ruled out of order. The House went into Committee on the Parliamentary Draughtsmen’s Bill. On clause 1 being put “That the salary be fixed at £BOO per annum,” Mr. Woon moved an amendment that the amount be £lOOO. The Premier called attention to the fact that the hon. member was speaking from the Strangers’ Gallery. The hon. gentleman came forward and took a seat on the Government benches. After he had again moved the amendment The Premier pointed out that although it was the privilege of hon. members to reduce the taxation of the country they were not allowed to increase it, The amendment was ruled out of order. M.. Tharratt moved that the sum beJ£7oo. Carried. Mr. Whitcombe moved, That the number of draughtsmen be three instead of two, A division was taken— Ayes, 24 ; Noes, 30. Clauses 2,3, and 4 were passed. On the motion ot Mr. J. W. Matthews, the words in clause 5 “be incapable of being” were struck out, and the words “ not be ” substituted. Clause 6 was passed. A long discussion ensued on clause 7. Mr. Gannon thought provision should be made to increase the salary if the House deemed it advisable. The Hon. Mr. V. G. Day and the Hon. the Premier defended the clause as it stood. Mr. G. K. Turton opposed the amendment. The Bill was then reported, with amendments, and agreed to. The Premier moved the third reading which was carried, and the Bill passed.

Address-in-Rcplg. The hon. member for Auckland City East, Mr. V. G. Day, rose amidst applause, and said as the custom in regard to moving and seconding the Address-in-Reply generally fell to the lot of young members of the House, it it was now his great privilege, and pleasure, to have the honor to move “ That a respectful address be presented to His Excellency, the Governor, thanking him for the speech he had caused to be delivered to the House.” Being a new member of that House he trusted that honorable members would extend to him that courtesy and consideration which was usually extended to any honorable members placed in the position in which he now found himself. He had the greatest pleasure in moving the Address, as he most heartily concurred, and coincided, in all the measures proposed by the Government. The principle upon which the policy of the Government seemed to outline itself was that of unimproved Native Lands bought by Europeans. The idea seemed to be that the Government should take all the Native lands that were now in occupation by the Natives, and should hold them until they had time to construct public works, in the shape of railroads, bridges, A’c., and then put them in the market, selling them to the highest bidder, and after that putting a quit rent on them. That also applied to the unimproved land held by Europeans. The idea if carried out would relieve the majority of the taxpayers as a perpetual quit rent would supply the place of the Property Tax, and would create a permanent revenue. It would increase as it went on, and would not remain absolutely stationary. When the Government sold their lands they would then buy over the unimproved values and would pay to the revenue the difference between the price realized, which would go a long way towards paying for the roads and bridges. This system would also be a step towards tl.e abolition of huge estates. He thought the Government might have gone a step farther and brought down a measure providing that no one person should hold more than one square mile of land whether freehold or leasehold. The conduct of the Public Works as mentioned in the speech would tend to promote the welfare of the East Coast, and the whole of the North Island generally. The idea of the formation of a Gisborne Harbor would commend itself to the finds of all Hon. Members. As regarded railways he thought the sooner they were finished the better for them all. The speaker then drew members’ attention to New South Wales, and fully explained how easily it was for that colony to borrow large sums of money at a favorable and profitable per centage. and asked why New Zealand could not do the same if her affairs were managed properly. He considered the establishment of a higher and secondary education would supply a want much felt especially in the large. * towns. The abolition of the present bankruptcy laws would be a big improvement, as they were only a gigantic system of collecting people’s debts. After further dilating on the subject, he moved the motion standing in his name. (Applause). Mr. E. J. Chrisp rose and seconded the motion just proposed by the hon. member for Auckland City East, with very great diffidence after the brilliant and well delievred speech of the hon. member. He assured them he would deal very leniently with the time and attention of the House upon the policy which had been so clearly enunciated to its members, not by any means because that policy was not worthy of it, but because he felt he could not do justice to its various principles, which principles should redound to the credit of the members, as they would most certainly be a source of very great benefit to the welfare of the people of this Colony at large. The Bill introduced by the Government to empower them to resume all Native land not actually in occupation was a wise measure, and one calculated to benefit the people of New Zealand, and justice would by it be done to both Natives and Europeans, and would to a great extent do away with that unpopular system of allowing wealthy capitalists acquiring large tracks of land, upon which no attempt at cultivation is made. As he had not fully digested the quit-rent system he would refrain from commenting on it. It was to be hoped the Government would be able to carry out their theory with regard to the abolition of the Property Tax. Tne land from which they received everything would then be made to bear at any rate a great part of those assessments and impositions in the shape uf a Land Tax, which would be derived from the quit rents. In conclusion he would just refer to one more question—the Debtors and Creditors Act—that had been a great source of trouble to them in the past, and was likely to be in the future. He might say on that question he was undecided, and he thought pardonably so, as were nearly all the members of the House, but he considered they might hit upon some happy medium shortly of regulating the debt and credit system. Captain Porter moved as an amendment, “ That the Ministry as at present constituted does not possess the confidence of the House.” He pointed out a number of defects in the policy as enunciated by the Premier.

Mr. Gannon spoke strongly against the policy. He seconded the amendment. The Hon. the Minister for Public Works (Mr. W. F. Crawford) defended the Government. Mr. Ferris supported the amendment. The Premier opposed the amendment, and twitted the Opposition with being disorganised, and with being afraid to allow the Government to develop their policy. Mr. Turton said as his constituents had extracted a promise from him that he would allow the Government to unfold their policy, he would on the present occasion give them his support. Captain Porter said he would agree to the division being allowed to stand over till next sitting, and with that object in view moved the adjournment of the debate, which was agreed to. The Premier moved “ That Captain Winter, Messrs. Matthews and Joyce, be a committee to draft an Address-in-Reply.” Agreed to. Notice of Questions. . The following notices of questions were given Mr. Whitcombe—Will the Commissioner of Customs bring down a bill to increase the duty on beer ? Air. Matthews—Will Government bring in a bill to abolish the credit system ? Captain Chrisp to ask the Colonial Treasurer W hat will be the saving to the Colony by converting the consolidated loans into inscribed slock at three per cent ? Captain Chrip—Whether Government art prepared to offer a bonus for the production

of 10,000 barrels cf refined kerosene at tl e local oil works? Mr» F. T. Morgan—Whether in view of the Mw regulation respecting payment of ten.. grams in stamps Government will provide a small boy at a salary of £IOO per annum to stand at the post office counter and lick stamps ? The House adjourned at 9.55 till Friday next.

The s.B. Thomas Russell left Auckland last night with 100 tons of cargo. A magnificent assortment of new type ai the Telephone office. The Dutch Government has nowan expedition at the North Pole, Thb First.—-A doting young father boasts that his baby son is so affectionate that he sits up with his parents nearly all night, and bo tough that he seems to have no conception of fatigue or of the time of day.