PARLIAMENTARY

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2092, 5 December 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tin.insn.vv, Dec. 4. The Canterbury Church Property Trust Bill and Miner’s Act Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed, and several other measures were advanced a stage. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, Dec. 4. Mr Maeandrew brought up a report of the Election Telegrams Committee. He stated that the Committee were of opinion that seven telegrams, sealed up, and accompanying the report, had been improperly laid on the table. The report itself set forth that five messages were originally paid for by the senders, and forwarded through the department to the destinations of Ministers; and that two were sent by mistake of the telegraph office. These had been sealed up and left untouched. Seventy-six telegrams in all had been sent and received by Government on election subjects. It was moved and carried, “ That the report lie on the table.” An amendment, “That the minutes and proceedings of the Committee be produced and read,” being negatived.

The Hon. Major Atkinson moved the second reading of the Property Assessment Pill. He argued that new taxation was necessary; that an income tax was worse than a property tax ; that the land tax was unjust because it was a special tax on land speculators ; and that the sweeping tax he proposed would raise the colony in the estimation of foreign money-lenders, and facilitate the negociation of new loans. Mr Ballance replied, traversing all the acquirements of the Colonial Treasurer, and contending that a property tax would be a death-blow to enterprise, and that it was quite uncalled for. Mr Maeandrew said that all the minority could do was to record their protest against the measure.

[Bv Telegraph.] Wellington, Dec. 5. The House sat till a quarter to three this morning debating the second reading of the Property Assessment Bill, which was carried by 21 against 11. The division list was: — Ayes, 21: Atkinson Pitt Bain Bichardson Bowen llolleston Dick Saunders Gibbs Seymour Hall Shanks Hirst Stevens Hursthouse Studholme Kelly Sutton Kenny Swanson M'Lcan Trimble Murray Wright Noes, 11. Andrews Moss Barron Seddon Dc Latour Shephard Fisher Speight Gisborne Stewart Hislop Tole J. T. George