NOTES OF THE SESSION.

Southland Times, Issue 1645, 8 October 1872, Page 2

NOTES OF THE SESSION.

— - ■ — m ■ * There was uot much business done at the morning sitting of the House on Friday, the 27ili September, the day after the members' ball. In the evening, however, Mr GriHies, the new Treasurer, made his financial statement, a lengthytelegraphic report of which appeared in our columns last week. The statement was chiefly remarkable for its resemblance to Mr Vogel'B, the main point of difference being that where.is Mr Vogel announced a surplus of £10,000 oq last year's accounts, Mr Gillies, who was under no obligation to make things look pleasant, declared that there was in reality a deficit of £33,000, and gave elaborate explanations of the discrepancy. Considering that the revenue is upwards of £1,000,000, some surprise has been felt that the variation between the two accounts was not greater. Nothing was said in the way of debate on the financial statement that night, but after some further business, chiefly of a formal character, the question of compensation to Mr Smythies, the barrister, who, by a recent decision of the Court of Appeal, was disqualified from practising in New Zealand, was debated at some length, and it was ultimately decided to vote Mr Stnythies the sum of £1,000. The House then adjourned as usual till the following Tuesday. On Tuesday, Ist October, Mr Eeid, the Minister of Public Works, wa» to have made bia statement, but explained that he would have to postpone it to the following day, as he had discovered, on the preceding evening, certain liabilities of which he had not been previously aware. The Public Eevenues Bill, which relates to the management of the Treasury department, was read a third time. The I Maori Representation Bill, giving an additional member to the Western Native District, passed through Committee. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr Vogel called attention to the desirability of subsidising a steam service between IN"ew Zealand and Fiji, with the view of keeping the Pacific trade in the hands of the colony. Mr G-illies said that the Grovercment desired to cultivate commercial relations with the Pacific islands, but that the state of the revenue did not warrant the granting of such a subsidy ; and that the colony must now

govern its desires by its means, unless indeed it was willing to submit to additional taxation. Mr Vogel said that in that caee he would have to bring down a motion on the subject. The House then ■went into Committee of Supply, and Mr Vogel said that he intended, at the proper time, to criticise the Financial Statement, which he considered was full of matter calculated to create false irepressions. The Treasurer replied that it was fully understood that such a discussion was by no means precluded by going on with the estimates, which the Committee accordingly proceeded to do, and passed the whole of the votes in Classes 2 and 3, being the appropriations for Public Departments and Law and Justice. In reply to a question by Mr Hallenstein, the Government said they did not at present see their way to make miners' rights available over the whole colony, the revenue derived from them being at present practically Provincial, i In reply to another question by Mr I Hallenstein, the Government said they ■ saw no way to check the influx of Chinese but by a direct tax, and they were not prepared at present to recommend such a measure.