GOVERNMENT INTENTIONS. MEASURES TO BE PROCEEDED WITH. EARLY CLOSE OF THE SESSION. Wellington, Angust 27.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 398, 31 August 1889, Page 5

GOVERNMENT INTENTIONS. MEASURES TO BE PROCEEDED WITH. EARLY CLOSE OF THE SESSION. Wellington, Angust 27.

When the House met at half-past seven last evening the Premier said that the Government had been considering what business they should continue with. There were a certain number of small Bills with which there was no party feeling but which would do good for the country, that Jbhey intended going on with ; but they would drop the Corrupt Practices, Destitute Persona, and Hospital and Charitable Aid Bills. When they reached supply upon the public works he would be prepared to make a definite statement as to what the intentions of the Government really were. The House would deal with the Native Bills to-day, and as the Government considered them rather important he hoped they would be passed in ,some form or other. The Property Tax Assessment Bill would probably not be proceeded with any further, but he was not prepared to say so definitely. In conclusion he said there was no reason why the House should not be prorogued in a fortnight. ■Replying to the leader of the Opposition, the Premier said the Government had the Native Meetings Bill under consideration, and he would bo able to say in a day or two whether they would proceed with it or nob.

TAXATION OF BONDHOLDERS. Mr Ballance wanted to know definitely what were the Government's intentions regarding the Property Tax Assessment Bill. It was a very important measure, and he would particularly like to know the intentions of the Government respecting the amendment proposed by the hon. member for Auckland Central for the taxation of our bondholders in England. The Opposition, he was sure, were ready to express their opinion. The Premier suggested that it should be done now. Mr Ballance thereupon said that if an opportunity was given, the Opposition would express their total disapprobation of such a proposal. The Premier said he had often before expressed his opinion of the proposal. It was absurd. The Opposition being of the same opinion, it was quite clear that the matter should not come before the House at all. He was sure that nothing but mischief could come from it. The proposal wis wrong, unjust, and foolish. A more dishonourable proposal it was impossible to conceive. It should bo hooted out of the House. Sir C4eo. Grey took exception to this expression, declaring it was intended personally for him, and that for sayinsr it the Premier should be hooted out of the House. He made a fierce attack upon the Premier and upon Mr Ballance for their remarks. He declared that at the present time bondholders were required to be taxed, and persisted in this in spite of Sir H. Atkinson's declaration to the contrary. He said that our bondholders in the colony were taxed, and it was only right that our bondholders in London should also be taxed. He showed that in England, France, Portugal, and other countries, the bondholders of these countries, whether living there or not, had to pay the tax of the country. The Premier moved the adjournment of the House, and showed that by our laws we had a perfect right -to tax all those who live or own property in the colony so long as there was anything to tax. We were bound by our contracts to pay so much atu stated time each year to our bondholders as interest. The only w.ay we could tax them would be by deducting so much from such a sum, and he was sure English bondholders would be quitjß able to recover the deduction in a court of law. We might call it taxation, he said, but other people would call it repudiation, and if we wanted repudiation why not do it with our whole debt instead of a small percentage ? If such a proposal was even seriously thought of by members of the House it would be fatal, not only to our public credit, but, what is more important, to our private credit. If the country could not borrow it might not matter much, but it would be very serious if our bankers and merchants were to have their credit impaired. Mr W. P. Reeves deprecated even speaking of repudiation, and condemned Sir G. Grey's proposal. Mr Downie Stewart quoted from the statutes to show that the present law did not allow of our taxing bondholders outside the colony. If we could tax such persons Id in the £, we could tax them 20s in the £, which meant nothing else but vepudiation. He strongly condemned any such proposal. It would be a disgrace to the colony, and it would not be legal. Sir George Grey strenuously defended his proposal, which he said ■was for the good of the colony, and would have a good effect. ,He felt confident that in four or ] five years it would be carried triumphantly in the House. Sir J. Hall condemned the proposal. Mr Seddon, in doing the same, referred to the taxation of foreign capital invested in any goldfields, which he thought should be decreased. ' Mr Guinness spoke in the same strain, and alter the Premier had brielly replied the question dropped.

THE OTAGO CENTRAL. At a meeting of those who voted for the Otago Central Railway Bill, convened by Mr Pyke, and held yesterday afternoon, I resolutions were carried requesting the Government to proceed with the Bill during this session with such amendments as may be deemed desirable; that as the Bill .was in the opinion of the meeting a decided step in the direction of closing the public works policy, the Bill should not now be abandoned ; and that failing procedure of the Bill the Government should in any other way proceed with the line. ,

THE LAW OF LIBEL BILL. The . Government hope to carry this measure before the session closes. They will keep it on the order paper, trusting that as soon as two or three small Bills have been dealt vrith . the House will approach it. ■

The Dalefield Dairy Company at Carterton appears to bo one of the few thoroughly successful veutures of this kind of the many we have known to be started in the country districts. ' Its balance sheet juao published shows, the very substantial dividend of 10 percent, for its shareholders, and those of them who supplied the milk have received a little over 3|d per gallon for their milk fdr the season. During the past' season the manager' reoeived 155,270 , gallons of milk, which yielded' 153,2231b of cheese, being an increase of 54,486 gallons of milk and 50,3181b of oheese over the past season. Out of 70 tons of cheese ,raanufactured r 'last season 26 to'ns'were sent to London, and the balance .was sold in the colonies. The reports on the 'cheese 1 sent to London 'were of a favourable character,