PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 173, 3 August 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

FIB PBttS ASSOOIATIOV, LEGISLATIVE OOUKOIL. Fbidat, In August, The Oouaoil mat at S.SO THUD BUBXKOa. | The Rhodes Trost Bill wm md * third time, and passed. Hltr BIBKIDEB. Id answer to Hon. W. 0. Smith, the Hon. W. 0. W»lkw stated **»b* tbi probation of British right* in the New Bebridgei wag getting am important -veryday, ard we should not give Up iny tights of ours in Pacific wafers to xtiengtben foreign natioaa is the po-itio gwhich tbey wireuafortunately allowed to ocoupy. The Pranitr, ia conjunction with the OoanoawtaUfc Premier, had made joint repress** tations to the Imperial authorities to 'ake steps to oonwrva British intensta n the group*, and the Government would continue to urge this, and to advocate enquiry in o certain ••ported purchases of land from natives by the BVeocb, and the appointment of a eonpetant pers in to watoh British latertsts, BGFSaXHDDM Bir.t., Htn Co!onel Pitt oootinnM the debate oo the Referendum Bill,whioh he opposed as absolutely useleao, stitinf that the Bill, like others on the Order Piper, was a private member's BUI thai had been tiken up by the Governmeat apparently out of Rood nature. Hon. Bco ltn) also opposed the Bill, *nd the Hon. Arkwright's hestile "mend men t that the Bill be raad a second time that day six months was th«n put and carried by 29 votes to one. The Minister for Education the only member to reoord his vote la favour of tbe Bi 1. OTaBB bills. The Police Offence Bill passed thiough committee without mittrhl amendment. The Mortgage of Lind Bill was iw4 i sej nd time, aod referred to tbe Statutes Revi-icn Committee, The O'jucoil roes at 4.35. 10USE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 10.30 a.m. Anwndmeuts made by the Lijnla ivo Council in the 0* mete y Trustees Vulidt'ion Bill, were agre <1 v>, The F ctories Bill(Se Mo ) wis read u sec nd tme pro forma, and referred to the L tbour B'll Committee. 00TJ.ST.E8 BILL.

Mr B d 'on moved the feoond «n tng of >he Cooties Bill. Ho thought * he Hou-n snould affiim tbe prii cip'i. e f ®he 811, as there w&ia groan a om> - ity for legis'ation improving the looal :• ijovemniKtit of th« country. Th« Bill h *ou'd then be sent <o a select oome oit'ee where the whole of de'aila * #ou'd be threshed cut Hewentoato> 1 «y that it muse be admitted tbera wa» ■no much 1-oal goverutmnt, an I tooi > nnny local Mies in this olooy. Xhit ') Oil, however, was te a great eztaat ■ptiocal. If they wasted to stake b steady progress, it wii better 1 o s'-art by being optional; then - if the new oider of things wu t satisfactory, to make them oooapulaocy. i Erplainiug the poviions of th* Bill)" r Mr Seddon Paid the exising countito ■ "era retained under the Bill. T« fmt t parts ef the colony h* found if then *as to be any 1 otl government at all * the road hoards must be ? He was in favour of increasing the s number cf counting aud giving «*»»!■ > extended powers and assured finmooe. ' He was uot un all in love with tin > present, sysem of subsidies, and should > prefer to give subsidies on the cantruction (f roads and bridges as hein* I letter thao the piesent system ef sub*. > 'id'sing ia e<. The question of finano* i uowever would be be dealt with i» separate measures, faorewed powsce ""rs givt-n to county councils to uvtke by laws, and he thought it was only 1 cghc that hampering restrictions at present imposed ought to be removed. He asked members to approioh the measure with an enncsS deaire te in~ prove our system of local government, Captain Buss 11 agreed that til* time hid arrived when the local go. v rnment system sh uld be> eevieedL •»ut hj« thougit the second veadioTc! 'he Bill sh uld be heW evtr until a elect committee had considered the Bill He moved, therefore, that tbe lebate be a'ljjumed,<but did wit do with any indention whatever of obtructiig the paa*ige of the Bill. A. select committee could deal more oompletely and with the dftails of the Bill than the House, end *hen the committee had finished it* labours the House would have romething tangible to discara. Ho did nek believ* there were half a dot?* mem. who had properly studied th* Mr. Seddonoaid the Bill w.s ciroulate, eirly mthe seano*, and bad been hefo'e the Co mtii-s Conference at Wellington, and member* should be well acqu inted with its provisions, and if they did not want the Bill, let then say so. . Eventually the motion for the,adjournment of the debite was withdrawn, and the debate then proceeded,. Mr, G. W, Ru»g«ll said he Wtoifl

the people would be prepared to part with the county system before the rend beard system, and it was unfair to those boards net to have been represented at the recent conference on the Bill.

At this stage Mr. Saddon asked to be allowed to withdraw the motion for tbe second reading, with a view of moving it pro forma, in order that it might go hs soon *s possible to the Select Committee. This was agreed to, and tr>e Bill was read a second time pro forma on the voices and referred to the Select Committee.

ADVANCK3 TO BBTTLEBS BILL. Mr Mills moved the second reading of the Government Advances to Settlm s Bill, to emkower the Govfrnor-in-Council te raise aii additional loin of £2,000,000 for the purpose of the Government Advance to Settlers Act, 1894. He said that up to July 22nd, advances had -been accepted in 9191 case?, amounting to £2,858,570, and it wait necessary that Parliament should authorise the raising of a large sum of money to enable the Department to come to the assistance of settlers. Mr Jas. Allen did not think there was any justification for raising such a large suu>, and be did not bi-Feve the money w*h wanted so much for the Advances to Settlers Department, as fur the purposes of general government. If the Government waoted to rai'e a loan, they should say so straight out. M ssrtGuißn»Bsandßarclaygenerally appr vtd tt.o Bill, as being recessary to increase the usefulness of the Department. The debate was imterruptcd by the luncheon adjournment. Aptebkoox Srmso. The House resumed at 2.30 p.m. ADTASCES TO SIXTLKBB BILL. Mr. Harries resumed the debate on the second reading of the Government Advances to Settlers Extension Bill. He urged that no good reason had been shown why this fresh sum should be granted. Of the original loan it was admitted by the Government that £740,000 still remained, and he considered that amount would be ample to carry on for at least a year, especially when repayments on loans were taken inta consideration. Mr. Monk said he would vote against the Bill on principle. He held that the advances to settlors system was unduly interfering with private enterprise, and considered this additional money was r*quired by Government to keep its banking account buoyant. It was not known yet whether tha ad vancas to settlers system would a'and the test of a fall in valmes. Mr. Soddon pointed out that the Bill empowered the Governme»t to raise ,two millions in the aggregate, but there was provis'on that not more than one million could be borrowed in one financial year. The authority formerly given to the Government to borrow chree millions under the Advances to Settlers Act was not, be contended, so well safegoaided as was the authority asked for in this Bill. There was only a sum of £560,000 available for advances on 31st March last. That money would be expended by the end of .the financial year, and unless an additional vote was obtained the business of the department would be blacked. If the House did not pass this Bill it would have to pass a loan Bill for a million next session. * i,i lit ~ i. ■■ . g