PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 194, 31 August 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PUB FBiEaS ASSOCIATION. , » HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Feidat, 30th August. The House met at 2.30 p.m. FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. Meredith resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He regretted the Colonial Treasurer bad not been in his placa during the debate, and congratulated Mr. G. W. Russell upon bis forcible, incisive and convincing speech of Wednesday, saying he could hot understand how Minister* could sit still and refriia from at ewer- • ing tbe impeachments that had been made against them, and speeches that showed tbat financially we were on ths vei'ge of a precipice. The number of Commissions that bad been set up by the present Government was enough to fill one with alarm, and it looked a* if the country was baing governed by Royal Commissions ins'eid of by its responsible Minis'era. He went on to c«mplaio of tbe way in which the. colony's interest charges we-e mounting up. Tbe total public and priva'edebt of the colony now amounted to one huodrei million*, and the interest b 11 totalled .£4,246,718 per annum. As to railways be pointed out tbat tbe excess of revenue over expenditure f 11 abort by £125,000 of tbe amount rfquired for payment of in' erest on borrowed money, and ptrt of the £3 9s 8d per cent the railways were paying was paid out of borrowed money. He urged that Mid* lind Railway bond-holders fehould to . paid what tbey were in equity entitled to, and agreei that the mortgage taxwas unfair, claiming that if it wer* removed private enterpise would supply all requirements. The D'fence Department wae growing too large for a small colony like this. Volunteer ing should be encouraged, but it was a mistake to have a standing army, »• pmpwed by Government. He advocated an elective Legislative Council, stating he would rather have en hereditary House of Lords in this j country than a Legislative Council as at present constituted. Is conclusion J he said he had intended to move that the estimates of expenditure be referred back to the Government with an instruction that they be reduced by £50,000. , ' ' ;.. i The Acting-Speaker eaid that ao amendment having Already been moved and negaiivfd he could no r . n«s»pt a fur'her amendment.

Mi\ Meradith said he regr'ttal be had b-.en outflanked by tbe il ember for Lyttelton. Mr. Hogg urged that if the frtof* of the Midland Eiilway bond holder! were s>ti*fied the money would have to be found by taxpayers, who were not responsible for the ' position. Turnisg to the general p- si' ion of the colony hesudif th*y were t»have good reforms their growth must cot be too rap'd. The Government bad been doing very weH during the laar. ten years, but it was not ad-vi-able tbat it should go on reckl»stly spending the money that w s borrowed. He weut on to ske:oh at length the gie&t imp<oveinent tbat had taken place duiirg the past ten yean, and ihi various legislative ruaotments by which tbat state of things had bean brought about, iney had heard * good deil abou tbe increase in the publio debt, but tbey must remembar that the colony had been expanding in a w.y that was nertr known in a young country, Then exports had almost doubled within a very few years, and " r he quoted figur- s to show the very large increases tbat had taken place in the ' area of land under cultivation, in onimfrrojEgd ofcJand, in/valaie-of im- . mileage, and reedpts in tbe Pott Office saving* , Bintcandinothfrbankc. The amount of deposits bai iocreased very largely and be wanted to know bow tb >t could be rtgirded as a sign of depression. As 11 the Teacher*' Commission, be believed that if its report were adopted the position of teachers and of education generally would be greatly improved.

Mr. Hanan said ht> did not think | members had sufficien l '- icfo>mation J befjie thf m t> enn- )e aem to o» mo to a satisfactory opini >n ou the Budget, [ Why had th >sn m infers who raised ■■ , thfir voices o«air»st the financial pol'cy if the Government not m<<do those fpeech-s a yrar »go? Smie of thosi members who bad adversely oiticisel the finaroes of the Govern* meat had obtained very larg* vot- s for their dietrict", <ind so long as mntuben clamournd fur expeodi'ure on road* and bridges and pub'ic buldinga tha* must espeot a large incr a*e in the an« nual appropriation. The ciuntry moat progr.s", and although he saw tfa« necea«ity for cautirn he Mt that thsjr must expend a oeitain amount for tha' purpose of developing the olony. Ha advooati d a mail service via Vaccouver. and suggested (hut light lines of railway should be c u struo ed to opt* up tbe c untry. He expressed himself in favour of a Sta'e coal mine, and advised that the Government should land local bodies money ti entMe tf em to consol'datx their loans. He urg> d that"" not another ii.oh of Orowu lands should b* sold by the State, and thought that the claims of Southland should r< reive more favoutable consideration at tbe hinds of the Govern* meut. The debite was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. Evening Sitting 1 1 he Home resumed at 7.30. BREACH OF PBIVILKGK. Mr. Hetries brought up the question of breach of privilege. He «uid ton Dunedin Star of Tuesday, 27th inst* had published five columcs of avidenoa • givm before the Mines Ctmmittee, and be asked if mttn'ceis of that committee we e ttill to be subjected to sntp cod cf having divulged evidence to tie newspapers. Something ought to be done to s'op the publication of forth r evidence. Mr. Fdlmer, chairman of the Minos Commiti e, said this evidence had beta published before the publication of tha first batch tf evidence by tie ttair bad b;en declared to to a bie'-cb of privilege. Sir Joseph Ward thought < hat under tbe circumstances there was no necessity to rufce another question < f breach of privilege This new pb-se of th* question could be consideud by tbo Privileges Committee which bad bean Ket up to investigate tbe leakage of the first batch of evidence. A fter a short discussion, on Mr. MoGowm's motion, tbe mat erwrs >eferred 'o t> e s Comm ttee.