PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 158, 8 July 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, Jolt 7. Ths Council met at 2.30 p.m. The report of the Standing Orders Committee re rulis to govtra the election of Spe*kar on Thursday werbrought down. It provides for thtelection of Speaker by ballot, strangenbeh'g excluded. Hon. Lee-Smith resumed the debatt on the Address-in Roply. He favourer! I increased taxation on absenteep, fim I .considered the Government should ieip 'some advantage for its Bg-istance ♦< the Bank of New Zealand. With regard to preferential trade, wbila the colonim I should do all they could to assii Britain, they should not seek anything in re urn. Hons. H. Wigram, T. Kelly,and J. Marsh ill having spoken, the debate w s adjourned until to-morrow afternoon. The Council rose at 4.30.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, July 7. The House met at 2.30. NBW BILLS. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time:— Grand Lodg* of Freemasons of N>tw Zealand Trustees Bill (McNab), Harbours Act 1878 Amehdment Bill (Milhr), Gore Elec° ric Light Bill (MeNab), Wellington Hos pital Contributors Empowering Bill (Field), Electoral Act Amendment Bill (Steward), Watkok' pu Harbour Bjnrd Bill (Oar roll), Waiapu Hospital District Bill (Carrell), ADDBE3S-IN -KKPLY, Mr Parata resumed the debate on th 9 Address-in-Reply. He held that the native land legislation was not attaining the results expeoted from it. Four years had pasied and not a particle of good had resulted from it. The outoome would be that those who wished to obtain land would have to take it up under the European system. In regard to Maori Sanitary Councils the 1 gelation on this subjeot was in tha right direction, but unfortunately the Natives appointed were men who had no knowledge of the work required of them. In regard to Mahuta's appointment to the Legislative Council he hell there were members of the Lower House whese claims for such an appointment were stronger than those of Mahu'a. He denied that Mahu a was ever a king. He might assume that title for his own little territory, but no further. Ancestors of the South Island natives never took! part in tha king movement, and those natives hid always bean hostile to the movement They had recognised but one Qu?en (Victoria) and they now recognised but one King (Edward). The arrogation of kingship was an insult and a slur on the chiefs who upheld the mana of King Edwaid, and he charged the Government with having cist this slur on the Maori people. He had no serious objection to Mahuta's appointment to f.ho Counoil, bus he did ajriously object to hit sppoin'ment as a member of the Executive. Mr Kirkbrlde contended that th> lind laws under the old provincial system were so liberal thftt the land laws of to-day could not be compared with them. What a farmer wauted was security of tenure. People did not want to ooma out to this part of the world when they oould get a leasehold where they were (Mr Seddon 1 —but not for 999 years). Mr Kirkbride—Not for 999 years, but there is a suspicion abroad tint that lease is going to be smashed up. He condemned the present ballot Bystem,~and insisted thab the freehold must be held out as inducament to farmers to come to the oolony. He opposed compulsory preference to Unionists. Mr Witty announced himself as a supportet of the freehold, although lie was not in favour of the aggregationof large estates. He considered the present Land for Sdttlemant Act wag a very foolish one—999 years was toa long a term without revaluation. Ha would allow settlers to gradually piy off the oapital value of their holdings, and thus encourage thrift. On the question of preferential trade, he thought the colonies and the Old Land should stick together and keep their markets together. Mr Herdman, after expressing hie views on the question of preferential trade, said he was in favour of the co'ony continuing its connection with the Privy Council in preference to having a final Qourt of Appeal in this colony. The administration of the present Government was not what it ought to b?, as men were placed in public positions who were utterly unworthy to fill them.. They were placed there because they were friends of Ministers. We did not get statesmanship in this country, but expediency. Public money was used to get Government supporters into the House, and publio institutions were stuffed by friends of the present Administration. The House rose at 5.30. Eykniso Sitting. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr James Allen criticised at som9 length the native policy of the Government and, particulaily, Mahuta's »p-1 pointment. He condemned the system of co-operative labour as a most extravagant system of constructing publio works. He wanted to see New Zea- i land obtain the maritime supremacy, of the Pacific, but we were by legislation barring our young men from taking up the sei as a profession. With regard to the comments of the Privy Council on the Porirua case, be quoted several cases to show that Ministers had a tempted to interfere with the independence of the Supreme Court, District Court, and Magisterial BeDchfs of the oilony, He urged on the Government the neoessity of legislation to remove the anomaly in connection with the L eal Option poll in the Bruce D strict; and asked the I Premier if he would facilitate the pas-! sige of a Bill to validate the poll in that district. ! Mr Seddon, in the course of a per-1 sonal explanation, denied that the Government had attempted to interfere wit h the judiciary ef the col my. Mr Liurenson contended that we did not want farmers from other countries, ani that the clamour for the freehold was not raised by the sm&ll farmers, whose sympathies were with the present system. He advocated an lustrlasian fiml Court of Appeil. i Mr Lewis said he had no ohjeotion to revaluation under certain circumstances, but he did not agree with applying it to every least issued. Referring to the question of giving leaseholders the freehold he said the proposals were that Crown tenants should bs able to purchase their holdings by instalments, but that provision was' 1 not to apply to owner* of 610 acre* pf 1

fi s': class land or 2000 acres of land of any disss, and that tha froeho'.d should noi pass to any one owning more than thit arei. He advocated a limitation of seven years residence before a Grown tenant should have the right to acquire freehold, as Euch a period would show that a man -had not secured the land for mere purposes of sale. Mr Davey was opposed to granting freeholds. He advocated the 'Frisco service being either abolished, or Wellington mado the port of call. He 'avoui-kd Fire Bugades being supported tnd the principle of State Fire Insurance. He would always support frsdes Uuionism being run on fair line?. The debate was adjourned, and the Seuse rcs9 at 11.30.