PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 251, 20 November 1903, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

PREFERENTIAL TARIFF DEBATE. THE BILL CARRIED. N WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. Mr Massey said the speech of the Premier did not strike him as being convincing.- It contained a great deal of jingoism and high falutin, but very little about the subject. Its effects on him 1 (Mr Massey) had toben that he was not now so strong on the subject of preferential trade as he was an hour and a half ago. It wasjqutte impossible to do justice to the subject this session and nothing would be lost by delay ; i.i fact they would gain by delay because they would have a lead from the Old Country. He, with others, had looked upon these preferential proposals as likely to bring us hearer free trade, but they did not think so now. What was really proposed by the Premier was to increase taxation and protection. If Mr Seddon had brought down a resolution affirming the principle of free trade he did not believe there would have been a single dissentient vote in the House, but he could not recommend the House to adopt these wretched huckstering proposals now before it. He moved as an amendment :—That while recognising the desirableness of a tariff which will give greuT.er encouragement to trade between . all portions of the British Empire, this Houso is of opinion that not sufficient information on the subject is at present available, and therefore tho further consideration of the Bill should be postponed untill a futuro data-,

Mr Seddon resetted that the leader of the Opposition should have mado a party matter of a question. He could _pnly accept the amendment in the spirit in which it was intended. Sir W. Russell : Does the Premier make this a no-confidence motion ? The Speaker : Yes. The Premier has intimated that he does so.

Sir Joseph Ward denied that the proposals of the Uoveiwnent, if taken as a whole, meant an increase of tsxatikMi. Mr Ma|*sey, in making that statement, was trying to pick out details of proposals that might, taken by themselves, be unpopular in the country.

Mr Bedford said he was strongly in favour of giving a preference to British imports, 'out this Bill did not go far enough and he would favour a rebato on British goods as well as a surcharge on foreign goods. After a further lengthy debate, at 4.20 Mr Massey's no-confidence amendment on the Preferential Trade Bill was negatived by 46 to 23. After further debate at 6,55 the second reading was carried on the voices.

The House immediately went into Committee on the Bill, and fairly good progress was made up to 8 a.m.

At 9.30 the House adjourned for teeakfast, and on resuming the debate was continued with the usual adjournments until 8.30 p.m., when Mr Seddon replied. The Bill then passed its final stages by GO to 16.