PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 999, 2 September 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

house of representatives, Sipi^ T Ci. f . The Crown aiul Native* Rating - Bill was uiovel- by *M*jw*Astkinson« i The principal it that the,- Native Laua\,s|oul^ X inaintain roads construe;ted, through them. Messrs 1 s Moutlptp.erjjj, Tomoanal T*wUai, De 4«ffudrew %

W ’ jected to the Bill, on the grounds thrt if Government did not sell tlm land fer twenty years the value of it would bo all swallowed up in rates ; that natives’ Would net know how much the TreaV gnrar-paid-to maintain the lands, and ' that/it would endow North Island Road Boards at ; tlie expense of the; colony. i Sir John Hall, pointed out that roads would hare to be made through Native -Lands from which no rates were-got,: ■ and as these lands would be improved 'c thereby it was only fair that they should; be rated.,- It- was .a -simple..-.act of;

- justice , - - . ■ ’Alter a good deal of discussion, the 4 second, reading ivas carried,..and .the p ßill;ordered,lo be Committeed. ? *’■' ' “ ‘TTie Hori Major Atkinson moved ; tbe * second reading of the Rating Bill.- The *'■ question' involved was as to whether , -property -was to be rate! on capital •y«lUe r of annual, and as to whether the valuation should be made . by< the local bodies or by the Government. As . . regarded local valuation,, it must be within the knowledge of all that wide diversity existed between the valuations struck in different counties. It appeared to him that it would be,better to J 'have the valuations all made by a general Valuation, and this Bill proposed 5 ')ld.act on^tliat' IT the local - bodies were riot satisfied with the valua- ; tion made in this way, power was given them-to make a valuation ror their own purposes, and reject the general valuation altogether. If they valued * in the future on the capital value, then the valution would be a saving f * of at least £IO,OOO. As he had .. . said,. however, if they were not satis- > fiedj then they might make a valuation ..of. their own, but the great adft* ;i ♦ ) t- ' vantage of this system was that the valuation' would be uniform. Of the " 202 replies that had been received from . the local bodies, 123 were approvals of • the principles of the Bill, and 60 partial approvals, leaving only 19 disapprovals. # '

Messr*- Bathgate and • Moss spoke against the Bill, on the ground that its tendency was to. take away all the 4 powers of the local bodies, and ~ jilessrs Buchanan, Joyce and Fish supported it. : .

The second reading was carried. ' ’ .Replying to Mr C.. Johnstone, the Hon Mr Dick said action would be taken during—the recess to determine ...whether prison labor could with advan->;-}tsged)e employed by the State in the mihufacture of New Zealand flax for

exportation. , w After a considerable discussion on the Gaming and Lotteries Act, Mr [Steward, who had charged of the Bill, •greed to report progress. He said he was quite convinced that there was a large majority in favor of the measure, but in face of the obstruction shown by .the minority it would be impossible •- tc make any progress. If he got another opportunity he would again bring the Bill forward; if not he would reintroduce

it next sef»ionT ‘“ The motion for reporting progress l i was agreed to. .... : ■ • Several Bills were passed. The House then went into Committee of Supply, and a long discussion on the removal of the Land Court from Auckland to Wellington took place, r i ,Mr Peacock moved that the item, £SOO, for the removal of the Native Lands Court, from Auckland to Wellington be struck out. A division took place, and the item, t: jis printed, was carried by a majority of 5 votes. • ' The consideration of the estimates .was then proceeded with, and every . item as they rose passed with hilt little discussion. , .