GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1191, 14 June 1884, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, and on the Hon Mr Oliver's motion at once adjourned pending the result of the no-confidence motion in th» House of Eepre«ent«tive«. In the Legislative Council on Thursday, Mr Richmond moved the adoption of a formal Address in Reply to the Governor's Speech, which had bien prepared by tho Committee. # A debate took place, which was adjourned at 5 o'clock.

HOUSE OF REPKESENTATIYES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mr Sutton gave notice—" That in the event of Amendment to the Address in Reply being carried, a further addition to the effect that as it is most unlikely that any other Governmen twill be able to command the confidence of the House, the Governor will be pleased to send dewn Estimates for interim supplies, and that Parliament be dissolved.'" The debate on the no-eonfidence motion was resumed by Mr Shrimski, who intimated his intention of supporting the no-confidence motion. Mr Ivess thought it was unnecessary to formulate eharges against the Govern ment, for to nene of those already formulated had it been even attempted to reply. Mr Thompaon twitted the Government' with its determined silence. He said that it was most extraordinary that they offered no remedy for the existing depression. Mr Smith said that gross injustice was done to local bodies under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and said the Government ought to goto the country on the question of taxation, the present mode being very obnoxious. The House adjourned at 5.30, and reeumed at 7.30. On resuming, Mr Hursthouse denied that a sufficient indictment had been made against the Government. He landed the speech, and blamed Mr Steward for aliening himself to be made the mere moulhpiece of any other person. He thought they should be told who their next Prime Minister was to be before they were asked to turn the Government out. The Government had been taunted with its silence, but he had to remind them that no attack had been made on the Government, consequently no defence was requisite. Mr Moss denied that the motion.was one worthy of the Opposition of which he had been a member. He was surprised at the Opposition supporting a resolution brought forward by anyone but a recojrnised leader. < The Hon. Mr Connolly criticised the motion as tabled as one of the most extraordinary of the kind ever made. The apparent intention was to conduct this debate on the part of the Opposition without a single person of any note on that side of the House taking part in it. The whole thing Bhowed a great want of personal courage on the part of the acknowledged leader, whom he likened to the class of commanders who told their men in the thick of the fight to <go along' rather than to «come along and follow them. Beally the fate of the Government depended on the raising of the Canterbury railway freights. On all other matters the Government possessed the confidence of a majority of the House. It was no+ because the Government had not done its duty to the country, but because it bad not yielded to the selfishness of the colony that they weuld owe their defeat, if defeated.

Mr Wakefield said there never had been an occasion when a Speech was more an outline of what was not going to be done during the session than the present. The Governor's Speech was one of the very worst he had ever seen. The scheme for perpetual leasing of lands was the first point of policy it contained. He was opposed to that system, and in the Address it was supported by the very worst possible reaaooiDg. The reasons advanced for any alteration of the kind were the advantages for accumulating: that existed under the present system. He would always vote for giving the settler the prospect of making the land his own. The perpetual leaking lystem would create a host of Crown tenants, who would materially affect the legisla tion of the country, and soon convert their leaseholds into freeholds. It was a measure without any substance in it, and should not be countenanced. He eulogised the policy of the Native Minister which had been characterised by firmness abd deten.-.inalio . Federation was a point on whic-'; '"> wcul! have challenged the Government had no other member done so. He was astonished at the prominence given to the question of the railway tpriff. It was plain what was meant by this little ruse. It was what they resorted to for the purpose of sowing dissension between the North and the South. He would just add that the very reasons advanced by the Government condemned them. If the Govern ment raised the tariff, why did they ever lower in ? And if they lowered it, why did they ever raise it? The fact was they lowered it to save their seats. The plea setup by the Government on this point was a most untenable one. It simnly amounted to this, that when times were good they should lower them, and when times were bad they should be raised. That was a false argument, aDd if it was persisted in, they had better be without railways in New Zealand altogether. The fact was that however lightly it had been spoken of by the Government it made a difference of 2s 6d an acre to the farmers. He had tried to get the Opposition, which when he arrived had been cut up with dissensions, to bury their differences, and to some extent had succeeded. He commented adversely on the treatment given to Mr Steward by the Premier, as the mover of the amendment. Major Atkinson talked of Mr Steward as not being a leader, and actually proposed to go to the length of refusing to accept the amendment as a rote of no confidence. It was an indignity that ought not to havo been heaped on the head of any member, far less to one who had been honorably connected with the politics of the colony for many years. He regretted having to vote against men with whom ha hud worked in the past. Colenel Trimble admitted that the course taken by Mr Steward was perfectly constitutional and right, but upheld the policy of the Government. The Hon. Major Atkinson moved the adjournment of the debate. The Hon. Mr Bryce said what was wanted was to give the Premier an of repudiating in a fuller House ihc imputations made against him, with respect to having treated Mr Steward with contempt. Mr Montgomery defended the course taken in putting forward Mr Steward. Under ordinary circumstances they would have granted Major Atkinson the adjournment asked for, but after the contempt hurled upon them, they insisted on a division at once.

The House on the question for .the adjournment voted as follow*:—Ayes 33, Noes 37. Mr Steward's amendment was then put, and a division took place without debate, the Ayes being 41, and the Noes 32. Mr Sutton then moved the following further additions— { We also respectfully urge for Your Excellency's consideration that it is extremely unlikely that any of the important measures referred to in the Speech Your Excellency has been pleased to deliver to Parliament, and other important measures which are urgently required, are likely to be passed. We, therefore, expiess a hope that Your Excellency will be pleased to forward for our consideration Estimates for such an amount as is necessary for providing for the Government's requirements, and that Youi Excellency will be further pleased to dissolve this Parliament.' MrWhitaker seconded the amendment. The Hon. Mr Kolleeton cautioned the House against infringing the prerogative of the Crown, which be considered was likely to be the case on this motion.

On the motion of Mr Shaw, the debate was adjourned till 7-50 p.m. on Thursday. The House met at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday. Mr Dargaville tabled a motion—' That Parliament docs not approve of the Federation proposals as adopted by the Convention held in Sydney.' The Hon. Major Atkinson resumed the debate on Mr Sutton's addition to the Address in Reply asting the Governor to di3solve Parliament. He could make every allowance for the other side's eagerness on finding themselves in a temporary majority. Mr Steward was employed in his official capacity against his will to move the motion. There was nothing to prevent any Member tabling such a motion, but a recognised leader had also tabled a similar motion, and as he had to make a choicp, ho was quite entitled to do as he had done. Personally, he held Mr Steward in the highest esteem. The only thing said against their land administration was that more people j sliould have been settled than had been, j When the Opposition got into office he ' contended they would not be able to show a better result. No charge was made against the administration of native affairs, and practically Mr Steward had nothing to say against finances. They were told the taxation was not fair, but they did not say how a progressive laad tax was proposed to be carried out instead of a property tax. Time after time the House i had affirmed the property tax instead of a land tax. In their public works administration a similar absence of any indictment was shown, The railway rates were referred to, and they were told that raising these was imposing a tax without the authority of the House. No such position could be maintained for a moment. 'They were told they had not pushed on public works fast enough, but when they saw the accounts it would be found they had pushed them on rather too fast. Deficiency in revenue was spoken of in a manner which showed that the accounts had not been properly looked into. He meant to press his national insurance

scheme, and he believed the time would come when he -■•■ ■■•uhl succeed in that endeavor. If that scheme for averting pauperism was not acceptable, he, asked those by whom he had been beaten on the point' to propose a better scheme than national insurance. His difficulty was that he had nothing to answer, and ho felt a delicacy in speaking of the virtues of the Government, a subject upon which he could dilate all night. Mr Wakefield's speech was a most enjoyable one. He. charged the Government with the unpardonable sin o£ being in a minority. No doubt as soon as they again got a majority Mr Wakefield would be a sup r porter. There was a powerful leader writer in the South who wrote to the Timaru Herald and also in the Otago Daily Tirr.es and the Canterbury Press. He was an able man and he should like to know his name. He had taken a great liking to the Member for Selwyn, and he desired to see that gentleman take a good position in the politics of the colony. One of these articles indicated that the colony was tired of both the Government and the Opposition, and that a third party was wanted under the leadership of the Member for Selwyn. [Mr Wakefield said lie had not the slighest knowledge of the writer.] Major Atkinson said all he had said wasit was an able writer down South, and how Mr Wakefield could object to being written up he could not understand. Evidently he was annoyed at those articles, hut they had a striking similarity to the speech delivered by Mr Wakefield. They followed in the same lines, and there was in every other respect a striking similarity between the articles in question and his speech. Mr Wakefield had said in effect Mr Montgomery was nowhere and ho did not agree with Sir George Grey. He told Ihein he »vas content to follow Mr Steward, adding, in a subdued voice, for the present only. What did all that mean Jlt meant that the Government and the Opposition were to be set aside and some young enterprising Member set up a new party altogether. He then said that in 1879 there was a deficiency of £1,000,000 which tho Government had to make up by retrenchment and taxation. They did it, and were heartily supported by the House. He defended the Federation scheme and the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and said the latter was a great success. He then referred to and explained the reasons why a great many of the Government supporters hitherto, had voted with the Opposition, attributing the loss of the Canterbury voters to the raising of the railway tariff. They were told that all that was wanted was an appeal to the country. He did not know whether that wish would be gratified or not, but this he would predict, that if they did they would come back in no better condition than they then were. The Government could quit office with the certainty that the work they had done would be remembered for a long time tocome with gratitude by the country. Sir George Grey made a long and bitter speech against the Government, and concluded by'asking that an appeal should be made to the country. Mr Holmes took exception to a statement made by the Hon. Mr Conolly that the Canterbury population was a howling set of cowards. The Hon Mr Conolly denied that he had made such a statement.

Mr Sutton asked leave to withdraw his amendment, which was refused ou the voices.

Dr Newman's motion—'That a reply be made to His Excellency'—was agreed to, and Mr Steward, Mr DeLautour, Mr O'Callaghan and Mr Levestam were appointed a Committee to prepare the Reply. The Address was then read a second time and agreed to, The House adjourned at 12.35 p.m. until Friday at 2.30 p.m.