GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1350, 2 July 1885, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Council was "called over" by the Clerk, and those members who did not respond to their names were Mr G. Buckley, Captain Morris, Mr Oliver, Major Richmond, Mr Robinson, Mr Waterhouse, Sir George Whitmore, and Mr Williamson. The Hon. the Speaker said Messrs Oliver, Waterhouse, Robinson, Richmond, and Williamson were ab3ent with the leave of the Governor, and that Captain Morris had forwarderl a medical certificate showing his inability to attend. There was no response, the Hon. Speaker added, from Mr Buckley and Sir George Whitmore. This closed the proceedings in connection with the calling oyer of the roll of the Council.

The Colonial Secretary withdrew the Disqualification Bill, with a view of submitting another measure.

The second reading of the Legislative Council Bill was postponed. The Municipal Corporations Bill was read a third time. The Cemeteries Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. The Council adjourned at 5.20 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mr Pratt, Member for the Southern Maori Electoral District, took the oath and his seat. The Christ's College (Canterbury), Bill was read a second time.

Sir George Grey gave notice to move, when the House is in Committee of Supply, that His Excellency the Governor be informed that his Advisers do not possess the confidence of this House. Replying to questions Ministers suid: That at a later stage of the session it was the intention of the Government to attend to the settlement of the claims of members 'of the Militia, Volunteer and Defence Forces to grants of land for military services rendered ; tint the Government were having prepared a map of the colony on a large scale, showing the sub-dimon of counties, ridings, and road boards, also local roads, railways, etc., which when completed will be offered in such parts as may be required to local governing bodies ; that Government intended during the session to deal with the tolls now charged on stock travelling from Chrißtchurch to Westlaod ; that Government would consider the advisability of moving in the matter of deepening the channels of rivers and tidal estuaries, as had been done in America on the system of Cuptain Eades; [that a small sum would be placed on the estimates to aid in the mitigation of the Kea pest ; that the Government intended to bring in a Bill during the present session enabling the Government Life Assurance Association to transact business in Great Britain ; that the Government would communicate with the Agent-General and request him to endeavor to so arrange that all Imperial applications for the supply of tinned and frozen meats be cabled to New Zealand and adveitised, care being taken that ample time is given for New Zealand companies to deliver.

A number of new Bills were introduced.

Mr Turnbull moved for a return showing the quantity of tea cleared at the Customs houses at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin from the Ist May, 1885, to the present time, also the respective values per lb for which entries were passed.—Agreed to.

Several other returns were asked for and agreed to. On the motion of the Hon. Mr Stout the House adjourned at 3.45 p.m., and resumed at 7.30 p.m. On the motion that the House go iDto Committee of Supply, Mr Dargaville said he should best consult the wishes of the House if he gave way to the Member for Auckland City East. He reserved to himself the right to speak later on in the debate.

Sir George Grey, after stating that he had taken up the position he occupied at the instigation of no one, went on to Bay that that the Financial Statement had given great discontent and with that discontent he concurred. The Colonial Treasurer, in his speech the other evening, bad put before the House one set of figures and the Member for Egmont another set, but he thought the speeches of both were misleading. The taxation that had recently been put on would press heavily on all classes in the colony. There was no necessity for adding to the burden of the country by appointing so many new members to the Leglislative Council. The speech of the Member for Egmont was not the speech of an opponent of the Government, but he (Sir George Grey) still hoped that he wouhi prove a financial reformer, and that before the close of the session he would take some means of putting the finances on a better footing. He said the proposal to impose additional taxation in order to clear away the depression was a most disastrous,one. As for the Financial Statement itself, there was not a single liberal proposal in it. The present Ministry was not a coalition one, it was a New Zealand Agricultural Company Ministry, and he contended that Ministers should have no connection with public companies. Only last session a million acres of land were taken from the colony and handed over to a railway company. The Colonial Treasurer had himself a concession for sixteen million acres in Western Australia, and he contended that if that million bad not been parted with last session it would have been saved for the inhabitants of New Zealand, Referring to the reports that were constantly heard that the present Ministry were not to be put out of office at present, he said that the determination meant the pusaing of a number of bad laws that would ruiu the country. He thought that those who considered the Ministry should be ejected from office should put them out, and if necessary a coalition Government should be formed that would pass just laws and not tho laws of public compauies, and he thought an inquiry should be instituted as to who

were the promoters of the New Zealund Agricultural Company, and what claims that Company had upon the colony. The present Ministry had sacrificed all their principles simply for the purpose of keeping the Member for Egmont out of office. He concluded by moving' the amendment--" That His Excellency be informed that his Advisers do not possess the confidence of this House."

The Hon. Mr Stout replied at length, contradicting many of the statements of the hon. member for Auckland City East. He thought the hon. member's criticism of the Financial Statement very weak. He denied that he (Mr Stout)_ had a siogle share in the Company Sir George Grey had alluded to, but everyone was not, like Sir George Grey, in the receipt of a pension, and they had to work for their families. He did not thinK there was very much to say against the appointments the Ministry had made to the Legislative Council. When Sir George Grey was in office he ha made a number of appointraents to that body. The present' Ministry had only appointed nine, and two were reappointments. As regarded the Justices of "the Peace, the "Continuous Ministry," had made 350 Justices during their term of office while the present Government had only made 188. He then defended the tariff proposals, and concluded by saying; that he was quite willing; to give up office if he found there was a majority against the Ministry. ' Mr Bryce said he did not rise to support the amendment of the Member for Auckland City East not because, ho had confidence in the Government, as he had none, but he thought the time was not yet come for them to be removed from office with advantage to the country. He strongly reprobated the conduct of the [ Ministry in making the recent appointments to the Legislative Council and said it wasuofairto compare thefew appointments made by the Grey Ministiy in a few'years with the many made by the present Ministry in a few months, Regarding Native Affairs a more extraordinary state of things than was now going on on the West Coast has never before existed. The amount of debauchery and wandering aboKt the country that was going on meant the total extinction of the native race, and he thought it was no cause for congratulation by the Premier. The present Government got into office under the pretence that they would decrease taxation instead of increasing it, and yet the reverse was the case. They were now putting before the country the fact that increased borrowing meant increased taxation, and he hoped the country would take notice of this, as every proposal the present Government made involved borrowing to some extent. He thought the million loan for the North Islatid Railway should not now be raised, because the success of that line must depend on the settlement of the land through which it passed. The acquisition of the land in the King Country was farther off than it was three years ago, and settlement along the railwey route was also a loDg way farther off than it had been. He then briefly attacked the proposals of the Ministry with regard to local bodies. The Hon. Mr Ballance replied. He thought it was the duty of the member for Waitotara, holding the opinions he did) to vote for Sir George Grey's amendment. Referring to the hon. Member's statements about granting a million of acres of land to the East and West Coast Railway, he thought that there was no abuse of power in giving the land for promoting settlement. It also bore no comparison with the action of the Hon. Member for Geraldine (Mr Rolleston), who had given 200,000 acres, worth £250,0G0, to the Manawatu railway. He then defended the appointments to the Legislative Council, which were necessary if only to counteract the vote of tYM majority left in office by the "Continue™ Ministry." He also denied the stitemt|H

of the Hon. Members with regard ■ native affairs. ■ Mr M. J. S. McKeime moved adjournment of the debate till half-pas? two o'clock on Wednesday, and the House rose at 12.30 a.m.