GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1387, 3 September 1885, Page 1

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Monday. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary at once moved the adjournment of the Council owing to members having been invited to take a trip on the WellingtonManawatu Railway, but several members objecting he withdrew the motion.

The New Zealand State Forests Bill was passed at 5.50 p.m. The Stamp Bill, the River Boards Bill, the Public Reserves Bill, and the Deceased Persons Estates Duties Bill were committed, read a third time and passed. The Bankruptcy Bill and the Patea Harbor Board Bill were read a second time.

The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Captain Morris moved—" That in the opinion of this Council the present system of government by party is not the best method of governing the colony, and that a Committee be appointed to make suggestions for an improvement."— After a short debate Dr Pollen moved tho previous question, which was carried, and the motion was not put.

The adjourned debate on the third reading of the Presbyterian Church Property Bill was resumed, and an amendment to read the Bill a third time in three months was negatived by 21 to 17. The Bill then passed.

Mr Menzies then moved—" That in establishing a system of relief for the aged and indigent poor, it ia expedient that it should be conducted by Boards elected by the contributors; that the funds to be administered should be derived from endowments, voluntary contributions, legacies, and subsidies from the State, but that no special rate shall be leviable for that purpose." The debate was adjourned till next day.

The Dunedin Drillshed Eeserves Bill was committed, reported, read a third time and passed. The Council went into Committee on the Bankruptcy Act 1883 Amendment Bill and the Mines Act 1877 Amendment Bill. The former was reported with amendments, and progress was reported on the latter.

The Property Law Consolidation Bill was further considered in Committee, and reported with amendments.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

The House met at 7.30 p.m. on Monday.

Major Atkinson said before proceeding to the Orders of the Day he would like to ask the Government whether the Premier intended moving the postponement of the Government business in order to proceed with his remaining resolutions. The Hen. Mr Stout said the House by affirming the amendment of the Member for Port Chalmers affirmed the principle that the resolutions as a whole were negatived.

Major Atkinson asked whether the Premier intended keeping the promise he had made, that he (Major Atkinson) should have the opportunity of moving his resolutions. The Hon. gMr Stout said there was no breach of faith involved in his action.

Major Atkinson asked the Speaker's ruling on the question. ,p The bpeaker said his impression was that Mr Maoandrew's amendment only affected the particular resolution that had been before the House. The Hon. Mr Stout said he was not prepared to postpone the Orders of the Day. Major Atkinson said the Premier distinctly pledged himself to give him (Major Atkinson) an opportunity of moving his resolutions. He submitted the Premier had not fulfilled his engagement. He also submitted the Premier had lost Hie confidence of the House aod of his fellow-colonists, for although he had had a majority it was caused by the four Mao'i votes.

Major Atkinson was ruled out of order in his reference to the Maori votes, and lie then retorted that the Premier met the first resolution by an extraordinary evasion, and now he was using the Forms of the House to prevent the remaining resolutions coming on. Mr Macandrew said Major Atkinson should bo the last man 'o refer to that matter. Did he not recollect that in 3879 he (Mr Macandrew) had moved a resolution, when Major Atkinson pursued exactly the same course t He had kei t the resolution at the bottom of the Order P»p r till he had secured sufficient votes to defeat it.

Colonial Trimble said the position in 1879 was different from the present. The Government at that time had not had an opportunity of declaring their policy, and a majority of the House wa3 determined they should get that opportunity.

The Hon. Mr Stout said the Member for Egmont had forgotten the division list the other evening. He contended that the Government had done what no Government would have done, namely, met the want-of-confidence motion iD one night. He would ask any member not biassed to say whether Mr Macandrew's amendment had not tr iversed the whole of Major Atkinson'h resolutions Had this not been done, nearly the whole of these resolutions would have to be discussed by the House during the session. Messrs Wakefield, Bryce, Newman, Hislop, Hurst, Fergus, and others severely condemned the line of action taken up by the Government, and Sir Julius Vogel contended that if the first resolution had been carried 4000 men would have been thrown out of employment, and defended the action of the Government.

The Maori members defended theii action, and Messrs Levestam and O'Connor spoke fur the Ministry. M'ljor Atkinson stated that the Maori liieinners were making a great mistake in thinking that they ffere being treated better now than by former Governments

—they were being deluded by promises which could not be fulfilled. As to the Treasurer's statement that 4000 men would be thrown out of employment if the resolution limiting the expenditure to a million was carried, he feaid that not a single man need be discharged in consequence of it. He again wished to state (he Government had given him a distinct pledge that he should have an opportunity of moving his resolutions and had altogether failed to fulfil that promise. The motion for the adjournment of the House was then put and lost. On the motion of the Hon. the Premier the Municipal Corporation Bill and the Representation Act Amendment Bill were discharged from the Order Paper. The House went into Committee on the Rabbit Nuisance Continuance Bill, which were passed without amendment. The House went into Committee for the further consideration of the Mortgage Debentures Bill. Clause 59, providing that a Company may for the purpose of issuing debentures in Great Britain, obtain a certificate from the Registrar, was carried by 46 to 27. In the clause providing that the AgentGeneral shall be the Registrar, the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel moved to strike out "Agent-General," and to insert "English Agent."—Agreed to. The remaining clauses were passed and the schedules postponed.

The House went into Committee for the further consideration of tho Land Transfer Bill, which was passed with formal amendments. The Gold Mining Districts Act Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Replying to questions, Ministers stated : The Government would made enquiries ae to the necessity for the erection of a new Courthouse at Westport; that the recommendation of the Goldfields and Kines Committee last year as regards the periodical removal of Wardens had been given effect to as far as was practicable ; that the Government would make enquiries into the alleged spoliation of the picturesqueness of the islands in the Ofcago Harbor, and, if found correct, steps would be taken to prevent it; that no report had been obtained on what is known as " Dowson's water gas ;" that a report had been laid on the Table regarding the alleged defects in the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum Buildings ; that Volunteers would be supplied with ammunition beyond the regulation allowance at cost price ; that a further report would be prepared regarding the railway rates charged to the Caversham station ; that if arrangements could be made with owners of private sidings, the request for a public railway eidibg at Kensington would be granted ; that the small contract on the North Island .Railway now being carried out by Maoris had not been offered to Europeans; that a sum had been placed on the Estimates for clearing out the Mokau River ; that the question re the burning of Samuel Bradley's house was one for a court of law to decide. Several new Bills were introduced. Mr Holmes moved for a return of the several liabilities on the 31st August, 1885, in respect of the several railway lines of the colony.—Agreed to. The Hon. Mr Richardson moved the second reading of the Auckland Railway Land Compensation Bill, which was agreed to. The House went into Committee for the further consideration of the Mortgage Debentures Bill, which wis slightly amended, reported, read a third time and passed. The Hon. Mr Tole moved the second reading of the Criminal Code Bill. He explained its provisions at some length, statingthat it was a consolidation measurp, that it had passed the other branch 1 of the Legislature several times, and that its main branches had been drafted by the most eminent lawyers in England. He said that from the nature of the Bill it must be taken largely on trust, and he would ask the House to sanction it without debate, so that it could be considered more carefully in the recess. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment, and on resuming th* debate was adjourned to enable another Order of the Day to be proceeded' with. '■ Mr Levestam moved that the amendment made by the Legislative Council i > the Employment of Females and Otheis Bill, be agreed to. He pointed out that the priucipal alteration was one to the effect that females and young persons Bhonld be a'lowed to work in newspaper offices till 7 o'clock on Saturday. Mr Bradshaw moved that the amendment be not agreed to, and that "halfpast four" be substituted for, "seven." Mr Bradshaw'.s amendment' was carried, and a Committee wa'B appointed to draw up reasons therefore. ' The debute on thejMmin >1 Code Bill was then resumed, and it panned its second reading.

The Rating Act No. 3 Bill was slightly amended in Committee, reported, read a third time and passed. The Land Transfer Bill was. then recommitted, slightly amended, reported, read a third time and passed. Major Atkinson asked the Premier what business he intended proceeding with this session.—'The Hon. Mr Stout said he hoped to be able to go through all the Bills on the Order Paper by the end of next week. He proposed that the House should sit on Saturday for the consideration of the Federation resolutions.

The Hon. Mr Stout moved the second reading of the Property Assessment Bill. The Bill, he said, was a consolidation measure relating to the assessment of property for the property tux. Ho explained the nature of the amendments, and lie said that, wh itever opinions might, be hel<? by members on the property tax as against a land tax, they must all igrtM that the present law required aniL-nuiny. Mr Wakefield said he had always been au

opponent of the land tax, and still opposed it. He contended that it was most unfair for the Premier, under the guise of supporting the property tax, to brine: down such a Bill as the present measure. He referred at length to the property tax, and said the present Bill was a fraud, as it was an attempt to impose a land tax under the guise of the property tax.

Mr Sutter pointed out several objpctwna to the Bill. He objected altogether to the clause which exempted the property of natives from the operation of the Bill. -'

Mr Pyke objected to small property owners paying nothing to the State. He said the clause which exempted Maoris from taxation must be struck out, and they shouldjbe madelto pay for the benefits of civilisation.

Major Atkinson said the Bill might he looked on as a useful consolidating Bill or as a bastard land tax. He hoped "to-be able in Committee to strike out -the objectionable features of the Bill, and he would therefore support the fecond reading. He had felt somewhat disappointed that the Premier had shown no reason for the extraordinary exemptions he proposed in the Bill. He thought the House ought to be told how much the revenue would suffer by exemptions under the Bill.

Dr Newman said the Bill seemed a very extraordinary one, when they remembpred the speeches they heard last year. They were (hen told they would not have either a property tax or a land tax. Ha suggested that the Bill should be called a "Land and Property Tax Bill." Colonel Trimble protested.against the proposed system of exemptions. The second reading was carried on the voices, and the House rose at, 1' a.rn.