GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1589, 2 June 1887, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNOIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mr Buckley moved the adjournment, •tating that on tbe following day he would be prepared to go on with such business as the Government proposed to press on. After a short debute, the morion for the adjournment was put and cu'ried, and the House rose at 2.50.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tbe Home met nt. 2.30. p.m. on Tuesday- ' , , Mr OrmoDd called the Speaker s attention to a question of privilege contained in a return laid before the House, in which his name appesrsd aB haying applied for the remoTa! of the restriction on ceriain native land at Msbi. He now wished to state that that portion the return was wholly incorrect, as he had never applied for the removal of any restriction on Native land. He should move, if in order, than tbe return be sent back to the Department for corrccA lengthy disoussion ensued, after which Mr Ormond'B motioD, that the return be sont back, was agrred to. Tbe Premier said that, after the decision which had been arrived at in the House with reference to the Tariff Bill and other financial proposals of the Government, the Ministry had considered their position, and had tendered advice to Hi'b Excellency to dissolve Parliament. He desired to state that tbe Governor had accepted that advice, and a dissolution had been granted. The Government were exceedingly aoxiou*.,that the general elections should bt held under the new Representation.-Bill, which had been passed by a large majority of the House, and whieh waß now in another place. The Government would do their best to get that Bill passed into law. He added that, in order to enable tbe Government to hold the electious under the existing law, it would be necessary for the House to grant supplies, which the Government would ask for. They only proposed to ask for six months' supplies, and they would endeavor to have the elections held as early as possible. It would be the object of the Government to further the work required to be done before the elections as much as possible, in order that the new Parliament might be called together as early aspossible. He would therefor* move that Government business have precedence for tne remainder of the session. , Major Atkinson asked whether the Premier would give the House any information as to when the new Representation Aet would be brought into operation, also what data the Premier proposed to fix for the reassembling of Parliament, alao whether any information would be afforded of the financial proposals of the Government. The House would also like to be teld what the Government were going to do with the tariff proposals. They would further like to be told something with referrence to public works, and as to what contracts it was necessary, to proceed with, and what further contracts wer6 to be let. Information would also bo required as to what business the Government intended going on with, and as to. the position of the Midland Railway Company, which seemed a question which tbe House should know something about. He said that the Opposition would be prepared to meet the Government in a reasonable manner if information were furnished on the points he had mentioned. He took the first opportunity of protesting in the strongest possible terms against the action of the Government. They had brought down the most outrageous tariff proposals ever submitted to che House, and when they were rejected, instead of doing what any patriotic men would have done, they recommended His Excellency to dissolve Parliament. He said the Government were wholly responaible for the second session this year. A lengthy discaesioo ensued. The motion was eventually agr'ed to. The Rouse adjourned at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.30.

A mesange was read from the Governor recommending the House to grant appropriation till September 30th. The Public-Revenues Bill was introduced, and, on the motion to go into Committee of Supply to consider it, Sir Julius V''gel«aid the Government thought that if the appeal clause were struck out of the Representation Bill, the Commissioner might do their work in thirty days, and the new Parliament could be e!e«t'ed by October Ist. The Government bad therefore determined to »sk for supplies till September 30th. He explained the provisions of the B : ll, and with regard to the tariff, said that until the resolutions were rescinded, or Parliament were dissolved, the duties would oontinue to be collected. He suggested for the consideration of members whether _ it would not be better to go on collecting the new duties for six mouths and the money bo refunded afterwards. Major Atkinson said he heard the Treasurer's propositions with a feeling of dismay, and to give time to consider them he moved the adjournment of the debate. The Premier said they simply asked for an extra month's supply in order to let the new Representation Bill become law. If the elections could possibly be held earlier they would be. Sir Julius Vogel asked whether the Opposition really wanted the new Representation Bill or not, for every day they delayed this debate added to the difficulty of getting it into operation, Mr Turnbull said the r»al reason of all the opposition to the Government financial proposals was the progressive Property Tax.; That was what had frightened the big companies and banks, and led to the enormous amount of lobbying which had been going on. In his opinion the land should bear taxation in proportion to the amount, pf property held by each owner. Mr Peacock disliked the threat that the Representation Bill would not be passed unless the financial discusnion was hurried. Sir Julius Vogel said he merely pointed out that delay meant difficulty. Mr Ormond urged the majority, who had rejscted the tariff proposals, to insist or; the resolutions beiog rescinded at oncp. Mr Rolleston said that the Premier's memorandum to the Governor promised the Government would do its best to get the Representation Bill passed, but now they were doing their b"?t to stop it. Co'oael Trimble said it was well known that Ministers of the Crown hud that very day clone their beßt to block the Bill in another pUoe, ]

Sir George Grey said that tha Premier had laid it do«vn that the duties under the new t-riff could be collected for six Kuonthß. The Premier said he bad not done so. Sir George Grey : " Well he has suggested the evil to us, which was a cowardly thiner to do." The Speaker insisted on the word " cowardly " being withdrawn. Sir George Grey withdrew the word. He strongly opposed the duties being collected for the period named. He proceeded to review the finances of the colony at length, pointing out that every soul in it had to pay £l2 to £l3 of indebtedness public and private. How were they to look for relief? His remedy was to cut up the land into small farms and plant men on them on extremely eaßy terms. He alluded to what he considered to be the defect of the present land laws, and comrlained that no comprehensive scheme had ever been put forward to relieve the present difficulties of the Mr Ivess having spoken, the motion for adjournment till Wednesday was carried. The Home rose at 11.30 p.m.