GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2220, 27 June 1891, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, June 24, ; The Council met at 2;80 p.m. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL. The second reading of this Bill was agreed to on the voices. The council adjourned till next day; June 25.

ADJOURNMENT, On meeting at 2.80 p.m. the Count cil immediately adjourned out of respect to the memory of the late Captain Praser.

HOWE OF REPRESENTATIYE3. The House met at 2.30 p.m. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS.

Replying to Mr Harkness, Mr Ward said that the Government would introduce a Bill this session to amend the law respecting the adulteration of food.

Replying to Mr Wright, Mr Seddon said that the Government bad not yet decided as to whether or not a fully qualified engineer should be appointed to the position of Engineer-in-Chief for the colony, but his opinien was that this was a case in which a saving could he effected.

Mr Fergus moved the adjournment of the house, to enable him to speak on the question. He denied that public works were being carried on satisfactorily, and said that no business man would for a moment attempt to carry on a department as Mr Seddon waa doing at present. The . Minister was deserving of great condemnation for allowing a qualified engineer like : Mr O’Connor to leave the country. A long discussion' ensued, in the' course of which Captain Russell, Mr Bryce, and other leaders of the Opposition roundly abused Ministers; because of their policy of retrench-| meat, which they denounced as; parsimony,

The motion for the adjournment o: the House was lost.

Replying to a question, Mr Eeevea, said that the' revised education syllabus: would give' greater prominence to instruction in agriculture. the phtakcial debate. Mr Scobie McKenzie pointed out 1 that the large surplus of £257,000 claimed by the Government was with one small exception the result of a financial policy they were about to abandon, and not owing to the present fieance of the Government. : He could not see how the .Financial .Statement , in any one particular would assist the working classes of the colony. The pretended policy of the Government wae to break up large, estates, and ' when that took place and the money was all gone, where would ' they get the funds from to carry on with? Why, from Customs duties, and would that not prove detrimental to the working classes ? The new finance was supposed to rectify inequalities, but no single Minister bad condescended to explain why there should be such an enormous difference in the tax paid by professional men and that paid by traders. The whole motive of the policy was in order to get three or four votes from Auckland, but if he knew anything of the character of the Auckland representatives the Government was hot likely to get those votes He ventured to phophecy that, when they came to collect the income .tax and to show the: account books' of their tirades and business there would ba a huge outcry against the inquistorial character of the income tax. Referring to the composition of the Ministry, he pointed out that the present Minister of Lands bad last year in the House stated thatjumonism must be crushed, and that the unions could not serve two masters. J hen the Government had as their AttorneyGeneral the representative in the colony of the globe assets company, and that being so they were not likely to have the bursting up policy so much talked about. As to Mr Reeves’ remark last nigbt that owners of large estates were social peats, be ventured to say that a statement of that kind coming from a Minister of the Crown was deserving of the severest reprehension. The appointment of Mr Duncan Campbell to the position of ranger at Invercargill was one of the most shameful and barefaced ever made to the public service of the colony, and it wonld be a scanal to the House if men of this kind were to be received into the Civil Service, He asked the Government in all friendliness to throw off the mask of spurious liberalism, take back their statement, and come down to the House with something honest in its stead. Mr Saunders said that the country had not possessed a surplus for the last 20 years. Surpluses generally made up by Civil Servants, and if an

honest balance sheet were prepared it would be found that they had half a million of a delict instead of a surplus, He should nhpport the Government because be believed they were honestly trying to work for the benefit of the country, but he should oppose them as soon as they ceased to strive for that object.. He was averse to people holding large estates, but in dealing , with them tbey should remeraber that the land and they should do as little injury as possible. The present proposals ho thought were- excedingly moderate. He objected to farmerii being’taxed too heavily, and said that if the Government were to err it should, be on the side of taxing towns heavily, as no great: harm could result'from people leaving the town, but if farmers left the country it would be a more serious matter. Auckland had refused to give Government credit for effecting retrenchment and doting up to their pledges Industrious Ministers had run through the country m special trains and coaches to banquets and dinners, and yet they were a retrenching Ministry. He quoted from a speech lately made by Mr Ward, in which he said that it was impossible to abolish the property tax, and yet he last night bitterly denounced that tax as a fearful blot on their Statute Book. Instead of abolishing thp property tax the Government were continuing it under another name.

MrE. M. Smith spoke at length ia support of the Government. Mr Harkness moved the adjourn* merit of the debate, which waa agreed to, and the House rose at 12.5 a.m. June 25, •. The House met at 2.30 p.m.

OLD SOLDIEES* CLAIMS.

The Public Petitions Committee recommended the Government 'to plaoe on'the Estimates the sum of £750 as a reward for the services rendered by Colonel Stapp. ; ’ : The report was ordered to lie o A the table, and be referred to the Government. PERSONAL. Mr Reeves rose to refer to a personal matter.. The member for Mount Ida on the previous night had stated that he (Mr Reeves) was closely connected with certain land /transactions in Canterbury, and as curious rumors had since been floating about the lobbies be would like that gentleman to state what he really did mean by his remarks, particularly as his (Mr Reeves’) father’s [name bad been dragged into the matter. Mr McKenzie said that he regretted .that Mr Reeves should have introduced this matter. He desired to say that what he stated last night he believed then, and believed now, to be absolutely true. He had learned from a perfectly reputable soerce that certain laud transactions were entered, into by a syndicate in Christchurch. If Mr Reeves’ father was one of that syndicate it was ho concern of his (Mr McKenzie’s).

Mr Beeves What connection had ' I with it p

Mr McKenzie said bis position was very painful, but he had been forced to it by Mr Beeves himself. 'Mr Beeves bad a night or two ago denounced not only the land-owners of the colony but also the occupiers ai social pests, ’’ and then Mr* Reeves afterwards admitted that bis father was the occupier of land. That being so, the honorable gentleman himself had included bis father among social pests. Mr. Baevas : But what is my connection with the matter ? % =

Mr McKenzie s That you are your father’s son, and had these landgrabbing speculations turned out profitably you would hare inherited all the gains got from them. When 1 alluded to your father I alluded to the syndicate of which be was a member.

Mr Reeves moved the adjournment of the House to enable him to go further into the matter.

Mr Bryce said that there were peculiar circumstances connected with that afternoon, and perhaps the, hon. gentleman would consent to postpone bis remarks till another occasion. Mr Beeves consented to defer his remarks if be wore allowed an opportunity to give his desired explanation. The Premier moved the adjournment of the House till 7.30 p.m. aa a mark of respect to the memory of the late Captain Fraser. Several members hiving paid a tribute to the sterling character of the deceased gentleman, the House adjourned at 3.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Reeves said that he had no wish to prolong the quarrel. All he wanted to say was that he had never had any connection with any syndicate for the acquisition of Crown lands for any purpose whatever.

Mr McKenzie admitted that Mr Beeves had had no personal connection with the syndicate, and he was only sorry that the debate had taken a course so painful to the honorable gentleman. THE :mrASTCIAIi DEBATE, Mr Duthia resumed the debate on the Financial Statement, and spoke '/ strongly against the Government. Mr McGuire spoke in favor and Captain Bussell against it, and at 11 p.m. the House adjourned, pn the motion of Mr Pinkerton.