GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2223, 4 July 1891, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wellington, July 2. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. . legislative council bill. The Bill was reported as amended, read a third time and passed. The Council rose at 3.30 p.m. July 1. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. replies TO QUESTIONS. ..,.,, Replying to questions it was stated that in view of the proposed reduction in the postage the Government could not consent to allow the local bodies to send their correspondence free "of' postage; that the Government did not propose to put a sum on the. Supplementary Estimates to enable New Zealand to be represented at the Tasmanian Exhibition; that the Government did not intend to introduce an amendment to the Contagious Diseases Act this session; that no modifications had been made in the Government Banking arrangements beyond a slight one in regard to billsof exchange. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. .. '• Mr McKenzie resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He had been told over and over again that the Minister for Lands was to be assailed by Mr Richardson. Great disclosures were to be made, and a slashing attack was prepared against himself, but after, one solid month of preparation he had not made out such a great case. The first, charge he made against the Government was want of dignity and good taste, bordering upon dishonor; but he had also 7 defended the appointment of Mr Edwards, and stated that the late Government did not appoint that judge, but the Governor .of New Zealand made the appointment. He would ask the House to remember when the late Government brought in the Bill to appoint.Mr Edwards a judge it was received with the strongest disapproval,, and the message was withdrawn. Was it not the ..duty of the Government, when they found the House would not agree with that appointment to resign ? But their love of power was too strong for them to do that. Mr Richardson had also stated that the Government had increased expenditure, but he should like, to know what the people who have been retrenched throughout the colony would think of such a statement. In one breath he had said there was no retrenchment at all, and in another breath he stated that the- Government had retrenched so much that the office - work was all going behind.. How could the honorable gentleman .;re.- : . concile those statements ? He would show the ' House that the present Government had provided for certain - survey changes which the late Govern- 1 ment had provided out of loan. After * referring to several items of expenditute, which he asserted compared favorably with his predecessor, he asked whether it was wrong for him to •- s ask the House to provide for the carrying on the surveys of the colony, which were so far behind that the country could. not be opened up. If he had asked for a larger vote than . last year it was not for the payment of officers, but for providing for. the surveys of the colony. The Government had also been accused of disr missing eighty-two officers and ap-' pointing ninety-two; but he did not knoAv where these figures came from. :

In 1800 theiotal'number, bf officers in ... the service was 2380, whereas at the present time it was only 2315 or GSdeiss,..., He Wad been attacked for disparaging the officers of his departmentbut the . member for Mataura had done so himself when he stated that lie (Mr -.7 McKenzie) had discharged the only man in Wellington who. could give him any advice in the Land Department. . The only disparagement he > had made of the officers was done in self-defence, and when he was attacked by the Conservative press of the colony, he was bound to deferd him- . self. Why, the Conservative organs

which supported the Opposition could not even leave his family alone, but dragged them into their wretched, politics, and yet lie was charged with damaging his predecessor’s administration. With regard to the removal of Crown • Land Commissioners Mr Richardson had stated those removals cost the colony £2OOO, hut they had not cost foOO, and even if they had cost £2OOO it would be cheap to the colony. If it was known what, the Crown Lands Commissioners had done in the different districts, the House would then see that it was not in the interest of the colon} r to keep those men too long in one place. The lion, gentleman had picked out the worst of the village settlement in order to illustrate his argument, against the present land policy. He should like to know where all the land was that’ the han. gentleman had spoken of as available for settlement. It was well known that they had no control over Native lauds, but if Native lands were' S available the Ormonds, Beethams, • Russells, and Buchanans would soon get possession of them, as had been done in the case of Hawke’s Bay. . He defended his action in appointing Mr Ritchie as. head of the Stock Department, and he ventured to say that when that officer had had time to effect the reform he proposed, the lion, gentleman opposite would be . very

glad of the change that had been made. He was prepared to say that all the statements he had made as to inspectors using their own horses and charging the Government for them, and also as to charging rent for their offices, would be borne out by returns, which would be placed on the table. He pointed out that a rabbit fence authorised by the late Minister cost £2O per mile more than the estimate, simply because a Government inspector was acting as agent for the person who had the fence erected on hii own property. Referring to the charges made against him in connection with the Invercargill Land Office, he had stated at Palmerston that certain serious charges were made against Mr Spence, These charges were made by the bushel,, and the reason why he. had not dismissed Mr Spence was because he wished to be peaceable, and thought that by transferring Mr Spence to Westland that that officer's name would not be dragged before the colony as it would be if he were dismissed from the service. He defended Mr Campbell's appointment as ranger, and said that when he made that appointment he had never heard the charge made against Campbell. He read a telegram from Mr Campbell respecting the charges made against him by Mr Scobie Mackenzie, and the reply was that he was quite prepared to submit himself to the hands of a jury, and he should abide by the result. He read a list of transfers of Lake blocks made to persons in Canterbury within the last twelve months, and said the Land ,Act of 1887, brought in by Mr Richardson, opened the door wide for all sorts of jobbery. In support of his argumeut that there was no Crown ..land available for settlement, he Aquoted from a letter received by a gentleman, who stated that he had travelled through Wellington, Tarahaki, and Hawke's Bay,.and he could obtain no land except through specula- " tors. He contended that he had now refuted all the charges made against him, and would reserve what he had to say to the members for Mount Ida Vand Clutha for another occasion. Mr Mitchelson regretted that Mr Justice Edwards' name should have

been dragged into this debate, but he thought the Minister for Lands had stated the case very unfairly when he said the late Government withdrew the Governor’s message making the appointment. The Minister knew Very well that the then Opposition had obstructed the message in every way and would not allow it to go to the vote. If it had gone to the vote there was no doubt whatever that Mr Edwards’s appointment would have been made in the usual way. Referring to the changes made by the Minister for Lands by removing the Commissioners of Crown Lands from ■place to place, he said those changes 'Were very vexatious, and were a Standing blot to the administration the Minister for Lands. He Should like to know how many of those members who how opposed the . property tax were aware that they ’Were advocating a more iniquitous ytax than the property tax. His .opinion was that the principal objectors to the property tax were those who did not pay anything under it. He felt sure that if new taxation was proposed it would lead to disaster. The Liberal

party would not iri that case be able to extricatethe colony from its difficulties, and the result would be that the party ncjw in opposition would have to come to the rescue. He was strongly opposed to a graduated taxation in any shape or form, as it was .not a fair way to tax; the people of the colony. He should like to know why the sudden desire had arisen for bursting up the large estates. Had not these estates been .acquired in a legitimate way ? If it.' was necessary to acquire Y them why not do so in a proper manner, jMid in the same way as land would be taken for, railway purposes? They had already' been told during the debate that the income tax was a tax upon honesty, and a premium on disand tKis .Would be found to be correct r when the,officers of the depart-

imant had.tb collect it. Speaking as a •former Postmaster* General, he said the loss by tlie reduction of postage to a penny would be £50,000 ; not £40,000 as stated by" the :Postmaster-General; The reduction of-telephone charges would also result in considerable loss to the colony. Referring, to retrenchment he said there was no doubt a large, number of officers, had been retrenched, but many others had been taken on, and he should be .prepared to show in Committee that no real savingliad been effected by the Government. Messrs Earnshaw, Harkness, and Mills also spoke and the House adjourned at 1.30 a.m. July 2. The, House met at 2,30 p.m. on Thursday. KEPLIES TO QUESTIONS. ~ Replying to Mr Houston, Mr Seddon said that it was the practice now On the New Zealand Bailways to give the preference in tendering to New Zealand woods, and he should endeavor to that the practice was carried out as much as possible. Mr Houston moved the adjournment of the House, as he considered the Minister's reply unsatisfactory. He thought that puriri sleepers would be one of the most valuable assets a railway company could have, and he thought that, considering the large amount of money that was sent out of

the colony for sleepers, puriri should be more generally used. It Avas to his mind very injurious to the small settlers that £50,000 should be sent out of'the colony in one year for sleepers, especially as puriri timber was much more durable.

A long debate ensued, during which, a strong attack was made upon the Railway Commissioners by Mr Fish, Mr Hogg, and Mr Rees. The two former declared that the Commissioners were an ignominious and absolute failure.

! Mr Seddon said that he would convey to the Commissioners what he regarded as the unanimous opinion of the House, that New Zealand timber should be used for sleepers in future. If a resolution to that effect were passed by the House he felt sure that the Commissioners would pay attention to it. NOTICE OF REPEAL BILL. Mr Jackson Palmer gave notice to introduce the Government Railways Act, 1887, Repeal Bill, 1891. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. The financial debate was continued by Messrs Meredith, Thompson, Newman, Buick, and Swan, and the House at 12.20 a.m.