GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2384, 19 July 1892, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. The Oyster Fisheries Bill, Westland and Grey Education Boards Bill, were read a first time. The New Zealand Company's Land Claimants Bill, the Unclaimed Lands Bill, the Institute of Surveyors Bill, were considered in committee and reported with slight amendments. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. NEW MKMBER. Mr Bruce, the newly-elected member for Rangitikei, took the oath and his seat. REFIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to questions it was stated that the Government would consider the question of putting an import duty on island fruit when the tariff was being reviewed; that the Government had no reason to suppose at present that the judgments given by ex-Judge Edwards were not good in law, but the matter was now under consideration, and if it were found that the judgments were not valid a Bill would be introduced to validate them; that the Government did not see its way to introduce a scheme having for its object the advancing of money at moderate rates of interest to perpetual lease-holders on the security of their improvements ; that the question of allowing eighteen-word telegrams to be sent as ordinary messages had been carefully conaidered, and that it would be given effect to when the next change was made. SELECT COMMITTEE. The motion to appoint a Select Committee to consider how the manufactures and industries of the colony may be encouraged was agreed to. The House adjourned at 5 30 p.m., and resumed at 7.30. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. On the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply Mr Rolleston said that he wished to make a few remarks on the Financial Statement. They all knew that there had been a very considerable withdrawal of capital, and in a number of instances that the withdrawal had been directly due to the uncertainty that pervaded the policy of the Government. As far as the Budget disclosed the financial position of the colony it was a matter of congratulation, but that position was not due to the present Government or the present Parliament; it was due to the determination arrived at by a former Government to abandon profligate borrowing and to have none of that State interference which the present Treasurer wished to force on the colony. The present position of the colony was also due to the industry and peraeverence of its settlers, and the marvellous development of the frozen meat and wool industry. It was in fact due to everything but the existence of the present Government. He referred to the fact that from 1882 to 1888 the colony went through periods of financial depression which it staggered under, but it was now beginning to recover, as our exports so largely exceeded our imports, and so enabled the colony to pay its way. The Ministry had evidently realised that a borrowing policy would not go down with the colony, and they had altered their views in that respect. The important work to be done at present was the roading of the country, and had the Government beeH alive to the necessities of the colony last year, they would have put aside the remnant of the loan voted for bridging and roading the country, instead of buying political support. They were told they must have no more foreign loan companies. It was no doubt true that there was a large amount of money in the banks, but that was due to the reluctance to launch into fresh enterprise^—to the stagnation brought about by atrikes; several other causes also operated to account for this accumulation of capital. The Government were propounding theories to shake the confidence of investors, but they were careful not to do anything till they fooud whether it was popular or not. Ministers foreshadowed a further protective policy, but he would ask whether the colony was better off Bince that policy was inaugurated i He strongly condemned the Premier's attitude with respect to the taxation of debentures, and his refusal to give the House information on that point. As for the Statement itself, he had never read one that contained more disguised borrowing than the present one. The Government were sweeping everything into the Public Trust Office, and the moneys of this office and the Government Insurance Department simply helped the Treasurer to make up his finance. Referring to the accumulation of the Public Trust funds, he questioned whether the Government were competent to carry on that business. He had grave misgivings whether such duties should be undertaken by Government. He condemned the Government native policy, and thought that they would not stay long o.i the benches until they had a more satisfactory policy in that respect. As to the present Land Bill, he contended that it was no advance in the direction of a Liberal policy for settling people on the laud. There could be no Liberal policy so long as capitalists and opeculators were brought into competition with the working man. Coming to the i taxation question he ventured to assert that those who clamored loudest for a change would be most disappointed in the result. He must say ho was glad Mr Ward had not drawn his salary, but there was no excuse whatever for that item appearing on the estimates; besides, he held a position th.it was quite unconstitutional, as tilt* House had by the last Act been greatly reduced and it was iu direct violation of that Act that so many Ministers should sit. on the benches in the reduced House. The Premier had told them at Auckland that if the Governor did not agree to stuff "uo Legislative Council he would resign h •■, office—but he had not done so. He ventured to say that it was the first timt.> a Govern mo; it had remained in office <uter their advice had been twice rejected. Mr Ward said that Mr Rolleston's concluding statements about the Budget were very different from those of the beginning. He first congratulated the Government on such a satisfactory Budget, but before concluding he had characterised it as socialistic. He accused Mr Rolleston of having done more during the recess to set class against class than any other member. Wherever he addressed meetings in the colony ho had adopted these tactics. (Mr Rolleston : "Never.") He should like to ask Mr Rolleston when he predicted that the Government wero galloping to a deficit, whether he would give the Government credit for that deficit in the same way as he attributed the surplus to the former Government ? Mr Rolleston had referred to the borrowing policy, but he pointed out that the leader of the Opposition and his aide of the House were responsible for £9,000,000 of borrowed money. He was amazed to hear Mr Rolleston declare that in future the work should be the roading of the colony. Who objected to the Bill of last session I Why, the Opposition, The present Government

! had spent £280,000 last year in this direction. He referred to the misleading cablegrams that were sent Home after the new taxation was announced, and asked where those cablegrams came from? Not from the Government side of the House ; so it must have been from the Opposition, who were so anxious to regain possession of the Treasury Benches. As to Mr Rolleston's remarks on protection, ho asked what was the good of talking of a free interchange of our commodities when the other colonies had shut their ports against us. He did not believe in a retaliatory policy, but if ever there was a time when a high protective policy seemed advisable it was under the present conditions. Ho wished to say that the present Government had stuck to their estimates, and had not abandoned them like the Government of which Mr Rollesto.i waß a member. He ventured to asssert that the Civil Service was never in a better position than at present, and the Bill brought in by the Government would improve that position. As to the trust fund Mr Ward pointed out that the Government did not intend to use that money without the sanction of the House. What the Government intended to do with that money was to lend it at loan interest to small farmers, and Mr Rolleston must know well that the Government could not use those funds for public purposes without first coming to the House. He asserted that the native race had never been more contented than under the present administration. He quoted from figures to prove that there was a considerable demand for land in all parts of the colony, notwithstanding Mr Rolleston's assertion that the demand for land was much over-rated. He next referred to the remarks made about his position in the Government, and asked whether Mr Rolleston would have the House believe that the Government could not appoint an extra Minister without salary. He was not going to bow to Mr Rolleston in his desire to get him off the benches. When he left those benches he should do so with his colleagues. He deprecated the practice that Mr Rolleston so often indulged in of endeavoring to create feeling between the Legislative Council and a section of the Houße, and advised Mr Rolleston, who held such a responsible position, not to continue such a practice. After referring to the conversion operations of the present Government he said that it was a wise course for the Treasurer to adopt conversion and to release the sinking funds. He twitted the Opposition on the absence of financiers in their ranks, and on the difficulty of finding a Treasurer when the time came to take office. He denied that the Government had been a scatter-cash Ministry, and said that they had been as economical as possible. He assured the House that the Government did not propose to borrow either within or without the colony, a fact which no doubt was a great disappointment to the members of the Opposition. The Government seriously intended, so far as the colony was concerned, that their policy should be self reliant, and they were not going to be dependent on other people, who, having made largo sums of money in the colony, were the first to turn and leave it. He warmly prilled the efforts of the Minister for Lands to settle the people on the land, and ho deprecated the constant attacks on his colleagues—attacks from which even a member of his family were not spared. The country was in a prosperous condition at present, notwithstanding the attacks made on it and the Government by the opponents of the Ministry. Mr George Hutchison spoke supporting Mr Rolleston and Mr Guinness in defence of the statement. Mr Allen moved the adjournment of the debate, whicli wai agreed to, and the House rose at 12.45 a.m.