GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2385, 21 July 1892, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The New Zealand Company’s Claimants Bill, and the Surveyors Bill, were read a third time and passed. The motion for the second reading of the Oyster Fisheries Bill was agreed to. The Westland and Grey Education Boards Bill was road a second time. The Council rose at 3.30 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mr Rhodes called attention to what he considered a breach of the privileges of the House, respecting a question put on the Order Paper by Mr Meredith for Thursday, the 21st July. The question he referred to was whether an honorable member of the House, as agent for another person, has exercised valueless forest land scrip to a large amount in lieu of cash, and if the answer be in the affirmative what steps have the Government taken in the matter. —The Speaker said that he did not regard the matter in question as one of such urgency ns to come under the question of privilege.— Mr Rhodes went into the matter fully.— Mr McKenzie said that the Government had nothing whatever to do with the subject brought up by Mr Rhodes. After further discussian the matter dropped, on the understanding that when the question came up it could be referred to further. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.30 p.m. THE STHAKCIAX. DEBATE. Mr Allen renewed the debate on the Financial Statement. Speaking of the Government land policy he said that Ministers had made so many statements on the freehold question that it was very difficult to know what they meant. At one place they stated that they had no faith in the freehold, and there was no tenure like the perpetual lease, whilst a fortnight later, when speaking in a district where the freehold was the popular tenure, they declared that they had no intention whatever of doing away with the freehold. He challenged the Government to go to the country on the question of retaining the freehold tenure, and he believed they would not come back with a majority. The Financial Statement, he considered, was most loosely compiled, and contained some palpable errors which were easily exposed. There was no release of taxation to relieve the country settlers, and the only thing which the Budget set forth was au increase of expenditure on public works out of loan money. He charged the Government with having made no saving in expenditure, and asked how they could expect expenditure to decrease when. Ministers neglected their duties and galivanted all over the country electioneering. In spite of all their boasting he asserted that Ministers had spent £17,000 over the estimates of last year. They were told that the public debt had decreased by £117,000, but as a matter of fact it had increased by £332,000, Mr Tanner said up to Mr Allen s speech no one on the Opposition side had attempted to criticise the. Statement. Mr Allan had made many bold assertions as to the finance of the Government, but he (Mr Tanner) thought a Government that commenced with a surplus of £44,000, and increased that surplus in the following year to £165,000, with a reasonable prospect of increasing it next year to £330,000, was a difficult one to attack. Dr Newman twitted the Postmaster* General with liaving failed to carry out his proposal with regard to the penny postage. , He contended that the Budget showed that the Premier intended to borrow wherever he had the chance, and also to add fresh taxation. There was no question at all that the heavy load of taxation was killing enterprise and clogging the wheels of industry, and there could be no real progress for the colony whilst that state of things prevailed. Mr Buick said that it was evident from the Budget that the Premier was not so extravagant as the Opposition predicted he would be. By the unprecedented results of this Statement the evil day was postponed, and if public opinion ban been aroused by the Opposition an antidote had evidently been administered with good effect. He strongly urged au increase in members’ honorarium. He approved of the establishment of the Labor Bureau, but he feared that it would tend in some instances to diminish the independence of the working class, and would cause a large number of people to look to the Government for employment instead of seeking it for themselves, Mr Moore said that the last speaker had referred to the Opposition in terms of pity, but they did not want his pity. All they wanted was fair play, which they had not got this session. It was somewhat annoying to his mind to be continually told that because the Opposition •would not support the Government they were against the progress of the colony, and he asserted, that the Opposition were just as anxious as the other side to see roads and bridges constructed, so as to open up the country for settlement. He attributed the present condition, oi the colony not only to the thrift and industry of the people, but to the careful administration of the late Government, Mr W. C. Smyth moved the adjournment of the debate. The House rose at 1 a.m.