GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2386, 23 July 1892, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. | The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Oyster Fisheries Bill was considered in Committee. —A long debate ensued on the export duty clause, a majority of the members objecting to raising any export duty in the colony. The Westland and Grey Education Boards Bill went through its final stages. The Council met at 2.40 p.m. on Thursday. The Unclaimed Land Bill was put through its final stages. The Settled Land Bill was read a second time. The Oyster Fisheries Bill was considered in Committee. Progress was reported, and the Council rose at 3.15 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr Hutchison (Dunedin) resumed the debal e on the Financial Statement. Keferring to Mr Rolleston's speech he said that the hon. gentleman had lately lived so far away from the madding crowd lhat he had lost touch with the people, and could not realise that certain questions which a few years ago would have been laughed at if seriously advanced were now coming within the range of practical politics. He (Mr Hutchison) admitted that our public accounts were in a perfect muddle, and no one could arrive at the amount of our public debt up to withiu a million or two. He did hope that some man would rise up who would give the colony a plain intelligent statement, which would be an immense boon to everybody. Mr Duthie complained of Mr Ward's action in not providing better steamship accommodation between this colony and England, by which the colony suffered greatly, especially in the matter of conveyance of mails. He strongly condemned the system of co-operative contracts, and the relief works established by the present Government, and said that it was not only a very unsatisfactory way of carrying on public works, but it was nothing more nor less than political bribery, designed to catch the votes of the working classes. He strongly objected to General Booth's proposal to form a settlement in New Zealand. He referred at some length to the proposed transactions with respect to the Public Trust Office. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.30. Mr McLean congratulated the Premier upon his Budget, and said that the Financial statement found acceptance all over the colony. He charged the Hall Government with having secured political support for themselves when in office, and with having disorganised the Civil Service by their famous 10 per cent reduction in taxation. Beferring to General Booth's agreement with the Premier, he hoped that those people would not come to this colony at all. He was in favor of a land tax, pure and simple, with no exemption whatever, and he had no objection to a man holding any amount of land provided he paid tax on its unimproved value. Mr McKenzie (Clutha) said that the last speaker's address was in the worst possible taste. He had accused members on the opposite side of the House with having exercised tyranny and starvation wages to their men, but he challenged him to cite a single instance of this. Mr McLean had referred to Mr Rolleston interfering at elections, but Mr McLean himself was one of the political crippleß landed in the House on ministerial crutches. Mr Hogg warmly praised the Premier for his Financial Statement, and felt convinced that Ministers would be able to verify the figures therein. They had to face the House and the country, and if they were convicted of presenting a cooked statement their punishment would surely follow. Government were to be commended for inaugurating a policy of self-reliance, and there was no doubt from whatever cause that the colony was m a sounder position now than for the last 14 or 15 years. Mr Buchanan moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was agreed to, and the House rose at 1 a.m. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tnursday. QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE. A question of privilege was raised by Sir John Hall, with reference to a return which had been laid upon the table, and which Sir John Hall stated was incorrect. —The matter led to a long debate, but nothing came of it. BILLS PASSED. The Wauganui Hospital Board Vesting Bill, and the Wellington City Sanitation Loan Empowering Bill, were committed and passed with verbal amendments. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. and resumed at 7.3 Q, THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr Scobie Mackenzie, continuing the debate on the Financial Statement, said that a more vicious or dangerous finance, was never proposed to the House than that contained in the Statement. Those who knew public life would recognise in the Treasurer the " Jubilee Plunger " of New Zealand. Touching upon the expenditure o{ last year, he said that the preset Government had startled the Civil Service with their retrenchment proposals, but the increasing expenditure had steadily gone on despite this, and it was £120,000 more last year than in the previous year. Dealing with the land fund account, he said it was in a desperately unsatisfactory condition, and not understandable by the younger members of the Housu. Referring to the proposal of the Government in regard to local borrowing, he pointed out that wlion Sir Harry son proposed to, borrow from the Trußt Funds of the colony, the present Premier I had attacked the scheme strongly, and I described it as borrowing in an underhand manner! He (Mr Mackenzie) criticised the Colonial financial abilities, pointing out that the first time he left office there was a deficit of £1,000,000. The next time there was a deficit of half a million, and he (Mr Mackenzie) expected that when the Premier wout, out of power .after next election there would be a deficiency of a quarter of a million. The Premier was improving, but too slowly to be of any use to this generation. He strongly opposed insurance companies being com* polled to deposit cash at a rate of interest helow that which they would receive elsewhere for their money. He censured the Government for trading on the financial ignorance of the colony by stating that they had reduced the public debt of the colony when they had done nothing of the sort, As to the Labor Bureau, he asked, if that department taxed the colony to keep it going now, in the time of our prosperity, what would it be when the day oi adversity came ? This was the first time in the history of the colony that only individuals of the " right color " were appointed to positions at the disposal of the Government. The people, at present might uql; see, v,b.«.-iuj.

postures that were being practised upon them by the present Government, but they would in time see that this Liberalism without freedom was no more than the body after the soul had left it. Mr W. P. Reeves did not recognise any originality in the last speaker's remarks. He pointed out that Mr Mackenzie, when Sir Harry Atkinson's proposals 10 borrow the Public Trust funds came before the House, had supported them, and denied that it was borrowing. Now, however, when the present Government were doing exactly the Mme thing, he condemned it vehemently. This was an instance of his inconsistency. As to Mr Mackenzie's statement about a telegram asking that room be made for a young man coming up with the Minister of Lands, he stated that the wrong story had leaked out, as the telegram stated that that it was from the late Minster of Lands that the young man was coming, and room was made for him not by the present Minister but by the Lands Department. He (Mr Reeves) admitted that a portion of the surplus was due to Sir Harry Atkinson's able and determined finance, but was it due to the members for Mount Ida, Bruce, and those other members who had so strongly attacked the late Treasurer when lie brought down additional Customs duties that created the surplus ? Those honourable gentlemen could claim no credit at all for it; aut it was he (Mr Reeves) and other members of the then Opposition who had forsaken party ties and supported Sir Harry Atkinson on that memorable occasion. He referred at length to the public debt, and notwithstanding the asssertion of the Opposition that there was no decrease this year, he asserted that there was a net reduction of £117,000. As to the speech of the leader of the Opposition he characterised it as dolorous and woebegone in tone, and he advised Mr Rolleston to take a more cheerful view of the position than he generally did. Dealing with the question of withdrawal of capital, which was so often referred to by Opposition members, he asserted that the rate of interest was not higher than usual, and he said he had never until the present year noticed respectable firms advertise money a tsf per cent. He denied that capital was being withdrawn as stated by the Opposition. He had been accused of being a Socialist and Communist, but he was no Communist. In conclusion, he said that members should take every proposed change on its individual merit. If it were a good change they should accept it, but if bad it should be rejected. Mr Rhodes referred to Mr Reeves' speech as a very amusing one. He justified Mr Scobie Mackenzie's attitude over the Otago Central railway, aud held that it was quite consistent for him to support a scheme brought down by the late Government, and yet to oppose borrowing from trust funds. His opinion was that whatever quibbling the Government might make use of, there was no doubt our expenditure was increasing at present. It was almost impossible to discuss the Financial Statement when a large amount«»f money was going to be spent on Public Works and they were not in possession of the Public Works Statement. After referring at some length to the financial position of the colony he agreed with other speakers that instead of a decrease in the public debt of £117,000 there was an increase of £334,311. He was pleased to hear MiReeves disclaim any connection with Communism or anything of that kind. The Government were to be congratulated on the fact that they were able to get taxation out of the people. The actual expenditure had increased and there was no saving made by the Government at all. They might be more entitled to congratulation, however, if they talked less about reducing the expenditure and effected a saving in reality. As to the future policy of the Government, the only thing foreshadowed was fresh taxation, which meant increasing the taxes on land, and this was a serious question to farmers. The only other policy was further protection. Ho strongly opposed borrowing in the colony, and if money was necessary for such purposes as the purchase of Native lands it would be much better to get money openly in the London market for such purposes as the Land for Settlement Bill than as was proposed by Government. He referred at length to the taxation question, and the Public Trust Funds, and hoped the Government would deal cautiously with the latter. Mr Sandford moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was agreed to and the House rose at 12.30 a.m.