GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2388, 28 July 1892, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Oyster Fisheries Bill passed its final stages without debate, and the Council rose at 3 p.m. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Dill for £258,500 was passed through all its stages. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Sir John Hall, the Premier said that the reason why several returns ordered by the House to be printed were not laid before the House, was owing to the impossibility of getting the work done in the Government Printing Office, although a large number of extra hands had been taken on this session. Some discussion took place, several members contending that if the Government Printing Office could not perform the work it should be distributed amongst the printing offices in various parts of the colony. Replying to Mr Allan, Mr Seddon said that the Railway Commissioners had informed him that they would be glad to take into consideration the question of reduction of haulage rates for cheese, and for milk conveyed by rail to dairy factories.

Replying to Mr Duthie, Mr Seddon said that the Government had not, up to the present, interfered in the matter of the route for the North Island Trunk Railway, and did not intend to interfere. —The subject was debated at great length, on the motion for the adjournment of the House, but no decision was arrived at on the matter.

The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Mr Harkness took up the financial debate, and was followed by Mr 0. H. Mills, who criticised the Statement favorably. The Hon. Mr G. F. Richardson took exception to some m ittors in the Statement, and had prepared some tables which he had applied to the Taeasurer to allow the Treasury officials to correct, but was refused. In one table he showed that on the Consolidated Fund the increase for 1892 over 1891 was £17,839, and on the Public Works Fund £56,400, making a total of £74,299 increase of expenditure over last year’s total. The excess of expenditure and liabilities for the Consolidated Fund and for the Public Works Fund, for 1892 over 1891, was £132,338. The tables showed that we actually borrowed last year £324,000, and that the expenditure was increased by £74,000. He quoted other figures showing that the net indebtedne-s had increased by £334,311. Ministers had frequently stated that they saved considerably, but he challenged contradiction of his statement that they had overspent £18,529. There was a slight difference between his and the Treasurer’s figures. There was, however, a sum of £IOO,OOO, which the Premier had stated last year he intended to devote to the reduction of the public debt. While not finding fault with that, he asked the Premier to explain by what authority he transferred that £IOO.OOO from the Public Works Fund to the Consolidated Fund. He wished to ask the Premier whether he would admit an error of £02.005 in the Public Works Fund as set down_ in the Statement. (The Premier; Well, then he (Mr Richardson) would have to demonstrate it, although he would have preferred the Premier admitting it. He then proceeded to show from last year’s and the present Statement that the Premier had accounted for the sum twice over. Mr Richardson trusted that if the Treasurer found the speaker’ correct in this he would admit it. (The Premier promised to do so). He strongly condemned the Minister of Lands with regard to the construction of roads, accusing him of neglecting those necessary, while carrying out unproductive works. Referring to the acquisition of Native lauds, the proposal in the Budget was to acquire laud at a rate not exceeding £50,000 a year, but he thought that the Government would not be iu a position to acquire such lands in twenty years, If the Natives were allowed to dispose of their own lands with proper restrictions, such as providing that they should not sell or lease too large areas to any single individual, or to entirely denude themselves of land, the Native lands would soon be settled. The financial proposals of the Government were very unsound in many respects, and he asserted that the co-operative system was costing the colony from 20 per cent to 30 per cent over contract prices. After condemning the Civil Service Bill, he referred to jfchp Trust Funds, and said that it was the duty of the Government to consider the matter and see that they had a sufficient margin of liquid security, so as to resist any run that might be made on them. Passing on to land settlement he dealt at length with the Minister's figures as to the number of people who had ta eu up sections, and said that they must be discounted to a considerable extent. Mr R. Reeves moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was carried, and the House rose at midnight.