GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2391, 4 August 1892, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. TESTAMENTARY .RESTRICTION RILL. Sir I'. Buckley moved the committal of the Testamentary Trusts Restriction Bill, and said that lie had prepared a number of amendments which in his opinion would do away with the objections of the Statutes Revisions Committee, which had reported adversely on the Bill.—Dr Pollen regretted that illness had prevented his being in the Council during the reading of the Bill, which was, in his opinion, a most iniquitous measure, and one calculated to burst up the estates left by hard-working, loving heads of families for their children’s benefit. The Bill would have the effect of enabling prodigal sons to ruin the younger branches of families, and the only benefit the prodigals would derive would be to waste their dead fathers’ estates, so that they could more readily consort with swine and share with them their husks. As an amendment he moved that the report of the Statutes Revision Committee be adopted. This was carried by 12 to 5, and the Council rose at 4.45 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. THIRD READING. The Premier moved the third reading of the Wesleyan Methodist Church Property Trust Act Amendment Bill.—Mr Sandford moved an amendment that the Bill be referred to the Committee on Bills with a view of considering the clause relating to the extension of time in which ministers should remain in a district.—The Premier pointed out that the present Bill, which left the time unlimited, did not interfere in the slightest degree with with the resolution of the General Conference. After a long discussion, Mr Sandford’s amendment was lost by 31 to 24. The Bill was read a third time and passed. THE PROPOSED APPOINTMENTS TO THE COUNCIL. A message was received from the Governor to the effect that His Excellency was unable to comply with the request of the House to furnish the correspondence between himself and the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the proposed appointments to the Legislative Council, as such correspondence was confidential. The same remark applied to any correspondence that might have taken place between the late Governor and the Secretary of State. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr J. Thomson as to whether the Government would grant a subsidy to the Guarantee Company to hold an exhibition in Auckland in 1895 on the same terras as 'given to the Dunedin Exhibition Company, the Premier said that 1895 was a long way ahead, and no one knew what might happen before then, but he thought the Government should deal as liberally with Auckland as with Dunedin. Replying to Mr Joyce, the Premier said that he should endeavor later in the session to give an opportunity for discussing the Liquor Traffic Local Option Bill.

Replying to Mr Mitchelson, the Pre l mier said that the Government had not sufficient information at their disposal to bring in a Bill to regulate the use of the totalisator, but he thought that such a matter rested with the metropolitan clubs. The House adjourned at 5.20 p.m., and resumed at 7.30. THE F I NANCIAL DEBATE. Mr Buckland resumed the debate on the Financial Statement, strongly condemning the Statement and criticising the speeches of some of the members. He thought the worst pax-t of the Government programme was the Labor Department. The Government were not assisting working men to get work at high wages for tlxeir own benefit, but merely because they wished them to be the tools and implements of the party in power. Mr Mclntosh congratulated the Premier on the Statement. He advocated Government raising money at 3 per cent, in order to enable people to invest in freehold securities, but he did not say that it should be confined to small farmers only. He also strongly advocated the establishment of a people’s bank. Mr Valentine declared that the settlement which was so much boasted of was after all no more than had been going '••n for the last few years. In criticising the Premier’s finance, he prophesied that it wov*ld fall to pieces, whereas if the Treasurer had been content to accept Sir H. Atkinson’s finance he would have a certain surplus for the next year of £3so,ooo—ruot an estimated one. Mr McGuire moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was agreed to, and the House rose at 12.20 a.m.