GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2402, 22 September 1892, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. , . The report of the Statutes Revision Committee, on the Electoral Bill, nas presented, and was ordered to be considered next day. Sir Patrick Buckley moved the second reading of the Shop and Shop Assistants Bill. "Sir George Whitmore, Mr Oliver, and Mr Pharazyn opposed the Bill. The Bill was read a second time on the voices, and was referred to the Labour Bills Committee.

The Otago Harbour Board Empowering Bill was ordered to be committed that day six months. The Council rose at 4 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Further leave of absence for a week was granted to Mr Taylor on account of illness, and for ten days to Mr Mitchelson in consequence of illness in his family. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS BILL. The Premier gave notice to introduce the Payment of Members Bill. COURSE OP BUSINESS. The Premier gave notice to move that the House sit on Monday at 2.30 p.m. for Government business, and that the Standing Orders be suspended to allow fresh business to be taken after 12.40 a.m. Sir John Hall said that he felt sure that the House would be glad to see the Premier in his place alter his recent illness, but he thought that at this stage of the session the House was entitled to be informed as to what Bills the Government proposed to go on with this session.

The Premier thanked the member for Ellesmere for his kindly reference to himself. He hoped to be able in a few days to afford some definite information as to what business the Government would ask the House to go on with this session.

Mr Fergus complained of the delay in bringing down the Public Works Statement. The Premier replied that the Statement was in course of preparation, and would bo brought down early next week. FOREIGN INSURANCE BILL. The Foreign Insurance and Assurance Companies Bill was introduced by Message from the Governor and read a first time. PUBLIC REVENUES BILL. The Premier moved the second reading of the Public Revenues Bill. The object of the Bill was set out in the Financial Statement. It was intended to redeem guarantee debentures in London and to reduce Treasury Bills from £476,000 to £450,000. It was also provided that the Treasury may issue further Treasury Bills to the extent of £IOO,OOO to meet the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund, £450,000 for redeeming guaranteed debentures issued under the Immigration and Public Works Loan Act, 1870. The Bill also provided that travelling allowances to Royal Commissioners should be limited to a sum not exceeding twenty shillings per day, in addition to money paid for travelling fares. The Government were of opinion that in order to provide against contingencies there should always be in the hands of the AgentGeneral in London debentures to the amount of £450,000. Sir John Hall said that he regarded with considerable anxiety this proposal to increase the borrowing powers of the Government to the extent of a million. He also took exception to the manner of the audit proposed by the Bill. A long debate ensued. Mr Moore moved as an amendment that the Bill be read that day six months. Ou a division the amendment was rejected by 25 to 16. In the course of his reply the Premier denied that the Bill was a borrowing one. The second reading was carried by 25 to 17, and the House rose at 5.30 p.m. On resuming at 7.30,

On the motion of the Premier the Public Revenues Bill was referred to the Public Accounts Committee for the special consideration of clauses 4 and 5. workmen's lien bill. A conference was appointed to confer with the Legislative Council on their amendments in the Workmen’s Lien Bill. LAND AND INCOME ASSESSMENT BILL. The Premier moved the second reading of the Land and Income Assessment Amendment Bill. He pointed out that under the Bill friendly societies, savings banks, and all kinds of charitable institutions, were exempted from the tax, but the House would see that the amendments made were not such as to alter the character of the Bill passed last session. Referring to the proposed exemption of building societies, he was prepared to leave that to the House to decide. The amount of concessions proposed by the Government was £15,000, and the amount expected to be realised was £350,000. With respect to Sir George Grey’s proposed amendment for the exemption if improvements, ho estimated that such a concession would result in a loss of from £37,000 to £50,000, and as that would mean a serious disarrangement of the Finance of the Government, they could not possibly accept the amendment. Were the Government to concede this matter of exemption of improvements without considering the whole scheme of finance, they would not be pursuing a wise course. The Government believed that it was only prudent to be on the safe side, and they had every reason to believe that their estimate oi this tax would be realised. Ho hoped that the House would accept the concessions he had made in the Bill in a non-party spirit, and with a general desire to make the Bill work as fairly as possible. Sir George Grey strongly defended his proposal to exempt improvements. The Premier had a great chance with his large surplus to relieve the poorer classes by the removal of taxation from the necessaries of life, Sir John Hall congratulated the Government and the House on the extent to which the Government had seen the error of their way in respect to the tax on debentures, a tax which could not fail to do great injury to the colony. He was <dad to se<3 the exemptions contained in the Bill, but 3?e psked why several partners in a piece of laud should not have Ilia same exemption ,as partners in a firm. As regarded the taxation of improvements he’ questioned the Premier’s statement that the wealthiest people were those who would benefit most by its removal. The Treasurer could not deny that this tax was a great discouragement on improvements. Mr Rhodes pointed ppt that the people whom the Premier would exempt were the wealthiest class, namely the banks and foreign loan companies. Mr Richardson thought that the Opposition were t(? bp congratulated on this Bill, as it was the result of the contention made by that side of the House last session. T i i * J)r Newman, Mr George Hutchison, Mr Allen, Mr Saunders, Mr Moore, Mr Fisher, Mr Ruthie, Mr Lucklaud, IVIi T. Thompson, and Mr Shera also spoke.

In the course of his reply the Premier said that as soon as the finances would allow it, he should be in favor of exempting all improvements, accepting Sir George Grey’s amendment, as he believed in a land tax pux-e and simple. With respect to what had been said about banks being exempted, he believed that those institutions would pay more under the new system of taxation than under the old form. The second reading of the Bill was agreed to on the voices. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT BILL. The Land for Settlement Bill passed through Committee with amendments made by the Waste Lands Committee. The Bill was reported with amendments, and the House rose at 1.50 a.m.