PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1883, 5 August 1874, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

(Pet Anglo-Australian Telegraph Press Agency.) «—. —. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, Tuesday, 7.50 p.m. CANTEKBUIJY DOMAINS ACT. The Hod. Colonel Brett brought up the report of the Select Committee on the Canterbury Public .Domain Act Amendment Bill, recommending that the bill be not further proceeded with this session. COLONIAL BANE BILL, The Hon. Mr Miller briefly moved the second reading of the Colonial Bank of New Zealand Bill. The Hon. Mr Waterhouso opposed the motion, as it ga?e unprecedented powers to the bank. Tho Hon. Mr Holmes supported the motion, arguing that all tho banks directly or indirectly had similar powers. He thought the Council should not depart from its usual course. The Hon. Mr Williamson thought such powers should not he given to any bank. Tho Hon. Mr Campbell supported the motion, deprecating any delay. HOUSE OF BEPBESEfITATIVES. Wellington, Tuesday, 6.30 p.m. HOUSE BKFOBTS. The report of the Select Committee on excise duties brought up states that to immediately adopt the proposals of Government would not bo consistent with good faith, and it is inexpedient to altogether stop distillation, bat ia view of the

loss resulting, to the revenue therefrom and as parties engaged in it express a willingness to [accept compensation, the Government would endeavour to arrange with them on equitable terms, LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Mr Webster was granted leave of obsence for the remainder of the session. BILLS BEAD FIBS! TIME. The following bills were read a first time:-Whakaki Grant Bill; Native Land Act, 1873, Amendment Bill; Bill to Validate Certain Orders in_ Council issued under the Outlying Districts Sales of Spirits Act, 1870; Bill to Amend the Employment of Females Act; Election of Mayors for Wanganui; Ahikouka Native Claims He-hearing Bill; Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits, 1870, Amendment Bill; Awahuri Native Grantees Bill; Goldfields Act, 1866, Amendment Act. FORESTS BUI. The Adjourned debate on the Forests Bill came on last night. Mr Murray opposed. He thought a better experiment would be to assimilate the land laws. The amount of forest land destroyed by firo had been much overrated Private enterprise would be quite sufficient to replace that removed, long before scarcity was felt. He said it was a useless measure only calculated to increase expenditure and the number of civil servants. Mr Maeandrew regretted be was constrained to vote against the bill though anxious to extend and preserve th« forests. "Why should the control of forest lands be removed from those who have hitherto administered them, a great deal of what he might call flapdoodle was introduced in debate as to the " people of the colony," just as if the people of the proviuces were not people of the colony. If the Stale did anything why not distribute seeds and test trees by millions for the people to plant. Why, if the State saw reason to engage in a timber enterprise not grow grain or do anything usually left to private enterprise. There was ample timber in the colony to supply all requirements for a hundred years. He objected to the bill also as giving us another of those permanent institutions we already had too many of. Mr O'Connor supported the bill, though coming Irom a part of the country considered to be too much timbered, tie was convinced the Premier showed a wise provision on drawing up the measure. There could be no doubt the supply will be wanted in 30 years' time. It was dangerous to leave so important a question to the uncertainty of private enterprise. He believed that if Otago and Canterbury were allowed to consult their own inclination in the matter of forestry, and the colony prosecuted the enterprise without them, he felt convinced that before many years they wonld be glad to participate. As for the other provinces they could not carry out the scheme at all. Mr Buckland opposed the measure as interfering too much with private enterprise; what the country really wanted was hedge-row small plantations, although. Auckland utilised more timber than all other provinces, it planted more trees than it cut dow; these would amply replace tho disappearing kauri forests. If Government intended to establish a college, why not establish an agricultural college? While admiring the thoroughness with which the Premier had done his work in this matter as iu all others, he hoped he would confine himself to properly carrying out that other work in hand, which was making his name famous, he opposed the bill. MrEollestou said the provisions regarding forest land and disforested land seemed to have presented a difficulty greater than the Premier could cope with. The bill pressed too heavily upon private enterprise, and aimed at taking too much lands from the provinces. Canterbury had already fully appreciated the necessity of providing trees: in 1870 the Provincial Government distributed 65,000 to be planted in reserves which had been made throughout the province; the object of the bill had his sympathy, but not its provisions; he was surprised the Premier should think he would secure the approbation of the people of the provinces to a measure appropriating their lands for revenue purposes. He opposed the bill because its effect was practically to cripple proviucial institutions in a way not calculated to benefit the people of the colony or provinces. Mr Bluett did not think the hon member who had just sat down did represent the mind of the people of Canterbury. Such a measure was calculated to be of the utmost benefit. Want of forest ou the Canterbury plains often led to crops being so poor as not to be worth cutting, or else to have all the grain blown out. He thought the principal provisions of the bill seemed to be misunderstood. He highly approved of the idea of a training college; also of agriculture. He would give the measure his warmest support. Mr Bunny warmly opposed the bill, as a measure aiming to confiscate the lands of the colony, especially of the North Island. As far as Wellington was concerned, this bill really might as well take their whole estate, 90 per cent of which was forest land. 1 he object of Wellington was, how to dis-forest their land. _ He would go with the Government if they wished to resume control of the waste lands ot the colony, but that was another matter. The real way to preserve their forests was to sell them, and plant fresh ones where required. Mr T. Kelly thought, instead of conserving forest land, Government should give them value by opening them up. Under any_ circumstances he saw no immediate necessity for the bill. The destruction of forests was greatly overrated in Taranaki. Climatically Taranaki would be benefited by removal of a great deal of its forestsit had too much rain. Financially the scheme would be a failure. He hoped Government would withdraw the bill. All they had to do was freely to distribute seed of trees most suitable for the colony. Mr Walter Johnson opposed the bill as quite uncalled for. The hon. member proceeded to show that the most fertile countries and most equable climate and most regular rainfalls were where there were practically no forests, such as Ireland. He quoted the results of Prussian forestry to show that it could not pay. He objected also because he could see in clauses power to enable tho Government to acquire money. They would bo in a position to take all lands fronting the sounds and bays of the west coast of tho Middle Island, to lay out forest lands in townships and sell them. This would place a largo amount of money in the hands of the Government, which latterly had shown a great desire to get hold money he felt certain they wanted. Mr Luckie supported the bill as a sound statesmanlike measure, for which future generations would thank the House, He regretted more information on this

measure, and papers on [the Polynesian question had not been longer before the public so as to enable them fully to grasp many benefits presented. The chief opponents to the measure were Superintendents, and those interested in keeping up a system of provincialism all connected by the tie of pocket; the strongest supporters of the bill admitted the principle to be right, only opposed details. Mr Hunter deprecated introducing the motives of provincial supporters as unjust, all being representatives of the people. Ho had understood with the majority of members that the measure would not have been pressed farther than the second reading, until the hon member for Timaru forced from the Government a statement that they intended to press the measure. It seemed to be right to encourage planting in the South Island, and to encourage clearing in the North. ;The Government should not meddle with the land laws of the provinces. Mr Andrews considered the evidence regarding the climatic effect of denudation was not proved, but supported the bill for other reasons. j