EVENING SITTING.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3581, 18 June 1880, Page 3

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30. PBOPEBTY TAX BBPEAI BILL—THE GO-

VEBNMENT' TOIICY.

Sir Geo. Grey, on being ca^ed upon to move the second reading of the Property Tax Bepeal Bi'l, said that Government kad said they would treat the matter as a rote of want of confidence. This was not fair, as he would be confined to the four corneis of his bi)!, instead of traversing the whole policy of the Government. He therefore asked that the bill might be discharged, and that he might without" notice be allowed to move that the financiel proposal* of the Gore, ament are not as a whole oilealatrd to promote the welfare of New Zealand. Hon. J. Hall objected strongly to this procee^ng, which he said was an unfair surprise. Aft*r disc«Sßura ref*rdmg the mode of procedure, leave to discharge the bill was retimd* ■••■■■■ - ■■;,-•' . , gir Geo. Grey then, without remark, moved the second reading. . t Mr Beetham moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months, and on a division the amendment was carried by 41 to 39. StJPPXY.—SIB aEOBGE GBEY S AMENDMENT. The remaining orders of the day down to Committee of Supply were then postponed. . ■■''„-.. * On the motion to go into Committee of Supply* Si? George Grey moved his resolution as an amendment. He said his object was to rescue the colony fronr ruinous taxation. Although in a minoiity in the. House, a vast majority of. the country was with him. He compared the Government to a vampire sucking the life blood of the colony, and urged a variety of objections to the Property Tax, as affecfrng a)l classes, but not equally or fairly. He attributed the present depression to the present Government preventing his Government two years ago from putting on the taxation he then proposed, as the beer tax, the companies' tax, etc.; also to Major Atkinson's depreciation of the credit of the colony, md opposing retrenchment in time, fle condemned the proposals of the Government, md especially tpx?ng Europeans, to pay rates on native lanas as calculated to cause discord between the laces. The natives should be taxed farly. themselves. They would eheerfi'-ly pay. The proposed board of Government officers was a sham. Local bodies should not be kept in leading strings. They t ere able to walk alone. Their proposed treatment was nonsensical. He objected to the pauper system tje Government proposed to establish by the charitable institutions throughout the colony. Jf the people were settled on the lands as in France, no law would be required. He advocated a landed tax, so that bo man should have more land than he could use. ,*,.., This day. Sir George Grey concluded.by chaUenging the Government to appeal to the country on the fipaocirl propesals, and expressed his opinion *'»at by proper retrenchment, the necessity for favtuer taxation might be obfiated. ■ ■ Q . Mr Hall replied and said that bir George Grey's speech was the same old story. He contrasted what Sic George Grey had done in office with what the present Government had accomplished, and accused Sir Gaorge Gi-ey of insincerity on all points. Instead of lelrenching, Sir George Grey had largely incieased the public expenditure. Practically the country had last year at the elections, decided between Grey's policy and that of the present Government, rad the question now was " Should they retain office, or let S'? George Grey back ? He was confident of the ; aswer the House. . . Mr Seymour George criticised and strongly condemned the financial^proposals of the Govevcmen*. Mr George McLean, as chairman of Union Company, denied that he wps 'using bis influence with the Government to have the shipping exempt i from the Property Tax. . Mr Moss moved the adjournment of the debate.

The House rose at 12.5.