EVENING SITTING.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3582, 19 June 1880, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30.

Col. Trimble continned, expressing warm approval of the proposal to rate native and Crow a lands; also of the Government action on West Coast.

Mr Ballance condemned the policy of Government on the West Coast. Never making the road would never settle the difficulty. What was wanted was the settlement of the people on the lands by military tenure. The Opposition did not hope for a majority in the House, but they desired to place fairly before the country their views on the fiaencial pro* posals of Ministers. He complained of the time which the Premier twk to announce his intentions. The Property Tax had been destroyed in principle by the exemptions. It was no longer a fair all - round tax when furniture was exempted. Why should machinery be taxed, or agricaitural implements P He strongly condemned the official board. The whole derangement in the financial condition of the colony was due to the falling off of the land sales, which had also occurred in other places. He condemned the administration by Royal Commissions, composed of defeated candidates. He complained strongly of the unfair manner the present Government had misrepresented the finance of their predecessors, The real deficit of 1878 9 was only £19,000. He thought great reductions could be made in the 'Judicial and Crown Lands Departments. The estimates showed a net increase of £6409 in departmental expenditure. He strongly objected to the proposed method of dealing with the local bodies about mam and district roads. The poorer bodies would never be able to comply with the con* ditions.

Uiis day.

Mr Eeader Wood followed Mrßallance. He thought only two courses were openone to goon giving merrily for three or four years more on borrowed money, regardless of consequences; the other to stand out of rll unnecessary and unprofitable expenditure. Sir G. Grey's policy went in the former direction, the Government's in the latter, but neither were thorough or went far enough. The Government's proposals were an unpleasant necessity, but he thought the new taxes wou^d yield more than was required. The real meaning of the motion was to replace the late Ministry. He could not vote for this, as he did not think the present Native Minister would live like Sardanapalus, at public expense. The present Minister of Public Works spends a quarter of a million without knowing how, and the present Treasurer has a deficiency of a million without being aware of it. Any member of the Ministry would give a friend £2000 of Treasury money to pay the passages of himself and family to England for nothing. Mr Pyke opposed the Government proposals as destructive to local selfgovernment. / Dr Wallis also opposed them. The debate adjourned b nd the House rose at 12.30.