Last Night's Sitting.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue XI, 25 June 1880, Page 2

Last Night's Sitting.

The House resumed at 7.30,

Mr Macaudrew continued the debate. He said he hoped there should be no more borrowing. They could not stand the drain of interest. That was the cause of much existing depression, but public works should not be stopped. The policy of 1878 should be carried out, and the funds raised in the colony, lletrenchment, he believed, wotfd enable further taxation to be dispensed with. Local bodies might well be left to raise mouey for their own, wants. Nothing, he contended, would render the Property Tax acceptable to the people. He denied any desire on the part of the Opposition to oust the Government—thpt was a false issue. They were not bidding for office. The ship was on a leeshore, and instead of fighting for command all hands were required at the pumps. He read a statement of financial proposals which he thought the Treasurer should have made instead of the one he did make. He objected strongly to the proposed expenditure in support of a standing army ; and also the method of dealing with local bodies through an irresponsible Board. He accused the Government of having unnecessarily lowered the credit of the colony at home. He challenged Reader Wood and launders to give effect to their views by moving that the estimates be sent back for re-construction. Whoever carried a proposal of this kind would be the saviour of his country. Although he did not consider Ministers salaries too high, he should vote for their reduction as he had done before. By way of example he denounced the late Government for telegraphing to the Home Government for six thousand emigrants, but had they come, he did not think there would have been a single man unemployed in the colony now. It seemed terrible that so many should be starving at home while food was so cheap here. Enormous pressure bad been" brought to bear to force Government to carry on immigration.

Mr Oliver said it was evident the Opposition had no common ground of union. The debate was not really on the financial policy of the Government, but on all sorts of wild individual suggestions. He contended that the Property Tax, being the law of the land, was not a fit subject of discussion in the present motion. That tax really doubled the Land Tax which the Opposition so much loved. He replied to many charges made against the Government. It was not likely the proposals for fresh taxation would be acceptable ; but in making them, the Government had simply done their duty. If they could honorably resign their seats on those benches they would only be too glad to do so.

Mr Ormond defended the abolition of subsidies as inevitable. He agreed with, taxing native land, but strongly condemned the proposals to tax Europeans to pay the tax on native lands. He also condemned the proposed Board.

This day. Mr Ormond continued. He condemned the Property Tax with energy, saying that the majority of the House and the country were against it. He advocated an Income Tax. The Government Native Land Sales Bill was a mischievous measure which he hoped would never pass. He advocated selling a large quantity of purely pastoral land at fair prices, and also selling our railways and leaving the making of new lines to companies; in this way the debt of the colony would be reduced one-half. The estimates - should be taken back and reduced by at least £200,000. Nothing else would satisfy either the House or the country; and then t'resh taxation would be unnecessary. He thought the present system of local government unsatisfactory and reluctantly confessed that abolition had been mistaken, and thought some modified form of provincialism would have to be restored.

"Mr Shepherd advocated the sale of the railways and telegraphs. s

Mr Sutton defended the Government ?roposals, and especially the Property •ax. . ■ ■' ■ .".».•■ -■■■ . .

Mr Eesves moved the adjournment, aud the House rose at 12.30.