HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5146, 15 July 1885, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

... ..,...■-.Wellington, Yesterday,. The House met at 2 30. p.m, Mr Ivess, the member for Wakanui, took (he oath and his seat.

Mr Pyke gave notice that, on going into Committee of Supply, he would move that the system of nominated immigration be resumed without delay.

Replying to questions, it was stated that a sum would be put on the estimates for the purchase of copies of Mr Kerry Nicholls' book on the King Country; that steps would be at once taken for including the compound known as " rough on rats" under the Poisons Act, 1871.

on rats ' under the Poisons Act, 1871. The Coroner's Juries Act Amendment Bill (Tole) was introduced. Sir Julius Vogel gave notice to move on Tuesday—"That the House go into Committee to consider the following resolution : That the Government be re« quested to arrange a fresh service between San Francisco and Auckland for five years, at a cost not exceeding £30,000 a year. Major Atkinson resumed the debate on

The Coroner's Juries Act Amendment Bill (Tole) was introduced.

Major Atkinson resumed the debate on the second reading of the Local Bodies *Finance and Powers Bill. He said he regretted the Government had decided to make it a party measure, as he considered it was especially a Bill that should be considered free from party bias. He thought the main principle of the Bill was that roads should be constructed out of the consolidated fund, but he considered the chief charge of roads should fall upon the landed property of the country, and the only way to make them would be by capitalising special rates. He hoped Government would not thrust their Bill on an unwilling House; some temporary arrangement might be made this year with the view of the whole matter being more fully considered during the recess. —Mr Stout congratulated the leader of the Opposition on the attitude he had taken up on the Bill, but he contended that by the speech he had just made he had altogether given up the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. Before Government made any proposals for constructing roads out; of the consolidated fund, they merely told the people they must tax themselves before Government

assisted them. He objected to the statement that Government freed property from taxation, since exactly the opposite, was the case. He did not think they would hare any satisfactory system of road construction till they had large Boards of Works to deal with each road, and to allocate the money for it. —Mr Beetham said one noticeable feature in the Bill was that no provision was made as to the nature of the work to be undertaken.—Mr S. F. Richardson said the framers of the Bill evidently had no idea of what its effect would be if passed in its present form. He should move

several amendments in Committee.—Mr Lance spoke strongly in favor of the Bill, but failed to see how local bodies could borrow without taxation.—Mr Gore con-

tended that under the Bill large centres of population did not receive fair treatment, and hoped this would be amended in Committee.—Mr Lake did not think

that the principle of subsidies in itsel

was an ioier desirable one, but if the present BillFwas intended merely as a temporary measure there would not be very much to object to, especially as the most objectionable portion, as to borrow> ids;, had been abandoned.—Mr Buchanan did not consider the Roads and Bridges Construction Act a satisfactory measure as far as main roads were concerned, and for that reason he was glad the House had decided to approach the subject from a non-party point of view.— Mr Hurst said the present Bill was intimately connected with other Government Bills, and could not be discussed (alone. The Bills should be withdrawn with a view to submitting a more acceptable measure.—Mr Cowan looked on the Bill as a promise made by Government in reference to local government, and it should be the endeavor of every member to make the measure acceptable to the country. Two essential factors in any local government system were, the requirements of a district, and the extent to which the local inhabitants would help themselves. He did not look with favor on the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and thought the time had arrived when some other scheme of local government should be devised. From the Bill now before the House jt appeared as if the Government desired to assist the weak bodies, but Government should consider whether those bodies could help themselves ; every district in the colony should be treated alike. He thought under the new bill cities would have to impose special rates in consequence of the responsibilities thrown upon them. He would oppose the measure at every stage. —Mr Walker thought the proposals of the Government re Hospital and Chari* table Aid Bill'deserved the consideration of the House; the most satisfactory principle of local government they had had was one in which a certain percentage of the land fund was devoted to pay the local bodies outof the cdsolidated revenue* and was only an act of justice.—Mr Pyke thought the bill had been so modified by Government that there was but little harm in it. He asked Government to adopt the resolutions passed at .the meeting' of the council of delegates in Wellington, or to take the bill back and appoint a Royal Commission to inquire and report on the best system of local government for the colony.—Mr Fish hoped the system of subsidies would not come into force. He would borrow in any form.—Mr W. F. Buckland supported the Bill, but would attempt to amend it in Committee. — Mr Hursthouse considered that while the colony was pledged to English money lenders for the construction of main roads, outlying districts had a fair claim on some portion of the expenditure. The objection he bad to tbe Bill was the facilities it would give for the disintegration of the bodies that already existed. His idea of county government was that counties should be made as Urge as practicable.—Mr Holmes supported the second reading.—Mr Mentti h was disappointed with the 811, which, he argued, was conceived upon bases which were not applicable to the circutnstauues.

This day* Mr Meuteifch was disappointed with the bill. The result of the proposals would be that the poorer districts would come to

the House to claim extra assistance for work described as colonial work.—Mr Dodson supported the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and thought that a more comprehensive scheme should have been brought down by the Government. —Mr Duncan supported the second reading with a view to amending the bill in Committee.—Mr Montgomery would vote for the bill; his reason for doing so being that the principle was to repeal the Roads and Bridges Construction Act.—Mr Ivess thought that under this bill the usual annual scrambling that took place under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act would be avoi-ded, and it would also be beneficial, as money would be expended by persons possessing local knowledge.—Messrs Hobbs, Trimble, and W. White opposed the bill; and Messrs Fitzherbert and Barroa also spoke against it, but they stated that they would support the second reading, and endeavor to amend it in Committee.—Sir Julius Vogel, in replying, explained in regard to the bill that the Government would divide subsidies where counties and road boards existed in one place; and after combatting the arguments against the bill, he said the colony was not the distteaac^jm^ impoverished country that it was represented to.be. He' found that they had assets of the value of £127,000,000, and comparing that amount in proportion to the population, it made this the richest colony in the world.—At 1.15 a.m. the second reading wag carried on the voices, and the House adjourned.