PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5195, 10 September 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

[Pjcb Peess Association.J

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wellington, Yesterday.

Mr Miller moved " That it was desirable to abolish the £500 exemption in the Property Tax" on the ground of the increase of revenue it would b'ring.-*-Mr Peacock seconded this, and theColoniqil Secrets ry opposed * it." The nib?ion, fw *S lost, and the Property Assessment Bill was rp*d-vt«ej3!fl4-**iß« ( a 8 w»8 alsp the Public Works Bill.-—The Counties Act was advanced a stage/ The Hospital and Charitable. Aid Bill was recommitted, slightly amended, read a third time, and passed. The Council then went into Committee on the Mortgager Debentures Bill* ia which progress was; r reported; thw Jiating Act Bill,and the Property La/w Cqasolidation Bill werei passed; Tbe Justices of the Beaco Bill was reported with ameodments, and the Council rose at 8.40

HOUS X QF REBRE9BNTATIVES. ' Weliinston, Yesterday. The House met at § 3Q p.tp,, Mf H«nRHn agajo taking tUe Cfaair in tbe/absenoe of the Speakes. : ;

In reply to questions, it was stated that steps would be takon during the recess to ascertain whether Sir Joseph Hooker would publish a second edition of the " New Zealand Flora."

tyy B£out jnj;rofijj(3eij a Bjl|,to Bmenfl the Municipal -Corporations Act,—Mr Tole introduced the Supreme CoUrt Reporting Bill r- Mr Stout moved, "That this House will to»m'orrbw resolvg in>o a Committee of tlifs rhole to cpnsider the grating of a lubsidy to the Australian cable."" . „.

Mr Buchanan resumed the debate qn Captain simendmant fo? going into Committee ot Supplj, tb^tlfhe Eub lie Works estimates should be reduced by £500,000, and Mr Moss' amendment thereto. He pointed out the critical goßditioh (jf'th'e cbjonj, (jpcj $aid the Treasurer had failed toHmprore the condition of the country. He supported, the amendment of Mr Kusselli—Mr Dar^aTilie said if the motion j»'ere carriud, .v?b;ch he hoped ij woijl.i' t^ot i»Dj it would' lead to tiie stoppage of most important public Tforlss, and the throwing pf.a large Dumber of people out " b'f ' em^ioy.-rrMi frJTphlp (j}tpg<^lie¥ di^'er.ed from the statement that if' amendment was jjarried \t vrpujd rt^lt in tbrowina aiyo out of eiapioy.-i-Mr tanpe denied that the Canterbury; members had gone into opposition. What had happened was, they were suddeuly ••abjeetucj to a of eeouowy, they;-felt- ili^ vrere tren^d

with but scant courtesy by the House over tho East and West Coast Railway. They wcro determined t'bat as justice had been denied them they would do their ut« most to prevent public expenditures other districts.—Mr Montgomery said remarks of the last speaker as to the intentions of the Canterbury members were not very creditable. He pointed out,that when the North Island Mnin Trunk Railway was under discussion, the North Island members had cheerfully submitted *o the delay that was asked for iv order :; ascertain whether the construction of that line were feasible or not. He would not be a party to stopping the progress of*workrirrothtff" districts merely because Canterbury had not received justice in this matter.—Mr Cowan supported the niption v pf j sell. He thought the time was inbpporI tone for the Government to undertake any new. works which could possibly be postponed.—Mr Hobbs refused to believe that the House would sanction such an act of intimidation as that. Votes for other districts would be strucMoUt-if^the present motion were carried; he heartily supported Mr Russell's motion,—Mr W. F. Euckland thought the reasons of the chaps to which reference was so frequently made was that about eight or ten mem bers were always wavering from side to side, and contended that notwithstanding what had been said to the contrary, there has been a good deal of intriguing on the East and West Coast Bailway. 1 He intended voting for the amendment — Mr Invest am referred to the whole position of the East and West Coast Railway, and the claims which Nelson possessed to form part of the scheme.— Mr Dodson admitted that JV el son had the best claim of any district in the' colony for railways and public worko, but contended that Nelson had not been a success in the colonising scheme. The East and West Coast Railway, if constructed, would enormously benefit Marl borough, but he was not in faror of its construction at present. It was not from a local point of view, that he opposed the line.—Mr Fergus contended that the Minister for Public Works was now adopting the same vicious principle that he advocated when he was previously in power—of holding votes' before ;ihe; eyes ■.-; 6? members: to secure support. The time would come when they must recognise the East and West Coast Railway as a great colonial work, bat the; present! attempt to construct this railway was t even more iniquitous than" the celebrated Meiggs' -scheme. He said he should like to,have voted for the amendment, but as he recognised that it would be .playing into the hands of the Canterbury members, he should walk out of the House on the division.—Mr Newman said if the motion were carried it would mean the stoppage of some of the best paying lines in the colony.—Mr Rees regretted that the Can terbury. members had . .seen, fit' to desert the Government on this question. He intended to support them. The vote of £1,500 000 for the East and West Coast Railway was only, he-thought, a fair amount for the present - ; .year.-t-JMr Russell's motion was then put and carried on the voices.—Mr O'Callaghan moved an addition to the, motion, "pro vided that such reduction shall not affect and public works in the nature of roads and bridges." Ho justified the action of the Canterbury members, and said they could not have taken any other course.

This day. Mr Garrick thought the last amendment was worth considering, and he expressed his opinion that there would be no successful Government until the East and West Coast Railway was constructed. He strongly:objected to centralism, and said it was a curse on the colony when the Act abolishing the provinces was signed. —Sir J. Vogel said it would save time if Mr Russell would accept Mr O'Callaghan's ansendment.—Mr Eussell said he did not accept the amendment:-*—Sir J. Yogel said the Government would discuss the question, but not as a^ party one. So far as he could see, if they were to take half a million off the railway estimates, the meaning was that the following amounts were at stake :—ffuntley Branch, ♦ £11,500; Helensvilla, £20,000; HamiN" lon-Grahamstown, £15,000; Main Trunk line, £65,000; East and West Coast railway, £149.000; Napier- Woodpile, £73,000; Picton ond Southwards, £8000; Otago, £70,000; Waimea and Switzers, £10.000; additional open lines, £30»P00; ; and by stopping works in the workshop! they would be able to knock off i:»),G(X) on rolling stock.—;Mr Russell denied that he wished for the cessation of public j -works this year, and argued that lit was absurd to say that sppething oould not be taken off the Esttmatea for roads and bridges.—Ma^or Atkinson said that if re auctions were made, there would be ample works for the etnployment 'of as many men as were now employed, and there would 'be- no' necessity 'for'Gor. •ernment to-close the worshops, Beferring to the East at\d West Coast Railway, he said lie had always held that this railway was 'part of the Trunk lines of the coloay, but the hon gentlem.*u knew that in 1879 there, was craafc.diffi" culty in bringing their expenditure within their insosaej[ they, had to consider ' whether there * was sufficient money, to carry on t workj and a? therer*-;wat %ot sufScieqt f\^nd,4 the amount was' pasied qnciei! an Act entitled "Tho;*BaUwßjr Construction and Land Act," to .enable that line to be constructed The line, somehow, did not- prosper;* and the Act wasi suspended for another year to enable the Canterbury people to get up a company to construct it. !Gfave?na»ent kept the foy \he purpose of allowing a syndicate to be formed, and the whole thing was in negotiation when his (Maior Atkinson's) Government wentoqt of oiijc?. The present Goverqajont then took it up, bat they wete unable to get the vote through the House. He would aslf were they jußtifiedin,;handinK over M,B^.Qoii. for ! underwriting in oe,nq«ction with this line. | llq aaasidosed tf: they were to enter into Messrs Meiggs' scheme, it would result in the bankruptcy of the.coldny. He'woujd also ask, were they in a pOsj^on id under-: take the liability of three millions at the present time? Most decidedly not, and he hoped the QoTerument would take the Estimates into their serious consideration, and reduce them within reasonable limits. —Mr Seohjo MoKchzie moved the ad* Joui'oinent of the debate, which was, earriod by 45 to 22, and the debate, was: adjourned until 7 30 p.m. ta*day< :. The Hoqse yoae at 2.30 a.m. , .