GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 22, 29 August 1896, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

—•> LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Joint Statutes Revision Committee recommended that the Mortgages Bill should not be allowed to proceed. The Minister of Education said there had been plenty of legislation on the subject of Chinese restriction. The Government did not propose to grant letters of naturalization, MrShrimski protested against what he termed the arbitrary conduct of the Government. Mr Bowen agreed and characterised the exercise of power by the Government, as an exceedingly dangerous precedent, as it placet! -the Government above Parliament. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. After considerable discussion in Committee of Supply, the item, £IB,OOO as stibsidy fot the San Francisco Mail was agreed to: In reply to' questions Ministers said that they would consider the advisableness of sending Sir James Hector to Taranaki to report on the petroleum and gas deposits. The Government did not consider the Alcoholic Liquor Bill of such importance as the Old Age Pensions Bill, the Land for Settlement Bill and Private Benefit Societies Bill and several ■ others on the order papers, but an endeavour would be made to pass the Liquor Bill this session. The Government had not promised to put a monopoly in the hands of any company for developing the manufacture of iron from iron-sand in the colony. They had refused the request of the Parapara Company for this monopoly. When the vote for the development of the Roldfields was passed, it was intended to have a report on the whole question of water conservation. The Speaker explained in reference to the course he took in the case of breach of privilege raised by Mr G. J. Smith. He said he had given the lion, gentleman every assistance to bring the matter on. —Mr Seddon complimented the Speaker on his ruling.—Capt. Russell contended that the -House and. not the Speaker should decide whether a breach of privilege had been committed, the Speaker's ruling had been contrary to one he had previously given in a similar case. The debate on the Loan Bill'was resumed by Mr Mills, who warmly approved of the Bill. He thought the policy of the Government was so sound that the Opposition could make no headway in the country. Mr Montgomery said if the Government were going back on the self-reliant policy which was so emphatically laid down in 1892, they should first consult the electors. No one would deny that the Government took office on a nonborrowing policy, and he, as one of their supporters, had been elected .pledged against borrowing. Mr George Hutchison said if this Bill did not pass there would be a financial collapse, which was a sad commentary on the policy of the Government. The f 200,000 for goldfields was not to assist the mining industry, • bnt to benefit speculating companies. The House should insist on knowing to what roads and bridges the £250,000 was.to be devoted. He said it was a complete mystery (how the Premier managed to hold the position so. long. Mr Hogg did not think Parliament should have control of public works expenditure. It would lead to'constant scenes in the House. Mr W. Hutchison said he might be forced by the exigencies of the finances of the colony to acquiesce in the proposed loan, but he looked upon it,as a .serious matter. Instead of going to London he thought the Government should raise the money by the issue of State notes. : Capt. Russell said if the Government were refused authority to raise the money they would be unable to nicet the engagements they had entered into, and he hoped the Premier would tell the House whether or not ho could carry on without the Bill. They had been steadily working to a deficit since the'Government had'been in office. .The whole of their finance had broken down, the Public Work 3 Fund had disappeared, and they were now compelled to raise the loan to carry on with. ; He regarded the Bill as.most objectionable in every way. It was the most flagrant attempt to bribe the constituences that he had ever heard. of r as it allowed, the-Premier to spend the money wherever he pleased and how he pleased. The host plan would be to reject the Bill altogether. The Government might then bring down another Bill properly scheduled, so that the colony might see what the Government were going to do and upon what principle they acted. Mr Fraser recognised the nccessityfor a Loan Bill, but he would vote against this because of the indefinite character of the schedules. The present Bill practically meant placing a blank cheque in the hands of the Government to fill in as they pleased. Mr Meredith thought the Bill should be called the Million Loan Bill. He thought the Government was not entitled to go into further debt for railways. He approved of the expenditure of £2.)0,000 on roads. He thought on the eve of an election it was wrong to commit the colony to another loan. He would vote against the second reading. Mr Buchanan reminded the last speaker of the Colonial Treasurer's statement that the finance was exhausted, and that unless the Bill was passed the Government would be unable to pay the : .r affairs. Mr Meredith, as a supporter of the Government, should have taken this into consi'deratijn. For his own part he considered the policy of the Government had been one of financial imposture, and that the tax-payers of the colony were being loaded with heavy additional burdens. Mr Carncross supported the second reading, the effect of the whole debate had been that each member looked after himself and " the devil take the hindmosts." Mr Wilson opposed the Bill. If it were true, as Mr Carncross stated, that each member looked after his own district solely, he was sorry for the House. The Bill meant a fresh borrowing era, and as it would tend to demoralise members, he protested against it altogether. He was glad to see that a number of members who usually support the Government were going to be true to their democracy and vote against the Bill. Mr Tanner wished to state explicitly that 1)3 would vote against the Bill. He rcretted the Government should, a few weeks before a general election, do exactly the same thing which they had for years past denounced other Jovernments for doing. The Government should refer the Bill to the electors for their sanction. Mr Lawry said the Government were doing now what they should have done twelve months ago, viz., going in boldly for a loan. He defended the Government policy. Mr McGuire strongly condemned the financial administration of the Government, and said they were not to be trusted with another loan. Mr O'Regan supported the Bill, although he was not enamoured of any borrowing. Mr Enrnshaw was surprised to hear Mr O'Regan, an apostle of Henry George, advocating the piling up of the national debt, which must prejudicially affect the bone and sinew of tho colony. He (Mr Errnshaw) was pledged to a non-borrow-ing policy, and would oppose this Bill. The Hon. John McKenzie asked whether it was impossible for the colony to go on without a loan '! He held it was not, but asserted that the Government had enough funds to carry on the engagements they had entered into. He denied the Government had .departed from the policy of the late John Ballance,

and warned the Opposition they must feed Mr McGuiro well with roads and bridges, otherwise they would not retain his support. If Mr Ballance was amongst them at the present time, he would have to take things as he found them, and would have to go in for a loan as now proposed by the Government. _ The colony had a right to some say in the matter, and he would like to know how many members of the House would declare there should be no more borrowing ? This question was of so much importance that the Government would not take the dictum of the House on it. They were prepared to go to the people and get their verdict ; and if members rejected this Bill, they would have to face the music. If the Opposition came on to the Treasury Benches, the first thing they would have to propose would be a loan. The local bodies could not do the work of settlement, as they had not the means. They were told they should not purchase more native land ; but if they .lid not do so, they would have to repeal the law which provided that natives could not sell to the Government. He asrerted that the House had full control of the expenditure despite what Sir R. Stout had said, and full returns were always furnished. Mr Saunder 3 twitted the Government with a complete reversal of their nonborrowing and self-reliant policy. He spoke at some length on the evils of borrowing, and said he would vote against the Bill. He regretted that Mr Ballance's policy had not been followed, for if that had been done the colony by this time would have been aide to pay off some of its debt instead of adding to it. Mr Ward replied to Mr Saunders, and twitted him with inconsistency in his favourable criticism of Mr Ballance's financial policy. He Slid that during the last four or five years no favouritism had been shown by the Government in the expenditure of money in public works, and the funds available had been divided fairly irrespective of the fact whether the district was represented by a Government or an Opposition supporter. If the progress of the country was not to be retarded, money must be obtained for the construction of public works and carrying on settlement. He contended it was the duty of every Government to refrain from borrowing as long as possible, but when boirnwirg was forced on them they must keep pace with the requirements of the colony. New Zealand had done during the last fouryear« what no other colony in the British dominions had done. It had lived largely out of its consolidated revenue, and during that time the huge sum of £700,000 had been transferred to the public works fund for carrying on public works and the settlement of the country, Mr Lang urged that the different loan proposals in the Bill should be brought down in separate measures, and generally criticised the policy and administration of tho Government, ' Mr Pirani said he was opposed root and branch to the loan proposals contained in the Bill. The fact that the 'finances of the Government had got into so hopeless a position as indicated by the Bill and the speeches of the Ministers was* in his>opinion quite sufficient reason for Ministers going to the country before raising the proposed loan. Mr Morrison- ridiculed the theory of applying the referendum in connection with these loan proposals. He supported the Bill, and contended that Mr Ballance did not hold the views on the borrowing question that were ascribed to him. Mr J. W. Kelly asserted that if many more millions were added to the debt of the colony, it pimply meant repudiation on the part of colonists. If the Government went to the country on this policy they would find the people against them. Mr Maslin said he would be untrue to the people who sent him to the House if he supported this Bill. Mr Hall spoke at some length in support of the Bill, which he considered was in the best interests of the colony. Mr Green opposed the Bill, as he looked upon it as a resuscitation of the public works policy of IS7O.