PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3557, 9 July 1890, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Houso of Roproseatatlvos.

TUESDAY, JULY 8.

The Speaker took the chair al 2.30.

\ The Native Minister said he had intended to move for the appointment ot a Seleot Committee to inquire into aud report on charges made •againat Ministers by Mr Hutchison in his speech of Wednesday last. The proof of-the speech, however,' had not been available in time, though he had to thank the hon. member for his courtesy in supplying it, Oh the following day he should make the motion without notice if the House would allow it, '

Mr Seddon intimated that he should oppose it, on the ground that committees being set up In- the middle of a debate to inquire into, what had been said by speakers might result in intimidation..-.. Mr Guinnens asked if the' Government had agreed to a proposal made by a certain section of members to reduce the Estimates by £50,000 was true? :

The Native Minister refused to answer the question unless notioe was given. •

A long and heated discission on the question ensued, but the Minister would not comply with the request. , The debate on the-motion for supply was resumed by Mr Saunders. The Colonial Seoretary said it appeared to him, from the speeches delivered on the other side, that other speakers were quite incapable of filling the places of the present Government. He denied that there was anything more unconstitutional in the present Government- and House administering the Government than it was just after the redistribution of seats, three years ago. With respeot to the' Premier being away from the House, he reminded the House that Mr Waterhouse, Dr Pollen, and other Premiers had been members of the Legislative Council, and did not sit in the House. Thewordy wangling that went on across the floor of the House was the least part of the business of a Government or a Premier j he believed that if be and his colleagues were left -alone for twelve months: they could carry on the business of 1 the country far better than they could in the face of factious opposition. (Laughter);. To' the other side of the House the same thing applied. He denied emphatically that the Premier had been asked to remain in office simply fjr the preservation of his colleagues or the party. Replying .to Mr Ballanoo, he contended that .the Financial Statement was widely read in England, and that tbolntept taken in the Colony'in the Old, Country was shownby'thefaot that New 2eaW stooks went'upwhk the present Government went into offioe, He maintained the existence of a surplus, and contended that the proposal of the; Government for! roading Crown lands was practicable, and likely to. be beneficial. He ohargodMr Ballanoe with inconsis-.j tency, and trying to run .with the;! hare and hold with' the' hounds. Several members had spoken of the increase in the defenoe vote, and it seemed that he was looked upon, beoause in his youth ho was a soldier, as being pervaded jby an all absorbing militarism, As,' however, he had been a sheepfarmer more years than he was of age when he left the military profession, that was hardly oorreot. His idea was to make the volunteer system a little more perfect, —he was not going to introduce any extreme militarism. (Mr Seddoh: Tell us about the; appointment pf young Hume). The Colonial Secro-j t«y said he would at the proper' time; and if Mr Seddpn, when he became Minister, did nothing wprge than that, he should be able to,con-' gratulate him on the purity of .his administration. The Colony now had four fores, which, he believed, were excellently made. They had 77 guns, from the quioli-flririg Hotohkis to the complicated bydro-pneumafe They had 188 men for those guns,'of whioh number 125 were available for the guns when members of the force had been accounted ior who were engaged ft <?tlw' duties, |q have

single detachments at each fort they would need 016 men, and to man the Batteries 1224 men. ; There was nothing to prevent an enemy taking : the guns'and turning tbeni on to the towns.: (In answer to Mr Seddon thejliirister said he did not think he war'exposing our weakness; if he- ' was, he would take the responsibility.) '■ As against that position-they were ; •'" paying a large force of Volunteers : who ooulcl not < artist : iii- the work. ; : Replying, to an interjeptioii to'the ■•"■ effect that he was a freetrader, the' Colonial Secretary said he was,, and, he assured the House that if .ever ;he • '"• had to choose between Lis views and' office, lie would at oncol resign the .v latter. (Hear, hear.) With respeot to the property-tax, he maintained ifas'V' fairness, aud said,that a,land-tax■...,, would press witlii exceptional heavi-; } ■ ne3s on the country settlers in.fayour,--of those in the towns; unless,vindee's «!$ the land in the towns was to be taxed also, .Which he doubted. As to the. land polioyj the settlement under tho present Government would be found greater than that under,thYprevioua Minister. The percentage'of people now on the laud was larger than'it. '• had ever been before, and there had ; •;'■ been an enoimus. increase .in;thi pastoral, and agricultural land in occupation. Hon members 'said the •'. population was drifting aWay.-(Hear," '. hear.) The facts showed that suoli ' ; was not the' case,,and that there was '■']■ riot a continual outflow'lii 1880£ ; * ■ gained 1067 people, and ; in 18871 ' .977. ,1ii..1888 we lost 9175, and in , 1889 gained 240.. The loss in 1888 . was due to the .cessation of. the / . expenditure of money on public works, the -reduction for that year- being equivalent tol7B per head of all the men, women, and ohildren who went away during it. There would be &' loss, of course, in; some months, but there was not a steady outflow. Mr . W. P. Beeves had stated the other day that all the Governmentdidnot to check the loss of population was "to take Captain Russell into office." He had accordingly looked up the facts, and found that: simultaneously.; with his taking office the exodus ' ceased. (Laughter.) In November ' (the month in whioh he took office) : the colony gained 765 people, and in December 1477 people. (Laughter.) Mr Taylor: Give us the other months. •, The Colonial Secretary: I haven't | got them, . I Mr fisher: Here they are! [ The Colonial Secretary prooeeded [ to contend that in spite of all that was said about it, New Zealand-wag - : Btillthe:best country'on the face of theearth. Referring to MrHutohiwn'B speech, he said he could not understand how so oautious and acute si person could make such, egregrious and outrageous mistakes as he did. Dealing with- the federation question, Captain Eussell defended the action of the New Zealand delegates, and , deniod that they had made any secret agreement .with Sir Henry Partes. * . Passingly, he expressed a feeling' , that New Zealand's destiny was to be independent of Australia, (cheers.) He promised, also, that the whole ? question should be laid before the house for disoussion. Ho oharae- , terised as " ungenerous, unfounded, 1 and improper" Mr Balance's re- ' ference to Major-General Edwards/ I Major-General Edwards had been a * tout, it waß true-a tout where bullets were thickest and danger the greatest. There was scarcely room aorosQ his broad breast for the decora* tions Her Majesty had given him. (Cheers.) He came to New Zealand, ■ out of his way, at.the request of the . °- Government. With respect" to retrenchment he said the officers .in the. big wooden building • II drew salaries amounting in the jj aggregate to about £75,000, mostly v 0 under L2OO each. There were the.' 8 permanent appropriatious 12,114^007 they oouldnofc be touched, neither 0 could the Education, Legislative and 6 Telegraph votes. With reference to the police, he pointed out that New a Zealand wasthe cheapest police serl' vice in-the colonies. (Mr Fisher: e Mr Tole brooght it down to that). ■ He did not think .there could ba r greater reductions in salaries, In '• conciußiori the Colonial Sooretary 6 said he had every confidence in saying 8 that the country had confidence in ' the Government, and would give ■? them a majority at the elections. •

Mr Fish: The sooner you go to the'country tho better then.

The Colonial Secretary admitted that perhaps it was. Ho believed the country saw that the Government would give. them better and mora simple administration than the other side could. If, however, they were defeated they would at' once resign their seats, and would give a loyal support to any Ministry propounding what they considered a sound poUoy. (Cheers.) .- Mr Taylor oritioised the policy of the Government, and .'expressed an opinion tbat-Mr Bryce was a small and unintellectual man, Ho (the Bpeaker) deprecated this waste of lime, and contended that the Government was shilly-shallying, had no mind of their own, and disgusted ona like himself,-who was prepared to give them a moderate support. The debate was adjourned, on Dr Fitchett's motion, at 11,85, and the House rose.