PARLIAMENTARY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3687, 14 August 1890, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

House of Representatives. wbdubsdayTapgust 18. The Speaker took the chair at 2.80, ■..■■•* Leave was granted for one week each to Messrs Whyte and Peacock.- ' - " ,

On the motion of the Native Minister, the petition of Piripi to Maari and others on the subjeot of the WairarapaLake, and the petition of Matene Tauwhare relative to land at Petono talren bj the Land Board, were referred to a setect committee.

Mr Parata moved,-as an anient ment to the motion for Supply, thd£ the duties payable on Native lands, under clause 17 of the Stamp Act Amendment Act, 1882, should be reduced from 10 per cent, to 6. per cent., and be made payable annually instead of in a lump sum as at present, After some disoussionjifr Parata's amendment was pat and carried. An amendment of Mr Seddon to the effect that machinery used in, colonial industries, and mines; and agricultural implements should be exempted from the property tax was lost after some discussion. The estimates were thon considered in committee, the first vote being stock branch, £28,692. .- 44 Mr Taylor aßked whether tbT 1 greater part bf the item £3700 for importation of stoats and weasels had. not been spent already.—-Tlie Minister of lands said ahout two thirds of the atnounthad been spent on the importation- of stoatß and weasels, the Wairaiapa Battlers having assisted, but the expenditure would cease ; now.-Mr Taylor censured the. Government '■ for spending money ' without authority. He moved tlnf? the item be struok out.-Mr Waw protested against the expenditure, and said people in the South Island had been refused assistance of this kind, The Minister in reply to Mr Richardson, said. tie. stoats and weasels were supplied atil 15s each; and they cost the Government £2 and £2 6s each. Dealing with the stook "'• department generally, Mr Lance strongly opposed any reduction in the ' • votes, contending that they ought rather to beincreased.-rMr Buohanan ' followed in tho same strain, and said that in the Wairarapa it was found ■ that in -rough and : broken country,' at all events, the rabbits could only " be kept down by the aid of the nati ral enemies. Moreover, the of tho district had spent some hundreds of pounds in importing the - natural enemies, and had a right to ask the Government for assistance.— Mr Duncan objected to giving the Wairarapa settlers alone this benefit.; Many of theso settlers were men j$ woll off, and' the Government'might hotter have assisted people in other parts of the Colony who were more needy; the Crown tenants, for instance.—Tho Minister, in answer to Mr Duncan, explained the procedure of the Government with reference to stoats and weasels; 800 had been imported, nearly all of ' which bad gone to the Wairarapa, : He expressed an opinion that it would be wise even to increase the item to £10,000.-Mr "T. Thorapssn believed that in a few years they would have to start a crusade against the "natural enemies." However; as he had a great deal of respect for tho opinions of those members who had spoken, and if Mr Taylor- would withdraw his moiiou he would propose to reduce tho whole departmental vote by £2600; leaving it to' the Minister to make the reductions in detail, —Mr Bryco said he had not' heard anything to convince him of the necessity of the particular item under discussion, and reminded Mr. Buchanan that thore was a time when " cats" were largely required, itTraT' Wairarapa—(laughter) —■bus--tlj&, nothing, was heard of them now.—• Mr Buchanan replied, and a long discussion -ensued.-Mr Saunders assured the House. that stoats, and weasels were perfectly harmless, and Mr Humphreys expressed an opinion that these were the only natural enemies of rabbits. Mr Taylor!s motion to strike the item out was lost by 40 to 11.—Mr T.-Thompson wished to move that tho total vote . be reduced by £2600, but was ruled-

out of order, the vote having been attacked on items. ' Mr Goldie moved It reduce the item stoats and; weasels, £2700, by £IOOO.-MrT, Thompson suggested that the item be reduced by £2600, as an indication 1 to the Government that the whole votoshould be reduced-' by that amount. The Minister said it was impossible to carry on the work of the department with asreduction of £2500; and if such W reduction were made the depaftjF ment would have to be carried on out of l( .unauthorised.'"—Mr Fish hotly resented this statoment.andwas followed by Mr Stewart, who said "people outside" were of opinion that, the House was simply wasting time, -The Minister explained that the bulk qf this vote 'iyas already Bnent, thjs being the' time of yearwhen, the.' expenditure had been ihourfetli —Mr ; Stewart,-replyipg tp Mr Fish, said conduct' o£ ttbe House for the laelV , eight weeka bad simply becu & burle^

•';•. flue, and was a laughing atook all ovo r :-j> the Colony;—Mr Thompson's moiion (for reduction by £1000) by 22 to 8, Mt T Thompson moved to reduce by £26 tho item contingencies, 1500 -lost by 28 to 7. Tho vote eventually passed without v reduction. Jk The vote for the Justice Department was also discussed, and.a stonewall ensued, Mr fish speaking at great .ength.