PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1101, 26 August 1873, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

In the House on the 21st Mr O'Neill moved a reduction of sixpence per ounce in the duty on gold. Mr Vogel said he was sorry he was obliged to oppose the motion. A Mint [should be ?] established, for the purpose of breaking down the combination by the bankers. The proposed reduction might benefit Auckland, but not Otago or Westlaind. He was soTry that a reduction had been made last year. This was not a tax on the miners. The Goldfields' members should be glad that others opposed the reduction.

Mr O'Conor supported the motion, and quoted largely from statistics to show that the miners of New Zealand were worse off than those in Victoria.. He showed that the yield of gold was failing off, and the number of miners lessening.

Mr J. L. Gillies supported the motion.

Mr White argued against the duty as being a special tax, and urged the absurdity of levying a special tax on an industry already heavily taxed. Mr Atkinsou opposed the motion, and said the question was one of royalty, not special taxation. Mr Fox supported the motion, and said the understanding last year was that reductions should be gradual each year.

Mr Sheehan opposed the motion, on the ground that the Assembly had no right to alter the revenue of provinces. Mr Buckland said that unless the tax was continued Auckland province would become insolvent.

Mr Reader Wood supported the motion.

The debate was interrupted by the arrival of the dinner hour.

The Emigrants Land Bill, introduced by Mr Vogel, provides for the encouragement of a better class of immigrants by a system of land grants instead of free passages, so, as to ensure a bona fide settlement, The second reading of the Provincial Borrowing Bill will probably come on next week.

To-day, in reply to Mr Tairoa, the Native Minister said that the Government intended to call a Middle Island native to the Legislative Council. In reply to Major Atkinson, Mr O'Rorke said that the Government had endeavored to get the New Zealand Shipping Company to convey emigrants and cargo direct to New Plymouth, but had failed. They would try again. In reply to Mr Curtis Mr Bathgate said that the Government did not intend to bring in a bill to institute an examination body in medical science. The Minister for Works said, in reply to Mr Harrison, that the Government had received no application for the lease of the Mount Rochfort coalfield, or the Brunner mine. The following bills have been read a fiist time :—The Distillation Amendment Bill, Broughton Land Grant Bill, Native Lands Fraud Prevention Act Amendment Bill, Municipal Corporations Act, 1867, Amendment Act, Westland Waste Land s Act, 1870, Amendment, Laws for the Protection of Animals amendment, Weights and Measures Act, 1868, Amendment; and the Immigrants' Laud Bill. v„^ Amendments by the Legislative Council in the Telegraph Cables Subsidy

Agreement Ratification Bill, were agr to. The Province of Westland Bill was committed j the bill to come into force in January next. On the motion of Mr Harrison, it was agreed that coalfields should not be under the control of the Superintendents of provinces. The Life Assurance Companies' Bill was committed. The Further Evidence Amendment Bill was also committed. The Native Reserves Act Amendment Bill is now under consideration in committee. The following Estimates have been passed without amendment; Public debts £54,950; Law and Justice, £57,103; Postal and Telegraph Service, £141,813 ; Customs, £47,200; and Native, £26,532. The National Bank Bill has been read a third time and passed.