PARLIAMENTARY.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1087, 7 September 1904, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

By Telegraph.—Presi Association. Wiwjnuton, this day. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Yestkrday SECOND READINGS, Tho Council met at 2,80, Mr Reeves, in tho absence of Mr FckL wick, movod tho second reading of tho Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch Empowering Bill, whioh was agreed to, and the Council then adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES YESTKRDAY i The House mot at 2.30. I FIRST READINGS H?he Wellington City Empowering Gas Works Bill (Aitkon) ami I'ublio Health Set Amendment Bill (Steward) woro road a Sin!-time.

| NO CONFIDENCE DEBATE I At 2.40 Mr, Jennings resumed tho do[bate an tho lend question. Ho said that winco Friday night bo had travelled somo KOO miles, aud had found that very little interest was being taken in (he debate in the country. Most pooplo had made up their minds on the land tenure. With regard to the Royal Commission ho expressed the opiivon that it should bo composed of independent men from outside he House, as there was too much party feeling among mombers to enable thorn to give an unbiassod opinion on tho subject. Personally, he was strongly in favour of the freehold syetem of land tenure, and would like to see tho deferred paymont system brought into operation again, Mr. Houston considered that the setting up of a Royal Commission was tho only Wftj in which the disabilities that the Orown tonants now suffered under I old be found out, aud tho only sans by which redress could be given, the Comuiissio.l could reniovo 0 anomalies of tho Liml Boards it would a great deal of good to the country and i settlers. There would be no system land tenure more aiceptablo to llio ople Of Auckland than the homstead 'system, If tho ovils that the settlors suffered from could bo roraovod by the Royal Commission it was a justification for voting for tho Premier's motion, although ho favoured the freehoM tenure. Mr MoLuchlan said ho behoved that if tho Royal Commission did no good it could do no harm. The land reformors wero

fifty years too late, Tho good Crown land L was all gono dow, and what was left should »- bo given to settlers under any conditions Bf they liked, He favoured tho trochoid, but f ho did not favour tha presont Crown settlers being given the frethoold, They had taken tho land under the W years' leaßO, Lot them stick to their bargain, If they wanted the freehold of thoir estates let them surrender thoir leases and have the land put up to auction, Mr Word said tho only roa'l " sorls" amongst the landholders woro the small farmers, wboso holdings woro mortgaged to largo cuupnios. If the powor to mortgage wero givon to the irocholder, a Blep would be taken back to the old stato of things—tho building up of largo ostntos, at which the lands for settlement policy was

directed, ifc would vote for tho Premier's jfc motion, at tho sanio time declaring himW self in fovour of tho freehold for the man 1 who conld afford to pnrchaso, and tho F leasehold for tho man who had not the i necessary capital for the purclmc. Mr, Field, who announcod himself a HBfreeholder, complained of the intangible ■Hf nature of the leader of the Opposition's amendment. If Mr. Massoy had brought Hg down an amendment providing for the Bk abolition of the lease in perpetuity, and MS for the granting of the optional systom of Mm tenure, ho (Mr. Field) would havo supporH|ted it; but the leader of the Opposition Hi was merely actuated by a desire to oust m tho Government, and to do it with tho as■B Biatanoe of thosq members on tho Government aids of the houso who favoured tho B freehold. He favoured a Eoyul Commis|p sion being set up, ¥ Tbo debate was interrupted by the 5,30 adjournment, i Tho Houso rosumed at 7,30, ■ The debato was continued throughout W the ovening by Messrs Kaihau, Moss, A. ¥ L. D, Fraser, W, Fraser, Bennett, Lawry P and Flatman. Tho House rose at 12.45.