PARLIAMENTARY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (From the New Zealand Herald.) WELLINGTON

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 204, 30 August 1873, Page 2

PARL I AM E NT ARY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (From the New Zealand Herald.) WELLINGTON

Thursday. Very great dissatisfaction e\i-ta about the Provincial Lands Bill. It is expected Unit it will be made a Government measure, and thrown out. It is thought by some, also, that Vogel will shuffle tlic cards again. Mr Tairoa gave notice to ask the Government if they intended to call a Thames native to the Legislative Council? The report of the Auckland Improvement Bill was agreed to after discussion. Mr Gillies moved tho committal of the bill for tho introduction of certain clauses. Mr Vogel sup« ported the recommittal. Mr Sheohan strongly opposed tho recommittal. Mr Luckie supported it, and when the question was put called for a division, but did not push it. The report was agreed to. The Premier (Hon Mr Vogcl) moved the second reading of a bill intituled an Act to empower the Legislature of Provinces to pass laws authorising the raising of loans for certain purposes, and subject to certain condition*. He -ml that tho nature of the bill was indented m the Financial .Suilrment. It had two objects : — First, to secure competent local approval of certain elns-ej of public works-, and Ihus to free the House from the necessity of constructing woi ks, ns to the expediency of constructing which it was impossible for hon members to bare adequate knowledge; second, to guard against such undertakings interfering with the credit of tho colony, in carrying out tho great works it had undertaken. It was proposed that Provincial Councils should be empowered to authorise loans upon specific securities. It would bo made clear by tho Aot that tho colony was not liable for such loans, and it would also be made clear that neither in the technical or the ordinary meaning of the word was any security given over tho ordinary revenue of the province, by which any such loan might bp authorised. A province would not bo precluded from making out of its ordinary revenue appropriations to meet tho liability consequent upon a loan of the kind. But the Provincial Council could not give to the tenders any priority of payment. The interest and principal on all loans under tho Act would bo mado payable in New Zealand or in one of tho neighbouring colonies. The purposes for which money might bo raised were stated in clause 7, whioh was as follows; — Tho construction, erection, or extension of buildings, or works for any of the purposes or any of tho descriptions following, that is to say, schools, colleges, or other public educational institution*, or lunatic asylums, hospitals, harbour works, docks, jetties, wharves, quay*, and buildings for other public purposes. Tlie construction of roads, bridges, tramwajs, or branch railways, wiuVruoiks, works for irrigation, waterrapes, Miidge-chnmie's, drainage work*, works for lmprovpment of navigation of mm, and the reclamation ol land.

Tue Jiui c'ri-e or n< ijuiMtioii of ImJ i^ (lie mU >ti 01 ollui w so tor such buildm-i, or oilier works as tu>reinb "lore in t'm section described The M'cui\tu's to be £i\<m> lot the se\ Til chafes of worlv, wcic — -For ice! uiution, the seuiiiu would be o^ er tbo land reclaimed for schools, luniitie asylums, nn 1 lui^jitiil-, oxer the respective endowments; ior public bmldniL'N over the buildings and land; for w banes and harbor works, o\er the tolls and dues ; for roads and bridge, o\er tolls and a special rate ; for tiaim\a\s and bianeh railways, o\er the proceeds of the traflir and a special r.ite ; for irrigation and drjuiagp work*, nver receipts and a special rate The Aot would contain careful provision as to the making ol special rates, and none could bo nude without t'-ie consent of tlie majority in number and \:ilue o( the ratepayers of (lie district within which e:\oK particular 1 lie wj> to he in force The Act would in addition, enable the Vt, lembly to set apart special blocks of lund a« ~e<unt\ for loans (or a specified work or works. A loan account oi each province would be Kopt, into which, tho receipts such as rates and tolls would be paid, and to that oceoimf there would also be paid 15 per cent, of tho land revenue of the province, exclusive of gold mining' revenue, but inclusive of receipts under the New Zealand Settlement Act. The provisions as to keeping the accounts, for compelling tho oillcers to perform their dutie*, were very stringent. The lion gentleman explained these and other provisions. Tho Act, he said, might not satisfy all the cravings for provincial borrow in<», but lie contended that there was no useful w c rk which it was desirable of provincial loans, winch the Act cnuM not enable to be constructed. It would do tins without interfering with the creditof tho colony in connection with larger works. The necessity for the Aot was rendered more apparent by the way m which representatives of provinces bad reccntlj been demanding powers to borrow even to the extont of a million sterling m some cases. The Government regarded this Act as in the fullest sense a Government measure. If there were to be a general election, they A'ould be glad to submit the measure to the country, feeling sure that it would command tho support of the country. lie would add, however, that the Government did not desire to press for the immediate second reading of the bill. The lion gentleman proceeded to explain certain modifications which the Government proposed making in the colony, as announced in Financial Statement. The throe principal features in the Budget were : — The substitution of ad valorem for measurement duties ; proposals concerning provincial loans, and proposals relating to those portions of tho trunk railways which were at present unauthorised. To the first, effect of law had been given. He was now dealing w ith the Government measure as to the second ; as to tho third, the Government were willing to propose important modifications. He contended that so to do would be to modify a portion of the policy which was otrongly affirmed in the Budget speech, and any lion member who desired to take advantago of the fact of that admission was fully entitled to do so. He would state how the proposed modifications had been brought about. The Government had been given to understand that the representatives of some of the provinces, and especially of Canterbury and Otago, entertained strong objections to any of their lands being taken as security for trunk railways, but that they were willing, in lieu of those lands being taken, that the colony should provide a landed estate for tho North Island provinces. This offer was not calculated to give early relief to the loan account. But it met one of the greatest difficulties with which the Government had to deal, namely, the unequal position of the provinces of tho two islands. Indeed, it was a far-sighted policy of the Southern provinces, and would some day return to them bounteous interest in tho contribution the Northern provinces would make to the general revenue of the colony. Tho Government recognised that the advantages of the proposal were so great as to justify a departure on this point from the policy propounded earlier in the session, in other words they accepted the proposal, though it would necessitate larger borrowing to complete the trunk railways than would have been necessary if land had been taken from Southern provinces. It must (continued the hon gentleman) bo distinctly understood that the alteration does not affect the present position of law, which makes such province liable for interest and sinking fund on the cost of tho railways within its boundary ; the liability of land fund to annually provide interest and sinking fund will remain, but will not take land from Otago and Canterbury to bo turned into money in relief of part of the funds which have to be raisod by land, their railways, and we will return to Wellington and Hawko's Bay land which lias been take n from them as special security. In respect to details, I have to say that the Government proposed to substitute for the Budget proposal the following : — That authority should be given to borrow £500,000 for- the purchase of native lands in the North Island. This amount, together with £200,000 already authorised, to bo charged upon tho colonial revenue. The amount already authorised is expended, or required to complete- engagements. Its distribution, t herefore, cannot be varied. But it is necessary to appropriate the £500,000, and tho apportionment wo propose is— £2so,ooo to Auckland, £150,000 to Wellington, £50,000 to Taranaki, and £50,000 to Hawke's Bay. We have given aiuiou- consideration to tho question whether we should retain control ovor tho land, in order to devoto to meeting the railway charges of tho North Island. We have como to tie conclusion that it would be bettor to leave the provinces of the North Island to deal with tho land as the provinces of the Souih Island do, and therefore, whenever free from native difficulties, we propose that the purchased land shall be handed over to the several provinces within which it is situated. We make only this reservation, that the land shall not be sold without auction for less than a pound an acre, or with auction, at less than an upset price of ten shillings an aero. This is all we can do this session. But we shall endeavor next session to obtain the concunence of the North Island provinces to a uniform land law for tho North Island. What I have said will apply equally to land acquired out of tho £200,000 as to that out of the £500,000. I have finally to sny that if the modification now submitted is not acceptable to the House, we are willing to adhere to the Budget proposal. But we do not hesitate to recommend in preference tho policy I have described. It involved, it is true, some present cost to the colony, and some apparent sacrifice on the part of the Middle Island, but time will eradicate this, as an enlightened and noble step in the best interests of a future united New Zealand. The Session was adjourned until to-morrow (Friday.)